Kaylin cringed. Because she could eat at any time, she took a cookie before she returned to the table, leaving the open tin on the counter. At a raised eyebrow, she rose and put the lid back, as Evanton wasn’t terribly fond of mice, and apparently had some anyway.
“Yes,” she said, deflating, “there have been some problems.”
Bellusdeo treated Evanton with respect; in Kaylin’s experience, Evanton was the only obvious recipient of Bellusdeo’s deference. The Dragon’s eyes were orange. “You seldom mention rumors that are irrelevant. What do you feel it is important for us to know?”
Evanton smiled, which deepened the lines around the corners of his mouth and eyes. “I call them rumors for a reason. In this case, the information conveyed to me was done so indirectly. There is some danger involving the Hallionne.”
Silence. Bellusdeo passed the conversation back to Kaylin with a glance.
“Did your rumors detail which Hallionne?”
“Ah, no. It appears to be a collective problem. I am not,” he added, “Barrani, and I have not traveled by the Hallionne paths for a very, very long time. Before you ask, my prior experience is irrelevant, and regardless, I am not in a position to travel now.”
Kaylin’s frown grew extra lines. “Have you talked to Teela?”
“It so happens that she dropped by to pay her respects, yes. And by respect, I do not mean slouch at the table and eat all the cookies.”
Kaylin straightened up.
“Better. She wanted to speak about Mandoran.”
“Specifically Mandoran?”
“The garden was not pleased to see him the first time he visited, if you recall. She wished me to speak specifically with the wild elements to ascertain exactly why.”
“The elements don’t work that way.”
“No. Very good, by the way.” He waited.
“She can’t possibly expectmeto talk to the elements?”
“I assure you she doesn’t.”
“...You want me to talk to them.”
“I would appreciate any attempt you might make to talk to the water. Teela did not seem particularly interested in that solution. But you appear to have an affinity for it. The water is the primary source of my rumors, and the water is...very concerned.”
“Did the water explain what her difficulty with Mandoran was?”
Evanton exhaled. “No, not precisely. The water does speak in a fashion that the other elements do not—no doubt due to the influence of the Tha’alaan. But the words the water offered were opaque. The element understands their meaning. I do not; Teela did not appear to understand them, either.
“But the water’s replies to An’Teela’s questions—through me as intermediary—were broader than Mandoran. There is concern about people who are similar to Mandoran, at least if I understood what was said.” He did not look at all certain. “In your parlance,” he added, “and with deference to Bellusdeo, there is a possibility of the involvement of Shadow.” He held up a hand as Bellusdeo opened her mouth. “It is not a certainty, and I do not guarantee certainty without some conversation with the water itself.”
“Did I mention I’m on duty?”
“I would, of course, as a merchant who pays taxes, expect you to do this on your own time.”
Of course.
* * *
Bellusdeo was not happy to wait, but understood Kaylin’s reasons. Barely. The Dragon was aware, however, that even the mention of Shadow sent her into panic mode, and she was willing to walk out the duration of an Elani beat that had become irrelevant to her.
The rest of the Elani patrol passed without incident. Kaylin returned to the Halls, filed a brief report which went into the “not an emergency and can be shredded” pile on Marcus’s desk, and then paced the office floors. She was now afraid of two things.
One: the Consort would agree with the Lords who wanted Teela’s cohort to be made outcaste, and two: the Emperor would lose his scales when she attempted to cancelhisdinner.
The former would mean that she would once again be in conflict with the Consort, and she wasn’t certain that she would be forgiven as easily or as quickly a second time. The latter meant that she would be in conflict with the Emperor, because she would have to explainwhyshe was canceling the informal dinner. She had never explicitly said much about either Annarion or Mandoran.
