DIANORA COULD REMEMBER tO thE Island.

        t autumn m    oday at te clouds scudding in a    tribute Secaps into toing to th fall colors.

        turning: red and gold and some t g yet to green, she remembered.

        tribute Sion in Ygrat no tood on to gaze for t time at t to stand to to tizia    of to reclaim ters and marry urning to til beautiful Ora ory very c legend of the Island.

        Young girls in eac diving into er for a ring and rising in triump, to wed a Duke of power and glory.

        From ribute So gaze at ty of snourbed o e foro co sea to    to    being created ribute S could make a captains fortune in Brandins court if    age yrant.

        Sitting no from beely crafted s t c o tree-clad o Sangarios, from te of to the blue sky.

        From tumult and co t beyond. Birds    ts of tribute S striking along t. So muco be alive.

        ty-one years old, and nursing red and    like t .

        She saishan.

        tances of aking    very likely, and Brandins celebrated grey eyes er. So set off he dark brown of her eyes.

        Sain s riumping o moment for five full years, even t instant of Brandins c    of red and , and guarding t no room for anything else.

        Or so s at ty-one.

        For all sed ter on tle— dangerously little—about a great many t mattered far too much.

        Even out of t    beginning in true o of spring was

        some time off even t    at imes till be snoime Ember Days had e and passed.

        it looking backrate    eaming mug ean krade restris and tariffs, Brandin e, o be ively or life could be too acutely marred. Ked tside ts of Corte or ral Senzio. Once a group of Senzian ks    of a trade embassy to try to persuade s in t breral, indeed, Brandin asting. So ral, it o be there.

        ts ernated and pale, desperately seeking to diviyrants    mucime doing t, Dianora o Brandin aftero do it deliberately.

        reminded rate attending o oing ion t afternoon; tendant    castrates, sent out from Ygrato serve the y.

        rained already. Vencels met be    t t to tell t t strong enougo pieces,    to Scelto aer. to kno o rates grateful to her as well as afraid.

        tomatically: a fun of ude or affe so .

        t again, leaning foro look do tling preparations i day. At ty-oever beauty sed. S fifteen and sixteen s even boto    home.

        At een so be sometirely, t at o ts of Barbadian-ruled Certando. Or not normally, s, by any means, a t really needed a remi sando    wing as well, in Brandins bed.

        Sy-t    s of te could be said to vie o Brandin, and Solores    years    of tribute Ships.

        Sometimes, even no tle too muctle o believe. trates trembled if s tiers—    in titions to Brandin; musis e songs for s declaimed and dedicated verses t spun into ures about y and o ters of to ty of Ora before s Ring Dive frand Duke Cazal—ts alopped t analogy self and tragedies t followed.

        After one sucive-bestre of Doardes sed to Brandin over a late, private supper t one of t potractive, but    attractive to praise y.

        about it, leaning bad stroking    beard. Saken a certain risk, but shen.

        "tions," Brandin, tyrant of tern Palm,    on table. "Do you think you have power, my Dianora?”

        Sed t. "Only ttle time remaining before I groo grant me access to you." A small slas Solores t discreet enoug;But so long as you ao e to you I o , and poets ars t cro of tever the line was.”

        "te." ed a pliment t. ;My sed question: ould I be attractive to you    t I wield?”

        And t, s caug. It oo ued a question, and far too o t lived,    t be.

        So . S t. Looking up, ;Do you iced.”

        A sed later er    fortside self on gossip and rumor. tale after tonigion in t sed laugook in his dark Dianora.

        o till amused, making    his mood.

        aken aughing else he was.

        And sime m sunlig nig nig niger, after even until noraitors togeto e and deep a need in him.

        In Brandin of Ygrato kill t, for    o tigana which was her home.

        Or il tered and leveled and bur and killed a geion and taken as name. Of rue name.

        Sigana bren Saevar and    Sed Deisa,    a sculptors c er reed in tality of tion t follohe world.

        een years old.

        Ser. If yrants ruled over broken provi    of the memory of men.

        Because of Brandin. In ime o    and grace to er in ter    free,    of clouds. roubling, unreadable color of t cold slanting light of m in spring or fall.

        In t of all tories told in tigana it    da Adaon to Micaela and lain ined curving of t story as well as srue name.

        S least as    o see    ending and kno was deserved.

        of    spare    eaco triad, especially to Adaon of t idings migyrant.

        Unless, said t voice of , u yet e    ill, despite all t e tert nigo to tains in Quileia, and nort a beyond all the seas.

        tigana, gone. Gone, but not, if t in ty—not forever fotten or forever lost.

        And pers s alone, after Scelto o sleep outside    o pass t if so do t igana spoken by a stranger in a rangers, in some distant royal court or bazaar, and some s it    the world again.

        Ss as to t. Brandins e in tter of evan—erable. It    star in t of all the lands he ruled.

        S it ored, and    and t so do ts, ts, w by er love.

        to be driven aears cold oy of t engendered. No one ever saears but Scelto to srusted more than anyone alive.

        S footsteps at torates oriously proo lassitude and to eating too mucitutions for pleasure. Not Scelto, t ill soug trates strove to avoid: trips up into teep streets of too tself in search of healing herbs or leaves or simply meadow flowers for her room.

        been young y no—Scelto ainly    in lio succeed he saishan.

        t it, but Dianora kne o o remain bound to    touc true even if Brandin stopped sending for irely and sem of ory in the saishan wing.

        Ao find o Cribute Se ss of ted among men heir manhood.

        Sceltos tread, rapid even after t Staircase and t up to the

        saiso the boy and dismiss him.

        ook anotep forward and cougo announce himself.

        "Is it terribly ; s turning around.

        "It ; Scelto said, ing to stand beside o see erribly broken    over a o be a noble. unate fact    Scelto y and brougurbed by tory to be. On t o    ime past.

        oer,    t ts.

        " is Solores ; she asked.

        " tell me," Surmured regretfully.

        Dianora laug traigo maintain. "Im quite sure ," s; is she wearing?”

        "Green," ly. "ed, . Gold sandals. A great deal of gold everywhere else. her hair will be up, of course. She has new earrings.”

        Dianora laugo alloisfa. "I took ty," ;of pur.”

        o a fold of unid    and wordlessly    m lig dazzled and so join Vidomni and blue Ilarion.

        Scelto said, "I t it ter he saishan jewels.”

        S;It is beautiful, Scelto.    o go    ce for all of the spring and summer?”

        "Not a bad idea,"    question. "You ate this m while I was gone.”

        "Scelto!" s;Stop t! Go spy on Solores and see icularly evil. Do I look fat to you?”

        Almost relutly ;I ," he murmured ruefully.

        "ell you keep t it till you figure it out," soss of ;In time, t reminds me—t t to    ?”

        "I did. I told o make it a little weak.”

        "You o, I absolutely—”

        "You aler, urn, and every spring you al nigrue, my lady. Eit is my duty to try to keep you rested and tranquil.”

        Dianora ranquil!" so exclaim. "I mige poor co tips of    terrible!”

        "I old    to say," Scelto said placidly. " on me.”

        "O if Id reported it directly to Vencel, instead?" Dianora retorted. "Scelto,    boy starved and lashed.”

        Sceltos dignified little sniff veyed quite clearly    thing.

        , against her will, Dianora found herself laughing again.

        "Very ; s;t it be fe strong, Scelto. It isnt    ts    nigless.”

        "You aken as tribute in t; ;Everyone in tless in taken." ated. "I t do anyt t, my lady. But I t per be making it ; tion in    as dark as her own.

        "You oo muc me," ser a moment.

        ;?" ttle silence; Dianora could he square.

        "Speaking of ; said Scelto in a transparent effort to c;rating too muc Solores is doing. e may    to start keeping an eye on the green eyes.”

        "lassica?" Dianora said, surprised. " ever for? Brandin    even called o h already.”

        "Exactly," said Scelto.    awkwardly, wy.

        " are you saying, Scelto?”

        "I, um, old by tesios he climax of love.”

        ly self-scious too. It andard practice—e unstan-dard variations—for to use trates to give too mucime    by beto ther wing.

        Dianora o for suc turbed    seemed an abuse, in a iculate. ly,    dimension. It range, s, even amusing,    tion of t—and triad kne came up often enougmosphe saishan.

        Surned back to to give ime tain     after all.

        S o tell Brandin about this.

        "My friend," s;you may kno ily the same reasons I know Brandin very well.”

        S rate. "o—    sixty-five—and for reasons I doirely uand    live y years or so. All t avail o prolong    long if lassica is as ...

        exceptional as tesios suggests. S, ly, in a year or two.”

        Scelto bluse alohough.

        Dianora laugly out of genuine amusement, but more specifically to mask t old: till kept from Scelto. t t

        mattered.

        Of course so stay o use o prolong    was surely a place of exile for him in a land of grief.

        o    for everyone born in tigana to die.

        Only t on t alive in true memory of tigana before toories and t ory-It ruly be go.

        Seventy eration as millennia    civilizations no one could no le—Emperor of All ttery shard.

        Brandin could go er sixty years. ever oo igana even youo t—t inors.

        t c y years, Brandin was giving he Palm.

        Eigo oblivion. to ttery sings, tapestries, sculptures, music: torn or smaserrible year after Valentins fall we.

        t year of Dianoras life. Seeing so mud splendor crumble to rubble and dust or burn doo aseen, teen. Still too young to prey of ed. For ru of —tterly. And so too for terrors of an occupied impoverisy. tions for ture, s really grasp back then.

        Many in ty    year.

        Otaking to try to so tatues of to t only t spark    o make t and sleep and somee spaces of their days.

        hose.

        On ter, Dianora looked up at Scelto and realized, from t s for too long.

        Sime; s dissembling. At smiling o o deceive. And especially o deceive, or die.

        "lassica is not a ," sion as if nothing had happened.

        Indeed, not or import in t mattered or could matter. Only loss.

        S;Soo unintelligent to divert oo young to relax ion t. tell me, is tesios groending o Vencel about assigning someone younger? Or perhan one?”

        S alo go this way. If she could make

        t umn wind, leaving behe sky.

        Dianora    so do t eiger ter anywhe blue skies a mockery, looking down upon ruin.

        Vencel, more aime so knoion—o t , Scelto    noticed; so it.

        Vencels sudied her.

        S in a band of    ine ed distragly from his bald head.

        "I do not recall t stone among our treasures," ing voice. It terly insequential t it migo uimate times a mortal mistake.

        "It isnt," Dianora replied c;ter urn ternoon may I ask you to guard it in my name among treasures?”

        Sceltos suggestion, t. Vencel could be corrupt and venal about a great many t not o ts of oo clever for t. Again, a trutimate price to discover.

        ;It seems a very fione from tance." Obediently, Dianora stepped nearer and ined o let    more clearly. t of tainflo er ers end enveloped    oo s, but not unpleasant.

        S o do rates and some of tical reasons,,side    anding. Solores     of te balance acrolled, as best tense, inse-laden rated women, and half-men.

        ite finger Veouc;A good stone,”

        ime in judgment. . "I must talk to Scelto about it. I kno sues e from to play ris, a monarcoys. In than I am now. For as you know, I have been a King in Khardhun.”

        Dianora nodded gravely. For too    of terms of ions imes    speak tion of a lie—and    many times a day, in one variant or anoto nod knoively, as if p the grandeur of his fall.

        Only in o could so fits of girlis t of ty sais tatioo could give of VencePs speecures.

        "You do t ; s say ily, as Scelto dressed ill they shone.

        "It is a t, you see," ain tched high

        above its normal range. iculate slo;For as you are aware, I have been a King in Khardhun.”

        Stle girl rol because of t very fact.

        S it once.    suortal villages and t es. A magic far greater to th.

        Brandin akey aablisenuous trol over some lands t lay on t desert stretced for ttle, nor yrants .

        Vencel ured late in told o messengers in tood. It ly evident e belonged o Ygrath. he had already, Brandin firmed, been enormous.

        Dianora straigone.

        "ill you escort us do; sual.

        "I t," ually giving t to tter. "Pero and    office betters t need my attention ernoon, you see.”

        "I uand." Dianlanced over at Solores and eacful salute. In fact, Vencel    left t least five years. Even    rived rolling platform of cus remember t time sually seen and uprigo and Soloress teo virtually all t-of-saisies. Vencel believed in delegating.

        t doair led out from to t beloed tiny—respectful but careful—of ted outside t barred access to and from to tious glances ur sen; s kno a smile art at bonding and a friend never .

        Scelto and rusively in bro of to taircase irates paused to let t not eur— tives and es of a queror—Dianora and Solores led tair.

        ticed of course. ticed w.

        t in tibule ing to e aken Dianora some time to accept.

        Otter and t. In to t of tion rooms sime entirely for effect—togeto tate.

        As sime situde for t o che y he now ruled.

        In Ygratrates to see, let alone hem. And,

        Vencel old he saishan wing as well.

        t    from tart. Over to kno some of itude so Dorotea, Queen of Ygrato remain t apany o eas co    to demand the pany of his Queen.

        Someinctively Dianora alter version of tory, but so kno    t tter aboo;    t kind of man. It    s sure if or ever answer ion was ever asked.

        In any case, ea remaining in Ygrat ladies o risk to t areme scarcity of    Brandins ne in , led to a cely ordered tribute So searc dauginguise or Asoli. On Ce,    all, as a matter of absolute policy. tred too deep, and t a place to let it fester.

        for only a fe largely intact. tics raigrol of t atus and auty of Girald, no of Ygrathers name.

        it place from to old . It o it, a different cer entirely.

        It also e and do. From Barbadian-ruled Certando.

        Or so everyone in t.

        It    started a war, Dianora remembered.

        In ter    een-year-old Dianora di tigana, daugor    s oyrant on Chiara.

        men in battle o do—t ried to do by to leave    igana yard, an arm flung about here.

        Dianora could remember.

        Entering tion in ted mirrors on t, instinctively, t po.

        ably, already looking to     s dEymon aken a dislike to    ed     long before s ed virtually every person iny. It ly so, sy to Brandin ical and uning his King.

        Over t, grudging at first, a as one of riump o trust    —or so spend a nig.

        A triumpion, s, eeted in herself.

        DEymon made an eical cirg motioure for Solores. It ed: to mingle and verse. o take t beside times—and so iful, ued Cimely deat Brandin e punctilious    sucimes t beside ood pointedly empty. For Dorotea, his Queen.

        Brandi e Dianora saarded, uously in gold and    Brandin    egral part of tionsheir chosen Fools.

        For turies in Ygration for te o    publis,    passed. And every Kings cimes painfully afflicted or malformed.

        Rures ted and deformed,    a not invariably, and not al expect—he King.

        t part, Dianora didirely preed s Red mind ly under rol but s t    pletely so.

        t le magic of Ygrath.

        tood: t in addition t—very grapo remind tality and ations, tly like times also serve as a voice, aernal duit, for ts aions of the King.

        t one could not al be— revelation of Brandins mood. And t could be treache unwary.

        Rigent, bobbing and bo every sed person ered, ime.    to pick it up a again on en an overanxious courtier, seeking to curry favor in any oop to pick up t it to t t too.

        Dianora o admit t ried to    bey s for ions and    years. But trut Rimately tied to Brandins magision of it, a tool, and Brandins magic .

        So over t at avoiding situations o too long, to o be only a surface, refleg o    from t of ted mirrors, and at sucimes s like w so see.

        From ted to    as Dianora moved left, smiling at people snut- and amber-tressed, crossed togeting a palpable stir whey passed.

        Dianora sa Doarde standi seventeen, ed.    formal reception, Dianuessed. Doarde smiled unctuously across t ely. Even at a distaure in his eyes: a

        reception on to be bitter gall for t senior poet in ter    Brandi as a goad for tibar. Doarde oday ttle, even tal fraud in her view.

        Sold Brandin as muco learn t s pompousness amusing. Fe, hed murmured, he looked elsewhere.

        And you destroyed it, sed to say.

        anted so muco say. Remembering    porso of    Adaon on teps of t t sculpted form, ing to    knowing wears were anymore.

        S Doardes daug ained exioeen.

        Just after eentolen rongbox, begging pardon of    and , and asking ts.

        S saying good-bye, t time by carried dleligtle; s weep.

        Four days later so Certando,    a lonely plaorto be careful getting till ranging tryside and in Avalle itself t to stood, s most    shrough a s of smoke.

        It    even Avalle by ty    being able to uand er a cer t o o do evan. It    igana: a stant, inescapable reminder of iganese noe—and Corte terest foe for turies. ty of tigana y of Loe now.

        And Avalle of toeva deeper tion and burning and rubble a enpassed names and memory, tity; it le thing, and merciless.

        t east, but none ely resembling    of t muco tandan grainlands, to Ferraut, tregea, Astibar itself. illing, anxious even, to live uyranny of to put as muce as t Brandin of Ygrato their home.

        But Dianora o t, feeding te, sred win snakes inside her.

        S a o Certando. te-summer fields of    all, s all to t    and Astibar, h.

        er of Certando by taken Borifort in tregea—t major

        strongo stand against er a er siege.

        Long before t sern ando.

        A —ty avern—sout forts t c divided Certando from e.

        tains    nearly as good as it er. Cold    doer and a long er. olves range footmarks could be found in t came doains and turned.

        Once, long ago, to one of t from till overland trade o t avern ravelers    many years.

        Dianora    to avern. to pay y board available t first summer and fall, and s    t.

        Sold t. t o    to ask no questions. tras in tions tle and tle enougo do in to airs, s to o er ture of t time.

        and t—m usually, and iain of to t across too e in t s see anyt s, in fact, seen anytime. t tower was gone.

        Around t time to e en and g on tables or beer of ted—and    so take a man up to e.

        Every village seemed to need one suce ried to make    mind, but t difficult t. So enact, and tell airs    of it. S not al quite enough.

        Per so marry t    one of tables after lund kind, sook airs, and s in tavern ration where.

        t day ime for o leave.

        Stle surprised to realize t almost t ring.

        S, again    a farewell, remembering .

        Meadoo t of taking to at Sinave. Seen years old.

        een, and sometime in t two years siful. her angular boniness had

        softened, even as    its last traces of girl    t austere. It cill kneed dan o promise t    deeper t. Me look again in t lay on ter Dianora had gone away.

        At Siurbed ality. So be calm and to liwo weeks would be enougo leave an impression and a memory.

        A carefully structed memory of an ambitious, pretty try girl from some    ains. A girl usually silent during tavern talk at nig ales of o told tinctively laic di and round vo would ando.

        tales    stories    on a ion of some ic voig    affairs in t table wting would laugime.

        So to    pretty girls usually came to    s tter of t, ao invite a man upstairs. Or to accept an invitation to go else orders ibar, and tig spring.

        sed to do, Dianora fided one nigo t group of young men and avern or dining-place t sater class of person ing ts doors. Swo    of inn, she declared.

        Someoioevanien, across te.

        itfelt, in it.

        Questions to    planting subtle s in t t emerge spontaneously.

        Subtlety, sed among youandans ically    tioo t sed.

        Noured and ances animatedly described t, most elegant Ygration in Loe. A dining-place t boasted a master c all tself by t Governor of Stevanien and its distrada. t emerged, oriously fond of able cablis of rooms on ted glory of t elaborate, most luxurious eating-pla times a week, Dianora learned.

        For time.

        Ss during    tyles of clot Sinave. S for ty, s might make a difference.

        From t time s t for t stage of o c.

        ss    no one from Loe o dine here.

        traders from Corte ed, as self. Any Ygraturally, soldier, merc or o seek une in t

        y—e trait of Queen Dorotea t e ts crossing t divided tern Palm from t o leave some of he Queen.

        It rue ee, of Stevaself, ain or sully tulent, heir-murdering presence.

        t trader bound baort eva ed to sell at a profit, even    years tariff levels.    tants of Stevanien o to ablis. cable isans to e and maintain the splendid rooms.

        t emptible inants to hree if needed.

        ter chef, Arduini, had demurred.

        One did not, Arduini ed display of artistic temperament, build up and maintain aablis of quality by using enforced, surly labor. andards oo . Even table-boys at aurant, said Arduini of Ygrato be trained and o ain style to them.

        ty ed: stylisable-, Dianora lear uro respect quite soon, because Arduini, pretentious or not, did knorader told s of Ked, broken Steva cast a y and grace. t lamely on te absence of any sucraits in the Barbadians who had occupied his own province.

        But yes, o Dianoras apparently casual question, Arduini ill struggling aff problems. Stevanien er, and a backer, moreover, in t oppressively taxed and militarily subjugated provin t    to impossible to get people to travel tay, and sinone of trickle of adventurers from Ygrato end to a stable—ylisable it migo be a che Palm.

        In t moment Dianora    t prayer to Adaon, in tion of tion. Sending, o go nort to Corte. t -to-last destination in    every nigando would be enougo srue ory of    w else shough.

        Now she did.

        And so it    a fe of taverns in Fort Sinave, a cc time since sious optimism in t,    to possibilities later in the evening.

        "Youve settled it t; Dianora cried in tractive, soutry voice. S against tomorroo visit triad bless her days!”

        triad ser and ely sober, cold to ing.

        t to cover ando it was a

        long o te Ygrate endearingly but so see o er found t off and drinking togety meraries in t tavern Fort Sinave possessed.

        S a little too untutored, too try, to succeed in ious hey agreed sagely.

        ter, t s extraordinarily appealing smile. Somet    o them when she leased.

        In ting very early at te of t.

        Sruck a bargain for passage to Stevanien -enoug from Senzio carrying Barbadian spices for trade. o dreary, flatteevanien, sarted , aurant, took t ce as a good omen, closing t imes to make true.

        tter tainly ts traveling to feel safer. Rolling along in t, s it. he grinned sardonically.

        "tyrants    most of t a matter of proteg terests. t to make sure no one else robs us before tariffs and taxes.”

        , discreetly, into t of t;Personally I preferred them.”

        Not long after t s alking about: tting in the smell was very bad.

        topped just across to do some dealing in t of Forese. ransit duties ting patiently in lio    examined and levied. ted out to er, in t reserved for ured wizards.

        t t at a coacraveled road, joining a party of Ferraut traders for dinner. Dianora excused    to bed. Sook tion of pus of urbed    igana a s, because it    to alisman or a prayer before falling into a restless sleep s tru from the burning year.

        t t at anot outside tevanien, er sundoy gates. te aloime, and salked to til late.    and sober, belying t    province, and it    tracted to ty manner. S to bed aloando: sions.

        Or not tions. And as for pleasure, or tera . . .

        sly unpreioo her.

        Seen years old and in tigana t-had-been.

        In t iy ouco palm only briefly.    affected by t before but surned and walked away before ever words his eyes were reag for.

        Selry not far a being reized ttered across ts lodging a here.

        t into treets of    very long ago.

        Avalle, on t before turo find t, and    of all, ser everything had ged.

        S trid trict. So Avalle to see one of ures ceremoniously placed in some square gia. Siny s grey leat sug.

        Grey    for little girls, tisan eased. I knoumn long ago. ime her had been a woman who laughed. Dianora could remember.

        In ter sirelessly, carding and spinning as turies in dooro t. Over by the dyeing sheds and yards.

        ains to ts matriarc a great deal. More pery in the Palm.

        Once poised directly on one of trade routes tains, it self in danger of sudden insequentially. itive iy b on genius ty ed its orientation and focus.

        ition t city of banking and trade to norter in all of tuously dyed wool.

        , Avalle pursued its ney and its pride. And to rising.

        itco    Dianora finally ao sevalying districts, tisans quarters, looking outo door into ter, up toowers were gone.

        And so, realizing t, sanding stock still in t ttom of treet of tiful temple of Morian fronting ted rose color. S it for a moment, then looked up and beyond.

        And in t moment Dianora rut o y: e uncails of existence    ill terly unlike    had been before.

        tiful streets seemed even    t    empty. ted so    ill    t a fra, old    a fra of     .

        too feoo many y treets    ravel past temple up t to of ty.

        e    and raigouous y alleys and crooked lanes easy to defend. ty like ours in all towers.

        ugly skyline jarred Dianora inuity. It ricked, looking ceaselessly for somet knehere.

        From t days of t broad, elegant city on toions of tiganese pride—s in the provinces of

        Corte and Cibar. ternee rivalry as isans t its ooone or sandy rey, toy walls.

        tiflicts ually bee dangerous for a time, age not nearly unon enoug masons and arcects claiming stupefying fees. It igana by t ao ty in t possible wo hundred years ago.

        celebrated of tects, to build for him a pala Avalle.

        And t palace o o    in ty.

        So it oo serve as a memory of t ao tition for t of Avalle. And from t Prince Alessans example radition, tigana    spire, to mark to boties-, to tigana of towers.

        ty to green and we preeminence. Once? Four years ago.

        , Dianora t, ing for t absence, is a person imes even finds access to laug    from    all to be seen. No he sliding blade.

        to mar t, birds sang a o t all to s toeadily doevanien s remote er of t oppressed province of them all.

        is suc again. t person e follo again, as if bothan before.

        S o ter of Stevanien. S far ao start t same nigo find. Arduini of Ygrat tty creature from Certando ain style to o do somet t c. So try.

        it like a native of ty,    of tco t room ing on tables, clad in tablis. Colors t o suit her very well.

        S, deft, unassuming, and polite. Srons preferences. Ser, in tury-one, Arduini offered ed position at t of ting guests and supervising taff in three rooms of dining.

        Sonisonis many people. But Dianora koo promi a position for    co travel norto Corte soon, and clearly marked by noando, so ed    not so very promily. Promi people ions asked about

        t much she knew.

        So stack of try-girl a Arduini made ter. the Governor himself.

        tearfully s to Arduini and begged for more time to grooo, sable tension t suc aff, badly damaging t    argument; ablis rue mistress.

        In fact, Dianora o let no man toucerritory aively decided to leave in toe.

        Sies and excuses for doing so ws aken acularly.

        Sloo greet Doardes unity to prese dipped ogetable manner. Dianora smiled at her and moved on.

        A steones. A gift, years ago, from Brandin. It    public receptions. ity glaoo ationed against took a grateful sip of t drink. Praise triad and tregea, it was dark and rig.

        "My dear lady Dianora, you are looking more magnifit than ever.”

        Surned, smootaste. Sly arrived at Brandins court on t so tell, talentless and venal.

        Sly at o touc;My dear Neso, o lie so skillfully to an aging woman.”

        S sort of to    did t make Solores?

        Neso eo offer all tic, predictable denials. one, noting iers eye and tongue ely tones of    day. toimacy ime at least if so    tion of t very trivial office of taxing Master in north Asoli.

        It , a lucrative position. t une, or enougly, and urning to Ygrated t sort of graft and so say so to Brandin once. A little amused— ed ed out    it o get men to serve in places as devoid of attra as t    t modest h.

        ed upon led and to terms rut in tant agreement.    into laughter.

        "I am so relieved," c;t my clumsy reasoning and gover meet ; So ts of    tc ty of ion. t had been several years ago.

        Noly, to see t positions suc go to t transparently greedy of tley crety Ygratiers from wo choose.

        Neso, s getting ting if s. t dEymon

        seemed, for inscrutable reasons of o be fav Nesos appoi. So to see if    why.

        Noly benevolent look of    as s t    leaning too be some opposition.”

        Nesos eyes narroiced subtlety t    so anding by t ly.

        Dianave a small, apologetic shrug.

        "ion?" Neso asked, y.

        "Id start by smiling a little," se tartness. t in intriguing in suc t kne.

        Neso forced an immediate laugagily as if sible ticism.

        "Five me," ;tters a great deal to me.”

        It matters a great deal more to t. Sly on Nesos puffed sleeve.

        "I kno does," s;I ances . . . alloo.”

        Neso, o t of ted e. "I o be able to assist tances," he murmured.

        S o receive some more mo afternoon. S o a det part of tones cost. As for dEymon, salking directly to er in tly as discussions ever got    man.

        Sipping at o . It i Brandins court not to be on good terms ando. versing absently and insequentially s an ear pitc raps of taff t . Red,     t. urning ticed a face s ral to ory.

        In could be said, in many o . So anxious    frustration of Rain of t years tribute S andan serving-girl— some time ago—t rat viirely good for any of t table.

        Ro still be ambitious, old enougo feel edly acid remarks earlier in t tate of affairs in Stevanien and its environs. So mucer, so desultory in its colle of duties and taxes, tle too casually, t    even sure if t administrative circumstances.

        t t of ambition but needing a feernal levies, along ice fines and fiscations, ions of s. rove so o be det and untentious io leave any ers ered as unruffled as possible, did tle luck?

        S of a massive midsummer military assertion to foroney oods out of ted to extract real    of Stevanien he

        er advised not to y and its distrada to its knees.

        Not t t of letting sucive t e anyy     art to fold. Stevanien, already ted—and particularly bereft of men in toy squares. And    instrus from to prevent t.

        If tly up against eat tradi, or to do?

        Not t suc could be used ly, un care ain ribute Sains    as mucrators as to t, sometimes, of f to surrender a portion of t tents of to to doing just t by t rada t    produougo satisfy R , ious captain enuous    in Corte last fall—R stop.

        iremee iern Ygratory ing o build.

        On to say    appeared t tempt to sootedly successful. true and only joy ted place—to prepare an evening meal for ttable order.

        "All of my meals are unfettable," Arduini ably, but ure of flattery, gold ygras, and a quiet reminder (almost certainly not truted uantly) t t t evening o the King on Chiara.

        tions, t, sootrusive, tary graotes to Arduinis undeniable artistry. Ro keep rim py, ion, to increasing pleasure, ending up in a volubly expansive good humor.

        Someo-last bottle of dessert ed from back e drunk.

        ion, tion, for t t, after t, ress formally seized as tribute for Brandin in Cly onto the river.

        tando.

        Certando, on t, alas, Brandin of Ygrath.

        tevanien    daful, errified, apologetic Clerk of t so mucure of the news.

        "Stop t galley!" ions fougister upoo roar, anyiful squeal t ly explicit to seo obey.

        topping R as he was raising anchor.

        Unforturibute captain to reveal a stubbor ran stupefyingly ter to t rudimentary political good sense. o surreory moment of insanity tually plated st the galley.

        tyrant of tern provinces of tedly—Brandins oh.

        Deated, ionaries who essayed such maneuvers.

        Desperately, ness of t by tried to find a ing reason to a tribute captain seized by t throes of a midsummer madness.

        "Do you    to start a ; ed from to s from t let co be seen; stoless in tains . t    grievous inner sacrilege of all, t Arduini ter c foot in Stevanien.

        "And ain R;sy by my King cause any sug?”

        " rotted your miserable excuse for a brain?" tains bro in the sun.

        "Sandan, in ters of t o goad Alberito starting a border ;     belatedly produced.

        Re    least as muc before, seemed unimpressed.

        "As far as Im ed," ing over ter, "sevanien, sevanien, and saken in Stevanien. By my reing t makes ly suitable for tever our King, in o do ;    t;Nos or I ers and t; o t;you o farspeak Ctle this himself?”

        t and a fist. It    p insidious, cleverly calculated, viciously unfair proposition put to ly felt o be. tedly, and iually, at his forehead and neck.

        One did not farspeak t, it akingly impressed upon all trators in tern Palm, very pelling reason. to sustain such his non-sorcerous underlings was siderable.

        One most particularly did not ake su in t be asleep. Most relevant of all, per en to bespeak tal presence of ones mo—in essence—migo involve no more tribute seizure of a on farm girl.

        t s.

        ttering possibility of more t. For who, in

        ters and the devious pagan mind of Alberico of Barbadior worked?

        regard—or decide tard—an i suce R t t obvious t s really a Loean. In ters, t even seize a Loean for tribute! t alloo, by order of to take to be Certandan. If Red tue s of Stevanien,    made ean    t take    t ...    k. t     he sun.

        All ed out of , mildly lucrative postings    of Brandins inal claim to succession in Ygrathem.

        t . All ed. it    eastern promontory one day ing in to ask?

        Instead, a fist and a fist.

        tants of t for a pting tribute captain rooo late, if ayed in bed and pretended    received time irely blameless in tains blunder. asting te, vanisness of sucy.

        too late. anding by t and t of tevanien     sed bad forter.

        it prayer tods of food and forest, and a poignantly clear image of t seaside estate, t.

        "Let me on board t; ;Im not about to farspeak tanding on t a d aremely strong mug of wever passes for khav on a galley.”

        Ro derive a certain sour pleasure from t.

        taken beloains . ook a deep breatongue ime in to a pinpoint image as Brandin augion-ingly, ts.

        ittling speed Brandins crisp, cool, al to keep    as quickly as tered, taugliuation te, but dared not risk time required for a times instincts bade o.    good s lifetime instina and tinuity of the farspeaking.

        t, o ty differeies ien o uand t    angered.

        More: t ly corre t tical timing could not be better for sucesting of Albericos resolve. t, accly, Ro take tribute but, and tressed tified as a Certandan. A Certanda fact o be ty: no evasions about    of Stevanien or some suc sort of spirit ter all.

        the King said.

        t indestly vivid in the Governors

        mind even as ly over t abject protestations of love and obedie .

        "e must end no; ;Do go easier on t; t alone in tains    for a long time, trying to reassure    Brandins last tone    reproving. ain it was.    sure.

        A very tense period o leave t same m. In tnig folloo order t Forese quietly increased but not by so muount to furtion in itself. t an anguis trying to calculate    t and.

        Reinforts from ty of Loe arrived up to supplement evanien. Later ructed by to do, and to greet sucmost cordiality, referring all questions to . o be on full alert for a retaliatory border raid from Sinave—and to annie any and all Barbadian troops t migure into Loe. ttle personal experie anniion but o obey.

        Mercs, old, o be advised to delay to travel east for a little w businessman migo    did.

        In thing happened.

        Alberico tirely ig of a o e a long    losing face. For a i musi from tern Palm reated tablis of Loe—exactly as Rhe m hed seized her.

        In tely described as Certandan from tart— territory t Brandin o be beautiful as well.

        R of t summer and into the early fall.

        took ted inland tributes ransferred to t tribute Sself s broad, filling sails. Slo made its , colleg taxes and tariffs at ted places in Corte and Asoli.

        t e, tle to meet tas ted at an led a pany to an inland post. And all t be useful as more tages or symbols of Ygrat dominanen    tself and so make tain tribute captain    ready for a landside posting after ty years at sea.

        ties ence revealed by an informer. Saken only after e    regretfully, buro the ground.

        At lengtumn turning of tiful even in flat, unlovely Asoli , tribute Sricky passages of trait of Asoli aered ters of ter, red and gold sails billoriumply, it o t ed in song for more years ted.

        tribute S bore leatevanien and e and great    coast of Asoli. tained glass and e and one from Asoli, and besides t. ty kno time to starting a war.

        Dianora di Certando, her name was.

        Dianora, o e to t, from t glimmerings of    alone before a dead fire one summer nig tle o o do—to t of being captured and brougyrant. S out t far five years ago, a girl , he burning in her land.

        Aill till    sill    ness of t numbed incredulity at    so pletely    so precisely as s.

        Sried to see t as an omen, closing    imes over o make rue, as sered t new world.
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