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into the backside of the priestess who was standing； half…hidden； beside the closest palm to the entranceway。 Blaise didn't know if she was there as a guard for the poet or as a devotee of his art。 There really wasn't time to explore such nuances。 A sound from the woman could kill them all。
Fortunately； she was raptly intent on the figure of the chanting poet not far away。 Blaise could see Evrard sitting on a stone bench at the near end of a pool in the garden； facing away from them； muning with himself； or the still waters； or whatever poets did their muning with。
Disdaining finesse； Blaise surged to his feet； grabbed the woman from behind and covered her mouth with one hand。 She sucked air to scream and he tightened his grip about her mouth and throat。 They were not to kill。 He disliked unnecessary death in any event。 In the silence he had been trained to by the assassins of Portezza； Blaise held the struggling woman； depriving her of air until he felt her slump heavily back against him。 Carefully…for this was an old trick…he relaxed his grip。 There was no deception here though； the priestess lay slack in his arms。 She was a large woman with an unexpectedly young face。 Looking at her； Blaise doubted this one would have been a guard。 He wondered how she'd got out from the pound； it was the sort of thing that might someday be useful to know。 Not that he planned on ing back here in a hurry； if ever。
Laying the priestess carefully down beneath the palm tree； he motioned Maffour with a jerk of his head to go into the garden。 Hirnan and Thulier came silently up and began binding the woman in the shadows。
Yours the glory； bright Rian； while we mortal men
Walk humbly in the umbra of your great light；
Seeking sweet solace in the…
〃Who is there？〃 Evrard of Lussan called without turning； more peeved than alarmed。 〃You all know I must not be disturbed when I work。〃
〃We do know that； your grace；〃 Maffour said smoothly； ing up beside the man。
Edging closer； hidden by the bushes； Blaise winced at the unctuous flattery of the title。 Evrard had no more claim to it than Maffour did； but Mallin had been explicit in his instructions to the most articulate of his corans。
〃Who are you？〃 Evrard asked sharply； turning quickly to look at Maffour in the moonlight。 Blaise moved nearer； low to the ground； trying to slip around to the other side of the bench。 He had his own views on what was about to happen。
〃Maffour of Baude； your grace； with a message from En Mallin himself。〃
〃I thought I recognized you；〃 Evrard said haughtily。 〃How dare you e in this fashion； disturbing my thoughts and my art？〃 Nothing about impiety or trespass or the affront to the goddess he was currently lauding； Blaise thought sardonically； pausing next to a small statue。
〃I have nothing to say to your baron or his ill…mannered wife； and am in no mood to listen to whatever tritely phrased message they have cobbled together for me。〃 Evrard's tone was lordly。
〃I have e a long way in some peril；〃 Maffour said placatingly； 〃and Mallin de Baude's message is deeply sincere and not long。 Will you not honour me by hearing it； your grace？〃
〃Honour？〃 Evrard of Lussan said； his voice rising querulously。 〃What claim has anyone in that castle to honour of any kind？ I bestowed upon them a grace they never deserved。 I gave to Mallin whatever dignity he claimed…through my presence there； through my art。〃 His words grew dangerously loud。 〃Whatever he was being in the gaze of Arbonne； of the world； he owed to me。 And in return； in return for that…〃
〃In return for that； for no reason I can understand； he seeks your pany again；〃 Blaise said； stepping quickly forward； having heard quite a bit more than enough。
As Evrard glanced back at him wide…eyed； attempting to rise； Blaise used the haft of his dagger for the second time that night； bringing it down with carefully judged force on the balding pate of the troubadour。 Maffour moved quickly to catch the man as he fell。
〃I cannot begin to tell you；〃 Blaise said fervently as Hirnan and Thulier joined them； 〃how much I enjoyed doing that。〃
Hirnan grunted。 〃We can guess。 What took you so long？〃
Blaise grinned at the three of them。 〃What？ And interfere with Maffour's great moment？ I really wanted to hear that speech。〃
〃I'lll recite it for you on the way back then；〃 Maffour said sourly。 〃With all the 'your grace's' too。〃
〃Spare us；〃 said Hirnan briefly。 He bent and effortlessly shouldered the body of the small troubadour。
Still grinning； Blaise led the way this time； without a word； down towards the south end of the garden； away from the sanctuary lights and the walls and the temple domes； and then； circling carefully； back towards the shelter of the wood。 If these were the corans of a lesser baron； he was thinking to himself； and they turned out to be this coolly petent…with one vivid exception…he was going to have to do some serious reassessing； when they got back to land； of the men of this country of Arbonne； even with its troubadours and joglars and a woman ruling them。
The one vivid exception was having； without the least shadow of any possible doubt； the worst night of his life。
In the first place； there were the noises。 Even at the edge of the woods； the sounds of the night forest kept making their way to Luth's pricked ears； triggering waves of panic that succeeded each other in a seemingly endless progression。
Secondly there was Vanne。 Or； not exactly Vanne； but his absence； for the other coran assigned to guard duty kept wilfully abandoning Luth； his designated partner； and making his own way down the rope to check on the two clerics in the sailboat； then going off into the forest itself to listen for the return of their fellows； or for other less happy possibilities。 Either of these forays would leave Luth alone for long moments at a time to cope with sounds and ambiguous shiftings in the shadows of the plateau or at the edges of the trees； with no one to turn to for reassurance。
The truth was； Luth said to himself…and he would have sworn to it as an oath in any temple of the goddess…that he really wasn't a coward； though he knew every man here would think him one from tonight onward。 He wasn't though： put him on a crag above Castle Baude in a thunderstorm； with thieves on the slopes making off with the baron's sheep； and Luth would be fierce in pursuit of them； sure…footed and deft among the rocks； and not at all bad with his bow or blade when he caught up with the bandits。 He'd done that； he'd done it last summer； with Giresse and Hirnan。 He'd killed a man that night with a bowshot in darkness； and it was he who had led the other two back down the treacherous slopes to safety with the flock。
Not that they were likely to remember that； or bother to remind the others of it； after tonight。 If any of them lived through tonight。 If they ever left this island。 If they…
What was that？
Luth wheeled； his heart lurching like a small boat hit by a crossing wave； in time to see Vanne making his way back onto the plateau from yet another survey of the woods。 The other coran gave him a curious glance in the shadows but said nothing。 They were not to speak； Luth knew。 He found their own enforced silence almost as stressful as the noises of the night forest。
Because they weren't just noises； and this wasn't just night…time。 These were the sounds of Rian's Island； which was holy； and the eight of them were here without proper consecration； without any claim of right…only a drunken ex…priest's mangling of the words of ritual…and they had laid violent hands on two of the goddess's truly anointed before they'd even landed。
Luth's problem； very simply； was that he was a believer in the powers of the goddess； profoundly so。 If that could really be called a problem。 He'd had a religious； superstitious grandmother who'd worshipped both Rian and Corannos along with a variety of hearth spirits and seasonal ones； and who'd known just enough about magic and folk spells to leave the grandson she'd reared helplessly prey to the terrors of precisely the sort of place where they were now。 Had he not been so anxious n