Part 22 (1/2)

Marianna linked an arm through his and they moved to the side of the room. ”I know what you mean,” she said as they moved-

”D'you miss it?'' he asked. ”The action I mean, the being part of something important.”

”Not really. I don't envy your still being in the public eye, if that's what you mean. That sort of ambition seems to have died. Running Gwyndryth is a full-time job. Sir Ombras is too old to do much of anything, poor darling. He fell asleep in the middle of the Moot last month. Still, I shan't replace him unless he asks me to.

We owe him too much to shove him aside just because he's old.”

”He was always very kind to me,” Jarrod com- mented. ”And how is Lady Obray doing?”

”Dead, the G.o.ds be thanked,” Marianna said bluntly.

”I never could abide that woman.”

”I see,” Jarrod said noncomminally. ”Have you seen the boy?” he asked, changing the subject.

”Yes, that's why I'm here.”

Jarrod's eyes widened at her tone of voice. ”You don't seem too happy about it.”

”I'm not.” She glanced around. ”But 1 don't feel like talking about it here. The Chamberlain has a.s.signed me one of the royal apartments upstairs. Why don't we slip away and have a civilized drink and a chat?”

”Won't that compromise your reputation?” he asked

teasingly.

Her head tipped back and her robust laugh rang out.

”A divorced woman has no reputation at Court,” she said, ”surely you know that. But perhaps your reputa- tion . . . After all, a Mage of the Discipline, alone, at night, with a divorced woman ...” The laugh came again.

117.

”I'm prepared to risk the scandal,” he said with mock gravity, steering her toward the door. ”How discreet are your servants?”

”If I can't bribe them, I'm sure that you can threaten to turn them into something interesting.” She giggled.

”Now, what's the problem with young Joscelyn?”

Jarrod asked once they were installed in her sitting room.

”He's been feeling his oats. Dean Handrom described him as 'a menace to the inst.i.tution.' ” She caught the Dean's pompous delivery perfectly.

”Strong words. What on Strand has he been doing?”

”He translated one of the magisters onto the roof of the simples house, he used the Spell of Invisibility to obtain the answers to a test and then sold them to his fellow Apprentices, he gets into fights; shall I go on?”

Jarrod sat back and made a soft whistling sound.

”Stealing test results is grounds for immediate expul- sion. I don't understand it,” he said, puzzled. ”He was never like that at the Outpost. He was high-spirited, but he never got into serious trouble. I wonder what's got into him?”

”He isn't very communicative on the subject,” Mar- ianna said. ”He's at the age where mothers aren't pop- ular. I think that part of it is that this is the first time that he has been on his own, so to speak. When he was small, he was under my control. He's been at Stronta since then, under the eyes of his grandfather, the Gen- eral, Greylock, and his famous 'uncle,' the great Magi- cian. I hope it's nothing more than his making up for lost time and that he'll grow out of it, but how can one be sure?” She leaned forward and touched his sleeve.

”I'd appreciate it if you could have a word with the Dean.”

Jarrod sighed. ”I'll see what I can do,” he said, ”but I was never exactly his favorite pupil.”

118 ”Yes, weli you're a Mage now,” she replied. She stopped and took a small sip of her cordial. ”D'you like Joscelyn?” she asked unexpectedly.