Fire Angels

Chapter 17 Part 3 Aftermath

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An attack on a diplomatic representative, no matter what the suspicions against him, could not be tolerated. That evening the Duke was in favor of an example being made of Karac, whose attack had made a very difficult situation much worse, but I do not think he ever intended to carry through a plan which might well have made a martyr of my brother. When Lady Julia interceded on Karac's behalf, the Duke gave in very graciously and just a little too easily. Darmen Stalker then very generously suggested that he would be quite content if my brother's execution were commuted to exile from Moria. He said he had no wish to condemn a young man to death especially as it would soon be clear how misguided he was.

So exile was the verdict. The Duke thanked me for my part in the rescue, but I noticed his manner was cool and when he left the room, none of his entourage acknowledged me. Out of favor again. I was not out of favor with Lady Julia however. She walked from the room with her arm through mine.

The following morning the Duke announced to a full audience hall that negotiations with Priest Stalker must cease until a new negotiator could be sent. The situation in the south was too urgent to wait. In response to the accusations against him, Priest Stalker had agreed to undergo a mindsearch, but only at the hands of an outside authority.

It was thus agreed that they would send for the Dean of the White College of Segan, a state far away beyond the Southern borders of Moria.

"What's wrong with his being searched by the Dean of the White College of Gallia or of Istak?" asked Tomas who stood beside me.

"Priest Stalker feels that as supporters of the Duke, they can hardly be seen as disinterested," said Lord Sercel weightily. "As a member of the Burning Light he is very distrustful of mages. It's a sensible solution. We must do our best to have a trial that is acceptable to Hierarch Jarraz, otherwise the peace negotiations will be jeopardized."

I wondered if Lord Sercel really believed any of this. It looked to me as if Darmen Stalker was simply putting off the trial for as long as possible. It would take the mindsearchers from Seagan almost ten days to get here, even at their fastest travelling. Ten days. While there was any possibility of a peaceful solution, an invasion of the South was out of the question. So the real question was, with the peace negotiations halted, how long would it all take?

From the grim looks on the faces of Lord Quercy and Ren Daniel outside the audience chamber, I suspected that Shad's forging of alliances was about to turn into a fully fledged plot to split the army.

Shad. I repressed the thought of him. When I saw Lord Quercy in the audience chamber, I looked around for Shad, but he was not there. I had had no word from him and though I had expected none, still it made me sad. He had thought he loved me. Now he had discovered who I really was. Unless I kept away from men for the rest of my life, this rejection could easily happen again and again. Perhaps chastity was the best solution. At night I ached for Shad. I could not imagine wanting another man ever again.

In the corridor outside the audience room, Ren Daniel was talking earnestly with Symon the Raven, who had also been at the audience. The moment he saw me however, Symon broke off the conversation and came towards me.

"You have need of us Enna Dion. But you are taking such a long time asking for our help, that I have come to you."

His words astonished me. I had been sitting at Karac's bedside all night and though I had thought often of how I should perhaps go to the Klementari over the situation with Bedazzer and Shad, I had done nothing about it.