Page 63 of Stranger's Choice
“I can’t meet with Heolin, the magical races, or Tjalik repeatedly without making people wonder. But if we deflect suspicion from Heolin, he can liaise between the magical races and the humans.”
“So we need a vision for me to share with Lhashiki and a way to communicate with him that no one will notice.”
Sebin picked up one of the stones discarded next to thephanboard. He bounced it in the palm of his hand. “Heolin is an earth sprite. I’m sure he can find a way to travel through the palace unnoticed.”
Auraelie shook her head. “He can become earth, but then he is stuck in one place. It is not as useful for sneaking around as you seem to think.”
“I’ve seen him move dirt and rocks before.”
“Yes, he can manipulate other bits of earth, but not himself once he transforms. I suppose he could still move the earth around him and use that to move himself, but such an action is hardly inconspicuous.”
“What if he turned into a pebble and you picked him up and carried him?”
“People will notice the pile of clothes left behind, even if they do not witness his transformation.”
“Five hells.” Sebin stared at the stone in his hands. “How precise is his control over the earth?”
“That I do not know. Some sprites have great finesse, others are more powerful. I’m not sure where Heolin falls.”
“He was able to get my attention when he needed it before. We shall have to trust he can do so again when the time comes. Our focus should be how you can pretend to scan him and what you should tell Lhashiki afterward.”
She would have to lie, but if she said anything the Emperor proved to be a lie before the revolution took place, she’d be in trouble. It would have to be a vague misdirection rather than outright fiction. “I can use the excuse of gray spots in my vision.”
“The gray only hides the turning points, right? It keeps you from differentiating the probable futures from the rest, but it doesn’t actually block your power completely.”
“Yes, but I’m not sure Lhashiki understands that.”
“It’s still a risk, especially if she is already suspicious of contact between Heolin and me. We want to reassure her and the Emperor.”
“I could say I see him going about his days as normal.”
“Perhaps.” Sebin shifted, cradling her more fully in his lap. “I hate to waste this opportunity, though.”
Auraelie slid her hands under the hem of his shirt. “I hate to waste this opportunity. I’m sure you’ll have a brilliant idea by morning, so let’s concentrate on something else for a while.”
“A brilliant idea.” He stood up, Auraelie still in his arms, and carried her through the curtain to the bedroom.
Sebin wanted towatch Auraelie, but he knew his attention would put her under closer scrutiny. He had to trust that she would pass on her warning to Heolin without letting Lhashiki see that she had done anything but scan the sprite’s future. He had his own part to play while she did.
“Marsone, there you are,” Sebin called out, making his way through the courtiers mingling while they waited for the evening entertainments to begin. “I have been looking everywhere for you.”
“What can I do for you,dyela?”
“I need you to solve a mystery for me.”
Marsone’s spine straightened, his shoulders rolling back. “Certainly. What is your mystery?”
“I’m searching for a tavern. I heard about one in Cooper’s District that sounded like just my thing, but I didn’t catch the name.”
“Cooper’s District? I wouldn’t expect you to like even the finest tavern in that area,dyela.”
The home of both the Dusty Gohtadar and the Broken Barrel, Cooper’s District was hardly the slums of Kalitalo. But it also wasn’t a district Marsone would visit normally. And people might talk if they realized Sebin had visited it multiple times already, especially if he returned in the near future. But with Marsone’s unwitting help, he’d give them something else to talk about.
“Not the finest tavern, no.” Sebin laughed. “That’s why this one was so perfect. From what I overheard, it is exactly the type I like to visit when I get out of the palace.”
Marsone looked at him, speculation clear in his eyes. “Describe it to me,dyela, and I’ll see if I can locate your tavern for you.”
“Constant dice games, liquor that will knock you on your feet after a single swallow, shadowy corners, and nobody asking too many questions.”
