Tal sat up and found the stiffness almost gone. “I’m starving,” he announced.
“The result of the healing spell our priest friend used. You are thinner, if you bother to note such things. The body needed energy from somewhere to heal the damaged flesh, so it burned off what little fat you possessed, Tal. You look positively gaunt.’’
Tal stood up and his head swam. “And I feel as weak as a day-old kitten.’’
Pasko lent him a hand and helped him put on a robe, then escorted him to the table in the main room of the apartment. There was food waiting there, and Tal set to eating vigorously. As he ate, his strength began to return.
“You’ll need to rest for the rest of the day, Tal,” said Robert, “but then you need to appear somewhere publicly to dispel any rumors about your injuries.”
“Why?” asked Tal. “Why the rush?’’
“Because people will already be speculating as to why you were attacked and how injured you are,” said Robert. “The why we shall leave to conjecture, for as I understand it, there are any number of people who would like to see you not enter the tournament or see their daughters.”
Tal nodded without a blush.
“As to the injury, we must make it clear to whoever sent the assassin that they failed. So that they will try again soon.’’
“Ah, so I’m to be bait?’’
Robert shrugged. “Someone is trying to kill you. Liken it to a hunt. If you’re being stalked by a predator, what do you do?’’
Tal said, “You don’t run. You lay a trap.’’
“As we shall.’’
Tal finished eating and said, “What time is it?” He glanced out of the window and could tell it was afternoon.
“Two hours past noon,” supplied Pasko.
“Then my best course is to return to the Masters’ Court, make some remarks about the poor girl who was murdered—” Suddenly he thought of Salmina, and realized that he would never see her again or experience her enthusiastic lovemaking, and for a moment he felt a terrible regret. “—and then back to Remarga’s for another bath and massage.” He looked at Pasko. “Any invitations?”
“Three.”
“Decline them all. If I need to be seen publicly, then I shall dine at Dawson’s.”
Robert nodded. “And after that?’’
“Gaming at the Wheel of Fate.’’
“Good, that will make it clear to all that you are fit.’’
Tal stood up and stretched. “I feel remarkably well for someone who was carved up like a side of venison yesterday.”
Robert’s expression was wry. “That spell didn’t come cheaply.’’
Tal smiled. “It’s well I’ve chosen to serve a master with resources.”
Robert’s expression turned from wry to clouded. “Hard-won resources, young Tal. It may appear easy to conjure up wealth if one knows nothing of the magic arts, but you’ve been around enough of our craft to have some sense of things. You’ve seen the island, and how many we clothe and feed, and you are just now gaining some sense of how many people we support in other places.” His hand described an arc, taking in the apartment, clothing, and other items. “None of this came without expense and none of this was ‘wished’ into existence.”
Tal wasn’t sure of the point Robert was trying to make, so he said, “I’m not unappreciative of what my masters have procured for me. But I am painfully aware of who is an assassin’s target right now, so I appreciate having some power behind me at the right moments.” His expression turned deadly serious. “But if you remember, you have yet to give me a hint as to why I’ve been trained, and exactly what my task is, beyond winning this deuced tournament.”
Robert was silent for a few moments. Then he said, “True. We haven’t told you much, and we shall continue to keep you unaware for as long as it suits our needs. If you were to fall into the wrong hands now . . . there are ways a skilled magician could peel your memories from inside your skull just as you’d core an apple, Tal. Those unconcerned with your well-being could do it in less than a day and leave you drooling outside an inn, and no one would think you other than a drunk with a damaged mind. But before they were done, they’d have extracted every secret from you.’’
Pasko nodded. “Very painful, too, I’ve been told.’’
Robert agreed. “They’d take him somewhere very remote, so the screaming wouldn’t disturb anyone.’’
Tal continued to stretch. “Then I shall count upon my mentors to use their magical arts to keep me safe from such as you describe. But do you know who the assassin was?’’