“Exactly what does that mean?”
“It means no one will be calling on you at any time, Tal.” Magnus adjusted his hat. “When you decide to take Kaspar up on his offer and enter his service, find an excuse to discharge Pasko. I leave it up to you as to what you do with this Amafi fellow. But you are oathbound never to mention your connection to the Conclave to him, or even hint of the Conclave’s existence.
“From now on, we will have no further contact with you until you seek us out. If you are in the north, find a way to send a message to Kendrick’s or go there yourself. In Rillanon, seek out an inn called the Golden Sunrise, and you’ve already been to the Vine and Cask in Salador. Should you find yourself in Krondor, you already know the Admiral Trask. Here, see the night barman at Molkonski’s Inn. We don’t have any agents in Opardum, more’s the pity, but if you can get a message up to the Anvil and Tong, in the town of Karesh’kaar in Bardac’s Holdfast, it’ll get to us.”
Tal laughed. “Are all your agents ensconced in inns and taverns?”
Magnus smiled. “No, but we find inns and taverns to be useful places to collect information. Devise a way to get a message to any of those locations, addressed to the Squire of Forest Deep, and it will reach us. Use the code phrase if you can. There are others inns in other cities, and Pasko can see you have a full list before you part company.”
“Why am I to do without him?”
“Two…no, three reasons. First, with each additional agent of the Conclave who gets near Leso Varen, the risk to us is multiplied. Mother has Lady Rowena as close to Kaspar as a woman can get—I assume in the vain hope Kaspar might let something slip during the pillow talk—and with you there, our vulnerability increases; Pasko adds nothing of use to us, but increases the hazard.
“Second, we have other tasks for Pasko.
“And lastly, he works for the Conclave, not Squire Hawkins of Ylith, no matter what you have come to believe.”
“Point taken.”
“Now, I must make this clear: no matter what opportunity you have to revenge yourself on Kaspar, he is only part of the problem; find out what you may of Leso Varen. He is the true danger in this. Finally, if you are found out, we will see you dead before risking the security of the Conclave. Is that clear?”
“Abundantly.”
“Good. So don’t get killed, or at least try to do something useful before you do. If you get into trouble, we can’t and won’t fetch you out.”
Suddenly he was gone. There was a slight intake of air where Magnus had stood, and the room went silent.
Tal reached out and took his wine cup, and muttered, “I hate that he always has to have the last word.”
Tal awoke feeling a little disoriented. He had only had one cup of wine the night before during his conversation with Magnus. The day had been uneventful, a somewhat leisurely ride down the mountain and through the city to the palace. But he hadn’t slept well, and wondered if his restless night was due to the choice that now confronted him.
Kaspar was in his debt; so how was Tal to take service with him and not look overly anxious? His idea of killing Prince Matthew and having Kaspar intercede to protect him now seemed eminently plausible; Magnus was correct: Tal’s status as Champion of the Masters’ Court gained him many privileges, but what were the obligations? Tal pondered that for a moment.
He knew he could manipulate any number of social situations where Prince Matthew would be forced to call him out for a duel. Someone would insist it be to first blood, and Tal could “accidentally” kill him; unfortunate, but such things happen. Ironically, Tal considered, they happen to me a lot, actually. No, that wouldn’t do, for a duel would be about honor, and while the King might never again allow him in the palace…
A brawl, perhaps? Matthew had an appetite for some of the seedier bordellos and gaming halls in the city. He went “in disguise,” despite the fact everyone knew him, and he used his position to great advantage.
Tal discarded the idea; not public enough.
There was no easy way to kill him in such a way as to land in that magic place between being forgiven and being beheaded. And even if he did land in that magical place, and Kaspar interceded on his behalf, that would settle Kaspar’s debt. Tal liked having that debt.
No, he decided as he arose, he wouldn’t kill Prince Matthew. Another idea came to him. He sat back and thought about it, and decided he had not considered his own role closely enough. There might just be a way to make himself persona non grata in Roldem. He could keep himself off the headsman’s block yet seemingly have no social future left in Roldem. At which point it would seem as if he had no choice but to take service with the Duke.
“Pasko,” he called, and a moment later Amafi entered the room. “Magnificence, may I serve?” he asked in the language of the Isles.