obeyed. Those who break it must answer to my justice.'
'You mean death?' she said wryly.
'Such is the penalty in my land.'
'Except for Strahd von Zarovich.'
'Indeed. I am the exception. Here I am the law. I am the land. Think on that before you make demands on my patience.'
'We yet could leave as we came. You could not stop us.'
'Probably not, but my guess is that you came here for a reason, a very strong one, that makes staying here a necessity. Else why come in the harsh winter?'
She settled back, the appraising expression back on her face. I had struck a resounding chord with her and we both knew it.
'From what do you run that makes Barovia seem such a haven?'
She lifted her hands and let them drop in her lap. 'From what do we always run? The hatred of outsiders and their cruelties. Since hate and cruelty are everywhere, we must keep moving, ever moving.'
'How?'
'In our vardos, as you see.'
'I mean how do you travel the Mists?'
A slow smile crept over her features. 'You would like to know that, would you not?'
'You would not find me ungrateful, either in the way of favors or money.'
'Some things have no price. You must be born with the knowledge.'
'So the secret of crossing the Mists is to be a Vistana?'
'In part. If you desire to leave Barovia using that road, then I cannot help you. It is barred, and you must find another path. We could not take you even if we wanted to do so.'
I chose to ignore that last statement. 'If you can cross the Mists, there must be a way to-'
'There is none, not for you. Accept it.'
She had just overstepped herself. My temper flared bright at this insufferable command, and I let my undiminished gaze burn on her for a full minute. She withstood it, but I could scent the first tendril of fear invading the thick atmosphere of the vardo and heard her heart pounding very fast.
'No,' I finally whispered.
She cringed and flinched as though I had bellowed the word, holding her hands tightly together. They still trembled.
I pulled back some of what I had released. It was the raw power of the darkness within me. Keeping it in check was nearly second nature now, but once loosed, control was a bit harder to maintain.
When I thought her able to listen again, I said, 'You may be as certain of this as the sun sets. My remaining forever in Barovia is something I will never accept.'
She gulped and nodded.
'Now… will you help me?'
She tried to resume her original composure, but it was too late for that. I had seen her fear. Her voice shook as she answered. 'I would if I could, Lord Strahd, but it is beyond my power or that of any Vistana.'
'Then I see no point in continuing this conversation.' I made to leave. 'I will see to it that an officer of the exchequer is sent to determine your tax-'
'Wait, Lord Strahd!' She put up her hand, a reaching gesture, almost pleading. 'There are other ways we might benefit one another.'
I sank back on the cushioned stool. 'What ways?'
'We are a poor people, and when money is scarce, then do we trade. Instead of paying taxes while here, we could be in your service.'
'A vague term, madam.' Having her whole tribe up to the castle twice a week to clean the place was something I categorically refused to visualize. 'What do you have in mind?'
'You cannot be everywhere in Barovia at once. Let us be your eyes and ears. We can let you know all that goes on in your land, day and night. No stranger will pass your borders unmarked ever again.'
My turn to think things over. I already had a network of eyes and ears in place throughout the land, but their primary duty was to keep me abreast of the politickings and feuds between the various boyars and burgomasters. It would be convenient to have other kinds of informants available, particularly in regard to finding fresh interlopers in the country. 'How am I to trust your people to diligently carry out such a task?'
'Given the choice of doing this service and paying taxes, we would gladly prefer to be your most willing servants.'
'It is not unknown for a Vistana to change the truth to his or her advantage. I would need accurate reports, anything less than absolute truth, and the person delivering the news would be… most unhappy.'
She chuckled. 'They would always tell the truth to you; they would not dare otherwise, I can promise this.'
'You would have to set up a means of getting information to me.'
'Messengers can run to your castle if it's important.'
'They will not be able to enter.'
'Yes, I was told of the wall of poison fog. Have you a way past it for us?'
'And leave myself vulnerable to attack? I think not.'
'You have nothing to fear from the Vistani. You are Strahd. You are the land. Destroy you and the land dies, or so goes the old saying. Is it not true?'
I wasn't all that certain myself and had little intent at the moment to debate the point. 'It is true.'
'Destroy you and we destroy ourselves as well. Besides, our magic may be strong, but it's not the kind that can fight one such as yourself. That is for others to try.'
'What others?'
'You have many enemies, Lord Strahd, but none here now who can defeat you.'
None here… now. 'If I give you an antidote to the fog, will you promise to keep the secret of it?'
'Yes, but not for long. I am old. I would have to pass it on to others, but Vistani only. We would never share the making of it with outsiders.'
'A time might come when your people would give the antidote to my enemies.'
She laughed softly. 'We might sell it to fools-but only after warning you first. You would never be caught unaware.'
It was a balance of risks. Should they pass the antidote to someone who could kill me while I lay vulnerable during the day, all was lost. However, I had sufficient guards and traps throughout the castle to keep even the most determined interloper busy for hours until sunset. Place that against the information the Vistani could bring me, and the risk might be justified. Reason said no, but instinct said yes.
I finally nodded. 'But be warned yourself: if the Vistani ever betray me, I can change the poison of the fog so the antidote no longer works. I can also summon the new poison to flood right into your camp and kill the lot of you. None would escape. No one, not one child, not even the vista-chiri birds.'
Her old eyes went wide.
'That is my promise to you and yours, Madam Eva. Are you willing to trust your people with such a responsibility? The least of them could bring death to you all.'
A lengthy silence. Her heartbeat was steady now, calmer. 'You will ever be safe then, Lord Strahd-at least so far as we Vistani are concerned.'
I held her gaze once more, sensing no lie in her words. Her words. Whether her promise applied to all her people remained to be seen. For the moment I could dismiss the possibility of betrayal, but not forever.
'Very well. I have one other task for all the Vistani to seek to accomplish.'
'Escape.' She spoke it as a statement, not a question, again evidence of her ability to hear my thoughts. 'Your escape from the Mists.'
'Just so,' I said. 'Others who are not of Vistani blood have made their way through the Mists into Barovia. By accident it would seem, but I do not believe in accidents any more.'
'Neither do I. All things have a purpose.'
'The Vistani-so long as they roam and no matter what lands they roam, mine or elsewhere beyond the Mists- have but one purpose for me and must not rest until it is fulfilled. Should any Vistana discover a way out of Barovia
