NORMALLY

    UP  ON  tS  OF  le at sunset it o look soutc and tains. Of late time turned toing for, Alienor found o ts instead, to pace tions or lean upon tone, gazing into tance,  still came w down.

    As if sually see as far as Senzio.

    t by t Baerd old t could, if all  rigurn the whole world upside down.

    Not just too, self  survive.

    topped on to Fort Ortiz, as e, to pay ts to tle Borso and to bring  from t impossible to find y in Quileia, It  t Alessan old t about   seemed, , as Baerd  ternoon after Alessan o t, Marius o everything.

    ter t of springtime rides t took o necessitate one or t neigles. At o a hah 0  dozen equally specific people.

    Senzio. Before Midsummer Not long aftero Castle Borso remendous troop movements among tely clogged ification, but omary eacer her own fashion.

    Up on ts at sunset noep on tair being for it.

    it turning, s;You are almost too late. t; rue; t clouds in t  of to t her shoulders.

    Elena stepped out on t.

    quot;Im sorry,quot; sely. Sill uneasy in tle. So t over te-spring fields. ing in the breeze.

    Ostensibly so serve as a neing to Alienor. S er t  sablisime t migter. It appeared, incredibly enoug tually come a time ter.

    tomaz, t, aged K it o stay omaz, o say  t.  mattered  Baerd and Alessan trusted ter Baerd o tely,

    quot;One of ; Alienor omaz, and t like riana.

    Baerd ated a long time. quot;One of t alkers,quot; he said finally.

    S t, ture serving to so reveal of onis.

    quot;Really? ill about?”

    Baerd nodded.

    quot;And t is ?”

    After a second Baerd nodded again.

    triana blinked in manifest surprise. Se beautiful, Alienor t, but sill  deal to learn.

    quot;Doing ; Alienor asked Baerd.

    But time ed t. ts rying to puso, ten years ago, sly . Surprisingly per time on.

    Noedly, ;You could ay  just one.”

    Saste only partly feigned. quot;One , t is enougever t; S last to t s Baerds techniques of disguise.

    Over tive diversity of appearances.

    quot;Im not absolutely sure ; tomaz ;But insofar as s us to at least be able to try, one of tle should be enough.”

    quot;Enoug?quot; s really expecting anything.

    quot;Enougo reac and find t; tomaz ly.

    time it   ed. Alienor o find to feel a little regretful wriana had gone.

    terake care of  t as well.

    On ts sed, Alienor abruptly removed  over thers shoulders.

    quot;You ster by no; s;It gets cold up he sun goes down.”

    quot;Im sorry,quot; Elena said again, quickly motioning to remove t;But youll be c something for myself.”

    quot;Stay   t  in  stars of training nortion o whering now, or soon.

    quot;Stay ; sly. quot;Stay h me.”

    Elenas blue eyes ful.

    Unexpectedly, sonishingly, she moved nearer and drew her arm

    tiffened for a second, to relax against t time in more years tely different kind of intimacy. It felt, of late, as if someted for t it might mean, for so many years.

    being alloransience of desire, if only one believed it  upon towards w she had become.

    , letting s stream like birds arroo wes would be decided when Midsummer came.

    Dark  bloood toget ime, s and ting time.

    It imes in mockery, sometimes  t bordered on a as ted up in summer, so did t-time passions of Senzio. tic self- indulgence of t nortile soil and gentle  ed in Senzio, it o pay for it. And figo keep it, tiated often added.

    to year it mig t burgeoning tensions and t of ors—for ions, and for braaverns and streets.

    Someone mig suc not anyone  actually seemed as if tents of disaster—t border, tilla anc Farsaro Island off tern tip of to t in Senzio to been for ly e le, Senzians still boasted t the Palm.

    A boast t began to ring more ic nigire peninsula braced itself for a conflagration.

    In trusion of reality Senzio toensified ts dark ering-aping, sing patrons every nigo wream of available flesairs.

    ted, for  to trade in purco offer substantially different inducements to trons. For tavern not far from tle, good food, decent vintages and ales, and clean rooms in able if not an extravagant living, derived primarily from mercs and traders disinclined to traffic in ty of nig least to sleep and eat amid t overripe corruption.

    Solingself on offering, by day or nig music to be found in ty at any given time.

    At ticular moment, sly before te in table patrons of t full tavern rio: a Senzian ibar, and a young Asolini tenor arted a couple of days before—er performing Sandre dAstibars funeral rites last fall.

    Rumors of every kind  spring, but fehis one: such a prodigy was

    unlikely in treme to be singing in a put-toget in fact tenor ional voice and c week.

    trut and a room upstairs if t. Solingibar for almost ten years. A friend, and more t; as it  rons of to Senzio expressly to meet t , poured s every nig to sleep t Alessan knew w he was doing.

    ticular afternoon trons enjoying tenors rousing rendition of a Certandan ballad  of to treet omers. Note in t, of course. Or not until t ed greeting, tage, and trument and followed, if more slowly.

    t ensued ably cynical conclusions about ture of ty not included a pair of exceptionally attractive young  red  against o to be crus t of a cadaverous looking Ko of ty.

    A moment later anot resonance t even stilled tement of tly over to t arrived. t rembling.

    quot;Baerd?quot; they heard him say.

    t of silence. t;Naddo?quot; in a tone even t innocent Senzian could interpret. Any lingering doubts about t o rest a second later by two men embraced eacher.

    t.

    More tion, decided t ion, and er t appeared if t.

    Alais regea in a state of excitement t broug continuous fluso ely beautiful t so come.

    From t t ly returned to t regea, bearing riana and to meet, Alais  somethan friendship was involved here.

    t  Rovigo ating for only a moment, old ly, but ing confidence in  tners,  many years.

    It appeared t it  been entirely a coincidence after all t t tside tival of Vines last fall.

    Listening intently, trying not to miss a syllable or an implication, Alais measured o all of to discover t s afraid. o do . And t t rusting his.

    It o Rovigo, quot;If you are truly set on coming o Senzio, to find a place on t to put your daughter ashore.”

    quot;ly?quot; Alais urned to hers cabin.

    Baerds eyes were very dark by candlelig  unkind.

    quot;Because I dont believe in subjecting people to unnecessary risks. t  to do. to face tance and t of rusts tant to us. For you to come  necessity. Does t make sense?”

    So be calm. quot;Only if you judge me a cribution.quot; S;I am triana and I tand o do. I  I o be free.”

    quot;trut. I t; It riana. quot;Baerd,quot; s on, quot;if truly time t will decide, we he way we do.

    No rigo decide t t ing to see if till slaves or not whe summer ends.”

    Baerd looked at Catriana for a long time but said noturned to Rovigo, deferring to ure. In  of t inner battle end.

    quot;If  t; Rovigo dAstibar said to er, ;your mot, dont you?”

    quot;Ill try to protect you,quot; Alais said gravely, t hing.

    It alk at t absolutely. t t after torm.

    I dont kno is, s I need more.

    I kno ars of Eanna would all be yours.

    It , because  o o the balance.

    Of t journey to Senzio sicularly. Standing at triana as t of Astibar. One tiny village, and t in ts bobbing bethe shore.

    quot;t one is my ; Catriana said suddenly, breaking a silence, speaking so softly only Alais could ;And t boat ually my fat; ache words.

    quot;e o stop, t; Alais ly. quot;Ill tell my father! hell—”

    Catriana laid a hand on her arm.

    quot;Not yet,quot; s;I cant see . After. After Senzio. Perhaps.”

    t , ip of Farsaro Island early in tern Palm anchere.

    aiting for o once brig s Catriana, and  tomaz noy in eacing tilla,

    kind of expression on his face.

    If so put a name to t look santly, t it was desire.

    t afternoon to Senzio, and  to an inn all to kno. And t tavern into a flas and sudden as the sea.

    Devin embraced iger a moments visible anxiety at  ly tavern came up—Naddo ick. It  extraordinary carved eagles  to be a compensation for the loss of his own.

    t seemed. S of t deal of noise. t ttles of Senzio green and a tibars blue o sort tic babble of all t  for a moment, siced; o table botful and somew grim.

    to go back and make te, and Alais, fluserribly excited, in ly w she was feeling.

    Afterairs beo ter,  on t upper level Catriana led  in, doo the bedroom Devin and Alessan and Erlein shared.

    t met, and a fe later riana  to feel a little strange about t, and to t  as Alessan puso speak.

    And as rating, gradually came to understand ruly frig o do.

    At a certain point opped and looked at t Duke Sandre first, t a round-faced Certandan named Sertino sitting  c Erlein di Senzio.

    tood. It o terms ibar. trada all her life.

    tting on  t.

    hing hard.

    quot;It is clear to me no you  your mind,quot; ;You  sigo kill people in your madness.”

    Alais sa speaking.

    quot;All of t; Alessan said, ed mildness. quot;It is possible I am pursuing a pat. But yes, to be a great many people killed. e al; tending ot t and ease your soul. You knohing is happening.”

    quot;Not do you mean?quot; It was her.

    Alessans expression  bitter. quot; you noticed? You o?

    Notire army massed on to order th!”

    quot;; said Sandre flatly in t follo;hes afraid of Brandin.”

    quot;Per; fully. quot;Or else  cautious. too cautious.”

    quot; do ; asked tregean named Ducas.

    Alessan s;I dont kno knoed. You tell me,quot; ;o ;  Ducas and t eache room.

    No one answered him.

    t ligo . Senzio?

    t did tter? Sy years ahem?

    Every time a messenger arrived from back in Astibar somethe Emperor had died . . .

    If ted peninsula, o claim an Emperors tiara in Barbadior. t o fig mattered, t tered all t tiara from t favorites ual fluttering moths.

    And after t  of Barbadior. t Brandin of Ygratern Palm, o stand before Alberico, Emperor of Barbadior.

    Gods, tness of it ...

    But no suc, no suctering reprieve. And so ty   and Senzio, preparing to face tern Palm, kno tire ,  everyt depended on t. If too many of  kind of an army would o lead home?

    And too many men dying  noly as anticipated, leaving Brandin crippled and exposed. s o be on t possible way.

    tandan woman er for Brandin.

    Sed  never-seen imes noo figain orming across to Loe and sacking Stevanien itself.

    Gods. Alberico ser, at t of suco t against t east. Even t he real prize back home.

    But   effort t fallen from t same Dianora di Certando  saved t ly floating doed tern provinces would .

    Quileias crippled King o abase rade e letters t fearing ty po would .

    But it  so, because of ting, it he only reason Brandin was alive.

    And noilla ancing for Alberico to make test move.

    quot;t; ed daily. quot;And not as well armed.”

    Feains ecany. Not as  move, t close togetoo near th.

    Angle at Senzio, sent  Casalia still favored t t Brandin  as strong as t o see tue of tilting even furtoern Palm, one of to stay  time eac Angic Casalia almost every night.

    So no as any Senzian during ing.

    Come!

    Ripe for ing? Didnt tand? Didnt any of t to reckon h?

    rong Brandin er almost being killed in t cursed Sandreni lodge last year.  t, if none of t to  o be a decision made in t of t. ary edge o be enougo offset to be certain. Surely any man not a fool could see t t o do unities.

    In ent on t tains back up into t t body of tando.

    ting messages like rancid food, o le again, endlessly,  was nagging ed wound.

    Somet irely  about ts—from tumn on jarred  chord.

    o feel as if ire Palm to respond to une. Seizing control again after a er of being impacted upon in all trivial, disconcerting, cumulative  Quileia o seek , so t back  mistake s.

    t  Brandin ed in Ygrato the border of Senzio.

    But somet day and it  tion noing in t even talk about it—even if o talk to— couldnt even pin it do it  him like an old wound in rain.

    Alberico of Barbadior  got to iara ,  subtlety and tfulness,  learning to trust incts.

    And incts told ains and erally begging o marc something was wrong.

    t  calling tune. Someone else ruly no idea  t  be s come clear for  border meado of the surrounding pines.

    So ed, praying to  t soon be laug  ening sout Brandin ting stronger in Farsaro every day, but iness, inct for survival, by t ac. aiting for someto come clear.

    Refusing, as t, to dance to  play.

    Sely regea. ted danger because t er doo claim o life.

    tonig. Catriana realized  opped in to try to steady herself.

    So adjust  in it. On to doing so for ers,  cropping on tregea. Catriana kneable no, actually, if tions of men in Senzio t days meant anything.

    And to mean somet ing noo pass by in treet before ter part of tole, but truly safe quarter of Senzio for a reets at night.

    S out y t   any of take anythis.

    th. She was under no illusions.

    All afternoon,   single candle al at sunset on t of t it riad because of o  a proud  neitted o forget.

    tonigriana saly like t  last t, but one t, if triad  all for  sion before s out.

    taggered by, ion of taverns. Sed anot and t quickly into treet, keeping to t and started tole.

    It er, s, if sill and slow her

    racing . S Solingside back stairs so t none of t Alais doo dinner alone, pleading a o follow soon if she could.

    S precise instant, as tly closed, t shers again.

    In treet s eady; s  for support, dra air. tainflo far aakable fragrance of sejoia trees. So tle gardens t o force color into them.

    Overars o follo street over. A er.

    tar fell in ts track to  sle. trance  rances and endings, faced alone. But sary cary as a o an orbit of  took est of tried. t. Sude.

    Pride. Again.

    igana before ttles at the river.

    t  was.

    Carefully situde s eady no in o  in t t afternoon and sreet and around to t at trance to tle of Senzio.

    tside tes, t o let th.

    tside tes glanced at eacter to see by torc.

    Sopped in front of t pair. S;ould you be kind enoug; s;to let Ang ; And s  red glove.

    Sually been amused at first by Devins reaction and Rovigos in tplace. Casalia, togetern Palm er of lesser Senzians. they could be made.

    Alais and Catriana anding at a silk-mercs stall. turned to see the Governor go by.

    gone by. Instead, Angraining ed  and topped tly in front of t, Catriana realized t s riking pair. Angurned moustacly t so.

    quot;A mink and a red vixen!quot; coo quickly, a little too loudly. Angripped to t sun.

    Alais looked a not doriana met teadily as she could. She would

    not turn a;A red vixen, truly,quot; ed, but time to  to Casalia.

    ty follohe morning.

    Catriana  er. S tered t  s amusement, however briefly.

    quot;t,quot; sly, quot;is exactly  regea. I dont to repeat t to cut.”

    It riana  first, . them walked on.

    quot;I ly to h.

    quot;Of course you  e serious in hey all were.

    But just about t and anger botriana began to t somet seemed to  tness of tly into s t all.

    Ser so do it almost as soon as took shape in her mind.

    Before t o be alone long enougo purc she needed. Earrings, gown, black comb. Red glove.

    And it  o remember tregea. Not surprisingly: tterns like t. Sucterns .  fell so come a for Alais. No fareop  as sopped any of them.

    But someto be done, t. A move o be made, and t morning in t Catriana  s t move might be.

    S t part of tary   tremble as t topped ser all  sky.

    quot;ell o searcand,quot; said one of tside tes, a crooked smile on his face.

    quot;Of course,quot; sepping nearer. quot;ts to standing c t; t ungently, into t of torctle past to te s tcercation bete, ending in a concise six-ly outranked, reluctantly began yard to find Angell  come true, or some sucily unlocked tes   and came out to join thers.

    took some   unkind, nor did too muco t risk in offending ed on somet. So laugly once or t not so muco encourage them.

    Sterns still, remembering t evening so Alessan and Baerd.

    t porter at t by, leering, sure of where.

    I  sleep o  h any man.

    So mucangled she guards hands moving over her.

    mortal knee line ably per about Devin in t of tly in almost every ed it to. Not t sures or fates t day. Not then.

    And noerns began to unfold again? told o trances and endings, a candle starting a blaze.

    By time too. But treated esy as tes and across tral courtyard. Ligically doerior  tars. Eannas ligh a name.

    t into tle t t ly open. Beyond it, as triana caugely furnished in dark, rich colors.

    In tself stood Ango matcime t day.

    S ake o there were candles burning everywhere.

    quot;Red vixen,quot; ;o play?”

    Devin  tion of building tension and enforced idleness, coupled o look at Alessans face sometimes—of o a culmination, created a pervasive, dangerous irritability among them all.

    In traordinary, a blessing of grace t few days.

    Rovigos daugo groler and yet more at ease among to be o fill t need. Observant, unceasingly clessly conversational, ions and briges from all of t single-ed times from degenerating into sullen grimness or fractious rancor. Blind Rinaldo t in love o flouris t, almost grateful t tensions of time ing him from addressing his own inward feelings.

    In tmospe, pale beauty and diffident grace singled  like some floransplanted ly true. An observer c er as so conversation, and the mans eyes spoke volumes.

    No t t urning t expedition of ternoon into a veritable sea-voyage of discovery, Alais excused  back upstairs. ure  return of grimness to table, an inexorable reversion to ting preoccupation of t immune: o test foray outside ty walls.

    Alessan and Baerd, ing trada, searc likely battlefields, and so t place for to position time came for t roll of dice. Devin didnt muc t. It o do o be a battle for anyto happen, and AJberico of Barbadior

    was enougo drive men mad.

    time apart from eacly for reasons of caution, but undeniably because too mucy in them.

    Baerd and Ducas averns tonigs of ts to keep in toucregeans men and Rovigos sailors, and a number of to a long-aed summons.

    to spread: about Rinaldo di Senzio, to be someirring up revolution against Casalia and tyrants. Devin  t, but Alessan ly ceen years; feralize  it very quiet tly noo be recognized, and tribute as muco raising tensions in ty. If ttle more uneasy . . .

    Rinaldo tle, t ed starting to be coiling or gato come t young anymore.  ly ime before tyrants, noracted eacions from bygone years, stories of men and o Morian long ago.

    Erlein di Senzio  feended to eat and drink alone, sometimes in Solingen elseime y. Devin er.  of o be introduced, but  felt up to enduring Erleins abrasiveness. One mig t as events   so.

    Erleins absences because Alessan . For to betray tain deat be enraged and bitter and sullen, but , by any stretch, a fool.

    o dine to be back in Solingo play in a fees and for te. tuary of  fe Devin kne only really applied to t some of ttered about ty were doing for release  imagine. Or, yes his was Senzio.

    quot;Somet; Blind Rinaldo said abruptly beside ilting he air.

    Alessan stopped sketcrada terrain on tablecloth and looked up quickly. So did Rovigo.

    Sandre had already half-risen from his chair.

    Alais o table. Even before s a finger of dread touch him.

    quot;Catrianas gone!quot; sing to keep o Devin, ted on Alessan.

    quot;? ; Rovigo said s;e would o see her when she came down, surely?”

    quot;tairs outside,quot; Alessan said. iced, tened on the

    tabletop. tared at Alais. quot; else?”

    te. quot;S understand  ternoon. I o ask  it but I ... I didnt  to presume. So ask questions of. But t.”

    quot;A silk go; Alessan said incredulously, ; in Morians name . . . ?”

    But Devin already knew. ely.

    Alessan  been  morning, neitanding.

    A bone-deep fear dried  . ood up, tipping over his chair, spilling his wine.

    quot;Oriana,quot; ;Catriana, no!quot; Stupidly, fatuously, as if sill be stopped, still be kept among t into thomable courage and her pride.

    quot;? Devin, tell me, ?quot; Sandre, voice like a knife. Alessan said noturned, the grey eyes bracing for pain.

    quot;So tle,quot; Devin said flatly. quot;So kill Ang art the war.”

    Even as ional t quite gone, somet, infinitely deeper, driving le already t all.

    beside ep be into t look back.

    Eanna, sly, over and over as to, let it not be like t like this.

    ole in t like a living terrible knoh.

    Devin kneoucle.

    to topped, looking up tree. t turn to see. t thing.

    tted against torc in one of t hey knew.

    earing a long dark gown.

    Devin dropped to  lane.  about climbing t screaming  scent of tainflo here.

    o play?

    Mostly, s, and especially not like t been tly alone. Oto ti leaves for tea. Sing Alessan. And yes, some six or seven years ago so ermittent dreams of finding love and passion someen those dreams.

    t a dream. Nor  play. It h.

    Entrances and endings. A candle s  out.

    So  and touc  and t and ears and in  blazed from all corners of t seemed t Ango co w op of me, er, she had replied.

    , and o be above e s we blond .

    he end.

    o s before entering ook one nipple in ly, and began to run ongue in circles over it.

    Catriana closed . S clike above h and hands.

    Souc . Sc e, as if sime in t s of   into .

    t his life was over.

    You could buy anyted in Senzios . Anyt all. Including a   for t freed te, deadly thing.

    Grafted in Ygrat ral to onight.

    Anged in an involuntary snarl as aring agony. t, soaking into ts and the pillows, covering her.

    errible sound. o ted floor, clutcely at . ried to stop it, pressing o t didnt matter. It  t , bubbling sound. Angoppled sloill open, blood leaking from  onto t. And then his blue eyes clouded and closed.

    Catriana looked do eady as stone. And so  of . In a moment t s in rances and endings.

    tic sing, a panic-stricken volley of curses.

    S yet done. t be alloo take  sorcery could do to tep from time shis plan.

    ttering against t   to be naked now, s have really said why.

    Bending over took t glittering agency of deatreated blade, laid it beside Ango be quickly found. It  it be found.

    tering sound from ting, a tumult of noise in the corridor.

    S about setting fire to to blaze, it appealed to  no, to find Angly epped up on tly designed, easily tall enougo stand uprig. S. t. More t of trees came drifting up, and tness of tainflo floc t but it o Morian s oal of all.

    S of  o die in a land not  of o do

    ion seemed to put its mark upon t, one  it be enoug like an arrooward Morian in her halls.

    t inumbled into t ime.

    Catriana turned back from tars and t t, a crescendo of hope and pride.

    quot;Deato Barbadiors servants!quot; s top of ;Freedom for Senziolquot; s;Long live King Brandin of the Palm!”

    One man, quicker ted, springing across t quite quick enoug as fast as surned, t, necessary ing in ars, ting darkness bethem and beyond.

    S t o, and t all, only t seemed. Endings. A candle. Memories. A dream, a prayer of flames, t t come. t dooredly gentle darkness seemed to open hrough.