voice.
'I think there are more secrets here,' Qui-Gon answered thoughtfully. 'Yet I think we should proceed as though the Queen is telling the truth. I am going to the hill country to find Elan.'
'But our mission is to oversee the election!' Obi-Wan protested. 'You can't do that from the hill country.'
One corner of Qui-Gon's mouth shifted in a half smile. 'You are sometimes a bit too fond of the rules, Obi- Wan. Things change. A mission is not clear-cut.
Sometimes the direct road is not the one to take.'
'But the safety of Gala is in our hands,' Obi-Wan argued. 'We were sent to be guardians of peace, not to go chasing long-lost daughters.'
'You may disagree with me, Obi-Wan,' Qui-Gon said mildly. 'That is your right.
But I will go.'
'We're not allowed to leave the city, or even the palace without an escort,'
Obi-Wan reminded him. 'You were the one to agree to it! Giba and Prince Beju will be furious. Can't we allow the Queen's messenger to contact Elan?'
'Elan will not listen to a message,' Qui-Gon replied. 'She will have to be persuaded. She will have to see the truth in my eyes, or she will not come.'
'You talk as if you know her!' Obi-Wan exclaimed.
'I do,' Qui-Gon said quietly.
He walked closer to Obi-Wan and rested his hand gently on his shoulder for a moment. 'Don't worry, Padawan. You can handle the mission here until I return.
Be alert for palace intrigue.' Qui-Gon's keen gaze swept the palace. 'Trust no one here. There is a disturbance in the Force. I don't know where exactly it lies.'
Obi-Wan looked at him, frustrated. 'But what will I tell them when they ask where you are?'
Instead of answering, Qui-Gon strode through the half-planted gardens back to the trees. As he walked, he reached up and swiped a piece of ripe fruit from a branch overhead. Without turning, he tossed it over his shoulder. He didn't have to turn. He knew his Padawan would catch it.
'It's simple,' he called behind him. 'Tell them I'm still here.'
'Respect is the cornerstone of the Master-Padawan bond,' Obi-Wan said through his teeth. His voice bounced off the walls of his room, sounding hollow to his ears. Still, he needed the reminder. Every day, alone in the palace, he questioned Qui-Gon's decision.
The morning sun burnished the wood of the vast bed he slept in. A tapestry hung on the opposite wall, finely worked with metallic threads of gold, silver, and green. Woven blankets in rich, jewel-like colors kept out the night chill. It was the finest room he'd ever slept in. But staying in the palace for the past two days was no treat.
Qui-Gon had given him an impossible task. Each morning before dawn, Obi-Wan ran through the connecting door to Qui-Gon's quarters and disarranged the blankets on Qui-Gon's bed. He lay on his pillow to leave an indentation. Each morning Jono Dunn knocked on the door, bringing tea and fruit. Obi-Wan had told Jono that Qui-Gon meditated in the gardens early. He would wait for Jono to leave, then drink Qui-Gon's tea and eat his fruit as well as his own. That part was not hard. Obi-Wan was always hungry.
As for Prince Beju and Giba, Obi-Wan had to constantly invent excuses for Qui-Gon's absence. The Jedi was resting, or meditating, or touring the gardens.
He would be along any minute, if they'd care to wait… they never did. He would take his evening meal in his room. He had already retired for the night….
Perhaps they were suspicious. Obi-Wan couldn't tell. He had a feeling they were relieved that Qui-Gon wasn't more involved in the elections. Obi-Wan told Jono that Qui-Gon left much of the monitoring to him.
A soft knock came at Obi-Wan's door. A moment later, Jono opened it.
'I left a tray for Qui-Gon, as usual,' Jono said. He placed Obi-Wan's tray on the small table by the window. Usually, he bowed and left quickly, but today, he lingered.
'I did not see him in the gardens,' he said. 'It's my job to pick the flowers for the Queen morning and night. Yet I never see the Jedi.'
Obi-Wan reached for a piece of blumfruit.
'The gardens are so large. He most likely avoided you. He doesn't like to be interrupted during his morning meditation.'
Jono stood quietly. He was a handsome boy, with golden hair and the glowing skin of the Galacians. Although he had accompanied Obi-Wan on several trips to inspect polling places in Galu, he had not talked much.
'You think I am a spy,' he burst out suddenly. 'You think I am working for the Prince.'
'Well, aren't you?' Obi-Wan asked calmly.
'I do not report to the Prince,' Jono said scornfully. 'I serve the Queen. The Dunns have served the ruler of Gala since the Tallah dynasty began.'
'So you come from a line of royal servants?' Obi-Wan asked curiously. He pushed the plate of food toward Jono.
Jono ignored it. He raised his chin proudly. 'The Dunns are great landowners far from Galu. I was chosen at the age of five to come to the palace. It was a great honor. All children in the Dunn family line are watched from an early age.
