Regin finished and bowed. As he walked back to join the petition opposers, Administrator Osen stepped forward.
“This is a matter which will require much discussion and consideration,” he told the assembled magicians. “It is also not clear if the decision should be made by the Higher Magicians or by general vote. Therefore I am going to postpone a decision until I am convinced which course is best, and give all who wish to offer insight and information on the matter the opportunity to arrange a meeting with me.” He bowed. “I declare this Hearing over.”
It took Sonea several minutes to descend to the floor of the hall, as Lady Vinara decided to question her about the supplies the hospices were using. When she did finally extract herself she found Rothen standing nearby. As he stepped up to meet her, she felt her heart sink. He wore an expression she had not seen for a long time, but that she had learned to recognise instantly. The one he wore when Lorkin had got into some trouble.
“What has he done now?” she muttered, glancing around to make sure there was nobody close by to hear. The hall was all but empty now. Only Osen and his assistant remained.
“I just heard that Lord Dannyl has applied for the position of Guild Ambassador to Sachaka,” Rothen told her.
That’s all then. She felt relief flow through her. “That’s unexpected. Yet also not surprising. He’s been an Ambassador before. Has he finished his book, or abandoned it?”
Rothen shook his head. “Neither, I suspect. He’s probably going there in order to explore some new lead.”
“Of course. I wonder is he...” She stopped as she realised he was still wearing the expression of someone who had to deliver bad news. “What?”
Rothen grimaced. “Lorkin has volunteered to be his assistant.”
Sonea froze.
Lorkin.
In Sachaka.
Lorkin had volunteered to go to Sachaka.
She realised she had been gaping at him and closed her mouth. Her heart was pounding. She felt sick. Rothen took her arm and led her out of the Guildhall, then away from the crowds of magicians lingering to discuss the petition. She barely saw them.
Sachakans and Lorkin. They’ll kill him. No – they wouldn’t dare. But family are obliged to avenge deaths. Even the deaths of outcasts. And if not on the killer, then the offspring...
Determination filled her. The Sachakans were not going to harm her son. They weren’t, because she was not going to let Lorkin do anything so stupid and dangerous.
“Osen will never agree to it,” she found herself saying.
“Why wouldn’t he? He can’t refuse merely on the basis of parentage.”
“I’ll appeal to the Higher Magicians. They must know he will be in more danger than any other magician – and that means he’ll be a liability. Dannyl can’t spend all his time protecting Lorkin. And the Sachakans may refuse to deal with Dannyl once they know who his assistant’s father was.”
Rothen nodded. “All good points. But it could be that if you say nothing, Lorkin will have time to think about all the ways this could go badly, and change his mind. I suspect the harder you try to stop Lorkin, the more determined he’ll be to go.”
“I can’t take the risk that he won’t come to his senses.” She stared at him. “How would you feel, if you let him go and something happened to him?”
Rothen paused, then grimaced.
“All right. I guess we have some work to do then.”
She felt a wave of affection for him, and smiled.
“Thank you, Rothen.”
Dannyl looked around the dining room and sighed with appreciation. One advantage of relinquishing his room in the Guild and moving into a house in the Inner Circle had been the sudden possession of space. Though he now spent much of his income as a magician on rent, the indulgence of rooms was worth it. Not only did he have his own generous office, and this tastefully decorated dining room; he also had his own personal library and rooms for guests. Not that he had guests stay often – just the occasional scholar with an interest in Dannyl’s history. Tayend, on the other hand, had his Kyralian and Elyne friends stay over all the time.
What are Sachakan houses like? he wondered. I should find out before I leave. If I leave.
Administrator Osen had said he could not see any reason why Dannyl wouldn’t be given the position of Guild Ambassador to Sachaka, since he was well qualified and nobody else had applied for it.
I’ll miss this place, though. I’m sure there’ll be times I’ll wish I could grab a book from my library, or order my favourite meal from good old Yerak, or...
He looked up as footsteps sounded outside the room. There was a pause, then Tayend peered around the archway. His eyes narrowed.
“Who are you, and where is the real Lord Dannyl?”
Dannyl frowned and shook his head. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw your desk.” The scholar entered the room and stared at Dannyl with mock suspicion. “It’s tidy.”
“Ah.” Dannyl chuckled. “I’ll explain in a moment. Sit down. Yerak is waiting and I’m too hungry for explanations right now.”
As Tayend sat down, Dannyl sent a little magic toward the dinner gong, sending the ringer gently tapping on the disc.
“You went to the Guild today?” Tayend asked.
“Yes.”
“New books?”
“No, I had a meeting with Administrator Osen.”
“Really? What about?”
The door from the kitchens opened, saving Dannyl from answering. Servants filed in with steaming platters and bowls of food. Dannyl and Tayend filled their plates and began eating.
“What did you do today?” Dannyl asked, between mouthfuls.
The scholar shrugged, then related a story he’d been told by another expatriate Elyne that he’d visited that morning, about some Vindo roet smugglers who’d sampled their wares and been found delirious and naked beside a river.
“So what did Administrator Osen have to say?” Tayend asked when the plates had been cleared away.
Dannyl paused, then drew in a deep breath. I can’t put it off any longer. He looked at Tayend and made his expression serious.
“He said that there weren’t any other applicants for the position of Guild Ambassador to Sachaka, so it was very likely I’d be given the position.”
Tayend blinked, then his mouth fell open. “Ambassador?” he repeated. “Sachaka? You’re not serious.”
“I am.”
Looking away, Tayend’s eyes began to blaze with excitement. “I’ve never been to Sachaka! And there isn’t even a sea journey involved.”
Dannyl shook his head. “You’re not going, Tayend.”
“Not going?” Tayend turned to stare at him. “Of course I’m going!”
“I wish I could take you, but...” Dannyl spread his hands. “All visitors to Sachaka must be approved, either by the Guild or their king.”
“I’ll apply to my king, then.”
Dannyl shook his head again. “No, Tayend. I... I’d rather you didn’t. Firstly, it’s a dangerous country and while magicians and most traders return alive, nobody knows yet how Sachakans will react to a non-magician noble venturing into their land.”
“Then we’ll find out.”
“There’s also decorum to consider. As far as I’ve been able to discover, Sachakans are neither accepting of lads, nor in a habit of putting us to death. They consider us low status, however, and they often refuse to deal with people they consider too far below them in the social hierarchy. That’s not going to be helpful in my role, or in my search for historical records.”