sometime during dessert.
A courtier named Randel - tall, thin, dark, and generally smiling - came into the room. I knew something was up because he was not smiling and he was moving faster than usual. He swept us with his gaze, fixed upon Vialle, advanced quickly and cleared his throat.
«M'lady Majesty…?» he began.
Vialle turned her head slightly in his direction:
«Yes, Randel?» she said. «What is it?»
«The delegation from Begma has just arrived,» he answered, «and I find myself without instructions as to the nature of their welcome and any special arrangements that would be suitable.»
«Oh dear» Vialle said; laying aside her fork. «They weren't due until the day after tomorrow, when Random will be back. He's the one they'll be wanting to complain to. What have you done with them?»
«I seated them in the Yellow Room,» he replied, «and told them I would go and announce their arrival.»
She nodded.
«How many of them are there?»
«The prime minister, Orkuz,» he said, «his secretary, Nayda - who is also his daughter - and another daughter, Coral. There are also four servants - two men and two women.»
«Go and inform the household staff, and be sure that appropriate quarters are made ready for them,» she directed, «and alert the kitchen. They may not have had lunch.»
«Very good, Your Highness,» he said, beginning to back away.
«…Then report to me in the Yellow Room, to let me know it's been done,» she continued, «and I'll give you additional instruictions at that time.»
«Consider it done,» he replied, and he hurried off.
«Merlin, Llewella,» Vialle said, beginning to rise, «come help me entertain them while arrangements are being made.»
I gulped my last bite of dessert and got to my feet: I did not really feel like talking to a diplomat and his party, but I was handy and it was one of life's little duties.
«Uh… What are they here for, anyway?» I asked.
«Some sort of protest over what we've been doing in Kashfa,» she replied. «They've never been friendly with Kashfa, but I'm not sure now whether they're here to protest Kashfa's possible admission to the Golden Circle or whether they're upset about our interfering in Kashfa's domestic affairs. It could be they're afraid they'll lose business with such a close neighbor suddenly enjoying the same preferred trade status they have. Or it may be they had different plans for Kashfa's throne and we just foreclosed them. Maybe. both. Whatever… We can't tell them anything we don't know.»
«I just wanted to know what subjects to avoid,» I said. «All of the above» she answered.
«I was wondering the same thing myself,» Llewella said. «I was also wondering, though, whether they might have any useful information on Dalt. Their intelligence service must keep a close eye on doings in and about Kashfa.»
«Don't pursue that topic,» Vialle said, moving toward the door. «If they let something slip or want to give something away, fine. Bring it home. But don't show them you'd like. to know.»
Vialle took my arm and I guided her out, heading toward the Yellow Room. Llewella produced a small mirror from somewhere and inspected her features. Obviously pleased, she put it away, then remarked, «Lucky you showed up, Merlin. An extra smiling face is always useful at times like this.»
«Why don't I feel lucky?» I said.
We made our way to the room where the prime minister and his daughters waited. Their servants had already retired to the kitchen for refreshments. The official party was still hungry, which says something about protocol, especially since it seemed to take a long while before some trays of provender could be attractively assembled. Orkuz was of medium stature and stocky, his black hair tastefully streaked, the lines on his broad face seeming to indicate that he did a lot more frowning than smiling - a practice in which he indulged most of the while that afternoon. Nayda's was a more pleasingly sculpted version of his face, and though she showed the same tendency toward corpulence, it was held firmly in check at an attractive level of roundedness. Also, she smiled a lot and she had pretty teeth. Coral, on the other hand, was taller than either her father or sister, slender, her hair a reddish brown. When she smiled it seemed less official. Also, there was something vaguely familiar about her. I wondered whether I had met her at some boring reception years before. If I had, though, I felt I might have remembered.
After we had been introduced and wine had been poured, Orkuz made a brief comment to Vialle about «recent distressing news» concerning Kashfa. Llewella and I quickly moved to her side for moral support, but she simply said that such matters would have to be dealt with fully upon Random's return, and that for the moment she wished merely to see to their comfort. He was completely agreeable to this, even to the point of smiling. I had the impression he just wanted the purpose of his visit on the record immediately. Llewella quickly fumed the conversation to the matter of his journey, and he graciously allowed the subject to be changed. Politicians are wonderfully programmed.
I learned later that the Begman ambassador wasn't even aware of his arrival, which would seem to indicate that Orkuz had come so quickly he had preceded any notification to their embassy. And he hadn't even bothered dropping in there, but had come straight to the palace and had a message sent over. I leanned this a little later, when he asked to have the message delivered. Feeling somewhat supernumerary to Llewella's and Vialle's graceful cascades of neutral talk, I dropped back a pace to plan my escape. I was not at all interested in whatever game was being set up.
Coral backed off also and sighed. Then she glanced at me and smiled, surveyed the room quickly and came closer.
«I've always wanted to visit Amber,» she said then.
«Is it the way you imagined it?» I asked.
«Oh, yes. So far. Of course, I haven't seen that much of it yet…
I nodded, and we withdrew a little farther from the others.
«Have I met you somewhere before?» I asked.
«I don't think so,» she said. «I haven't traveled that much, and I don't believe you've been out our way. Have you?»
«No, though I've grown curious about it recently.»
«I do know something of your background, though,» she went on, «just from general gossip. I know you're from the Courts of Chaos; and I know you went to school on that Shadow world you Amberites seem to visit so frequently. I've often wondered what it was like.»
I took the bait and I began telling her about school and my job, about a few places I'd visited and things I'd enjoyed doing. We made our way to a sofa across the room as I spoke, and we got more comfortable. Orkuz, Nayda, Llewella, and Vialle didn't seem to miss us, and if I had to be here I found talking with Coral more enjoyable, than listening to them. Not to monopolize things, though, I asked her about herself.
She began telling me of a girlhood spent in and around Begma, of her fondness for the outdoors - of horses and of boating on the many lakes and rivers in that region - of books she had read, and of relatively innocent dabblings in magic. A member of the household staff came in just as she was getting around to a description of some interesting rites performed by members of the local farming community to insure the fertility of the crops, and she approached Vialle and told her something. Several more staff members were in view outside the doorway. Vialle then said something to Orkuz and Nayda, who nodded and moved toward the entrance. Llewella departed the group and. came our way.
«Coral,» she said, «your suite is ready. One of the staff will show you where it is. Perhaps you'd like to freshen up or rest after your journey.»
We got to our feet.
«I'm not really tired,» Coral said, looking at me rather than Llewella, a hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth.
What the hell. I suddenly realized I had been enjoying her company, so, «If you'd care to change into something simpler,» I said, «I'll be glad to show you a bit of the town. Or the palace.»
