Destiny (49 page)

"It will be my pleasure," Allovin replied, standing to give Jovvi a smile and a bow. "My reward for having to watch you flounder again and again without helping is to give you what help I can now. If you don't mind, I'll get myself some tea while the six of you go off to take care of calming things down among your other people. It shouldn't take long, and I'll be right here when you get back. And during the meal, I'll teach you how to get in touch with my people and me if and when you need to."

The man
seemed
to be telling the truth, but it didn't make much difference even if he were lying and intended to leave as soon as we were gone. I had no idea how we would keep him from leaving if he chose to, and an exchanged glance with my Blendingmates showed that they felt the same. Either Allovin would be there for lunch or he would be gone, so we left the sitting room to see to things we
did
have some control over.

Outside in the public part of the palace, we found mild chaos. The High talents who had been frozen in place had found out just how long they'd been out of things, and more confused Highs were staggering in to demand answers as soon as they were able to move. Driff and his Blendingmates were arranging to get the Highs fed as quickly as they appeared, but getting them calmed down was something else entirely.

It even took
us
a while to establish some kind of order, and we had to repeat the explanation of what had been going on three times before enough people heard it that they could do the repeating themselves. We were also brought something to eat, but by the time noon approached we were ready for a meal that wouldn't have to be taken standing up.

"Sneakin' out of here ought to be possible now," Vallant murmured to the rest of us while people argued about what they believed and what they didn't. "Driff and his Blendin'mates just got back, and they look like they've been fortified with food. Let's go get some fortifyin' of our own."

If anyone had argued with that idea I probably would have flattened them, but of course none of us was
dim
enough to argue. We left the room without anyone noticing that we were going, but once out into the hall we ran smack into Lavrit Mohr, High Master of the Guild. There was another man trailing after Mohr who looked faintly familiar, and the High Master beamed at us.

"Excellences," he said, bowing to all of us. "I only just heard that you were back, so I hurried over at once. I have someone you're certain to want to meet."

"To tell the truth, High Master, we're a bit pressed for time right now," Lorand said smoothly at once. "Surely the introduction will wait until we're free again?"

"Well, of course it will," Mohr said, looking downright crestfallen. "After all the time the man has waited, I suppose another hour or two won't matter that much. They
are
extremely busy men and women, Dom Gallaine. You can understand that, I hope?"

"Sure, I can understand it," the man with Mohr said, his disappointment so sharp that it nearly made me gasp. "Just tell me: which one of them is he? If I know that much, I can wait as long as I have to."

"A reasonable request," Mohr granted, decision suddenly firm in his mind. "This man here is the one known as Rion Mardimil, originally called Clarion Mardimil."

Mohr pointed to Rion, but Rion was already staring at the stranger behind Mohr. Rion's frown was perplexed, but suddenly I understood exactly what was happening.

"I think lunch can wait awhile," I said, feeling happy tears come to my eyes. "Rion… Unless I'm completely mistaken, that man is your father."

"Why, yes, I am, and my name is Aldrin Gallaine," the man said, his gaze unmoving from a stunned Rion. "I had no choice about letting my child be stolen from me, but I still feel as if I abandoned him. If he doesn't want to know me now I'll understand, but I still had to see with my own eyes the fine man's he's become. His mother would have been so proud if she'd lived, as proud as I am…"

By then Rion had moved closer to the man, and then they were hugging with tears in both their eyes. Jovvi and Naran cried openly with silly smiles on their faces, the kind of silly smile I probably wore as well. Vallant and Lorand showed broad grins, but I thought I detected a bit of moisture in their eyes as well.

"Ah, so much happiness brought about by a fortunate accident," Lavrit Mohr said as he dabbed at his face with a handkerchief. "One of my people, a man or woman whose name I don't even know, learned that Dom Gallaine was supposed to be the true father of the Excellence Rion. The information was passed on to me along with Dom Gallaine's location, and I arranged to have him returned here to Gan Garee. I really must find which of my people gathered the necessary information, and reward him or her properly."

"So you found Rion's father purely by accident," I said, looking around to see that my Blendingmates had gotten the same idea I had. "You may have trouble locating the one who sent you the information, Dom Mohr, but if so don't worry about it. I think we can pass on all our thanks to the proper parties."

"Yes, probably over lunch," Jovvi said with an amused smile. "Of all the gifts we could have been given, this one has to be best - and the best gauge to measure some new acquaintances. You can usually tell what people are like by what they do in an effort to please you."

"Then let's go tell a new acquaintance how pleased we are by the effort," I said, my arm around Vallant's waist as his was around my shoulders. "Rion and Naran and their guest will certainly want to have lunch in their own wing, Dom Mohr, and you've definitely earned the right to join them. The rest of us will go on to that meeting we mentioned, and we'll get back together later."

Mohr didn't quite understand everything I'd said, but Vallant, Jovvi, and Lorand had. We left Rion to his happy reunion and the chance to introduce Naran to his newfound father, and headed back to the sitting room in my wing. We had some thanks to give, and the future had never looked brighter.