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‘Things are falling into place,’ Vanion approved

‘The palace servants have all the usual vices, Lord Vanion,’ Khalad reported ‘They love to gossip Alean’s ress than I am – probably because she’s prettier’

‘Thank you,’ the girl reat co beauty – none of us are Our faces are designed for wear, not for show’

‘I’d guess that by the end of the e should have gained their confidence sufficiently to start picking up secrets,’ Khalad surmised

‘You Elenes amaze enius for intrigue’

‘This is a rather select group, your Majesty,’ Emban told him ‘We knew before we left Chyrellos that ourof information We chose people ere skilled at it’

‘I came across one of the scholars in the contemporary affairs department at the university,’ Bevier reported ‘Most of the rest of the faculty has already established reputations based on this or that past event Resting on one’s laurels is one of the failings of acaderaph for decades Anyway, this fellow I ry He’s co it for all he’s worth He’s absolutely convinced that all the present tur from Arjuna – perhaps because no one else on the faculty’s staked out that particular ground yet He’s also convinced that Scarpa’s the man behind the entire conspiracy’

‘Who’s Scarpa?’ Kalten asked

‘Zalasta told us about him,’ Ulath reminded him ‘He serves the same function in Arjuna as Sabre does in Astel and Gerrich does in Lamorkand’

‘Oh, yes, now I reathered a hugeevidence, some of it very shaky He’ll talk for hours about his theory to anybody willing to listen’

‘Is anybody else at the university working on any alternatives?’ Emban asked him

‘Not actively, your Grace They don’t want to risk their reputations on false leads Acade the enthusiast doesn’t have a reputation, so he’s willing to take soative conclusions can help to narrow the search’

‘My feelings exactly, Lord Vanion’

‘Do you suppose I could ien asked the erinned ‘Impose to your heart’s content’

‘You did know that there are criminals here in Matherion, didn’t you?’