Part 29 (2/2)

The Tenebro lord spread his hand. ”A good enough notion, but surely there is another way to get our own people into the Dome. Could some of the Mercenary Brotherhood not take work there, to act as spies, if nothing else?”

Disha moved closer to the Tenebro man. +BITE+ was her thought. +NO+ he responded, though he stifled a smile.

”What have I said?” the Tenebro lord said when the silence grew lengthy.

”The Mercenary Brotherhood does not take someone's pay in order to spy upon them,” Alkoryn Panterclaw said. ”Not even when it appears to suit our purposes to do so. We are true to our employ, always. This is one of the reasons the Brotherhood is as old as it is.”

”And one of the reasons there are so few of us,” Dhulyn Wolfshead added.

”Your pardon, Alkoryn Charter.” There was a hint of sarcasm in the Tenebro lord's tone, as if he had himself taken offense. ”Ordinarily I wouldn't argue with a policy that has stood so well the test of time. But as I've said, this is no ordinary foe. Now, if ever, is the time to suspend such rules, before you find yourself and your Brotherhood destroyed.”

Maybe he should have let Disha bite him. +YES+ she thought.

”What difference?” Dhulyn the Seer broke in. ”If we suspend our rules, there is no Brotherhood, we would have destroyed ourselves.”

Tek-aKet held up his hands. ”Dal, please. I know you are anxious-”

Cullen remembered that these two were also, in some way, cousins.

”With respect, Tek, you didn't see-”

”No, I didn't see. But these others have, and yet they are not ready to plunge headlong in. Things are as they are. We work with what we have.” He turned to Alkoryn Pantherclaw. ”What of loyal guard within the Dome?”

Dhulyn the Seer and Parno Lionsmane both shook their heads. Dhulyn shrugged and signaled to Parno to speak. ”In view of what the Scholar Gundaron has told us, I don't think we can count on any who are still within the Dome,” he said. ”They may prove to be free of the taint of the Green-eyed Shadow,” here Parno paused and looked pointedly at Dal-eDal, ”but we can't be sure enough to trust them with our plans and our secrets.”

”Either the Scholar or the Lord Dal might have been touched by the Green Shadow without knowing it.” Dhulyn pulled a chair away from the wall, turned it around, and sat down astride it, twisting her spine from side to side; the last thing she needed at this moment was cramping muscles. ”The Scholar, I believe, has been.”

Parno sat down on the edge of the room's only bed. ”What do you mean?”

By this time in their Partners.h.i.+p, Dhulyn had had a fair amount of practice describing her Visions to Parno, and this one went quickly. ”It looked to me,” she said finally, ”as if there were three Scholars, one the body being used, one a spirit trying to escape, and one a spirit watching.”

”If he watched, then he knows.” A muscle in the side of Parno's jaw popped out. ”And he made no mention of this.”

”Some part part of him does know, I'm certain, but can you be surprised that he would keep this to himself?” of him does know, I'm certain, but can you be surprised that he would keep this to himself?”

Parno looked at her with narrowed eyes. ”He is a danger.”

”We must warn Alkoryn to keep the boy watched, I agree, and to limit most strictly where he goes, and what he sees.”

”If the Green Shadow is looking for you . . .”

Dhulyn folded her arms on the chairback and rested her chin on her hands. ”I understand the Tarkin's wish to regain his throne, but it is the Green Shadow that is the real danger to us all, I think.”

”With luck,” Parno said, ”we will destroy it when we kill the body it wears.”

”And Lok-iKol does die by my hand, I have Seen it.”

”Then we proceed, and we're back to my concerns.” Parno leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.

Dhulyn shook her head, her eyes shut. ”Dal-eDal would be a problem if we did did trust him. We've already agreed we don't, so he's no more dangerous now than he was before.” trust him. We've already agreed we don't, so he's no more dangerous now than he was before.”

”You'll be bound-”

”I won't really be bound, you dolt,” she said. ”I'll even be on my own horse, as if Bloodbone and I between us can't confound Dal-eDal and his plans. If If he has any. Now tell me what the real problem is.” he has any. Now tell me what the real problem is.”

”Then I'll come with you.” Parno spoke through his clenched teeth. ”No disrespect intended to your horse horse.”

Dhulyn laid her forehead down on her crossed arms. ”This has been decided. You're to go with the Tarkin. I'm to go with Dal, and Karlyn-Tan and two others. And Cullen, don't forget, which gives us the Racha as well. What can go wrong?”

”You're the Seer, you tell me. Do you hear yourself? 'What can go wrong?' ” He threw out his hands and widened his eyes in a parody of innocence. ”If I started listing things now, I'd still be talking when it was time to leave.”

Dhulyn slammed her hands down on the chairback. ”That's right,” she said. ”You'd still be talking. The rest of us would be at work.” She rubbed her face with her hands. ” 'Let's go to Imrion,' you said. 'We haven't been there in years,' you said. 'I miss the smell of my own hills.' If we'd followed my advice we'd be in Voyagin even now, helping to plan the summer campaign.” She sucked in a deep breath, grimaced, and let it out as slowly as she could. ”And the Green Shadow would be destroying the Marked. I'm sorry, my soul. These politicians waste my patience. Come, it's not the first time a campaign has separated us, and it won't be the last.” still be talking. The rest of us would be at work.” She rubbed her face with her hands. ” 'Let's go to Imrion,' you said. 'We haven't been there in years,' you said. 'I miss the smell of my own hills.' If we'd followed my advice we'd be in Voyagin even now, helping to plan the summer campaign.” She sucked in a deep breath, grimaced, and let it out as slowly as she could. ”And the Green Shadow would be destroying the Marked. I'm sorry, my soul. These politicians waste my patience. Come, it's not the first time a campaign has separated us, and it won't be the last.”

”I'm not so sure about that,” he muttered. ”I'd rather have Dal with me.”

She shook her head slowly. ”And I'm I'm supposed to be the inarticulate Outlander. Even if you did doubt my own abilities-which I know you don't, bound and gagged I could still kill him easily-I won't be alone. The way they feel about the Marked, do you think Cullen and the Racha bird will stand idly by if Dal-eDal threatens me?” supposed to be the inarticulate Outlander. Even if you did doubt my own abilities-which I know you don't, bound and gagged I could still kill him easily-I won't be alone. The way they feel about the Marked, do you think Cullen and the Racha bird will stand idly by if Dal-eDal threatens me?”

”They won't be watching him carefully enough.”

”Carefully enough for what what? Why should it prove so much more dangerous for Dal to be with me than with you?”

He stared at her for a long moment before speaking, his breath coming short and fierce through his nostrils. ”Because Dal has no reason to want me me dead. He may think he has such a reason for you.” dead. He may think he has such a reason for you.”

She looked up at him, eyes widened in surprise. ”Nice to know I make enemies so easily.”

”I told you we met and spoke in the Dome. I didn't tell you that, like the Fallen House, Dal wants Lok dead, and me to become Tenebroso. I told him I would not leave the Brotherhood. I would not leave you. What if he thinks my answer would be different if you were dead?”

”The old woman,” Dhulyn said. ”The House-that-was. She thought I would make a fine consort.”

”And so you would, if we were not Partnered, and Mercenary Brothers. That life is gone.”

She nodded, rubbing the small of her back with both hands. ”Parno, my soul. Would you fetch me warm blankets, please?

Parno glanced at the open doorway, sensing the youngster still hovering, obviously torn between courtesy and curiosity.

”You're Rehnata, aren't you?” he asked, straightening from the bed and walking cat-footed closer so she wouldn't have to raise her voice. ”Go ahead, ask.”

The girl licked her lips, and pulled herself up straighter.

”Two things, Parno.”

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