No outsider suspected the whole truth but, clearly, the Commander of the Righteous had resources inside the Night. There could be no other explanation for how he knew so much so fast about events so far away.
The Shining Ones were his best reason for catching up. He needed to be several hundred miles farther along before the Old Ones could reach the nearest Well of Ihrian.
Hecht thought they might suck that dry-and become major Instrumentalities once more. Which would present him with a battery of fresh challenges.
He felt an odd eagerness himself when thinking about the Wells.
He seldom recalled having been Else Tage. Even Piper Hecht had slipped, some. Publicly, he was Lord Arnmigal. He thought of himself as Commander of the Righteous or, occasionally, Empress Helspeth’s secret lover.
He did not think of his family often, except for Pella, who was underfoot all the time. The boy made himself almost as useful as Titus. Maybe Titus ought to go back to his field command so Pella could try the staff role.
That would not happen unless Titus asked it himself, though.
* * *
There were feasts. There were a thousand other distractions, including the countless marvels that made Hypraxium a wonder of the world. Lord Arnmigal let himself be shuffled hither and yon while staffers did the real work.
Wherever he went, usually with Pella and a disguised Shining One, he was subjected to introductions and incessant appeals. It felt like the Grail Empire’s ambassador to the Golden Gate wanted to keep the Commander of the Righteous entangled.
Hecht mentioned the notion to Hourli.
Hourli was having fun being Lord Arnmigal’s mysterious companion.
Hecht preferred the more demure and quietly radiant Eavijne. Pella, naturally, was enamored of Aldi, who was not seen much but who blinded her audiences when she was. She could not help herself.
Hourlr he never saw.
Hourli soon reported, “You were right about Ambassador fon Machen. He wants you kept from moving on. It’s ideological.”
“How so?”
“He is Katrin’s man, committed to Serenity. He has connections inside the Society but is not a member himself.”
Hecht grunted. All that was remarkable in these parts.
Hourli continued, “He has blood and marital connections with some of the most vehement, revanchist detractors of Lord Arnmigal and the Righteous.”
“Give him credit for his show of being helpful.”
“Which was why you became suspicious. Would you like me to do something?”
“Not really. We’ll adapt as the situation unfolds.”
“His intimates include numerous local villains who hope to become parasitic on the Enterprise.”
“No worry. We’re having dinner with Monestacheus tonight. We’ll drop a few hints.”
“Take Aldi or Eavijne. Aldi can turn them into drooling idiots. Eavijne can tempt their sympathy to pathological levels.”
“I prefer you. These men are impressed by a woman with a brain as well as a fine…”
“Not quite golden-tongued, are you?”
He did avoid observing that he might learn by the time he reached her age.
“You want mature and intellectual, take Wife.”
“No. It’s you. Or the Choosers.”
“That could be entertaining.”
“I’d like to save them for another time.”
“If you insist, then. I shall be glamour and intellect alike. I shall charm them with my wit. I shall … I shall have a good time.”
“You do enjoy this, don’t you?”
“I do.” She sounded surprised.
* * *
A nearly full moon reflected off the glittering navy waters of the Agean Reach. Hecht wished the image could be captured for eternity. It was one of the most beautiful he had ever beheld.
He had only to walk fifty steps to his left, round the terrace, to see the fire-lighted smoke above a suburb of hell where convicts and prisoners of war labored to connect the Agean Reach with Lake Antal via a canal across the Phesian Land Bridge.
Canals connecting the Negrine with the White Sea had been a fantasy of the Eastern Emperors for a thousand years. Maybe once a century an Emperor felt secure enough and wealthy enough to take up the grand work. None had lived long enough to complete even one of the three needed links, so far. Competing demands for treasure or manpower always killed the project. It took nature only decades to undo most of the work.
Monestacheus hoped the Enterprise would supply him with thousands more laborers.
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” Hourli had materialized, still in the gown she had worn earlier. She had stunned the ladies of Hypraxium with the intensity of her greens and blues.
“It is. I wouldn’t think you would be susceptible.”
“Natural beauty isn’t apparent only to mortals. Though, admittedly, we Old Ones are more jaded.”
He faked a chuckle.
“You’re nervous.”
“I don’t know if this is going to work.”
“It will work. You have us to make it work.”
“Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Manage. You always do. Meantime, I’ve heard from my brother.”
“Really?” He studied her face. Foolish, trying to read anything there.
“He’s been traveling with your sister and daughters.” She laughed outright. “Look at you! No. He’s had no luck at all.”
Hecht could not decide if he should feel relieved or foolish. “He had something to report?”
“Sort of. Mainly that you should expect visitors.”
“Uhm? They’ve been up to something, have they?”
“Your sister is always up to something. It’s what she is. She has the force of character to drag your daughters and the old man along. And here comes Titus Consent.”
Irked, Hecht muttered, “What does he want?”
“He is going to tell you that the preparations are in place. He is going to ask you what you want done now.”
Which is what Titus did, while considering Hourli in her glamorous aspect with a muted wonder. She caught his eye and winked. Once he departed, she mused, “I wonder if I ought to have Aldi get after him.”
“What? Him? No!” Then, “Why?”
“It feels like he could keep up with her.”
“Can we change the subject?” He did not want to think about women. It had been an age.
Laughter. Maybe a touch mocking. “All right.” She pointed, made a flipping gesture with her hand. Heris rotated into being facing the harbors. “Oh, Sweet Aaron!” she murmured.
Hourli said, “I’ll leave you two alone,” in a tone suggesting she expected them to do more than talk.
Hecht was disgusted. But it sparked an old curiosity about what went on between Hourli and Hourlr.
* * *
“What was that?” Heris asked. “Was that Hourli? How come she was all fancied up?”
“We went to a state dinner with the Emperor.”
“She cleans up damned good.”
“They all do. They’re Instrumentalities. They can be as glamorous as they want. She says you and Hourlr are traveling together these days.”
“Piper! No. It’s not that. You beast. I’m going to nail Asgrimmur, though, if I can get him to hold still long enough.” She laughed at his appalled expression.
“Please don’t talk like that.”
“All right. But you need to grow up.”
The air shimmered. Lila and Vali rotated into existence. Vali was shaking. “That was scary! I thought we weren’t going to hit it.”
Lila said, “If you’d stop fussing I could cut it easy.”
“Girls?”
“Hi, Dad.” Chorused. “We just got back from the world of the dwarves.” That from Lila. “Triple Great Grandfather was a major pain.”
“World of the dwarves?” Hecht looked at Heris.
“We were looking for a way to get to Eucereme.”
“By ‘we’ she means she was looking,” Vali said. “The rest of us got dragged along.”