Majesty?’
‘Murder, primarily,’ she shrugged. ‘He doesn’t seem to have the stomach for it.’
Caalador blinked. ‘Not many do.’
‘Politicians can’t afford that kind of delicacy. All right, if Krager and his friends know about our spy network, it won’t be long until they try something in the way of penetration, will it?’
‘You’re quick,’ he said admiringly.
‘Quick people live longer. Start thinking, gentlemen. We’ve got an exploitable situation here, and it won’t last for very long. How can we use it to our greatest advantage?’
‘We might be able to identify real conspirators instead of dupes, your Majesty,’ Stragen mused. ‘If they do try penetration, they’re going to have to subvert some of our people. Let’s say that we start passing out assorted fairy-tales – this story to some pick-pocket, another to some beggar or whore. Then we sit back to see which of those fraudulent schemes the other side attempts to counter. That will identify the turncoats in our own ranks, and we can squeeze useful names out of them.’
‘Surely we can get something a little better than that,’ she fretted.
‘We’ll work on it, your Majesty,’ Caalador promised. ‘If it’s all right with you, I’d like to follow up on something else as well. We know that Krager’s been busy here in Matherion, but we don’t know how much information about our methods he’s passed on to his friends in other kingdoms. We might as well get what use we can out of our makeshift intelligence service before it becomes totally useless. I’ll pass the word to the criminals down in Arjuna. I’d like to find out one way or the other if that silly scholar at the university has blundered across the real truth or if he’s just weaving a theory out of moonbeams. I think we might all find a complete biography of the fellow known as Scarpa really fascinating reading. If nothing else, whether or not our spies in Arjuna succeed will tell us how much Krager really knows about the scope of our operations. If he thinks it’s only localized, our apparatus hasn’t been too severely compromised.’
‘Go after the others as well,’ Ehlana told him. ‘See what you can find out about Baron Parok, Rebal and Sabre. Let’s try to attach names to Rebal and Sabre at the very least.’
‘We’ll do ‘er jist th’ way yer Majesty commands.’
‘I’d be happier’n a pig in mud iffn y’would, Caalador,’ she replied.
Caalador collapsed in helpless laughter.
‘It’s probably the change in the weather, your Majesty,’ Alean said. ‘It’s definitely getting chillier at night, and the days aren’t nearly as warm as they were just a few weeks ago.’
‘She grew up in Cimmura, Alean,’ Ehlana disagreed, ‘and the weather changes there much more markedly than it does here in Matherion.’
‘It’s a different part of the world though, my Queen,’ Baroness Melidere pointed out. ‘We’re right on the seacoast for one thing. That could be what’s causing the problem. Sometimes children react more strongly to things like that than adults.’
‘You’re both making too much out of it,’ Mirtai told them. ‘All she needs is a tonic. She’s not really sick, she’s just moping around.’
‘But she sleeps all the time,’ Ehlana fretted. ‘She even falls asleep when she’s playing.’
‘She’s probably growing,’ the giantess shrugged. ‘I used to do the same sort of thing when I was a little girl. Growing is very hard work, I guess.’
The object of their discussions lay drowsing on a divan near the window with Rollo loosely clasped in her arms. Rollo had survived two generations of intense affection. He had been dragged about by one hind leg.He had been laid upon, crammed into tight places and ignored at times for weeks on end. A shift in his stuffings had given him a slightly worried expression. Queen Ehlana viewed that as a bad sign. Rollo had never looked worried when he had been her toy. Mmrr, on the
‘Murder, primarily,’ she shrugged. ‘He doesn’t seem to have the stomach for it.’
Caalador blinked. ‘Not many do.’
‘Politicians can’t afford that kind of delicacy. All right, if Krager and his friends know about our spy network, it won’t be long until they try something in the way of penetration, will it?’
‘You’re quick,’ he said admiringly.
‘Quick people live longer. Start thinking, gentlemen. We’ve got an exploitable situation here, and it won’t last for very long. How can we use it to our greatest advantage?’
‘We might be able to identify real conspirators instead of dupes, your Majesty,’ Stragen mused. ‘If they do try penetration, they’re going to have to subvert some of our people. Let’s say that we start passing out assorted fairy-tales – this story to some pick-pocket, another to some beggar or whore. Then we sit back to see which of those fraudulent schemes the other side attempts to counter. That will identify the turncoats in our own ranks, and we can squeeze useful names out of them.’
‘Surely we can get something a little better than that,’ she fretted.
‘We’ll work on it, your Majesty,’ Caalador promised. ‘If it’s all right with you, I’d like to follow up on something else as well. We know that Krager’s been busy here in Matherion, but we don’t know how much information about our methods he’s passed on to his friends in other kingdoms. We might as well get what use we can out of our makeshift intelligence service before it becomes totally useless. I’ll pass the word to the criminals down in Arjuna. I’d like to find out one way or the other if that silly scholar at the university has blundered across the real truth or if he’s just weaving a theory out of moonbeams. I think we might all find a complete biography of the fellow known as Scarpa really fascinating reading. If nothing else, whether or not our spies in Arjuna succeed will tell us how much Krager really knows about the scope of our operations. If he thinks it’s only localized, our apparatus hasn’t been too severely compromised.’
‘Go after the others as well,’ Ehlana told him. ‘See what you can find out about Baron Parok, Rebal and Sabre. Let’s try to attach names to Rebal and Sabre at the very least.’
‘We’ll do ‘er jist th’ way yer Majesty commands.’
‘I’d be happier’n a pig in mud iffn y’would, Caalador,’ she replied.
Caalador collapsed in helpless laughter.
‘It’s probably the change in the weather, your Majesty,’ Alean said. ‘It’s definitely getting chillier at night, and the days aren’t nearly as warm as they were just a few weeks ago.’
‘She grew up in Cimmura, Alean,’ Ehlana disagreed, ‘and the weather changes there much more markedly than it does here in Matherion.’
‘It’s a different part of the world though, my Queen,’ Baroness Melidere pointed out. ‘We’re right on the seacoast for one thing. That could be what’s causing the problem. Sometimes children react more strongly to things like that than adults.’
‘You’re both making too much out of it,’ Mirtai told them. ‘All she needs is a tonic. She’s not really sick, she’s just moping around.’
‘But she sleeps all the time,’ Ehlana fretted. ‘She even falls asleep when she’s playing.’
‘She’s probably growing,’ the giantess shrugged. ‘I used to do the same sort of thing when I was a little girl. Growing is very hard work, I guess.’
The object of their discussions lay drowsing on a divan near the window with Rollo loosely clasped in her arms. Rollo had survived two generations of intense affection. He had been dragged about by one hind leg.He had been laid upon, crammed into tight places and ignored at times for weeks on end. A shift in his stuffings had given him a slightly worried expression. Queen Ehlana viewed that as a bad sign. Rollo had never looked worried when he had been her toy. Mmrr, on the
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