Eva's one fear about using Recender was his cunning. If he thought he could delay her departure by taking longer over her request, he would certainly do it. She had stressed the importance of her schedule as strongly as she knew how; after that there was nothing to do but wait.
Two days passed and Recender produced nothing useful. Eva, chafing at the delay, spent many hours with the ambassador, intent on keeping him on track. But she was careful to reserve some hours to herself and Tren's company as well. Having little else to do, the two of them spent most of their time in their private parlour at Wirllen's best quality inn, both trying to read.
On the second day, Eva and Tren were sitting on opposite sides of their parlour, both pretending to read and neither feeling in any way comfortable, when Andraly appeared. Eva's mind had been more on Recender and the problem of Iro Byllant than on her book; these reflections were frustrating and unproductive and she welcomed the interruption.
Tren on the other hand took one look at Andraly and slouched deeper in his chair, holding his book in such a way as to cover most of his face. He did his best to look utterly absorbed in the book he wasn't reading.
Odd.
Andraly's manner towards Eva herself wasn't as it had formerly been either. Her smile held a cruel edge and even a hint of a challenge, one that Eva didn't understand. She dropped a mocking curtsey, grinning.
'Any news?'
'None.'
'None at all? How disappointing. But I can see you two are working hard.' She stared at Tren, who refused to look up.
'We got nothing out of our lead. Warehouse empty. But I have somebody on it.'
'Somebody?'
'A friend.'
'Oh, ' said Andraly with exaggerated relief. 'That's all right then.'
She vanished.
'What a pleasant visit.' Eva kept her eyes on Tren until he finally looked up, peeking at her over the top of his book.
'Is she gone?'
'Do you want to explain what that was about?'
He coughed. 'Er. Not really, no.'
'And you call me secretive.' She muttered the words under her breath, knowing Tren could hear them anyway. He contributed nothing but a crooked smile by way of answer.
'All right, keep your secrets.'
'You're becoming a grumpy old woman. It's being cooped up in here with me that does it. How about a walk?'
'Old? An old woman?'
'I, um, didn't mean that.'
She turned her back on him. 'We can't walk. Recender might send word.'
Tren heaved a sigh. 'In that case, do you have anything more interesting to read?'
'More interesting than what?'
Tren tossed her the book. The title read A History of the Royal Family of Orstwych, 1652 - 1745.
The book was six inches thick.
Eva sorted through the scanty pile of volumes that lay on the table beside her. 'I've got a trashy romance novel or a trashy romance novel.'
'Ooh. Are they steamy?'
Eva glanced with distaste at the pages of her own volume. 'This one is sadly lacking in racier content.'
'Ah.' Tren's face fell. 'Ah well. It's got to be better than the exploits of Old Orstwych's ninth monarch at boarding school.'
Eva threw him a book.
Sometime later, the very same green clothbound volume went sailing past her head to strike the wall.
'Not a success, I take it.' Eva spoke without looking up.
'I made it to page fifty-three. The heroine has wept on every single page. '
She laughed. 'Of course she has. It shows her extraordinary sensitivity.'
'And the hero? He falls for it every time. Like he has nothing better to do than comfort wailing women.' Tren groaned. 'Preserve me from ever being saddled with such a watering-pot, I beg you.'
Eva let her eyes grow big and mournful. 'You're saying you couldn't love a sensitive woman?'
'No!'
'Oh.' She spoke the word in a very small voice, her eyes filling with tears. 'I had no idea you were so - so - unfeeling.'
Tren glared at her, suspicion written all over his hard stare.
Eva's eyes spilled over. She let one tear roll slowly down her cheek.
Tren folded his arms. 'Come on. You're not really crying.'
'I never imagined you were so stone-hearted,' Eva sobbed, groping for a handkerchief.
'Stop it! This is silly. You're a strong woman. I doubt you've really cried since you were about ten.'
'Silly? ' Eva managed a creditable wail and began to weep in earnest, using the handkerchief to hide her face.
'Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean silly.'
Eva cried on.
'Oh, for...' Tren left his chair and crossed to her, bending to peer into her face. 'Is this real? Because, uh, I didn't mean to upset you. And it does look real. Sounds it too. Eva? Are you all right?'
Eva collapsed into laughter. The giggling fit was of considerable length, leaving her short of breath when at last she stopped howling with mirth.
'So... easy,' she gasped.
Tren straightened with tremendous dignity. 'You,' he said with emphasis, 'are horrible.'
'I know.'
A tap came at the door. She was instantly alert, smoothing the laughter out of her face and mopping up the tears. Tren picked up the discarded volume and hid it as the door opened, revealing one of the downstairs servants.
'A note for my lady,' the man said with a respectful bow.
'Thank you.' Eva accepted it with trepidation, dreading the contents. Did Recender have information for her, or was this an announcement of failure? She felt as though her standing with the Lokants depended on success in this venture, leaving her terribly afraid of failure.
The servant bowed again and left, closing the door.
'Are you going to read it, or shall I?'
Eva scowled at him. Tearing open the seal, she quickly scanned the contents.
Ana Breyre, graduated from Ullarn's Academy of Summoning in 1897.
Griel Ruart, graduated from Ullarn's Academy of Sorcery in 1898.
The above married 1901. Disappeared from our records 1903.
No birth, education, marriage or death records exist for the one known as Iro Byllant. Conclude it is an assumed name. One address on file. See me for more information.
- B. R.
She handed the note to Tren and took up pacing the parlour, torn between relief, elation and disappointment.
She wasn't vastly surprised to find that Byllant's was an assumed name, but it was a blow. He could be anybody. She also wanted to throttle Recender for sending her an incomplete report. See me for more information? Why couldn't he just send the address with the rest? Now she would have to waste more time on him.
On the other hand, it was something to have Ana and Griel's identities confirmed. She'd been right that they were Ullarni. That thought gave her a little glow of satisfaction: she always enjoyed being right.
Tren looked up from reading with a frown. 'So, back to Recender's?
'I suppose so.'
He coughed. 'Will this be another all-night visit?'
'No. '
Eva strode into Recender's drawing-room, struggling to keep her irritation hidden. The ambassador reclined in his silly dressing-gown once again, smoking something from a pipe. The stuff smelled disgusting.
'Brun,' she purred. 'You've done a fantastic job, but there seems to be a little bit missing in the note I received.'
The ambassador said nothing. He removed his pipe from his mouth and put it aside. Then he patted his lap.
Eva didn't move.
Recender's eyes glinted. 'I see.' He stood up and sauntered across the room, letting his hand brush across Eva's hip as he passed. She turned quickly, keeping a close eye on him.
He opened a locked cabinet. Eva tensed: here would be the final clue she needed, something she could use to chase down Byllant.
But the sound of pouring liquid reached her ears. Disbelieving, she edged around him until she could see the contents of the cabinet.
He had set out two small glasses and was filling them with dark red liquor.
'Brun. I came here for the address.'
'And you shall have it,' he said, turning. 'Later.' He offered her one of the glasses. When she didn't move to take it, he picked up her hand and curled her fingers around the stem. She was obliged to grip it before it fell to the floor.
Not that she cared for the fate of Recender's carpet, but the splash might get on her pale golden silk dress. And this was a marvellous gown.
'I don't have time for this. I believe I warned you that my stay would be brief.'
'Why so fleeting a visit, my lady?' Recender sipped from his own glass, moving to stand closer to her than she appreciated.
'The matter is urgent.'
'It can wait another hour, I'm sure.' His eyes ran up and down her body. 'Perhaps two?'
'Not another ten minutes.'
'Ah.' He set down his glass and slipped a hand into one of his pockets. Eva's heart rose with hope; perhaps this time he would give her what she had come for.
Instead he retrieved a small velvet box. Flipping open the top, he showed her the contents.
An enormous blood-red ruby ring nestled inside on sleek satin. The stone glimmered darkly in the low light of the drawing-room.
'What's that for?'
'It is for you to wear, my lady.' His hand suddenly lashed out and grabbed her wrist. Forcing her closer, he extracted the ring and shoved it onto her finger.
He specifically selected the left ring finger. As soon as his grip loosened, Eva yanked back her hand and tugged off the ring.
'This is nonsense. Give me the address.'
'You won't be leaving, my lady. At least not this evening.'
'Oh?' She kept her tone mild, but inside she was seething.
'Marry me. We make an excellent team; you've said it yourself.'
Eva swallowed. Perhaps she had overdone her mental persuasion just a little bit.
'A tempting offer, but one I'll have to refuse.' He was coming at her again; she backed away until she hit the drawing-room wall. She tried to sidle sideways but his arms shot out, blocking her escape. She took a deep breath. Here was a fine test of her new abilities; one she wasn't sure she was ready for.
'I am not nearly so much fun when I am unwilling, my lord ambassador.' She met his eyes, willing him to let the matter go.
He struggled. His was a strong will, almost a match for her.
'I've never made a proposal of marriage before,' he hissed. 'Your refusal humiliates me.'
'Nobody needs to know, Brun.'
He thought about that. For a horrible instant she thought he would overthrow her efforts to influence him and proceed with his absurd proposal. Then what? Physically, he was much stronger. If he truly wished to detain her, he could do it.
To her relief he nodded, slowly, his black eyes registering regret.
'True. Though I wish you would reconsider.' He kissed her briefly. 'I've a lot to give. Power, wealth, status. Influence.' He began nibbling at her neck.
'I have all those things already.'
He groaned. 'An unbribable woman. Such a thing should be an impossibility.'
She had to grin at that.
'All right,' he sighed. 'Go, then.' He stepped back. Relieved, she put a few feet of space between them at once. The change from attractive to threatening had been unsettlingly swift in him.
'The address first, my lord.'
He rolled his eyes. 'Relentless female. Here. Now go away.'
She took the folded piece of paper he thrust at her, tucking it into the pocket of her skirt. With a curtsey and a mischievous smile for the ambassador, she followed his command most willingly.
As she pulled the door shut behind her, she heard the distinctive sound of a glass object hitting the wall.
Tren was waiting for her downstairs. He took one look at her and was on his feet immediately.
'Trouble?'
She shook her head. 'All's well, but I think we should leave without delay.'
'Right.' He took her arm and led her to the front door. As they stepped through it, Eva felt a sudden conviction that Recender was watching their departure. But when she glanced behind her at the darkened staircase, she saw nobody.
Eva opened Recender's note with some trepidation. Two possibilities occurred to her worried mind. One, that the ambassador had been bluffing, and the paper would be blank. Or two, that the address written there would be for the same warehouse she and Tren had already explored, with so little success.
She was relieved to find that neither was the case. The property listed was almost on the opposite side of Wirllen, and it didn't look like it denoted any kind of warehouse. She sent a brief, private note of thanks to Brun. He might have been a pain in the rear in the end, but he had resolved her problem anyway.
She wondered briefly whether he had seriously wished to marry her. That thought made her snort with involuntary laughter. There were reasons the man had never proposed to anybody before. He was far too committed to his roving bachelor existence to consider such a thing. Aside from being absolutely unweddable.
What the experience did suggest, however, was that she needed a little more practice at controlling her ability to influence the will of others. While there were dangers with applying too little willpower to the target, there were certainly dangers attached to applying too much also.
'What are you laughing at?' Tren craned his neck around, trying to see what was written on the paper.
'Nothing, really. Recender said some, uhm, amusing things. Here.' She handed the note across. Tren read it in silence.
'Well?' she said after a moment.
'Oh, great I suppose. But how are we planning to do this?'
She frowned. 'What do you mean?'
'We're not just going to march in there, are we? I mean, we aren't particularly well equipped to handle much of a threat between the two of us. Supposing we encounter anything dangerous.'
She shrugged. 'We'll be fine. Byllant appears to be an enterprising engineer, not a criminal.'
'Have to disagree there. He's distributing draykon bone technologies, which according to recent rulings by all the governments of the Seven - including Ullarn's - is illegal. Those draykon bones should have been turned in for research and safekeeping, not sold for profit.'
'You weren't concerned about that when we went to the warehouse.'
'Well, I should have been. I wasn't thinking too clearly at the time.'
'All right, I suppose you have a point. Do you have any ideas?'
'Er. I was thinking, maybe, we could hire someone?'
'Someone who?'
'Someone with a nice, sizeable sharp object. Or possibly a firearm.'
She grinned at that. 'Lovely thinking, but I don't happen to know any of those. Do you?'
He shifted uncomfortably. 'I thought you might have some brilliant idea about where to go for that.'
'Not in Ullarn, I'm afraid. We'll be careful, all right? Anyway, we are not entirely defenceless. We have a quick and oh-so-handy escape route.' She pointed to herself.
Tren merely grunted, unimpressed.
Eva gave the instructions to her hired coachman and allowed herself to be handed into the carriage by Tren.
'It'll be a bit of a drive,' she said, settling back against the cushions. 'Perfect opportunity for a nap.' With that, she closed her eyes.
She heard Tren sigh as he slumped into the seat opposite her.