Isabeau cast a glance back toward the door to ensure that they were not observed, then took the sack of dream spheres from her bag. 'This is the one thing more,' she said. 'I believe you can sell them for me.'
The perfumer reached into the bag and drew out one of the gleaming spheres. His eyes widened. 'Indeed I can. I have heard tell of these. So have some of the gentry, and I've had enough discreet inquiries to enable me to move these quickly, as well as any more you might happen upon,' he said.
'At what price?'
Diloontier looked scandalized. 'A lady of quality need not concern herself with such details. I will handle all, and report faithfully to your steward.'
Isabeau refused to be flattered or patronized. She strolled over to a shelf glittering with decorative silver vials and took from it a small, plain bottle. Turning to face the perfumer, she slowly, deliberately dropped the vial into her bag.
'Half,' she specified coldly, staring down the sud shy;denly wary man. 'I expect to receive half the purchase price of each dream sphere you sell. Do not attempt to cheat me.'
'My lady!' he protested.
'Do not,' she said in a low tone as she patted her bag, 'or I will feed you one of your own poisons. Now that we are properly acquainted, let us discuss some other mat shy;ters you can help me with. . '
* * * * *
Arilyn and Danilo walked down the long, black marble stairs that led from the front door of Blackstone House, one of Elaith's favorite residences. Unlike most houses in the city, this one had no windows or doors on the first level. Guests were obliged to climb a steep, narrow stairs to the front door. No rails lined the stairs, which were smooth and slick as a ballroom floor.
Arilyn had to admit that it was a clever design and extremely defensible. Anyone who wished to storm the elf's abode would be obliged to do so one at a time. No one could stand and fight on so precarious a perch, and she would not be at all surprised if the stone griffons that flanked the stairs on the ground below were mag shy;ical constructs, waiting to pounce upon any who might fall.
Arilyn all but leaped down the stairs and hastily climbed into the waiting carriage. 'He's lying,' she said flatly.
Danilo did not disagree. He climbed into the seat, leaned forward and gave the halfling driver his address, then slid shut the wooden door. 'At least he does not hold the Thann family responsible. I would not care to renew that particular enmity.'
'They call him the Serpent, and not without reason,' she pointed out. 'A snake still strikes whether you name him friend or foe. It's his nature.'
'I am not so certain,' Danilo argued. 'There are some things even Elaith holds sacred. He did not lightly name me Elf-friend. I believe he will honor that pledge.'
'As long as it's convenient.' Arilyn slumped down in the seat and stretched her booted feet out before her. The look she sent in Danilo's direction bordered on pleading. 'At least consider the possibility that I'm right.'
'This much I will do.' Danilo reached up and tapped on the wooden door. 'Change of plan,' he informed the beaming halfling driver. 'Take us to The Curious Past, on the Street of Silks.'
The half-elf sat upright, surprised to hear him name the posh shopping district. 'What is this?'
'The dream spheres hold part of the answer to this puzzle,' Danilo explained. 'Of that much, I am fairly certain. Perhaps Elaith has more involvement in this matter than he is willing to admit. I will have someone follow him, and we will see.'
Arilyn nodded. That was more of a concession than she had expected to get. 'A Harper?'
'One of the agents assigned to my direction,' he agreed, 'and recently released to tend her own affairs. You have not met Bronwyn. She is a finder of lost things, a scholar of sorts but ready for just about anything that comes her way. She is most knowledgeable concerning treasures both ancient and modern and deals frequently with the gem and crystal merchants. These dream spheres had to be mined and cut and polished. She would be able to find out who did these things-as would Elaith, if indeed he plans to follow this path.'
Arilyn nodded agreement to this plan and settled back to watch as the city rolled past. The carriage swung eastward toward a place of elegant shops and taverns. The tang of the sea deepened as they rode, and it mingled with the savory odors wafting from the taverns and bakeries and pastry shops that offered respite to those who strolled the broad streets.
The day was fine, and the shops were crowded with people eager to enjoy the last warm days. Before the moon waned and waxed twice, many of the revelers would quit the city in search of softer climes. They poured into the streets for one last, hectic bustle of commerce and festivity.
So many people milled about the streets that passage by carriage was impossible. Danilo settled with the halfling driver and led the way through the crowd toward an elegant, dark-timbered building.
A tilted hourglass decorated a carved and painted sign, and markings proclaimed it to be The Curious Past, using not one language but three: the trade lan shy;guage known as Common, beautifully rendered Elvish script, and the squat, emphatic figures of the dwarven runes. Behind the small-paned windows, each of which was etched with the same hourglass design, was a pleasing jumble of trinkets and treasures.
Arilyn liked Bronwyn at first glance. The Harper was of average height for a woman, nearly a head shorter than Arilyn. She wore neither the weapons nor the manner of a trained fighter, but there was no hint of weakness about her. She was compact and trim and was sensibly clad in tunic and breeches of a matching russet hue. Her large, chocolate-brown eyes were lively with intelligence, and her gaze managed to be both warm and direct. The small hand she offered Arilyn in response to Dan's introduction was ornamented only by ink stains and calluses.
'A pleasure,' Bronwyn said with genuine warmth. 'Dan has spoken of you.'
'And of you, a scholar and adventurer,' she repeated, seeing the truth of both.
The woman laughed. 'Fine words! That's a sure sign that he wants something from me.'
'Guilty,' Danilo said with a grin. He quickly described the situation.
'I know of Elaith Craulnober,' Bronwyn murmured. She turned a dry smile upon her friend. 'Either you have a very high opinion of me or a very low one.'
'Dealing with Elaith often requires the best of both philosophies,' he admitted.
'Well, that's why you're here,' Bronwyn said matter-of-factly. 'As it turns out, I do have a legitimate errand to attend-or more accurately, an illegitimate one.'
She went to a case and removed from it a waterfall of glittering, pale green stones, artfully woven into a neck shy;lace. 'The stones are peridot, considered only semi shy;precious in the north but highly prized in Mulhorand and the lands of the Old Empires as gems fit for royalty. Lovely, aren't they?'
Arilyn shrugged. Jewelry was nice enough, but irrel shy;evant.
'Good eye,' Bronwyn congratulated her, misunder shy;standing her lack of enthusiasm. 'There are exactly two genuine peridots in this lot. The rest are crystal. The gem merchant who hired me wants more of the same. If Elaith is nosing about among the crystal merchants, I'll have a reason to follow-or at least bump elbows.'
'Splendid,' Danilo agreed happily as he rose to leave.
'You've just got here,' the merchant scolded him. 'Perhaps Arilyn would like to see some of the elven pieces first?'
Danilo pantomimed a pained expression and reached pointedly for his coin bag. 'Didn't I tell you she was good at her business?' he asked Arilyn.
'These are not for sale,' Bronwyn said with brisk good humor as she led the way to a long, glass-covered box. 'I recovered these for the elves of the Pantheon Temple. To be honest, I'm hoping you can shed some light on them. I like to know the history of the pieces I collect. These appear to be personal possessions, but there is apparently some sort of sacred significance to them.'
Arilyn's heart pounded as she studied the objects in the case. There was a small flute grown from green crys shy;tal, an emerald pendant, a leather bracer dyed green and tooled with beautiful, mystic designs. There was a small, stylized sculpture of Hannah Celanil, the elven goddess of beauty, rendered in green-veined marble.
'The color is significant, isn't it?' Bronwyn went on.
'Yes.' Arilyn cleared her throat. 'These are Midsum shy;mer gifts, given at festival time. They are personal, as you say. They are also sacred, but not in any manner that can be explained with talk of gods and
