Part 7 (1/2)

”-sorcerers because it can be notoriously expensive.”

”Wise of you. However, I did you no favor,” Dewar said.

Lunete looked at the road and felt her cheeks grow warm. Ottaviano shrugged, not noticing.

”I am nol familiar with the kingdom of Ascolet,” Dewar said after a short silence, ”although I believe that one of the sons of Panurgus held a barony of that name, at one time ...” and his voice trailed off invitingly. It had, at least, not been mentioned in his guidebook, but the book was years old.

Ottaviano looked at the road now. ”Long story,” he said curtly.

”Prince Sebastiano was Ottaviano's father,” Lunete said softly.

”He is dead.”

”Yes,” she said.

”You seek to claim your patrimony, then?” Dewar asked, and something in his tone made Otto glance at him again. He wasn't condescending now; he looked interested, his brows drawn together, his voice serious, not mocking. This was, thought Otto, the stuff that spies were supposed to find out.

”Something like that,” Otto said. ”As I said, it's a long story.”

”But it can be shortened,” Lunete prompted him in an undertone.

”In short, yes,” said Otto.

”Following Prince Sebastiano's death, the Emperor declared the barony extinct and took Ascolet as Crown territory,” Lunete explained.

Sorcerer and a (jenteman 73.”Ah,” said Dewar. ”Avril the Usurper.”

”I don't care how he got his throne,” Otto said. ”He's a son of Panurgus, he was there when the old man died, he's been able to keep it, and he can have it. I don't give a d.a.m.n who reigns in Landuc, but Ascolet is mine.”

”Yet if your father was a Prince of Landuc-” Dewar said.

”His mother was Queen of Ascolet,” said Otto. ”By blood, not marriage.”

”I do seem to recall some old tale of that species,” murmured Dewar, exhuming gossip and scandal from the back of his memory. a.s.sa.s.sinations, land-grabs, marriages of convenience- ”You seem to know a fair bit of ancient history,” Otto remarked.

”It is not terribly ancient,” Dewar replied. ”So Lys allies herself with Ascolet to seek independence from the Well-wielders?” It was an innocent-toned, though leading, question, accompanied by an amiable smile and nod to Lunete.

”Not exactly,” said Lunete, a delicate pink again.

Ottaviano recalled referring to her as his fiancee to the sorcerer-a stupid slip. ”In a manner of speaking, yes,” he admitted. ”We, ah, the other is an incidental thing.”

”But the armies of Lys are well-spoken-of,” murmured Dewar.

”Justly so,” Otto agreed.

”On the other hand,” Dewar said, as if thinking aloud, ”plainly someone objects.”

Lunete blushed deeply. ”It's not what you think,” she said.

”I'm not sure what I think it is,” Dewar said, amused, glancing at Otto to check his reaction. ”On the one hand, someone objects; on the other, unless I have been gravely deceived, we are travelling to Lys, not from it.”

”It's a long story,” Otto said.

”Best kind,” replied Dewar, overmatching his terseness.

”What are you doing up around these parts?” Otto asked.

”Travelling.”

74.”E&zaheth Itftftey ”I always thought sorcerers had hooves, tails, horns, and yellow eyes,” said Otto.

”In all truth, some have,” said Dewar, and he turned his attention from Otto to Lunete. ”Champlys is reputed a fair city.”

”It is indeed lovely,” said Lunete. ”I have heard high praise spoken of the Shrine of Stars,” said Dewar courteously.

”It is the most ancient Shrine of Stars anywhere in the Empire,” Lunete said, ”for King Panurgus founded it first of them all and placed it in the care of my ancestor Urs, the first Count of Lys.”

Ottaviano held his tongue and listened as the two discoursed politely, across him, about the attractions of Lys and Champlys for the better part of an hour.

”You're familiar with Champlys and Lys,” he remarked to Dewar finally at a convenient break in the conversation. ”The place is of some renown,” Dewar said. His Mada-nese guidebook had a.s.sured him of it.

Not so much as all that, thought Otto. ”Have you visited there before?” he asked. ”No,” said Dewar. ”What brings you there now?”

Dewar shrugged. ”I travel for my own reasons, sir, and sometimes I am hard-put to find one for travelling where I do. I might say, that Lys lies between my last location and my next, and certainly that is sufficient reason for going there.”

”So you're pa.s.sing through?” Otto suggested. Dewar met his eyes and slowly raised his left eyebrow. ”My time is at my disposal,” he said blandly. ”I tarry when there's something worth tarrying over.”

”Lys may not be a salutary spot for tourism just now,” Otto said.

Dewar's expression did not change. ”I hope things do not go so far as that,” Lunete said, trying to break the tension. ”So do I,” said Otto. The sorcerer s.h.i.+fted his gaze to Lunete. ”A lady's wishes Sorcerer and a (jentfoman 75.should be granted whenever possible,” he said, and inclined his head to her.

Ottaviano clenched his teeth and looked ahead. They approached a crossroads with a milestone for Champlor. Beside the milestone was a watering-trough for horses and oxen and a fount for human travellers which overflowed to fill the trough. At the other side of the crossroads, hard at the edge of the road, was a man-sized pillar of rough-dressed hard white stone, a kingstone topped with a good likeness of the late Panurgus. It was in better condition than the Semaris crossroads' stone. This image looked toward Lys, not smiling but with a benign expression.

”Whatever else one may say of Panurgus,” Ottaviano said, ”he maintained the roads.”

”You are a fair-minded man,” said Dewar.

Ottaviano ignored this, turning to inform Clay that they would stop to water the horses.

”We seem to have lost Ocher, sir,” Clay said.

”I doubt it's permanent,” Ottaviano said, ”so make the halt brief.”

”Yes, sir.”

Ottaviano dismounted; Lunete got down also before he could a.s.sist her and led b.u.t.terfly to the trough. Clay, having pa.s.sed the order on to the men, asked his commander where he intended to halt next. Otto drew Clay to one side, watching Lunete and the sorcerer. They were talking, he stroking his horse's neck, she nodding.

”I'd planned on stopping in Champlor,” Ottaviano said to his lieutenant. ”However. I don't trust this sorcerer, although I'd rather keep an eye on him than not.”

”Maybe it would be best to push on to Champlys, then?”