King of Foxes. Raymond E. Feist

and his breathing deepen. He was nearly asleep when he felt the tent flap open.

      Before he could move a shadowy figure took one quick step from the opening and grabbed him by the throat. As he came fully alert he smelled soft perfume and heard a whisper in his ear. ‘How sweet. You waited up for me.’ Then he felt Natalia’s lips press hard on his as she pushed him over on his back, and pressed him down upon the pillows. He blinked and in the gloom saw her beautiful face inches from his as she quickly unfastened her sleeping robe and cast it aside. Playfully slipping one hand down to his stomach, she said, ‘My brother may not be able to think of a way to thank you for saving his life. But I have several ideas.’

      Then she lowered her head and kissed him again.

       • Chapter Four • Choice

      TAL SAT DOWN.

      He sank heavily into the cushions of the divan while regarding the figure standing quietly in the corner. ‘Pasko has run Amafi down to the market on a pointless errand before the market closes, so we’re alone for a few minutes,’ he said, raising a cup of wine. ‘Join me?’

      The tall figure stepped out of the corner, and removed his hat. Long white hair fell to his shoulders as pale blue eyes regarded Tal. ‘I won’t be here long. Father’s sent me with a message and a few questions.’

      ‘At least sit down, Magnus.’

      ‘I’ll stand,’ said the young magician. For a while Magnus had taught Tal a little about magic and logic, but of all of those who had taught Tal, Magnus was the one with whom he felt the least kinship. Tal thought it ironic, as Caleb, Magnus’s younger brother, was the only man in the Conclave with whom Tal felt any sense of brotherhood. Both were hunters, both non-magic-users in a culture of magicians, both unable to understand much of what they saw around them every day. Of all those who served the Conclave, only Miranda, Magnus’s mother, was more of a stranger to Tal.

      Tal said, ‘Forgive me, but I had a taxing day and night. I’ve had almost no sleep and my wits have fled.’

      Magnus smiled. ‘Your heroics with the bear and with the Lady Natalia, I gather?’

      ‘You’ve heard?’ Tal sat up, shocked. He had been back in the city less than an hour before departing the palace, which had been less than an hour ago. Which meant rumour would have had to have spread in record time. His eyes narrowed. ‘You couldn’t have heard. You saw!’

      ‘Yes, I was watching.’

      Tal didn’t hide his displeasure. It was the second time Magnus had secretly watched Tal. ‘I can almost understand you wishing to observe my fight with Raven, but why a simple hunt?’

      ‘Because nothing involving Kaspar of Olasko is simple. Father asked me to ensure you were well on your way to ingratiating yourself with Kaspar and between the rescue from the bear and your conquest of his sister, it appears things are well in hand. Besides, it will be the last time I spy on you.’

      ‘Why?’

      Magnus held his broad-brimmed hat in both hands. ‘First the questions. Are you ready to take service with Kaspar?’

      ‘Almost, but not quite.’

      ‘Soon, then?’

      ‘Yes, soon.’

      ‘Has either the Duke or his sister mentioned the man Leso Varen to you?’

      ‘No. I would have taken note.’

      ‘Father’s last question: do you have any idea why Kaspar seeks to put troops on the border of the Kingdom of the Isles, hundreds of miles from any significant objective?’

      ‘Not even a hint.’

      ‘Now, a question from me: why did you save Kaspar from that bear?’

      Tal shook his head and sipped his wine. ‘To tell you the truth, I had no idea at the time. I just reacted. But after dwelling on it, I decided it must be the gods telling me something.’

      ‘What?’

      ‘It’s not enough to see Kaspar die. At the very least he must know why he is dying, but even more …’

      ‘What?’

      ‘I want to see him humbled. I want to watch as he realizes that everything he’s done, every murderous order given, every treacherous decision, has come to naught.’

      Magnus was quiet for a moment, then said, ‘Killing him will be far easier than reducing him to such a state.’

      ‘Still, that is my goal.’

      ‘Your goal,’ said Magnus, ‘if I may remind you, is to first discover why he desires a war with the Kingdom. Every shred of intelligence we have tells us you are correct in your surmise: Kaspar has some mad design on forging an alliance among the Eastern Kingdoms so he may launch a strike against the Isles.

      ‘And I emphasize the word “mad” for none of what he has accomplished so far reveals a hint of sanity.’

      Tal nodded. ‘Yet I would wager my life that Kaspar is anything but mad. Devious, murderous, charming, even amusing; but he is as sane as any man. His choices may appear pointless, but there is always a design behind them.’ He leaned forward and put his wine cup on the table. ‘Now, Pasko and Amafi will return soon, so we must be done with this quickly.’

      ‘Then to the message. This from my father. You are to be detached.’

      ‘Exactly what does that mean?’

      ‘It means no one will be calling on you at any time, Tal.’ Magnus adjusted his hat. ‘When you decide to take Kaspar up on his offer and enter his service, find an excuse to discharge Pasko. I leave it up to you as to what you do with this Amafi fellow. But you are oath-bound to never mention your connection to the Conclave to him, or even hint of the Conclave’s existence.

      ‘From now on, we will have no further contact with you until you seek us out. If you are in the north, find a way to send a message to Kendrick’s or go there yourself. In Rillanon, seek out an inn called the Golden Sunrise, and you’ve already been to the Cask and Vine in Salador. Should you find yourself in Krondor, you already know the Admiral Trask. Here, see the night barman at Molkonski’s Inn. We don’t have any agents in Opardum, more’s the pity, but if you can get a message up to the Anvil and Tong, in the town of Karesh’kaar in Bardac’s Holdfast, it’ll get to us.’

      Tal laughed. ‘Are all your agents ensconced in inns and taverns?’

      Magnus smiled. ‘No, but we find inns and taverns to be useful places to collect information. Devise a way to get a message to any of those locations, addressed to the Squire of Forest Deep, and it will reach us. Use the code phrase if you can. There are other inns in other cities, and Pasko can see you have a full list before you part company.’

      ‘Why am I to do without him?’

      ‘Two … no, three reasons. First, with each additional agent of the Conclave who gets near Leso Varen, the risk to us is multiplied. Mother has Lady Rowena as close to Kaspar as a woman can get – I assume in the vain hope Kaspar might let something slip among the pillow-talk – and with you there, our vulnerability increases; Pasko adds nothing of use to us, but increases the hazard.

      ‘Second, we have other tasks for Pasko.

      ‘And lastly, he works for the Conclave, not Squire Hawkins of Ylith, no matter what you have come to believe.’

      ‘Point taken.’

      ‘Now, I must make this clear: no matter what opportunity you have to revenge yourself on Kaspar, he is only part of the problem; find out what you may of Leso Varen. He is the true danger in this. Finally, if you are found out, we will see you dead before risking the security of the Conclave. Is that clear?’

      ‘Abundantly.’