The Empire of Vond didn't have a triumvirate, or any pretense of popular consent.
"So you didn't say anything to Ithinia about warlocks?" Lar asked, startling Emmis.
"No. But when I asked about the towers' magic she figured out that since I'm working for you, the Empire must be concerned about magic, and the Empire's only important magic was Vond's warlockry, so she put it all together and decided that warlocks mustn't be allowed in Lumeth or Vond."
"Reasonable. She's a smart woman."
"She's a wizard."
"Wizards aren't all smart, Emmis."
"She's a Guildmaster."
"Well, yes, you have a point there."
And that was when the door swung open and a line of servants carrying trays appeared, bringing an assortment of beverages. The two men put their conversation aside to join in the refreshments.
Emmis had just finished a mug of amazingly bad, unpleasantly warm beer when the door opened again and a young man, about his own age, wandered in.
He was dressed in black, with silver embellishments on his shoulders and cuffs – simple but elegant. His hair had been trimmed by someone who was very good at trimming hair, but it, too, was very simple. Back in Ethshar Emmis would have taken him for the son of a noble or wealthy family; here he wasn't sure what to make of him.
Lar, however, had apparently recognized him instantly, and was bowing deeply. Hesitantly, Emmis bowed, as well.
"Who is he?" Emmis whispered.
"That's Lord Sterren," Lar hissed back.
Emmis blinked and almost fell; he jerked up awkwardly out of his bow.
"That's the Regent?" he said. "But he isn't any older than I am!"
It was only when the entire room fell silent and a dozen eyes turned to stare at him that Emmis realized he had spoken aloud. He felt himself redden, but he refused to look away or apologize; he had simply stated the obvious.
Lord Sterren looked at him, obviously amused.
"I'm Sterren," he said, stepping over and holding out a hand. "And yes, I'd say we're of an age, you and I. Who are you?" He spoke Ethsharitic like a native – in fact, Emmis thought he would have sounded right at home in Westgate or the Old Merchants' Quarter.
Emmis took the hand in his own. "Emmis of Shiphaven," he said. "I'm the ambassador's aide."
"Are you? Then you're on my payroll?"
"I suppose I am. Ah… what's the proper way to address you, my lord?"
"Whatever you like. 'My lord' is fine. Care to earn your pay by introducing me around?"
Emmis bowed. "I would be honored." He turned, looked at the gathered magicians and soldiers, then added, "If I can remember everyone myself, that is."
Chapter Twenty-Eight
At dinner Emmis found himself seated between Guildmaster Ithinia and Princess Shirrin of Semma, who he was informed was Lord Sterren's fiancйe. She was a lovely young woman in her late teens; Emmis thought she was perhaps a bit young for Sterren, but that was the Regent's concern, not his.
She also had a tendency to giggle that Emmis did not find endearing, but perhaps Lord Sterren did.
Sterren was seated on Ithinia's other side, and for the first part of the meal the two of them spoke at some length. Emmis was not deliberately eavesdropping, but they weren't being particularly quiet, so he listened to their discussion between sips of wine.
His earlier beer had convinced him to switch to the grape at dinner, and he was glad he had; the vintage, he was informed by the wine steward, was a fine one, from Dwomor. Emmis knew very little about wine, but he knew this one tasted very good and went well with the pastries and roast chicken he was served.
As they ate Ithinia explained the Guild's demands to Sterren, and the Regent seemed very pleased with them.
"No invasions either way? We can't touch Lumeth, and they can't touch us?" he asked.
"Exactly. We'll have journeymen putting up wards all along the border in a sixnight or so."
"And you've given Ashthasa assurances we won't invade?"
"Unless provoked. We don't intend to interfere with your right to defend yourselves."
"I'm delighted to hear it. I don't suppose you could talk to the kings of Kalithon and Nushasla?"
"I'm afraid you'll need to do your own diplomacy there, my lord."
"And Shassalla, and Hurla, and Trozdossa, and Ethirillion?"
Ithinia spread her hands, a fork in one of them. "Not our concern, my lord. Though we have declared warlocks unwelcome in Shassalla and Kalithon."
"As well as in Lumeth and throughout the Empire."
"And in Gajamor, Calimor, Yaroia, Zenda, and Eknissamor."
Sterren smiled crookedly. "I'm not even sure where all of those are," he said. "It's taken me three years just to learn our eighteen provinces and our eight neighbors."
"They're Lumeth's neighbors. Well, Eknissamor doesn't actually share a border with Lumeth, but it's close enough to the north that we included it."
"That's a great relief, and you will have my full support. If any of the Imperial Council object, I'll be happy to remove them."
"I trust that won't be necessary."
There was a pause then as both took a moment to eat; then Sterren remarked, "I tried to contact the Guild three years ago, you know, when Vond was still here. I sent a wizard named Emner to find you."
Ithinia nodded. "Emner of Lamum. He reached us."
"You didn't do anything, though," Sterren said. Then he added, "Did you?"
"Not much," Ithinia admitted. "We were fairly certain that Vond would solve the problem himself, just as he did. We did have a few words with the Council of Warlocks, though, to discourage emigration in this direction."
"Well, thank you for that much."
"We spoke to the Chairman of the Council a little more vigorously a few days ago," Ithinia continued. "Quite vigorously, in fact. And the Council owes us a debt from twenty years ago, when Azrad VI attempted to outlaw warlocks entirely, so they profess themselves eager to cooperate. They understand that no warlocks are to set foot within twenty leagues of Lumeth."
Sterren nodded. He glanced around, then lowered his voice.
Emmis tried hard to listen without appearing to do so.
"Do you know," Sterren asked quietly, "where Vond got his power?"
"Do you think," Ithinia murmured back, "that we would tell you if we did? You, in particular?"
"I would only want to know so I could stay away from it!" Sterren retorted.
"Well, you know it's in Lumeth," Ithinia said. "And if you set foot in Lumeth, we'll kill you. It's nothing personal. And if you think you can protect yourself against wizards, well, we've sent word to the Cult of Demerchan."
"Is it those towers?"
Emmis was just as glad he couldn't see Ithinia's expression as she replied; the tone of her voice was quite bad enough. "Didn't I just say we weren't going to tell you?" She spoke in a low tone that seemed to be coming through gritted teeth. "But I will tell you that the towers are a large part of why we've taken an interest. The Guild has reasons of its own to want those towers preserved, and we have safeguards in place – but a warlock of Vond's abilities might be able to get through those safeguards, and might be mad enough to try, so we intend to ensure that there will never again be another warlock of Vond's abilities. Which means you, my lord, more than anyone else in the World, would be well advised to not ask any more questions about anything in Lumeth."