Of course he had said nothing of this to her. Lady Thione fully expected to meet her death hi the land of her forebears, and she had spent the trip trying to subtly insinuate herself into Hhune'a good graces. It was gratifying to hiro to have this beautiful, nobly bred woman pursuing his fevor, and he intended to allow her to work for it!

Eager though he was to install his "guest" in his country estate, Lord Hhune set a brisk pace for his town offices. Business must always come before pleasure. He strode in, nodded to the clerks, and called for his scribe.

To his surprise, the young Calishite brat-the royal apprentice Bank's men had saddled him with-came to his bidding.

"Good day, Lord Hhune," Hasheth said. "I trust that your business in the Northlands went well?"

"Where is Achnib?" Hhune demanded.

The lad's face darkened. "He is dead, my lord," he said bluntly. "May all traitors and thieves meet the same end. But you need not hear of this from my lips. Word of

your approach reached us this morn. Duke Hembreon awaits you in your office."

Hhune's boots suddenly seemed rooted to the floor. Amid the changeful winds of Zazesspurian power, the Duke stood as unbending as a sycamore. His was an ancient family with vast wealth, and he himself was a grave, distinguished man whose impeccable sense of honor and duty extended to all he did. Therefore, Hembreon tended to view his position in the Knights of the Shield as noblesse oblige. He was also one of the most important leaders of the group, Hhune reminded himself as he shook off his immobility.

The duke stood as Hhune entered the room and gave him his hand. "You have performed a great service to the people of the city."

"I live to serve," Hhune said smoothly, but he cast a quick sidelong glare at his young apprentice. Hasheth gave him a subtle nod, as if encouraging him to play along.

"As you requested, Lord Hhune," Hasheth began, "in your absence I strove to ferret out who among your men might be in league with the Nelanther pirates. It was Achnib, as you suspected. Two of these pirates are even now hi the city's dungeons-men who have sworn that Achnib hired them, paying with information of shipping schedules and routes.

"Nor was that his only crime. He was stealing from you, skimming the profit from the caravans and hoarding coin. What he planned to do with such is beyond belief."

"Achnib was always ambitious," Hhune said in a sage tone, hoping this would fit into the incredible scenario the younger man was weaving.

"The scribe was not content with selling information to the pirates. He began to traffic in armed ships with a; warlord known as Buniap. Worse, there is a faint trail I which attempts to place this crime at your door."

"Indeed?" Hhune managed, marveling at the young I man's audacity.

Incredibly, Duke Hembreon seemed to swallow the absurd recitation. He rose and extended a hand to Hhune.

"By your efforts, the city has gained use of a fleet of some fifteen ships. All Zazesspur owes you thanks."

Hhune murmured a response and saw the duke on his way. Then he turned an ominous, narrowed gaze on his apprentice.

"Much of what I told the duke was true," Hasheth said earnestly. "Achnib was skimming, and he was in league with the mercenary captain. But he lost his nerve and hoped to scuttle away in the confusion after your involvement with Bunlap and his logging operation became known. He attempted to buy passage to Lantan. To protect your interests, I had both Achnib and Bunlap killed, and turned the ships over to the Lords' Council as confiscated goods. They would have found out about them, regardless. Better this way, and be a hero rather than a culprit."

"You seem to be unusually loyal," Lord Hhune pointed out suspiciously.

"What good would have come to me had you been brought low?" the young man said, reasonably enough. "Besides, the Knights were pleased by my initiative and permitted me to enter their ranks, and so, in protecting your interests, I served my own."

Hhune shook his head, apparently stunned by all this. "What of Duke Hembreon? How did you learn the identity of such a powerful man among the Knights?"

"Palace intrigue," Hasheth lied, thinking of the coin in his pocket. He wanted to impress Hhune with his many connections and his own importance. "One of the few benefits of being born a pasha's son. There is more that you should know. The Harpers have been inquiring into your affairs. I thought it best that this matter was concluded, and quickly. The Harpers would not be contented as easily as Duke Hembreon."

"Well done," exclaimed an amused feminine^voice.

Hhune looked up; he had almost forgotten about Lucia Thione. "You have a talented new ally, my lord. Perhaps you would consider another? With three such minds, what could we not accomplish in Tethyr?"

Hhune regarded the beautiful woman and the hawk-nosed youth and decided that he could do worse.

"Meet my new apprentice, my dear," he said to Lucia. "And Hasheth, this is Lucia Thione. Surely you recognize her family's name and realize that it must not be spoken outside of these walls-at least, not until the mention of it can advance the fortunes of us all."

For a moment the trio regarded each other intently. Relief was bright in Lucia's beautiful eyes, now that she knew what Hhune had in mind for her. The lord saw also that she understood his purpose in making this introduction. The knowledge of her identity offered both potential power and grave danger-and the secret bound them together. It was a subtle way of accepting her offer, while reminding her that her fortune was bound indelibly with his. Hhune also noted the soft, warm look the woman cast over the impressed lad; this amused him. If Lucia was willing to use her charm to advance her position in Tethyr, so much the better for him.

"You should not have killed Achnib," he told Hasheth mildly. "He was not terribly intelligent, but neither was he personally ambitious. He carried out his duties well enough, with loyalty usually found only in retainers with four legs and fleas. Such men are hard to find. I thought you might kill him, but I'd hoped otherwise. That is the only part of the test you failed, however. Overall you have done well."; "T-test?" faltered Hasheth.

: "Of course," the lord returned in an amused tone. Tou do not think I would allow you to give away my entire 'fleet, do you? Mark me, I am not happy about the ship:you gave to the pirates, but you shall pay for it from |your earnings. And other than that lapse, you did pre-Isisely as I had anticipated. The fleet is now in the hands of the Council of Lords. I could not keep it-the risks of discovery were too great. But the merchants of Tethyr will continue to benefit from the protection the fleet offers, while the Council pays for its upkeep. And who, I ask you, is both head of the shipping guild and a ranking member of the council? Who will control this fleet?"

Understanding-and fear-began to enter the young man's eyes as he realized he was not quite as clever as he had thought himself. The realization that he had been acting according to Hhune's design-and no doubt with the lord in full knowledge of his activities-both humbled and horrified him.

"But how-" he began.

"How?" repeated Hhune coolly. "That is what you are here to learn. You have made a good start. If you wish to become a ranking member of the Knights of the Shield, you will have to do better. You may start by telling me about this pretty Harper of yours and her plans for Zazesspur."

Arilyn said her good-byes to Hasheth several days after the final battle. The Harper listened to his explanation of the situation, doubting most of it but willing to let the matter rest. She reclaimed her horse from the young man, glad to be done with her sojourn in the southern city.