I recognized no one along the way, and I reached the Eastern Gate — part of an ancient fortification — late in the afternoon. I made my way up East Vine and stopped at the Bayle town house, where I had once attended a party. I left Smoke with a groom at the stable in the rear, and they both seemed happy to see each other. I walked around to the front door then and knocked. A servant informed me that the Baron was out, so I identified myself and gave him Vinta’s message, which he promised to deliver when his employer returned.
That duty out of the way, I proceeded up East Vine on foot. Near the top, but before the slope grew roughly level, I smelled food and discarded my plan of waiting to eat until I was back at the palace. I halted and cast about me for the source of the aromas. I located it up a side sheet to my right where the way widened into a large circle, a fountain at its center in which a rearing copper dragon with a wonderful green patina pissed into a pink stone basin. The dragon faced a basement restaurant called the Pit, with ten outside tables enclosed by a low fence of copper pickets, potted plants along its inside perimeter. I crossed the circle. As I passed the fountain I saw a great number of exotic coins within its clear water, including a U. S. Bicentennial quarter. Crossing to the fenced area, I entered, made my way through and was about to descend the stair when I heard my name called.
“Merle! Over here!”
I looked about but did not see anyone I recognized at any of the four occupied tables. Then, as my eyes retraced their route, I realized that the older man at the corner table to my right was smiling.
“Bill!” I exclaimed.
Bill Roth rose to his feet — more a touch of display than any formality, I realized immediately. I hadn’t recognized him at first because he now sported the beginnings of a grizzled beard and a mustache. Also, he had on brown trousers with a silver stripe running down their outside seams, vanishing into a pair of high brown boots. His shirt was silver with brown piping, and a black cloak lay folded upon the chair to his right. A wide black sword belt lay atop it and a sheathed blade of short-to-medium length was hung upon it.
“You’ve gone native. Also, you’ve lost some weight.”
“True,” he said, “and I’m thinking of retiring here. It agrees with me.”
We seated ourselves.
“Did you order yet?” I asked him.
“Yes, but I see a waiter on the stair now,” he said. “Let me catch him for you.”
Which he did, and ordered for me too.
“Your Thari’s much better,” I said afterward.
“Lots of practice,” he replied.
“What’ve you been doing?”
“I’ve sailed with Gerard. I’ve been to Deiga, and to one of Julian’s camps in Arden. Visited Rebma, too. Fascinating place. I’ve been taking fencing lessons. And Droppa’s been showing me around town.”
“All the bars, most likely.”
“Well, that’s not all. In fact, that’s why I’m here. He owns a half interest in the Pit, and I had to promise him I’d eat here a lot. A good place, though. When did you get back?”
“Just now,” I said, “and I’ve another long story for you.”
“Good. Your stories tend to be bizarre and convoluted,” he said. “Just the thing for a cool autumn’s eve. Let’s hear it.”
I talked throughout dinner and for a long while afterward. The day’s end chill began making it uncomfortable then, so we headed for the palace. I finally wound up my narrative over hot cider in front of the fireplace in one of the smaller rooms in the eastern wing.
Bill shook his head. “You do manage to stay busy,” he finally said. “I have just one question.”
“What?”
“Why didn’t you bring Luke in?”
“I already told you.”
“It wasn’t much of a reason. For some nebulous piece of information he says is important to Amber? And you’ve got to catch him to get it?”
“It’s not like that at all.”
“He’s a salesman, Merle, and he sold you a line of shit. That’s what I think.”
“You’re wrong, Bill. I know him.”
“For a long time,” he agreed. “But how well? We’ve been all through this before. What you don’t know about Luke far outweighs what you do know.”
“He could have gone elsewhere, but he came to me.”
“You’re part of his plan, Merle. He intends to get at Amber through you.”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “It’s not his style.”
“I think he’ll use anything that comes to hand — or anyone.” I shrugged.
“I believe him. You don’t. That’s all.”
“I guess so,” he said. “What are you going to do now, wait and see what happens?”
“I’ve a plan,” I said. “Just because I believe him doesn’t mean I won’t take out insurance. But I’ve a question for you.”
“Yes?”
“If I brought him back here and Random decided the facts weren’t clear enough and he wanted a hearing, would you represent Luke?”
His eyes widened, and then he smiled. “What kind of hearing?” he asked. “I don’t know how such things are conducted here.”
“As a grandson of Oberon,” I explained, “he’d come under House Law. Random is head of the House now. It would be up to him whether to forget about a thing, render a summary judgment or call a hearing. As I understand it, such a hearing could be as formal or informal as Random wanted. There are books on the subject in the library. But a person has always had the right to be represented at one if he wanted.”
“Of course I’d take the case,” Bill said. “It doesn’t sound like a legal experience that comes along too often.
“But it might look like a conflict of interest,” he added, “since I have done work for the Crown.”
I finished my cider and put the glass on the mantelpiece. I yawned. “I have to go now, Bill.”
He nodded; then, “This is all just hypothetical, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Of course,” I said. “It might turn out to be my hearing. G’night.” He studied me.
“Uh — this insurance you were talking about,” he said. “It probably involves something risky, doesn’t it?”
I smiled.
“Nothing anyone could help you with, I suppose?”
“Nope.”
“Well, good luck.”
“Thanks.”
“See you tomorrow?”
“Later in the day, maybe…”
I went to my room and sacked out. I had to get some rest before I went about the business I had in mind. I don’t recall any dreams, pro or con, on the matter.
It was still dark when I woke. Good to know that my mental alarm was working.
It would have been very pleasant to turn over and go back to sleep, but I couldn’t allow myself the luxury. The day that lay ahead was to be an exercise in timing. Accordingly, I got up, cleaned up and dressed myself in fresh clothes.
I headed for the kitchen then, where I made myself some tea and toast and scrambled a few eggs with chilis and onions and a bit of pepper. I turned up some melka fruit from the Shelters, too — something I hadn’t had in a long while.
Afterward, I went out through the rear and made my way into the garden. Dark it was, moonless and damp, with a few wisps of mist exploring invisible paths. I followed a path to the northwest. The world was a very quiet place. I let my thoughts get that way, too. It was to be a one-thing-at-a-time day, and I wanted to start it off with that habit of mind in place.
I walked until I ran out of garden, passing through a break in a hedge and continuing along the rough trail my path had become. It mounted slowly for the first few minutes, took an abrupt turn and grew immediately steeper. I paused at one jutting point and looked back, from where I was afforded a view of the dark outline of the palace, a few lighted windows within it. Some scatters of cirrus high above looked like raked starlight in the celestial garden over which Amber brooded. I turned away moments later. There was still a good distance to travel.