“Master?” was all Sho Pi said.
Nakor shrugged. “Wish I knew what’s happened to Calis, too. I’m getting bored here, and besides,” he said, looking into the blue western sky as the sun cleared the horizon behind him, “something’s going on. We’re going to have to leave soon, whether or not someone from Krondor comes to run things here.”
“When, Master?” asked Sho Pi.
Nakor shrugged. “I don’t know. Soon. Maybe this week. Maybe next month. We’ll know when it’s time. Come on. Let’s get some food.”
At the mention of food the mindless beggar jumped up and with grunting and hooting sounds started shambling toward the dining hall. Nakor pointed after him. “See, our very basic friend there understands the relative importance of things.”
Then to Sho Pi, in the Isalani tongue, he said, “And he hits like a Grand Master of the Order of Dala.”
Sho Pi answered in the same language, “No, Master. Harder. Whatever else, that man has more cha”—he used an ancient word for personal power—“than any priest I ever saw when I was a monk in the temple.” Lowering his voice, he said, “He could have killed that boy, I think.”
Nakor said, “Had he wanted to, no doubt.”
As they entered the dining hall, both men considered what they had just witnessed.
Roo awoke to a grey, predawn light showing in the window. He realized that he would barely be able to return home before Karli awoke. He knew it possible the baby had slept through the night and Karli might be convinced he had returned earlier, but he would have to move quickly.
He left the bed as quietly as he could, regretting the need. The memory of Sylvia’s body and her urgent demands throughout the night aroused him despite his fatigue. He dressed and quietly left the room, moving down the stairs and out the door. He approached his coach, where his driver was dozing, and woke the man, instructing him to head for home at once.
Inside the house Sylvia lay awake, smiling to herself. In the darkness, she thought, the little troll wasn’t too difficult to take. He was young, enthusiastic, and a lot stronger than he looked. She knew that while he thought himself in love with her, he had barely begun to experience the depth of obsession she would bring him to. Within a month he would be willing to compromise some minor business matter for her. Within a year, he’d betray his business partners.
She yawned and stretched in satisfaction. Her father wouldn’t be returning for a few days and she knew she’d receive a note from Roo before midday. She’d ignore him for a day or two, then invite him back to the house. For a sleepy moment she wondered how long she should wait before her contrition scene, when she announced to Roo that she couldn’t continue to see a married man, no matter how much she loved him. As she started to drift off to slumber, she considered there were a couple of young men in the city she should invite to the house before her father returned.
Roo tiptoed upstairs and slipped into the bedroom. The dawn was now breaking, and in the half-lighted room she could see Karli was asleep. He slipped out of his clothing and into bed next to her.
Less than a half hour later she awoke, and Roo pretended to be asleep. She arose and dressed, then went to where the baby was quietly singing to herself. After waiting awhile, Roo arose and went down to the dining room.
“Good morning,” said Karli, feeding the baby.
Abigail giggled and said, “Da!” at sight of Roo.
Roo yawned.
“Did you get much sleep?” asked Karli, looking at him with a neutral expression on her face.
Roo pulled out a chair and sat, while Mary came from the kitchen with a large mug of coffee for him. “I feel like I slept for five minutes,” he said.
Karli asked, “Late night?”
“Very. I don’t even know what time we finished.”
Karli made a noncommittal sound as she spooned mashed vegetables into the mouth of the hungry child.
After a few minutes, Karli said, “I have something to tell you.”
Roo felt his chest tighten. He wondered for a panic-stricken moment if somehow she knew he had betrayed her, and then forced the thought aside. She hadn’t suspected anything when he returned from Ravensburg after having tumbled Gwen, and he decided she had no reason to suspect anything now. Calmly he said, “What is it?”
She said, “I wanted to tell you last night, but you were in such a rush . . .”
“What is it?” Roo repeated.
“We’re going to have another baby.”
Roo looked at Karli and saw her eyes were searching his face, looking for a reaction. And he sensed she was fearful of what that reaction would be.
“Wonderful!” He forced himself to sound pleased. He stood, came around the table, and said, “This time a boy.” He kissed her cheek.
“Maybe,” Karli said softly.