Estokin squinted at Stragen with his good eye. ‘What’s it worth to him?’ he haggled.
‘We’ve been instructed to let you live if you co-operate,” Stragen countered in a cool voice.
‘You can’t threaten me like that, Vymer,’ Estokin blustered.
‘I wasn’t threatening you, old boy. I was just letting you know how things stand. Let’s get to the point here. Who got excited here in Beresa after the killings?’
‘Not very many, really.’ Stragen’s chilly manner had evidently persuaded Estokin to behave himself. ‘There was a Styric here who was fairly free with his money before the Harvest Festival.’
‘What was he buying?’
‘Information, mostly. He was on the list Caalador gave me, but he managed to get away—rode off into the jungle. I’ve got a couple of local cut-throats on his trail.’
‘I’d sort of like to talk with him before they put him to sleep.’
‘Not much chance, Vymer. They’re a long way out in the bush by now.’ Estokin scratched at his forehead, stirring up another snow flurry. ‘I’m not sure why Caalador wanted all those people killed,’ he said, ‘and I don’t really want to know, but I’m getting a whiff or two of politics, and here in Arjuna that means Scarpa. You might want to warn Caalador to be very careful. I’ve talked with a few deserters from that rebel army in the jungle. We’ve all heard stories about how crazy Scarpa is, but let me tell you, my friend, the stories don’t even come close. If only half of what I’ve heard is true, Scarpa’s the craziest man who ever lived.’
Sparhawk’s stomach gave a lurch, and then it settled into a cold knot.
‘Father?’ Sparhawk sat up in bed quickly. ‘Are you awake?’ the Child Goddess asked, her voice roaring in his mind.
‘Of course. Please lower your voice a bit. You’re jarring my teeth.’
‘I wanted to be sure I had your attention. Some things have happened. Berit and Khalad got some new instructions from Krager. They’re supposed to go to Sepal now instead of coming here to Beresa.’
Sparhawk swore.
‘Please don’t use that kind of language, Father. I am just a little girl, you know.’
He ignored that. ‘Is the trade going to take place in Sepal?’
‘It’s hard to say. Bevier’s been in touch with me too. Kalten talked with an outlaw who’s been selling beer to the soldiers in Natayos, and he says that Scarpa’s gone back there. Then the outlaw told Kalten that Scarpa had two Elene women with Him when he returned.’
Sparhawk’s heart leaped. ‘Was he sure?’
‘Kalten thinks so. The fellow didn’t have any reason to lie about it. Of course, Kalten’s beer merchant didn’t actually see them for himself, so don’t get your hopes up too much. It could be a very carefully planted story. Zalasta’s in Natayos, and he could be trying to lure you there or trying to trick you into giving away any secrets you might have tucked up your sleeve. He knows you well enough to know that you’ll try to do something he doesn’t expect.’
‘Is there any way you could find out for sure if your mother’s in Natayos?’
‘I’m afraid not. I could slip around Scarpa easily enough, but Zalasta would sense me immediately. It’s too risky.’
‘What else is going on?’
‘Ulath and Tynian have reached the Troll-Gods. Ghnomb’s going to take them to Sepal in that frozen time he’s so fond of, and they’ll be there when Berit and Khalad arrive. Ghnomb knows another way to play around with time, so he’s going to skip Ulath and Tynian from moment to moment. It’s a little complicated, but they’ll be there and watching and nobody will be able to see them. If Scarpa and Zalasta try to make the trade in Sepal, Tynian and Ulath will be right on top of them to rescue Mother and Alcan.’
‘Zalasta can follow them into that frozen moment, you know.’
‘That wouldn’t really pay him, Father. Khwaj was outraged when he heard about Mother, so he’s going to be lurking in No-Time. If Zalasta tries to follow Ulath and Tynian, Khwaj will set him on fire—and the fire won’t ever go out.’
‘I could learn to grow fond of Khwaj.’
‘Sephrenia and Xanetia are in Delphaeus,’ Aphrael continued. ‘Edaemus is being tiresome, but the news about Klael shook his tree, so I’ll probably be able to coax him down out of the branches. He knows that Mother’s captivity puts the arrangement you have with Codon at risk, so he’s agreed to help us rescue her. I’ll keep working on him. If I can push him just a little further, he might agree to let the Delphae come out of their valley. They could be enormously helpful to us.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me about all of this earlier?’
‘What would you have done if I had, Sparhawk?’ Jumped over the side of Sorgi’s ship and swum ashore?’
‘I need to know these things when they happen, Aphrael.’
‘Why? Let me take care of the fretting and worrying, Sparhawk. All it does is make you foul-tempered.’
He let that pass. ‘I’ll tell this to Bhelliom.’
‘Absolutely not! We don’t dare open that box. Cyrgon or Klael will feel Bhelliom instantly if we do.’
‘Didn’t you know?’ he asked her mildly. ‘I don’t have to open the box to speak with Bhelliom. We can talk with each other right through the gold.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘What would you have done if I had? Jumped into the sea and come swimming after Sorgi’s ship?’
There was a long moment of silence. ‘You really enjoy turning my own words around and throwing them back in my teeth like that, don’t you, Sparhawk?’
‘Naturally. Was there anything else you’d like to share with me, Divine One?’
But the sense of her presence was gone, leaving only a slightly huffy silence behind.
‘Where’s—ah—Vymer?’ Sparhawk asked Talen as the boy entered the room a few minutes later.
‘He’s out attending to something,’ Talen replied evasively.
‘Attending to what?’
‘He asked me not to tell you.’
‘All right. I’m asking you to ignore him—and I’m right here where I can get my hands on you.’
‘That’s a crude way to put it.’
‘Nobody’s perfect. What’s he up to?’
Talen sighed. ‘One of Estokin’s men stopped by—just after you came up to go to bed. He said that there are three Elenes in town who are letting it be known they’ll pay good money for information about any strangers who seem to be settling in for a long stay. Vymer decided to look them up.’ Talen glanced meaningfully at the walls of their small room. ‘I’d guess that he probably wants to find out just exactly what they mean by “good money”. You know Vymer when there’s some profit to be made.’
‘He should have told me,’ Sparhawk said cautiously. ‘I’m not any more allergic to a quick profit than he is.’
‘Sharing isn’t one of Vymer’s strong points, From.’ Talen touched his ear and then laid a finger to his lips. ‘Why don’t we go out and see if we can find him?’
‘Good idea.’ Sparhawk quickly pulled on his clothes, and the two of them clattered down the stairs and out into the street.
‘I just had a religious experience,’ Sparhawk murmured as they walked into the noisy area near the docks.
‘Oh?’
‘One of those Divine visitations.’
‘Ah. What did your Divine visitor have to say?’
‘A broken-nosed friend of ours got another one of those notes. He’s been told to go to Sepal instead of coming here.’
Talen muttered a fairly vile oath.
‘My feelings exactly. Isn’t that Vymer coming up the street?’ Sparhawk pointed at a blond man in a tar-smeared smock who was lurching unsteadily toward them.
Talen peered at the fellow. ‘I think you’re right.’ He made a face. ‘The ladies who changed things around may have gone a little far. He doesn’t even walk the same any more.’
‘What are you two doing out this late?’ Stragen asked as he joined them.
‘We got lonesome,’ Sparhawk replied in a flat tone of voice.