Read Online Issola by Steven Brust - Free Book Online

screeching and coughing with the Jenoine, so I remained patient and tried to look tough and imperturbable - not for the Jenoine, who probably couldn't tell the difference, but for Morrolan and Aliera, who probably wouldn't care.
    The conversation continued. I couldn't tell if Teldra was negotiating for our lives, laying down conditions to the Jenoine under which she wouldn't lay waste to their world, or asking if they knew any good recipes for klava. I was just wondering if I'd be willing to try their version of klava, when the two Jenoine and Lady Teldra abruptly vanished. No fading, as of a teleport, and none of the shimmering and twisting of form that accompanied necromantic transportation, so this was something else entirely, and what should be surprising about that? Whatever it was, it was fast and neat - there wasn't even the rush of displaced air that I'm used to, which indicates to me that natural laws were being suspended, and that didn't surprise me, either.
    "They're gone," said Morrolan, which was too obvious even for me to make a crack about how obvious it was.
    "Now," said Aliera, "might be a good time to get us out of these."
    "Good idea," I said. "How do we do that?"
    Morrolan ignored me. "If Teldra is involved in negotiations," he said to Aliera, "we may jeopardize them by—"
    "If Teldra is involved in negotiations," said Aliera, "it is in order to give us time to get out of here."
    "What makes you think so?"
    "Don't be a fool."
    "Here we go," said Loiosh.
    "Lady Teldra," I cut in, "did not leave our presence willingly." That stopped them, at least for a moment. "How do you know that?" snapped Aliera.
    "She vanished suddenly, without saying a word about it. It was rude."
    "Good point," said Morrolan.
    Okay, Vlad, I told myself. Teldra has just been taken away by all-powerful, legendary demigods; Sethra and the Necromancer are so far away that the term "distance" is meaningless; and Morrolan and Aliera are chained to a wall by some no doubt magical substance impervious to everything. That leaves you to do something. Morrolan and Aliera were looking at me, as if they expected the same thing. Well, fine. I tried to figure out what I needed to know, before I could even start formulating a plan. There were so many things. I didn't know what powers and abilities the Jenoine had, or, except in the most general terms, what their goals might be. Of course, I knew a bit about what Morrolan and Aliera could do, and Teldra - now, Teldra was a nice little mystery herself. I should have insisted on an answer from Sethra about why she was along. What is it she knew, or what skill did she have that... Hmmmmmm.
    "Morrolan, would you mind telling me, just because I'm curious, exactly what Lady Teldra does for you?"
    "I don't understand, Vlad. You've seen her. She greets guests, she sees that they get where they are going within the Castle, and that I am informed about arrivals and departures. I thought you knew that."
    "I did. I do. What else does she do?"
    "Isn't that enough?"
    "No."
    He shrugged. "Well, that's what she does, enough or not."
    I shook my head. "I'm missing something."
    "He's an Easterner, Morrolan," said Aliera. I bit back a smart remark, because Aliera's observation seemed to elicit an "Oh" expression from Morrolan. He said, “That's true."
    "Okay," I said. "What is obvious to you that isn't to me?"
    "The gods," said Aliera.
    "What about them?"
    "We consider them guests as well," said Morrolan. "Permanent guests of our homes, at all times; I had forgotten that you don't think of them that way."
    "I don't see the point."
    "Teldra," said Aliera, "is, in your terms, Morrolan's High Priestess."
    "Ah ha."
    "Ah ha?" said Morrolan.
    "That's what I was looking for."
    "Why?" said Morrolan and Aliera together, and I felt Loiosh asking the same thing.
    "I don't know exactly. But I knew there had to be some connection there, and some reason Sethra agreed to send her, and because I need to understand all of these