Steven Brust - Yendi

“What is it?”

“I can’t tell Norathar about this, Vladimir. She’s the Dragon Heir now, or soon will be. If she gets involved in Jhereg activities at this point, she’ll lose her position. I can’t do that to her. I wish I hadn’t told her about the earlier attempt on you.”

“Mmmm,” I said.

“So it’s you and me. We’ll find that bastard, and—”

“How? He’s vanished. He’s protected against sorcery traces and even blocked against witchcraft. I know; I’ve tested.”

“We’ll find a way, Vladimir. Somehow.”

“But why? What is he after?”

She shrugged, took out a dagger, and started flipping it. My breath caught for a moment, watching her. It was as if she were a female version of me . . .

“Okay,” I continued, “what are the anomalies? First, hiring a team of assassins with the kind of reputation you and Norathar have, just to pull off a bluff. Second, doing it in such a way that you two find out and are still alive. He must have known that you wouldn’t be pleased about this, and—”

“No,” said Cawti. “The only reason I’m alive is that Norathar refused to speak to Aliera unless she revivified me. And the only reason Norathar is alive is that Aliera was convinced she was a Dragonlord and wanted to hear her story.” She chuckled. “Norathar wouldn’t talk to her anyway.”

“I see,” I said softly. “I hadn’t known that. Well then, if this was his plan, he could have pretty much counted on you two being—That’s it, then.”

“What?”

“Just a minute. Is it? No, that doesn’t make sense, either. Why . . . ?”

“What is it, Vladimir?”

“Well, what if the point was to kill you and Norathar? But that doesn’t make sense.”

She thought about it for a minute. “I agree; it doesn’t. There are other ways to have killed us. And why continue the bluff after it failed?”

“I agree, but . . . could Laris know about Norathar’s background?”

“I don’t see how. I suppose it’s possible, but why would he care?”

“I don’t know. But look: the part of this that could most reasonably be a slip is that you and Norathar are still alive. So the only thing that should have been accomplished, so far, is the deaths of you two. Now of the two of you, it makes the most sense that someone would want Norathar killed, and it probably has to do with her background. What if we assume that’s the case and go from there. What does that get us?”

“It still doesn’t explain the war on you. Why not just kill her? Or, if he wants to be devious, give us the job of killing you and hire someone else to finalize us there?”

I nodded. “There’s more to this than I can see,” I admitted. “I know just the person we’re going to want to talk to about it.”

“Who?”

“What Dragonlord do you know of with the most interest right now in who the heir is? Who could have set this whole thing up, just to have Norathar dead, then revivified, then made the Dragon Heir? And maybe make attempts on my life just to make things look good? Who is it who most wants to find a new heir to the throne?”

She nodded. “Aliera.”

“I’m going to arrange a teleport,” I said.

Cawti and I leaned on each other for support. We stood in the courtyard of Castle Black, which floated above a small village about 175 miles northeast of Adrilankha. The tip of Dzur Mountain could be seen to the east, which was a more pleasant view than looking down provided.

“I’m sick,” I remarked conversationally.

Cawti nodded.

“ The couple that heaves together, cleaves together .”

“ Shut up, Loiosh .”

Cawti chuckled. I glanced at her sharply.

“ Loiosh, did you say that to her, too? ”

“ Shouldn’t I have? ”

“ You shouldn’t have said it at all. But that isn’t what I meant. It’s just . . . interesting .”

By then our stomachs had settled down a bit; we approached the doors. They opened, displaying a wide hallway and Lady Teldra. She bestowed compliments upon us, during which we learned that Aliera was with Morrolan in the library. I told her we could find our own way. We went up the stairs, not stopping, as I usually did, to look at the artwork, and clapped at the door to the library.

“Enter,” said Morrolan.

We did, and I could tell by looking at their faces that a remarkable thing was occurring: they weren’t arguing about anything.

“Is one of you sick?” I asked.

“No,” said Morrolan. “What leads you to ask?”

“Never mind. I have to talk to you, Aliera. Morrolan, this probably concerns you, too, so you may as well hear it.”

“Sit down, then,” he said. “Wine?”

“Please.” I looked over at Cawti. She nodded. “Two,” I said. “Where is Norathar?”

“She is being examined,” said Aliera.

“Oh. Probably just as well.”

One of Aliera’s fine eyebrows climbed. “She shouldn’t hear this?”

“Not yet, anyway.”

As we pulled up chairs, a servant appeared with wine. Morrolan favors sparkling wines, whereas I think such things are an abomination. But, since he knows that, he brought a dry white, nicely chilled. I raised my glass in salute, sipped, and let my tongue enjoy itself while I tried to figure out how to tell Aliera what I had to tell her, and how to find out from her what I wanted to know.

When she’d had enough of waiting, she said, “Yes, Vlad?”

I sighed and blurted out the story of the assassination attempts as best I could, not going into any more detail than necessary about my own affairs, and never actually saying that Cawti had admitted trying to kill me. I mean, Aliera knew it, but habits are hard to break.

As I spoke, she and Morrolan became more and more alert. They occasionally exchanged glances. I finished up by saying that I could see no reason why Laris would have wanted Norathar dead, but I couldn’t explain things any other way. Did they have any ideas?

“No,” said Aliera. “But it doesn’t matter. And, as soon as I can track him down, it will matter even less.”

Morrolan coughed gently. “I would suggest, my dear cousin, that you at least wait until the Lady Norathar’s position is confirmed. You are currently the heir, and the council hardly approves of Dragons involving themselves with Jhereg.”

“So what?” she snapped. “What will they do to me? Find me unfit to be Empress? Let them! Besides, Norathar is certain to be confirmed.”

“Hardly,” said Morrolan. “She has a long history of associating with the Jhereg.”

“Completely justified, under the circumstances.”

“Nevertheless—”

“Nevertheless, I don’t care. I’m going to find this Jhereg, and I’m going to show him Kieron’s Sword. You are welcome to assist me. Hindering me would be an error.”

She stood up and glared at Morrolan. “Well?”

I turned to Cawti and said in a normal tone of voice, “Don’t worry about it; they do this all the time.” She giggled. Neither Aliera nor Morrolan appeared to hear me.

Morrolan sighed. “Sit down, Aliera. This is nonsense. All I am asking you to do is wait a day or two, until we know the results of the council’s decision on Lady Norathar. If she fails to become the heir, we will discuss it then. There is nothing to be gained by rushing out there like this. You have no way of finding him.”

She glared at him for a moment longer, then seated herself. “Two days, then,” she said. “At the most. Then I kill him.”

“I’ll help,” said Cawti.

Aliera started to object, but Cawti interrupted. “It’s all right,” she said. “You forget: I’ve worked with Dragaerans before. I really don’t mind at all.”