Displaying proper dragon etiquette, Khisanth waited until she heard Jahet finishing her meal before announcing her presence. "I'm at your disposal, Jahet."

Jahet's head swung around to face the opening between her lair and the antechamber. She pulled stringy pieces of raw meat from between two razor-sharp fangs before speaking.

"That's strange, I didn't sense your approach," said Jahet, looking a bit puzzled as she shuffled forward to enter the

chamber. The dragon's meal had made her slightly sleepy, so she circled slowly around and finally lowered her form to recline on the cool stone floor.

"I asked you here because you and I both know your skills are being wasted. You'll never rise beyond the fifth rank if you continue to refuse a union. It's a credit to the highlord's belief in your abilities that you've maintained your position without a rider."

"There you have it!" cut in Khisanth quickly. "Many thought Maldeev would send me away after the first month for declining to take a rider. But he hasn't. I've maintained my current position for nearly two years without a rider." Jahef s was a familiar lecture, as were Khisanth's answers.

"You used to be the third-ranked dragon, before two others joined." Jahef s eyes narrowed. "You and I both know you've maintained the fifth ranking simply because no other dragons have stepped forward in the last year. One inevitably will."

"I'll deal with that problem when it arises," Khisanth said a trifle defensively.

"But why should you have to, Khisanth? Think how far you could climb in status if you took a rider! I'm certain you'd overtake Khoal and be ranked second in no time."

Khisanth's thick-boned wings rose in a semblance of a human shrug. "I've learned the value of patience-a dragon's life is long. Someday I'll rise to the second rank without the hindrance of a human."

Jahet's brows raised, and she looked askance. "Do you think I bend more than my knees to Highlord Maldeev?"

Khisanth lowered her guard momentarily, one eye blink shy;ing rapidly at her own unintended slight. "I wouldn't pre shy;sume to interpret your relationship. I only know that I've yet to meet the human who's proven himself the equal of a dragon." To her annoyance, she remembered one who'd managed to break her nose, but she'd been a human then, too. That didn't count. "Perhaps you've found the only one in Maldeev," Khisanth suggested as a conciliatory afterthought.

"Flattery doesn't become you, Khisanth," Jahet said sourly. "I haven't summoned you to argue, but to warn you. I

risk much telling you this," she continued, dropping her voice to a whisper, though there was no one around to hear them. "That which you both want and fear may happen sooner than you think." Khisanth looked puzzled.

Jahet pressed on. "Maldeev has been watching your progress, and I sense his pleasure. The nature of his questions tell me that he's anxious to move you up in the ranks, but feels he can't unless you take a rider."

Khisanth shrugged noncommittally, but inwardly she felt a jolt of delight at the news. "Maldeev is highlord. He'll find a way to raise my rank if he truly believes it to be in the best interest of the wing to do so."

Jahet smirked at her. "Ah, but you're forgetting the other dragons…."

"I try to," Khisanth cut in wryly.

"You have made enemies among them," acknowledged Jahet, "partly because of your superior skills. They also feel you receive favored treatment."

"Don't I?" Khisanth asked with brutal honesty.

Jahet nodded. "It's true. Our friendship has not helped them accept you." It was impossible not to notice the other dragons' animosity for Khisanth, despite the fact that Jahet didn't interact with them off the drill field, since her lair did not adjoin theirs.

"Neither has your refusal to take a rider, nor Maldeev's tolerance of it."

"You've put your talon on it-they're jealous," said Khi shy;santh.

Jahet wagged a digit at her defensive friend. "Don't under shy;estimate the power of their envy." She locked eyes with Khi shy;santh. "Make no mistake, Maldeev and I allow you privileges for our own purposes, but neither he nor I can protect you from their spitefulness. Any blatant intervention on our parts would simply make matters worse."

"I'm not asking for any help. I can handle the other drag shy;ons," Khisanth said stonily.

"Yes, I suppose you could," agreed Jahet, "if we were try shy;ing to defeat them. But, lest you forget, they're on our side."

Khisanth laughed humorlessly and spoke her mind before she could stop herself. "Frankly, I can't see that those drag shy;ons are on anyone's side but their own." Khisanth's feelings about Khoal, Dnestr, and Neetra's disloyalty was just that-a feeling. She believed that even combined, they weren't smart enough to cause the wing any real damage with their spiteful little tricks. What was more, they didn't appear to relish each other any more than they did her; Neetra and Dnestr toadied to Khoal's face, but sniggered behind his back.

"You know as do I that if s unusual-even unnatural-for black dragons to work together," said Jahet. "I'm sure you've felt a conflict yourself." She blinked slowly, considering her words. "I believe the others are as loyal to the wing as can be expected." The ranking dragon's tone became clipped. "At any rate, I didn't ask you here to discuss the behavior of the other dragons. I'm addressing yours."

Khisanth looked up in surprise. She'd never heard that rancorous tone of Jahef s directed at her. "Are you suggesting that the others are more useful than I?"

Jahet inclined her head slightly. "They're of more use to the wing with riders on their backs, yes."

Khisanth tried unsuccessfully to mask her shock and out shy;rage. "Is that a directive to take a rider? Or are you ordering me to feign friendly relations with the others? We both know they're petty and scheming, that they would rather devote years to my downfall than expend energy elevating them shy;selves or sharpening their skills."

"As long as you don't slay each other," Jahet responded coldly, "your relations with the other dragons mean little to me or the wing." Seeing Khisanth's stubborn expression, Jahet softened her words. "What I am telling you, as your friend, is that both you and the entire wing would benefit from your taking a rider."

Khisanth's willful expression still did not change. Looking pointedly at her stubborn friend, Jahet took a deep breath and decided to disclose the full extent of the news. "The fact is, Khisanth, I'm not sure that you'll have a choice on this subject for much longer. Maldeev doesn!t know that I read his mind with a spell, but he's considering several of his com shy;manders for an arranged union with you."

Khisanth could not hide her shock. "It's gone that far?"

Jahet nodded coolly. "You would be allowed to choose between them, I believe."

If Jahet had been any other creature on Krynn, Khisanth would have slashed her to death in sheer rage. It took every ounce of her accumulated wisdom to persuade her that her friend was simply the messenger of this vile news. Talons curled into painful fists, Khisanth shook visibly when she managed to bitterly croak, "Isn't that democratic?"

"This is not a democracy."

Khisanth's eyes flashed. "You of all dragons should know that I can't be forced to cooperate with this plot. I could leave the wing as freely as I arrived."

"Could you?" Jahet asked archly. "Technically, we drag shy;ons are free to leave whenever we wish-who but the queen could stop us?" she said, her words ripe with meaning. Khi shy;santh looked away, her nose held high.

Jahet's patience with her recalcitrant friend was running threadbare. She was, after all, a black dragon. "Maldeev awaits," she said. Tucking her long tail to skirt around Khi shy;santh, the dragon headed for the exit to her lair. "Ponder what I've said, Khisanth," she muttered with a dismissive toss of a claw. "My advice is to do what's best for you-and our queen's army. They are one and the same." With that, Jahet waddled through the opening and was gone.