‘Strife’s too hard a word. Some have still to be convinced, that’s all.’
‘Not hard to see why, is it?’ The wizard crossed his arms. ‘I mean, of all the places to pick-’
‘Don’t start that again, Phoenix, please. The refuge was agreed by all of you in Covenant, and by the full Council.’
‘I know, I know. I’m just saying it’s an…unusual choice. And that’s not a rare opinion among those who know about it.’
‘The issue’s settled. There’s no turning back now.’
‘All I’m doing is reminding you that the decision isn’t universally popular,’ Phoenix pointed out, a testy note creeping into his voice.
‘Then you’re saying nothing that hasn’t already been said.’
Just as they reached a stalemate, Goyter appeared with a pair of new arrivals. One was tall and hardy, his garb black, his eyes dark and penetrating. In his wake came a youth, nearly a man; not shaven like his companion but striving for whiskers, and acting coy.
‘Morning, Reeth,’ Karr greeted the older man, glad of the interruption.
Caldason nodded.
‘And how are you this day?’ Karr inquired of the youth.
Kutch Pirathon said nothing, looking instead to the Qalochian.
‘It’s been happening again,’ Caldason explained.
‘The visions?’ Phoenix asked.
‘And his way of trying to avoid them.’
Kutch stared at his feet.
Phoenix sighed. ‘We have to get to the root of this.’ To Caldason, he added, ‘It would help if we knew more about what he was seeing.’
‘I’ve told you all I can about that.’ The response was frosty enough to forbid further questioning.
‘Come on, Kutch, let’s see if we can talk this through.’ Phoenix took the boy’s arm.
‘Just a minute,’ Karr said. He indicated Kutch’s blood-speckled jerkin. ‘What’s that?’
‘What do you think it is?’ Caldason returned, casually defiant.
‘How many times do I have to tell you about your brawling?’
‘You can say it as often as you like. It won’t stop me acting as I see fit.’
‘The last thing we need now is to lose somebody like you, and we can certainly do without drawing attention unnecessarily.’
‘A watch patrol caught me,’ Kutch volunteered, ‘and Reeth-’
‘It was necessary, Karr,’ Caldason cut in. ‘Or perhaps you’d prefer the boy was captured and made to talk?’
‘I was being stupid,’ Kutch admitted, eyes downcast.
‘And reckless,’ Caldason added.
The boy looked up. He almost whispered, ‘I don’t think I’m the only one guilty of that.’
Caldason was going to say something, but checked himself.
It was Karr who spoke. ‘This isn’t a time to be playing the fool.’ His gaze flicked from man to boy. ‘Either of you.’ Goyter and Phoenix loitered at the fringe of the conversation. He addressed them. ‘By the look of him, the first thing Kutch needs is sleep. See he gets some. Then do what you can, Phoenix.’
The wizard nodded and made to leave. Then he noticed Caldason staring at him. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’
‘I think I preferred the ape.’
‘Hmmph.’ Phoenix turned on his heel.
Kutch gave one glance back before he and Goyter followed into the maze of cellars.
‘The boy worries me,’ Karr confessed as he watched them go.
‘He should,’ Caldason replied. ‘I know what he sees.’
‘And we’re no nearer grasping how you came to share these illusions.’
‘I’ve spent years trying to work out why
I
have them, and what they might mean. I feel as though I’ve…infected him in some way.’
‘We can only hope Phoenix and Covenant come up with a solution.’
‘If they don’t make things worse.’
‘Your attitude towards magic’s understandable, but it hardly accords with reality. You’d have us turn our backs on the only possible remedy for the boy. Not to mention the many other benefits.’ He nodded towards the firing range.
The first batch of dummies, charred beyond recognition, had been dragged away. Now the testers were working on destroying a new group, some of them dressed in the distinctive red tunics of the paladin clans. Eye- aching miniature lightning bolts crackled from the testers’ wands. An arrow was loosed. Bound with a chicane spell, it appeared to be dozens of identical shafts. The glamour bolts imploded on impact and vanished; the real arrow pierced its target. Projectiles hurled from slingshots exploded at the manikins’ feet in a green flowering of crazed venomous snakes.
‘I’ll take cold steel any day,’ Caldason said.
‘It’s not what Kutch needs.’
‘He did tonight.’
Karr slowly shook his head and laughed softly. ‘We’re never going to see eye to eye on this, are we?’
‘Probably not.’ Caldason regarded him. ‘You said Kutch needed rest. That goes double for you. You look worn.’
‘Everybody’s been telling me that lately.’
‘Then listen; they can’t all be wrong. You’re bearing too much.’
‘It’ll soon be a little less, I hope. I’m resigning my patricianship.’
‘You’ve said that often enough.’
‘This time I mean it. It’s a move I should have made long ago.’
‘Good. When?’
‘A matter of days. It’s going to feel strange after serving for so long.’
‘I don’t believe politicians achieve that much. Even the few decent ones end up tainted. You’re better out of it.’
‘I’ve come to think that way myself. And that maybe I’ve wasted all those years.’
‘No, not wasted. I didn’t say politicians don’t achieve
anything
.’
The patrician smiled. ‘From you, that’s quite a concession. But I’m ready for the change, though it’s going to take away what little protection the status affords me.’
‘So do what you’re always urging Rukanis to do; go underground.’
‘I’ll have to think about that. Disappearing after I quit could just confirm the authorities’ suspicions about me. It might be best to keep some kind of public profile for a while. But I have a more awkward task before I make that decision.’
‘What’s that?’
‘A social gathering, and a very prestigious one. It’s a ball, in fact, so it combines two things I don’t much care for: official functions and masquerades.’
‘They’re not exactly to my taste either, but it doesn’t sound that bad.’
‘You haven’t heard the worst of it. It’s hosted jointly by the Gath Tampoorian diplomatic corps and the clans. I’ll have the pleasure of the company of Envoy Andar Talgorian, and no less than Ivak Bastorran himself.’
‘I’d pay a good price for a few minutes alone with that one myself,’ Caldason returned grimly. ‘But if it’s such a
