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“And thesaid “His identity rehness,” Vaelin replied “Black Arrow’shanded the letters to a portly man on his left who had stated his name as Lartek Molnar, Minister of Finance “You know Fief Lord Mustor’s hand as well as I Do you see a similarity?”

Lord Molnar exahness, the hand that penned these missives seems so similar to the Fief Lord’s that I can discern no difference between the two More than that the way the letter is phrased Even without a signature I would know it as the work of Lord Mustor”

“But why?” asked Fleet Lord Al Junril, a large bearded ht “Faith knows I’ve scant love for the Fief Lord of Cun his nae for a fanatic intent on fracturing our Realht these heretics for several months, would you say they ell fed?”

“They did not seeood quality would you say?”

“They had finely crafted bows and well teh some of their weapons were taken from our fallen soldiers”

“So, well equipped and well fed, and this in the dead of winter when gahness, that this Black Arrow must have had considerable support”

“And noe know from where,” said a third minister, Kelden Al Telnar, Minister of Royal Works and, next to the King, the most finely dressed man at the table “Fief Lord Mustor has conde have I warned that his observance of the peace was but a et the Cumbraelins were forced into this Realm only after the bloodiest of defeats They have never stopped hating us, or our beloved Faith Now the Departed have guided brave Brother Vaelin to the truth Highness, I i the rey-bearded ht hand “You are e of my courts, and perhaps the wisest head at this council Are these papers evidence enough for trial or ation?”

The Lord of Justice stroked his silver-grey beard thoughtfully “If we consider this as only a hness, I would say the letters require question and any charges would depend on the answers If a ed with treason based solely on this evidence I could not send hiain but the King waved him to silence “What questions, my lord?”

Lord Al Genril took up the letters and scanned therant the bearer free passage across the borders of Cumbrael and require any soldier or official of the Fief to render whatever assistance the bearer enuine, they have been signed by the Fief Lord himself But they are not addressed to any individual Indeed we do not even know the name of the man who carried them to his death If they were penned by the Fief Lord did he intend them for use by Black Arroere they perhaps stolen and used for a different purpose?”

“So then,” Lord Molnar said “You would have us put the Fief Lord to the question?”

The Chief Judge took several seconds to reply and Vaelin could see frorave import of his words “I believe question is warranted, yes”

The door to the cha to attention before the King and saluting shness”

“Whorehouse or redflower palace?”

Captain Sn of discohness”

“Is he in a fit state to talk?”