Feena gave the younger priestess a faint smile and said, 'I notice that you're not ruling out their presence all together.'
'You saw what you saw,' Julith said, 'and caution never hurts.' She returned Feena's glance. 'I discovered something else, though. After your encounter, Mifano never even bothered to check with the watchers.'
Feena pressed her lips together. 'Too sure of his own assessment of the situation, I suspect. Did the watchers have anything to say about…' She grimaced. 'Anything else?'
'The Stiltways are humming with stories of werewolves,' Julith replied. 'The tales have spread a little bit into the city at large, but seem to be mostly dismissed as drunken ravings. No one except High Luck Shoondeep seems to have made any connection to you, though.'
'I hope it stays that way,' Feena said bitterly.
After her experience at the Cutter's Dip three nights before, she had hastened back to Moonshadow Hall, sticking to Yhaunn's more brightly lit streets. A quick leap over the kitchen wall had brought her back to safety once morebut it hadn't been until she'd collapsed into a chair in Julith's room that the harrowing danger had really hit her. She'd tracked the servants of Malar in Arch Wood, even fought vampires in Selgaunt, but a mob of unarmed drunks had almost brought her down. Feena had given fervent thanks to Selune for her deliveranceeven if it had been at the arrogant hands of Keph Thingoleirand paid serious attention to Julith when she suggested that maybe another approach was needed.
Even if that approach failed to yield results, it was better than risking her furry skin chasing Sharrans that might or might not exist. Besides, with Julith to support her, there was more than enough to keep her busy around Moonshadow Hall.
They approached a door that opened onto the cloisters.
'Ready?' asked Julith.
Feena smoothed the simple pale blue gown that the seamstress had prepared for her and checked the silver web in her hair.
'Ready,' she said.
Julith pulled open the door. Feena walked through, passed across the shaded walkway, and stepped out into the golden light of afternoon that flooded the courtyard.
Around Selune's sacred pool, a group of about a dozen people were gathered: representatives of the city's merchants, craft guilds, the Nessarch's office, and the high priests and priestesses of the council of templeseven Colle Shoondeep. Velsinore and Mifano were there as well, Mifano making restrained conversation with various people while Velsinore kept a critical eye on the acolytes who moved among the group, offering chilled wine.
'Thank you all for coming,' Feena called.
Conversation stilled and faces turned toward her as she walked across the grass. The acolytes made a silent, graceful exit, except for one who quickly brought wine to Feena and Julith before departing. Feena inclined her head to her guests. They returned the gesturesome more enthusiastically and graciously than others. Colle barely nodded. Mifano's bow was deep but cold and stiff. Velsinore didn't move at all.
Feena ignored the three of them.
'As some of you may know,' she said, pronouncing each word as clearly as she had practiced with Julith, 'it has become a tradition at Moonshadow Hall to open our doors to the poor of Yhaunn on the night of the new moon in what we call the New Moon Beneficence.'
'And a wonderful tradition it is, too!' said Endress Halatar.
Feena nodded in acknowledgement of her praise and said, 'It is always popular, and it has won Moonshadow Hall much favor in the less wealthy parts of the city. The New Moon Beneficence was never intended to bring worshipers to Selune, however, only to provide some relief to the poor. We can't help all of them, though. Each new moon, we find ourselves turning people away. That's why I would like to invite you allother temples, the city, merchants, and guildsto share in this act of charity. All of us are wealthy. If we work together one night a month; we would be able to provide for many, many people.'
The group reacted in startled silence, glancing among themselves, some with an expression of immediate skepticism, some with cautious interest. Velsinore and Mifano, of course, looked ready to spit fire, but they didn't dare say anythingchallenging their Moonmistress-Designate in front of outsiders would only highlight the division within Moonshadow Hall.. Feena held her breath. The reaction was exactly what Julith had predicted, and if only the guests would react in accordance with the rest of the young priestess's expectations
Colle rose to the occasion. 'Preposterous!' he blustered. 'The poor will certainly benefit, but once word came out that this was all Moonshadow Hall's idea, how would that make the rest of us look?'
Feena let out her breath. 'As you yourself said in our last council, Colle, it's a great shame when temple competes with temple. If the announcement is phrased properly, all Yhauntans will see is the group of us working together for the common good. It will benefit all of us' she nodded to the representatives of the city's civil authorities' Temples, merchants, and guilds.'
Colle blinked, his bluster countered, and Feena turned to Endress. Julith had suggested that the old priestess would be the most likely to support the idea. Feena was relieved to see interest sparkling in her eyes.
'High Mistress of Revels?' she asked. 'What do you think?'
'You know I love any excuse for a party.' Endress chuckled. 'Especially one for a good cause.' She tilted her head. 'But there would be a tremendous amount of organization involved.'
'With your help, I don't think it would be difficult.' She looked to the high priest of Ilmater, the suffering god who was traditionally the patron of the impoverished. 'Sir?' she asked humbly.
He nodded slowly and said, 'A burden shared is a burden more easily borne. You have Ilmater's blessing.'
'And Deneir's,' added the High Scrivener of the Lord of All Glyphs. Feena held back a grin. Julith had said that the two priests, the most conservative members of the council of temples, would agree with each other. Another prediction fulfilled!
'And Waukeen's, as well, Moonmistress.' The priest of the goddess of wealth bowed toward Feena. 'Generosity is the root of success.'
Feena heard Julith let out a little gasp beside her. Waukeen's priest had been among those the priestess had judged would be the most difficult to convince. That he had come around so quickly was almost a miracle! Feena bowed back to him, honoring him with a deeper bow than he had given her.
'Thank you,' she replied.
The representatives of the Nessarch, the council of merchants, and the craft guilds were still communicating among themselves with whispers and skeptical glances. The merchants' representative finally looked up and cleared his throat.
'The idea seems to have merit,' he said, caution plain in his tone, 'but none of us can offer our full approval without consulting our members. And with the new moon only tomorrow night, we couldn't organize meetings in time to give you an answer.'
'Of course,' said Feena. She couldn't hold back her smile anymore and it spread across her face just as the warmth of triumph spread through her belly. 'I didn't expect that you could. That's why I would like to invite you to attend'
'Feena!'
From the window of her sitting room, Dhauna Myri-tar's voice drifted down into the courtyard, piercing and demanding. It didn't sound like the High Moonmistress was frightened or in pain, however. Feena clenched her teeth behind her smile and carried on.
'I would like to invite all of you,' she said, extending her arms to encompass the group, 'to attend tomorrow's New Moon Beneficence as my guests. I think you will see-'
Dhauna's second call was more strident: 'Feena!'
Feena winced and glanced at Julith. The other priestess gave her a sharp nod of encouragement. Feena drew a breath. 'I think you'll see how much need there is for this type of cooperation and how much good we would be able to do if we were to work togeth'
Feena!
The call was magical, echoing inside her head as loudly as if Dhauna were standing right next to her and shouting in her ear. Feena gasped and actually staggered. Julith caught her.
'Feena, what is it?' the young priestess whispered.
