The High Lord

only ones who'd noticed.'

'Oh, being that skilled at making people uncomfortable takes practice. I expected Garrel figured you'd be a good target, after this latest bit of fuss about nothing.'

Dannyl's eyebrows rose in surprise. 'Do you think so?'

'Well, it's hardly as bad as... as using black magic,' the young magician said. He looked at Rothen, then flushed. 'Not that I believe what the rebel says, of course, but...' He glanced around the room, then took a step back. 'Excuse me, Ambassador, Lord Rothen. Lord Sarrin just indicated that he wishes to speak to me.'

Larkin nodded to them both, then hurried away. Dannyl glanced around the room.

'How interesting. Sarrin's not even here.'

'Yes,' Rothen replied. 'It is interesting. Particularly the bit about you needing rescuing. You clearly don't, Dannyl. In fact, I don't believe you even needed me to come along at all.' He gave an exaggerated sigh. 'It really is quite deflating.'

Dannyl grinned and patted Rothen on the shoulder. 'It must be such a disappointment, always seeing your novices going places.'

Rothen shrugged, then his smile turned into a grimace. 'Ah, if only that place wasn't Sachaka.'

As Dannyl reached the door to Administrator Lorlen's office, he paused to take a deep breath and straighten his shoulders. The request to meet with the Higher Magicians had come sooner than he expected, and he had a nagging feeling he ought to be more prepared. He looked down at the folder containing his report, then shrugged. Even if he did think of something, it was too late to make changes now.

He knocked on the door. It swung open and Dannyl stepped inside. He nodded to the magicians seated in the chairs. Lady Vinara and Lord Sarrin were present, as was Expatriate Administrator Kito. As usual, Lorlen was sitting behind his desk. The Administrator gestured to an empty chair.

'Please be seated, Ambassador Dannyl,' Lorlen said. He paused as Dannyl took the offered seat. 'I would have liked to have waited until Lord Balkan's return before asking you to relate the full details of your encounter with the rebels, but the need to investigate Akkarin's claims as soon as possible has convinced us it would be best not to delay, and your story may shed a little light on his activities. So, tell us what Akkarin's orders were.'

'I received a letter from him a little over six weeks ago.' Dannyl opened the folder and took out the letter. He sent it floating to Lorlen's desk.

The Administrator picked it up and read it aloud.

'I have been watching for some years the efforts of a small group of Elyne courtiers to learn magic without the Guild's aid or knowledge. Only recently have they had some success. Now that at least one of them has managed to develop his powers, the Guild is entitled and obliged to deal with them. I have included information on this group with this letter. You will find your relationship with the scholar, Tayend of Tremmelin, helpful in persuading them that you can be trusted. It is possible the rebels will try to use this personal information against you once you have arrested them. I will ensure that it is understood that I asked you to give them this information in order to achieve your goal.' '

As Dannyl expected, the other magicians exchanged little puzzled looks.

'I assume he meant your working relationship with this scholar?' Sarrin asked.

Dannyl spread his hands. 'Yes and no. I guessed he was also referring to rumors about our personal one. Tayend is, as the Elynes say, a lad.' Sarrin's eyebrows rose, but neither he nor the Higher Magicians looked mystified by the term, so Dannyl continued. 'The Elynes have been speculating whether there is more to our association than scholarly interest since he began assisting me with my research.'

'And you allowed the rebels to believe this was true, so they felt they could blackmail you should you prove troublesome?' Sarrin asked.

'Yes.'

'Akkarin was not very specific. He could have meant for you to encourage them to think you and your assistant would face expulsion and execution if you were discovered to be teaching magic.'

Dannyl nodded. 'I considered that, of course, and realized that it would not have been enough to persuade the rebels to trust me.' To Dannyl's relief, Kito nodded.

'So Akkarin was going to tell the Guild that he had asked you to pretend to be involved with your assistant,' Vinara said, 'but when you arrived he had been arrested. Administrator Lorlen suggested you claim the deception was your idea.'

'That is right.'

The Healer's eyebrows rose. 'Has this worked?'

20 The Guild's Punishment

Dannyl shrugged. 'In general, I believe. What are your impressions?'

She nodded. 'Most have accepted your story.'

'And the rest?'

'Are known to be rumor-mongers.'

Dannyl nodded. Thinking back to Lord Garrel's questions in the Night Room, he wondered if Vinara would include the Warrior among her 'rumor-mongers.'

Lorlen leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk. 'So, tell us how you came to meet the rebels.'

Dannyl continued his story, relating how he had arranged a meeting with the Dem Marane, and a visit to the Dem's home. He described teaching Farand, and how the book Tayend had borrowed had convinced him to arrest the rebels.

'I was considering whether to wait and see if they continued to consult me after Farand had learned Control,' Dannyl told them. 'I thought I might learn the names of other rebels. When I saw what was in the book, though, I knew it was too great a risk. Even if the Dem allowed me to keep it, the rebels might have others. If they did disappear after Farand had learned Control, they might have taught themselves black magic and we would have worse than rogue magicians on our hands.' Dannyl paused and grimaced. 'I never would have guessed we already had.'

Sarrin shifted in his seat and frowned. 'Do you think Akkarin knew of this book?'

'I don't know,' Dannyl replied. 'I don't know how he knew of the rebels in the first place.'

'Perhaps he had detected Farand's powers in the same way that he detected Sonea's before she learned Control,' Vinara suggested.

'From as far away as Elyne?' Sarrin asked.

Vinara's shoulders lifted. 'He has many unique abilities, no doubt gained through the use of black magic. Why not one more?'

Sarrin frowned. 'You speak of undertaking research with this scholar, Ambassador. What research is that?'

'Research into ancient magic,' Dannyl replied. He looked around the room. As his eyes met Lorlen's, the magician smiled faintly.

'I have told them you began it under my instruction,' Lorlen said.

Dannyl nodded. 'Yes, though I do not know why.'

'I wanted to retrieve some of the knowledge that Akkarin lost,' Lorlen said. 'But Akkarin learned of the research, and made it clear he didn't approve. I told Lord Dannyl that his help was no longer needed.'

'And you didn't obey that order?' Sarrin asked Dannyl.

'It wasn't an order,' Lorlen said. 'I said only that the research was no longer needed. I believe Dannyl continued out of his own interest.'

'I did,' Dannyl confirmed. 'Later, Akkarin heard that I had continued and called me back to the Guild. He seemed pleased by my progress and encouraged me to continue. Unfortunately, I made little further progress. The only sources I hadn't explored were in Sachaka, and he had made it clear I must not go there.'

Sarrin leaned back in his chair. 'Interesting. He discouraged the research, then encouraged it. Perhaps you