The Raven Ring (20 page)

Metriss scowled, but her mother’s tone forbade argument. When Baroja returned a moment later and announced that the Luck-seer was ready, Laurinel rose and went to meet him. Baroja smiled, offered her his hand, and escorted her out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, the remaining ladies returned to their debate on the order in which they should have their cards charted.

Listening in silence to the polite bickering around her, Eleret concluded that the dispute was not really about cards. Lady tir Vallaniri kept her comments to a minimum, but Raqueva, Metriss, and Lady Kistran maneuvered for verbal advantage with the skill of long practice. Daner, who had finished his conversation with his father and come over to join them, seemed to find the procedure amusing. Several times, he dropped an innocent-sounding remark into the conversation that gave new energy to the flagging debate. Finally, Lady tir Vallaniri asked him pointedly when
he
wished to have his cards read. Daner laughed and disclaimed any desire for a chart, but from then on he made no more provocative comments.

By the time Baroja and Laurinel returned, everything was settled. Raqueva and Metriss would take the next two turns, followed by Eleret, Lady tir Vallaniri, Daner, and Baroja.

Lady Kistran continued to maintain that she did not wish to have her cards charted, however skilled the Luck-seer. Her determination was sorely tested when Laurinel reentered the room, her face radiant and her mouth full of praise for Jonystra’s skills.

“She said that Domori—Lord Trantorino—will be home soon, and with great success,” Laurinel told them happily.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Lady Kistran muttered, loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“Oh, Aunt!” Raqueva rose and gave Laurinel a quick hug. “Don’t mind her, Lauri. And don’t forget anything; when I get back, you’re going to have to repeat everything you’ve told them.”

Laurinel smiled, and Raqueva left with Baroja. Frowning slightly, Eleret gazed after them. Then she shook her head. Raqueva was a tangle she didn’t have time to comb straight. Best to concentrate on Jonystra and her cards, at least for the present.

Fortunately, Metriss was eager to hear all the details of Laurinel’s experience, and she flung new questions at her sister almost before Laurinel had time to answer the old ones. Much of the story was obscure to Eleret, for she was unfamiliar with the cards and their meanings and no one stopped to explain them. She had to figure them out from the conversation. It didn’t help when Lady Kistran began arguing about the interpretation of Laurinel’s chart.

“The Eight of Stones is for
completion,
” she said flatly. “It doesn’t always mean
success.
I think you’re too optimistic, Laurinel, as usual.”

“But with the Lady of Shells supporting the Eight—” Metriss began.

Kistran shook her head. “The Lady is one of the least powerful of the Ruling Cards in the suit of Shells. Now, if it had been the
Sorceress
of Shells, or the Lady of
Flames…
”

“It’s not the power of the individual card that counts,” Laurinel objected. “It’s the way it relates to the rest of the cards in the chart.”

“Look at the rest of your cards, then,” Kistran said with a small sniff. “Only one Major Trump in your whole chart, and that was Silence. And your Minors! The Mountain, Despair, and Taxes! That says it all, as far as I’m concerned.”

“The Mountain is a good card,” Metriss said uncertainly. “At least, it can be.”

“And Despair was reversed,” Laurinel added. “And Taxes was in the quarter of Past Opposition. You
can’t
pull bits and pieces out of a chart and expect to make any sense of them, Aunt.”

“Or rather, you can make anything you like of them,” Daner put in. “All you have to do is pick the right bits and pieces. Or the wrong ones.”

Laurinel gave Daner a look of gratitude. “Yes, that’s exactly what I was trying to say.”

“Nonsense. If you want to get the most out of a chart, you must look at
all
the relationships,” Kistran said. “You must—”

The door at the far end of the room opened, and Baroja and Raqueva came in. Metriss jumped to her feet at once. “It’s my turn now; let’s go, Baroja.”

“There’s no need to rush,” Baroja said. He relinquished Raqueva’s hand and brushed at an invisible speck on his sleeve. “The Luck-seer has to clear the influences or something between each chart. At least, that’s what she said.”

Daner frowned. “She did? Are you sure? Baroja, exactly what did she say?”

“I told you,” Baroja said in an injured tone. “Something about clearing influences. It’s what took us so long.”

“Baroja—”

“If you really want to know, Daner, I’ll ask when I get there,” Metriss said. “Come on, Baroja.”

Baroja bowed with a flourish and held out his hand. Smiling, Metriss took it and swept out of the room. Daner looked after them, still frowning. No one besides Eleret seemed to notice his reaction. Raqueva sat down and immediately asked Laurinel about her chart, giving Lady Kistran the chance to repeat her gloomy interpretations while Lady tir Vallaniri watched indulgently.

The new conversation was even more incomprehensible to Eleret than the previous one had been, though she noted that Raqueva chose not to describe her chart for her aunt to explain. Instead, Raqueva guided the discussion into the realm of theory, and the argument quickly became abstract. It reminded Eleret of the talk at Raken’s place on the rare quiet summer evenings: first would come a comment about a specific battle; next, a discussion of one commander’s tactics, which would develop into an analysis of the strategic decisions that had led to the battle, until finally the argument drifted into a theoretical discussion that ranged freely over wars and centuries, until the cook-fire dwindled to coals and starlight frosted the mountain peaks with silver. She wished Raken were with her now, in Ciaron. His good sense would be as useful as his combat skills.

Eleret’s reflections were interrupted by the return of Baroja and Metriss. The girl wore a self-satisfied expression, and lost no time in explaining it. “I am going to be one of the Empress’s ladies, and marry a man of great influence and power!”

“How impressive,” said Raqueva. “No wonder you look so pleased. Do you have any idea how long it will be before all this happens?”

“Very soon,” Metriss said, her smile growing. “The Four of Flames was right next to my crown card.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything for the long run,” Lady Kistran said. “In fact, the Fours usually—”

“A moment, Mother, if it please you,” Baroja broke in. “I do apologize for interrupting, but better now than when you’re in the midst of an explanation. Freelady Salven, you’re next, I think. If you will join me…?” He held out his hand in a graceful, demanding gesture.

As Eleret rose to her feet, Daner stepped forward and bowed to Baroja. “No, no, Cousin, you’ve done your duty for the evening. Freelady Salven is
my
guest; I’ll escort her, and let you join the conversation here.”

“Very proper,” Lady Kistran said, nodding. “Come and sit down, Baroja.”

“You are too kind,” Baroja said to Daner. “Fair breezes turn your cards, Freelady.” He bowed again and crossed to his mother’s side.

Eleret laid her hand on Daner’s and accompanied him to the far door. As soon as they were out of the room, she let her arm drop and turned to face him. “What’s wrong?”

“If I knew, I’d have put a stop to this nonsense when Raqueva came back,” Daner said. “But there’s nothing I can sink a hook in, just a feeling that you’d be better off with me standing reserve in the hall than Baroja.”

“It was that business about ‘clearing the influences,’ wasn’t it? What does that mean?”

“Nothing, probably.” Daner frowned and began pacing along the hall. “She could be just repeating a phrase she’s heard, or Baroja may have mixed up what she told him with what little he knows of magic. But if she isn’t, and if he didn’t, then you may be right about Jonystra after all.”

“You mean she’s a magician?”

“Maybe.”

“Can’t you
tell
?”

Daner looked at her in exasperation. “Can you tell just by looking at someone whether he’s a warrior?”

“Mostly.” Eleret had to smile at Daner’s expression. “It’s in the way people move.”

“Well, can you tell a healer from a scholar or a judge, then? Or a carter from a wheelwright or a sawyer? Magic isn’t something that marks you out for all the world to see and wonder at. The only way to spot a wizard is to observe him just after he’s done a spell, when the residue of the magic he’s been using is still clinging to him.”

“Or catch him in the middle.”

Daner nodded. “So I simply don’t know about Jonystra. I thought that if you didn’t want to risk…whatever, we could just stand here for a while and then go back. I can tell you enough about the cards to get you past Aunt Kistran.”

“Maybe.” Eleret frowned, considering. How great was the risk, really? Jonystra had never actually
done
anything but talk. Still, it might be better to take the raven ring off before she went in— No, it was safer where it was. Nothing Jonystra could say would coax the ring from Eleret’s finger, and if it did come to a fight, the Luck-seer wouldn’t get far against a Cilhar. On the other hand, if Jonystra could work magic…
What you can’t counter, block.
“If you’re standing outside in the hall, will you know if she starts casting a spell? And can you stop her if you notice?”

“I can probably stop her if I notice, but I won’t notice unless it’s a powerful spell. Are you actually thinking of going through with this?”

“Yes. I don’t think Jonystra will try anything big or powerful in a nobleman’s house, but if she does, you’ll have all the excuse you need to question her. Won’t you?”

“Of course, but—”

“And she’s had other chances to do something small, and she hasn’t used them.”
What you can’t block, avoid.
“Still— Is there some way I can tell if she tries?”

Daner pressed his lips together for a moment, then shook his head. “I doubt it, especially if she’s pretending to magic the cards. It takes a trained wizard to tell a really good fake from a very subtle spell.”

“If it’s that hard, what’s the difference? Oh, never mind. If things start to look odd, I’ll yell, and you can come in and figure out what’s going on.” She didn’t like having to place so much trust in a Ciaronese, but Daner was good in a fight, and from what Prill had said, he knew far more about magic than she did.
What you can’t avoid, don’t fret yourself skinny over.
Well, she’d done what she could to prepare. “Let’s go.”

“You’re sure this is a good idea?”

“No. I just don’t have a better one. Let’s
go,
Daner.”

“All right.” Daner shrugged and held out his hand once more. As soon as Eleret took it, he started briskly down the hall.

FOURTEEN

B
AROJA HAD PUT
J
ONYSTRA
in a narrow chamber along the front wall of the house. To Eleret’s secret relief, Daner entered along with her, and his presence gave her an extra moment to evaluate the situation.

Partway across the room, Jonystra Nirandol sat on the near side of a rectangular table. Her skull-faced servant stood in the shadows on the far side of the table, straightening the red cloth that draped it. Eleret could not make out many details, for the light was very bad. Although the chamber was two stories above the street, the windows were not much wider than the cross-shaped arrow slits on the ground floor, and since it was well after sunset, nothing showed through them. No fire burned on the hearth, and none of the lamps were lit; the only illumination came from a lone candle at Jonystra’s elbow.

“I bring you your next client, Luck-seer,” Daner said, bowing.

“I thank you, my lord,” Jonystra replied. She lowered her eyes, then looked up again with a smile. “It is good to see you again. Both of you.”

“I’m pleased you remember me,” Daner said. He hesitated, then stepped farther into the room and gave Jonystra his most charming smile. “It inspires me to request a favor.”

“A favor?” Jonystra’s eyes dropped once more, and the corners of her mouth stiffened slightly, making her smile look as if she had pasted it in place. “What sort of favor?”

“May I observe your charting? I’m interested in different techniques, and I don’t get the opportunity to watch a true Luck-seer very often.”

Jonystra looked up, plainly startled. “You wish to stay to watch this lady’s cards charted?”

“If you’ll allow me.” Daner bowed again.

“I fear I cannot,” Jonystra said, visibly pulling herself together. “You will have opportunities enough when your own cards are charted.” She paused. “You do intend to have your cards charted?”

“Of course, but it’s difficult to pay close attention to technique when one is personally concerned with the outcome.”

“And I would appreciate having Lord Daner’s opinion,” Eleret put in. It was a good idea; she should have thought of it herself. If they could persuade Jonystra to let Daner stay, she’d be less inclined to try anything and less likely to get away with it if she did.

Jonystra shook her head sadly. “Charting the cards is a delicate business. The presence of another person would reduce the accuracy and—”

“Oh, that’s all right.” Eleret smiled, hoping Jonystra did not know much about Cilhar, and added, “Without help, I won’t remember what you tell me anyway.”

Daner gave Eleret a startled look, but fortunately Jonystra was not watching his expression and he recovered quickly. “A good point,” he said smoothly. “With my mother and Lady Kistran demanding details from everyone, I can see why you are concerned.”

It was Eleret’s turn to be puzzled; Daner’s mother had not expressed any particular interest in the fine points of the charts. The words seemed to carry some meaning to Jonystra, however, for she frowned uncertainly and glanced across the table at her silent servant. “I’m not sure,” she said. “That is, I don’t think…”

“I venture to say that Luck-seer Nirandol is equal even to so difficult a task as my lord proposes,” the skull-faced man said, bending his head respectfully. His voice was deep and mellow, a complete contrast to his appearance, and he spoke with a trace of an accent that Eleret did not recognize, though it seemed vaguely familiar.