NORMALLY        UP    ON    tS    OF    le at su o look soutd tains. Of late time turoing for, Alienor found o ts instead, to pace tions or lean upon tone, gazing into tance,    still came w down.

        As if sually see as far as Senzio.

        t by t Baerd old t could, if all    rigurn the whole world upside down.

        Not just too, self    survive.

        topped on to Fort Ortiz, as e, to pay ts to tle Borso and t    from t impossible to find y in Quileia, It    t Alessan old t about     seemed, , as Baerd    ternoon after Alessan o t, Marius o everything.

        ter t of springtime rides t took o ate one or t neigles. At o a hah 0    dozen equally specific people.

        Senzio. Before Midsummer Not long aftero Castle Borso remendous troop movements among tely clogged ification, but omary eacer her own fashion.

        Up on ts at su noep on tair being for it.

        it turning, s;You are almost too late. t; rue; t clouds in t    of to t her shoulders.

        Elena stepped out on t.

        "Im sorry," sely. Sill uneasy in tle. So t over te-spring fields. ing in the breeze.

        Ostensibly so serve as a neing to Alienor. S er t    sablisime t migter. It appeared, incredibly enoug tually e a time ter.

        tomaz, t, aged K it o stay omaz, o say    t.    mattered    Baerd and Alessan trusted ter Baerd o tely,

        "One of ; Alienor omaz, and t like riana.

        Baerd ated a long time. "One of t alkers," he said finally.

        S t, ture serving to so reveal of onis.

        "Really? ill about?”

        Baerd nodded.

        "And t is ?”

        After a sed Baerd nodded again.

        triana blinked in ma surprise. Se beautiful, Alienor t, but sill    deal to learn.

        "Doing ; Alienor asked Baerd.

        But time ed t. ts rying to puso, ten years ago, sly . Surprisingly per time on.

        Noedly, ;You could ay    just one.”

        Saste only partly feigned. "O is enougever t; S last to t s Baerds teiques of disguise.

        Over tive diversity of appearances.

        "Im not absolutely sure ; tomaz ;But insofar as s us to at least be able to try, one of tle should be enough.”

        "Enoug?" s really expeg anything.

        "Enougo read find t; tomaz ly.

        time it     ed. Alienor o find to feel a little regretful wriana had gone.

        terake care of    t as well.

        On ts sed, Alienor abruptly removed    over thers shoulders.

        "You ster by no; s;It gets cold up he sun goes down.”

        "Im sorry," Elena said again, quickly motioning to remove t;But youll be ething for myself.”

        "Stay     t    in    stars of training nortion o whering now, or soon.

        "Stay ; sly. "Stay h me.”

        Elenas blue eyes ful.

        Uedly, sonishingly, she moved nearer and drew her arm

        tiffened for a sed, to relax against t time in more years tely different kind of intimacy. It felt, of late, as if someted for t it might mean, for so many years.

        being alloransience of desire, if only one believed it    upon towards w she had bee.

        , letting s stream like birds arroo wes would be decided when Midsummer came.

        Dark    bloood toget ime, s and ting time.

        It imes in mockery, sometimes    t bordered on a as ted up in summer, so did t-time passions of Senzio. tic self- indulgence of t nortile soil ale    ed in Senzio, it o pay for it. And figo keep it, tiated often added.

        to year it mig t burgeoning tensions and t of ors—for ions, and for braaverns and streets.

        Someone mig suot anyone    actually seemed as if tents of disaster—t border, tilla anc Farsaro Island off tern tip of to t in Senzio to been for ly e le, Senzians still boasted t the Palm.

        A boast t began t more iigire peninsula braced itself for a flagration.

        In trusion of reality Senzio toensified ts dark ering-aping, sing patrons every nigo wream of available flesairs.

        ted, for    to trade in purco offer substantially different is to trons. For tavern not far from tle, good food, det vintages and ales, and    rooms in able if not aravagant living, derived primarily from merd traders disined to traffi ty of nig least to sleep a amid t overripe corruption.

        Solingself on , by day    music to be found in ty at any given time.

        At ticular moment, sly before te in table patrons of t full tavern rio: a Senzian ibar, and a young Asolini tenor arted a couple of days before—er perf Sandre dAstibars funeral rites last fall.

        Rumors of every kind    spring, but fehis one: such a prodigy was

        unlikely io be singing in a put-toget in fact tenor ional void c week.

        trut and a room upstairs if t. Solingibar for almost ten years. A friend, and more t; as it    rons of to Senzio expressly to meet t , poured s every nig to sleep t Alessan knew w he was doing.

        ticular afternoon trons enjoying tenors rousiion of a Certandan ballad    of to treet omers. Note in t, of course. Or not until t ed greeting, tage, and trument and followed, if more slowly.

        t ensued ably ical clusions about ture of ty not included a pair of exceptionally attractive young    red    against o to be crus t of a cadaverous looking Ko of ty.

        A moment later anot reso even stilled tement of tly over to t arrived. t rembling.

        "Baerd?" they heard him say.

        t of sile;Naddo?" in a tone even t i Senzian could interpret. Any lingering doubts about t o rest a sed later by two men embraced eacher.

        t.

        More tion, decided t ion, a appeared if t.

        Alais regea in a state of excitement t broug tinuous fluso ely beautiful t so e.

        From t t ly returea, bearing riana and to meet, Alais    somethan friendship was involved here.

        t    Rovigo ating for only a moment, old ly, but ing fiden    tners,    many years.

        It appeared t it    beeirely a ce after all t t tside tival of Vines last fall.

        Listening ily, trying not to miss a syllable or an implication, Alais measured o all of to discover t s afraid. o do . And t t rusting his.

        It o, "If you are truly set on ing o Senzio, to find a pla t to put your daughter ashore.”

        "ly?" Alais uro hers .

        Baerds eyes were very dark by dlelig    unkind.

        "Because I dont believe in subjeg people to unnecessary risks. t    to do. to face tand t of rusts tant to us. For you to e    y. Does t make sense?”

        So be calm. "Only if you judge me a cribution." S;I am triana and I tand o do. I    I o be free.”

        "trut. I t; It riana. "Baerd," s on, "if truly time t will decide, we he way we do.

        No decide t t ing to see if till slaves or not whe summer ends.”

        Baerd looked at Catriana for a long time but said noturo, deferring to ure. In    of t inner battle end.

        "If    t; Rovigo dAstibar said to er, ;your mot, dont you?”

        "Ill try to protect you," Alais said gravely, t hing.

        It alk at t absolutely. t t after torm.

        I dont kno is, s I need more.

        I kno ars of Eanna would all be yours.

        It , because    o o the balance.

        Of t jouro Senzio sicularly. Standing at triana as t of Astibar. Oiny village, and t in ts bobbihe shore.

        "t one is my ; Catriana said suddenly, breaking a silence, speaking so softly only Alais could ;And t boat ually my fat; ache words.

        "e o stop, t; Alais ly. "Ill tell my father! hell—”

        Catriana laid a hand on her arm.

        "Not yet," s;I t see . After. After Senzio. Perhaps.”

        t , ip of Farsaro Island early in tern Palm anchere.

        aiting for o once brig s Catriana, and    tomaz noy in eag tilla,

        kind of expression on his face.

        If so put a o t look santly, t it was desire.

        t afternoon to Senzio, and    to an inn all to kno. And t tavern into a flas and sudden as the sea.

        Devin embraced iger a moments visible ay at    ly tavern came up—Naddo ick. It    extraordinary carved eagles    to be a pensation for the loss of his own.

        t seemed. S of t deal of    ttles of Senzio green and a tibars blue o sort tic babble of all t    for a moment, siced; o table botful and somew grim.

        to go bad make te, and Alais, fluserribly excited, in ly w she was feeling.

        Afterairs beo ter,    on t upper level Catriana led    in, doo the bedroom Devin and Alessan and Erlein shared.

        t met, and a fe later riana    to feel a little strange about t, and to t    as Alessan puso speak.

        And as rating, gradually came to uand ruly frig o do.

        At a certain point opped and looked at t Duke Sandre first, t a round-faced Certandan named Sertino sitting    c Erlein di Senzio.

        tood. It o terms ibar. trada all her life.

        tting on    t.

        hing hard.

        "It is clear to me no you    your mind," ;You    sigo kill people in your madness.”

        Alais sa speaking.

        "All of t; Alessan said, ed mildness. "It is possible I am pursuing a pat. But yes, to be a great many people killed. e al; tending ot t and ease your soul. You knohing is happening.”

        "Not do you mean?" It was her.

        Alessans expression    bitter. " you noticed? You o?

        Notire army massed on to order th!”

        "; said Sandre flatly in t follo;hes afraid of Brandin.”

        "Per; fully. "Or else    cautious. too cautious.”

        " do ; asked tregean named Ducas.

        Alessan s;I dont kno knoed. You tell me," ;o ;    Ducas and t eache room.

        No one answered him.

        t ligo . Senzio?

        t did tter? Sy years ahem?

        Every time a messenger arrived from ba Astibar somethe Emperor had died . . .

        If ted peninsula, o claim an Emperors tiara in Barbadior. t o fig mattered, t tered all t tiara from t favorites ual fluttering moths.

        And after t    of Barbadior. t Brandin of Ygratern Palm, o stand before Alberiperor of Barbadior.

        Gods, tness of it ...

        But no suo suctering reprieve. And so ty     and Senzio, preparing to face tern Palm, kno tire ,    everyt depended on t. If too many of    kind of an army would o lead home?

        And too many men dying    noly as anticipated, leaving Brandin crippled and exposed. s o be on t possible way.

        tandan woman er for Brandin.

        Sed    never-seen imes noo figain    across to Loe and sag Stevaself.

        Gods. Alberico ser, at t of suco t against t east. Even t he real prize bae.

        But     effort t fallen from t same Dianora di Certando    saved t ly floating doed tern provinces would .

        Quileias crippled King o abase rade e letters t fearing ty po would .

        But it    so, because of ting, it he only reason Brandin was alive.

        And noilla ang for Alberiake test move.

        "t; ed daily. "And not as well armed.”

        Feains ey. Not as    move, t close togetoo h.

        A Senzio, sent    Casalia still favored t t Brandin    as strong as t o see tue of tilting even furtoern Palm, one of to stay    time eagic Casalia almost every night.

        So no as any Senzian during ing.

        e!

        Ripe f? Didnt tand? Didnt any of t to re h?

        rong Brandin er almost being killed in t cursed Sandreni lodge last year.    t, if none of t to    o be a deade in t of t. ary edge o be enougo offset to be certain. Surely any man not a fool could see t t o do unities.

        I on t tains back up into t t body of tando.

        ting messages like rancid food, o le again, endlessly,    was nagging ed wound.

        Somet irely    about ts—from tumn on jarred    chord.

        o feel as if ire Palm to respond to une. Seizing trol again after a er of being impacted upon in all trivial, discerting, cumulative    Quileia o seek , so t back    mistake s.

        t    Brandin ed in Ygrato the border of Senzio.

        But somet day and it    tion noing in t even talk about it—even if o talk to— couldnt even pin it do it    him like an old wound in rain.

        Alberico of Barbadiot to iara ,    subtlety and tfulness,    learning to trust incts.

        And incts told ains and erally begging o marething was wrong.

        t    calling tune. Someone else ruly no idea    t    be s e clear for    border meado of the surrounding pines.

        So ed, praying to    t soon be laug    ening sout Brandin ting stronger in Farsaro every day, but iness, inct for survival, by t ac. aiting for someto e clear.

        Refusing, as t, to dao    play.

        Sely regea. ted danger because t er doo claim o life.

        tonig. Catriana realized    opped in to try to steady herself.

        So adjust    in it. On to doing so for ers,    cropping ea. Catriana kneable no, actually, if tions of men in Senzio t days meant anything.

        And to mean somet ing noo pass by i before ter part of tole, but truly safe quarter of Senzio for a reets at night.

        S out y t     any of take anythis.

        th. She was under no illusions.

        All afternoon,     single dle al at su on t of t it riad because of o    a proud    ed et.

        tonigriana saly like t    last t, but o, if triad    all for    sion before s out.

        taggered by, ion of taverns. Sed anot and t quickly into treet, keeping to t and started tole.

        It er, s, if sill and slow her

        rag . S Solingside back stairs so t none of t Alais doo dinner alone, pleading a o follow soon if she could.

        S precise instant, as tly closed, t shers again.

        I s eady; s    for support, dra air. tainflo far aakable fragrance of sejoia trees. So tle gardens t o force color into them.

        Overars o follo street over. A er.

        tar fell in ts track to    sle. trance    rances and endings, faced alone. But sary cary as a o an orbit of    took est of tried. t. Sude.

        Pride. Again.

        igana before ttles at the river.

        t    was.

        Carefully situde s eady no in o    in t t afternoon and sreet and around to t at trao tle of Senzio.

        tside tes, t o let th.

        tside tes gla eacter to see by torc.

        Sopped in front of t pair. S;ould you be kind enoug; s;to let Ang ; And s    red glove.

        Sually been amused at first by Deviion and Rovigos in tplace. Casalia, togetern Palm er of lesser Senzians. they could be made.

        Alais and Catriana anding at a silk-mercs stall. turo see the Governo by.

        gone by. Instead, Angraining ed    and topped tly in front of t, Catriana realized t s riking pair. Angurned moustacly t so.

        "A mink and a red vixen!" coo quickly, a little too loudly. Angripped to t sun.

        Alais looked a not doriaeadily as she could. She would

        not turn a;A red vixen, truly," ed, but time to    to Casalia.

        ty follohe m.

        Catriana    er. S tered t    s amusement, however briefly.

        "t," sly, "is exactly    regea. I dont to repeat t to cut.”

        It riana    first, . them walked on.

        "I ly to h.

        "Of course you    e serious in hey all were.

        But just about t and anger botriana began to t somet seemed to    tness of tly into s t all.

        Ser so do it almost as soon as took shape in her mind.

        Before t o be alone long enougo purc she needed. Earrings, gown, blab. Red glove.

        And it    o remember tregea. Not surprisingly: tterns like t. Sus .    fell so e a for Alais. No fareop    as sopped any of them.

        But someto be do. A move o be made, and t m in t Catriana    s t move might be.

        S t part of tary     tremble as t topped ser all    sky.

        "ell o seard," said one of tside tes, a crooked smile on his face.

        "Of course," sepping nearer. "ts to standing c t; t uly, into t of torctle past to te s tcercatioe, ending in a cise six-ly outranked, relutly began yard to find Angell    e true, or some sucily unlocked tes     and came out to join thers.

        took some     unkind, nor did too muco t risk in offending ed on somet. So laugly once or t not so muce them.

        Sterns still, remembering t evening so Alessan and Baerd.

        t porter at t by, leering, sure of where.

        I    sleep o    h any man.

        So mugled she guards hands moving over her.

        mortal knee line ably per about Devin in t of tly in almost every ed it to. Not t sures or fates t day. Not then.

        And noerns began to unfold again? told o trances and endings, a dle starting a blaze.

        By time too. But treated esy as tes and across tral courtyard. Ligically doerior    tars. Eannas ligh a name.

        t into tle t t ly open. Beyond it, as triana caugely furnished in dark, rich colors.

        In tself stood Ango matcime t day.

        S ake o there were dles burning everywhere.

        "Red vixen," ;o play?”

        Devin    tion of building tension and enforced idleness, coupled o look at Alessans faetimes—of o a culmination, created a pervasive, dangerous irritability among them all.

        In traordinary, a blessing of grace t few days.

        Rovigos daugo groler a more at ease among to be o fill t need. Observant, unceasingly clessly versational, ions and briges from all of t single-ed times from degeing into sullen grimness or fractious rancor. Blind Rinaldo t in love o flouris t, almost grateful t tensions of time ing him from addressing his own inward feelings.

        In tmospe, pale beauty and diffident grace singled    like some floransplanted ly true. An observer c er as so versation, and the mans eyes spoke volumes.

        No t t urning t expedition of ternoon into a veritable sea-voyage of discovery, Alais excused    back upstairs. ure    return of grimo table, an inexorable reversion to ting preoccupation of t immune: o test foray outside ty walls.

        Alessan and Baerd, ing trada, searc likely battlefields, and so t place for to position time came for t roll of dice. Devin didnt muc t. It o do o be a battle for anyto happen, and AJberico of Barbadior

        was enougo drive men mad.

        time apart from eacly for reasons of caution, but undeniably because too mu them.

        Baerd and Ducas averns tonigs of ts to keep in teans men and Rovigos sailors, and a number of to a long-aed summons.

        to spread: about Rinaldo di Senzio, to be s up revolution against Casalia and tyrants. Devin    t, but Alessan ly    years; feralize    it very quiet tly noo be reized, and tribute as muco raising tensions in ty. If ttle more uneasy . . .

        Rinaldo tle, t ed starting to be coiling ato e t young anymore.    ly ime before tyrants, noracted eas from bygone years, stories of men and o Morian long ago.

        Erlein di Senzio    feeo eat and drink alone, sometimes in Solingen elseime y. Devin er.    of o be introduced, but    felt up to enduring Erleins abrasiveness. One mig t as events     so.

        Erleins absences because Alessan . For to betray tai be enraged and bitter and sullen, but , by any stretch, a fool.

        o dio be ba Solingo play in a fees and for te. tuary of    fe Devin kne only really applied to t some of ttered about ty were doing for release    imagine. Or, yes his was Senzio.

        "Somet; Blind Rinaldo said abruptly beside ilting he air.

        Alessan stopped sketcrada terrain on tablecloth and looked up quickly. So did Rovigo.

        Sandre had already half-risen from his chair.

        Alais o table. Even before s a finger of dread touch him.

        "Catrianas gone!" sing to keep o Devin, ted on Alessan.

        "? ; Rovigo said s;e would o see her when she came down, surely?”

        "tairs outside," Alessan said. iced, tened on the

        tabletop. tared at Alais. " else?”

        te. "S uand    ternoon. I o ask    it but I ... I didnt    to presume. So ask questions of. But t.”

        "A silk go; Alessan said incredulously, ; in Morians name . . . ?”

        But Devin already knew. ely.

        Alessan    been    m, anding.

        A bone-deep fear dried    . ood up, tipping over his chair, spilling his wine.

        "Oriana," ;Catriana, no!" Stupidly, fatuously, as if sill be stopped, still be kept among t into thomable ce and her pride.

        "? Devin, tell me, ?" Sandre, voice like a knife. Alessan said noturhe grey eyes brag for pain.

        "So tle," Devin said flatly. "So kill Ang art the war.”

        Even as ional t quite gone, somet, infinitely deeper, driving le already t all.

        beside ep be into t look back.

        Eanna, sly, over and over as to, let it not be like t like this.

        ole in t like a living terrible knoh.

        Devin kneoucle.

        to topped, looking up tree. t turn to see. t thing.

        tted against tor one of t hey knew.

        earing a long dark gown.

        Devin dropped to    lane.    about climbing t screaming    st of tainflo here.

        o play?

        Mostly, s, and especially not like t been tly aloo ti leaves for tea. Sing Alessan. And yes, some six or seven years ago so ermittent dreams of finding love and passion someen those dreams.

        t a dream. Nor    play. It h.

        Entrances and endings. A dle s    out.

        So    and toud t and ears and in    blazed from all ers of t seemed t Ango co w op of me, er, she had replied.

        , and o be above e s we blond .

        he end.

        o s before entering ook one nipple in ly, and began to run ongue in circles over it.

        Catriana closed . S clike above h and hands.

        Souc . Sc e, as if sime in t s of     into .

        t his life was over.

        You could buy anyted in Senzios . Anyt all. Including a     for t freed te, deadly thing.

        Grafted in Ygrat ral to onight.

        Anged in an involuntary snarl as aring agony. t, soaking into ts and the pillows, c her.

        errible sound. o ted floor, clutcely at . ried to stop it, pressing o t didnt matter. It    t , bubbling sound. Angoppled sloill open, blood leaking from    onto t. And then his blue eyes clouded and closed.

        Catriana looked do eady as stone. And so    of . In a moment t s in rances and endings.

        tig, a panic-stri volley of curses.

        S yet do be alloo take    sorcery could do to tep from time shis plan.

        ttering against t     to be naked now, s have really said why.

        Bending over took t glittering agency of deatreated blade, laid it beside Ango be quickly found. It    it be found.

        tering sound from ting, a tumult of noise in the corridor.

        S about setting fire to to blaze, it appealed to    no, to find Angly epped up on tly designed, easily tall enougo stand uprig. S. t. More t of trees came drifting up, and tness of tainflo floc t but it o Morian s oal of all.

        S of    o die in a land not    of o do

        ion seemed to put its mark upon t, o be enoug like an arrooward Morian in her halls.

        t inumbled into t ime.

        Catriana turned back from tars and t t, a cresdo of hope and pride.

        "Deato Barbadiors servants!" s top of ;Freedom for Senziol" s;Long live King Brandin of the Palm!”

        One man, quicker ted, springing across t quite quioug as fast as sur, necessary ing in ars, ting darkness bethem and beyond.

        S t o, and t all, only t seemed. Endings. A dle. Memories. A dream, a prayer of flames, t t e. t dooredly gentle darkness seemed to open hrough.
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