"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said. "Maybe your spies got it wrong."
"I doubt it. They're quite good at this sort of thing."
"Well, he's not here."
"Then you won't mind if I take a look-"
"Yes, I would," I said quickly. "You're treading a fine line here, Ehran. Even if he were here, which he's not, it wouldn't be any of your business. Let's leave it at that. Shall we?"
He gave another faint smile. "Very well, Aina," he said. "But this is a dangerous game you're playing."
I walked to the door and opened it. "I know, but when has it ever not been?"
As soon as the door shut, Caimbeui opened the door to his room and peered out.
"I thought he'd never leave," he said.
"I can't believe you left me here to deal with him," I said. "And he knows about Glasgian."
"Yes, I heard that."
"Well, we've got to get him out of here," I said. "I just don't know if he's up to anything but the con- ventional means."
"We may have no other choice."
I nodded, then turned and walked over to my bed- room door and opened it. The room was still dark, the shades pulled. A wedge of light from the living room spilled across the bed, which was empty. I hit the switch on the wall, flooding the room with elec- tric light.
The room was empty. Glasgian Oakforest was gone.
24
"He's gone," I said.
"What?"
"He's gone."
Caimbeui elbowed past me into the room.
"Maybe the bathroom?" he asked.
I pointed to the open bathroom door. "Unless he's thinner than I remember. Or he's hiding in the shower stall."
Caimbeui went and checked in the stall. "No, not here."
I sagged against the dresser facing the bed. 'This is very bad," I said. "What if he goes to Aithne? We're lost then."
"I don't think he'll do that," Caimbeui said. He touched the bed where Glasgian had lain. "It's cold. He's probably been gone for a while. I suspect he didn't leave by the usual methods, because other- wise Ehran wouldn't have asked about him."
"Maybe Ehran took him," I said.
Caimbeui shook his head. "Not his style. Now, I'd expect it from Alachia, except she'd be here now crowing about it. And I don't think her network is as sophisticated as Ehran's. What surprises me is that we haven't heard from Aithne yet."
"Dumb luck," I said. "What are we going to do?"
"Nothing," he replied. "For right now. Whoever has him will show their hand eventually, and if he got out of here himself, then I doubt we'll hear any- thing. He'll be too damn scared. After all, he's had a look at what happens to people who get on the wrong side of your faithful companion."
"Don't call him that," I snapped. "I haven't seen him in millennia. I took care of him long ago. You know that. I'm tired of paying for that mistake. It won't just be me facing him this time. I'll have the support of the others."
Caimbeui shrugged. "Perhaps," he said. "There's no telling what they'll do."
I ran a hand across my scalp. "They've got to see what's happening. After you tell them about Maui, they'll understand. But what has me worried is how anyone got past those wards."
Caimbeui didn't say anything.
The rest of the day dragged on interminably. After the way the morning went, I kept expecting more unwelcome visitors. But they never arrived.
The maids came and tidied the rooms, and I won- dered which one of them was Ehran's spy. Or maybe all of them were.
I jumped at every noise, and Caimbeul's annoying habits became more and more glaring. Pencil- tapping. Humming. Leg-jiggling. He twitched and fidgeted and moved around like a six-year-old need- ing to pee.
I wondered why I'd ever had anything to do with him.
The day of the Council meeting dawned clear and cold. The drizzle and gray skies that had continued for the last two days broke. It irked me that the ses- sion had been set up for late afternoon. I had to waste yet another day with the tension, boredom, and Caimbeul's habits.
At four we began to get ready, and by five we were in the rented limo heading for the meeting. It was already beginning to grow dark as we finally reached the estate where the meeting was to take place.
It was located west of the city. As the car swung into the wide gates flanking the drive, I saw that there were hundreds of rose bushes lining the drive. They were denuded of foliage. Their thorny canes stark and skeletal against the fading October sky.
Several other limos were parked in front of the large house as we pulled up. There were also a cou- ple of high-octane performance cars modified with body armor.
"Looks like the joint's jumpin'," said Harlequin. "Nice cars. I wonder who they belong to."
"Jinkies, Caimbeui, maybe you and the boys can go drag racing after the sock hop," I said.
"You don't have to get snippy about it," he said.
"You're a gadabout," I said. "Utterly irresponsi- ble. Can't you keep your mind on the matter at hand?"
"Why should I?" he asked. "When you're perfectly capable of doing all the worrying for both of us."
"Jerk."
"Shrew."
"Shmuck."
"Harpy."
I laughed. I couldn't help it.
"Well, shall we go and meet the crowd?" Caim- beui asked. "I understand they've finished with the pagans and are moving on to the Christians."
"I think they'll find us stringy and unpalat- able."
"One can only hope."
We were met at the door by a retinue of Surehand's Paladins. They were attired in their Crusader-ish ar- mor and toting SMGs, pistols, and other sidearms and pieces of gear I knew nothing of. Such blind reliance on technology could get these boys in a lot of trouble, I thought.
We were escorted into the massive foyer and down a wide hallway leading to the back of the house. More like a palace. Fifteen-foot ceilings, twelve-foot-wide hallways, heavy, cream-colored damask wallpaper, marble tile underfoot. The Pala- dins' boots made loud echoes against the floor. Doorways leading off the halls showed enormous rooms decorated in luxurious fabrics, woods, and stone.
I wondered whose property this was. It dwarfed Lugh Surehand's place in size and richness. I couldn't imagine Aithne here. Nor Ehran. It hardly seemed their style. Our invitation to the Council had mentioned only the time and location: six p.m. at Ozymandias. Caimbeui seemed to know where to go.
At last we came to a set of doors at the end of the hallway. The lead Paladin opened the doors and an- nounced us.
"Aina Sluage and Caimbeui har lea Quinn," he said.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the room. Caimbeui was close behind.
Had I been Harlequin, I would have delighted at the expressions passing over those faces, but I was too nervous. I knew they wouldn't guess how I felt. None of them knew me well enough to see that.
"Courage," I heard Caimbeui whisper in my ear.
Fires burned in the hearths at either end of the hall. Oriental rugs were scattered over the inlaid wood floor. Oversized chairs and couches were ar- ranged in comfortable groupings. That is, comfort- able if you're expecting a hundred or so of your closest personal friends.
At one end of the hall were a handful of the Coun- cil members. Lofwyr had changed from his black suit into a lurid peacock-blue satin that would have done a pimp proud. He smiled and bowed slightly at me. I knew he'd probably remain neutral, no matter what happened. Sometimes you just couldn't depend on dragons.