* * * * *
Suddenly, Huldyl Rauthur was no longer alone in the corridor. A Purple Dragon winked into existence, gave him a smile, and raised one hand beckoningly.
The warrior's face melted—just for a moment—into that of the wizard Darkspells.
Huldyl considered fainting for a moment then settled for just swallowing hard and obediently walking toward the Red Wizard, who smiled, became a Purple Dragon again, and led the way through another door.
* * * * *
The anklet was doing its work perfectly. Even better, Caladnei thus far suspected nothing. A trifle too slow and trusting still, our Mage Royal . . .
Elminster smiled wryly. To say nothing of the increasingly slow wits of one Elminster of Shadowdale.
Caladnei's thoughts had certainly been in turmoil this last little while, as she kept a hostile mind sane within her own, but the anklet's light prying had been more than clear on one matter: Narnra Shalace was his daughter.
"Bless ye, Mystra," he murmured. "This now calls for bolder action."
He called to mind her likeness there in his paper-littered study and with a soft-spoken spell built it from a vivid mental image to an apparently solid figure in leathers, glaring at him through dark hair. Its pose was frozen as he strolled around it, peering critically and adjusting hips there and height of shoulder there. . . .
He frowned, beckoned with his finger, and told the curved pipe that answered his summons, "I can't remember how she walked and held her hands when she moved. Time to go and take a peek."
Leaving the pipe floating mutely in front of a fading Narnra, he turned, took a step, and vanished.
* * * * *
The bard wore leathers that were gray with age arid thick with road-dust. His face was largely hidden behind a pewter tankard as tall as a short warrior's breastplate, and he sat hunched over a table in the gloom in the back corner of this particular taproom in Suzail because this—specifically, the broom-closet door behind him—was where the portal-link to Marsember was.
Roldro Tattershar didn't think too many folk of Cormyr, even Highknights and War Wizards, knew about this particular portal anymore. Not even most of his fellow Harpers had heard of it. Wherefore Roldro took care to affix a villainous false mustache onto his upper lip whenever he visited The Green Wyvern and employ garb far different from his customary floridly flamboyant dress.
However, as he set down his tankard on this particular occasion, he choked and almost swallowed his mustache when the air right in front of him wavered and suddenly produced two men, standing with their backs to him where there'd been nothing but empty air before. Swiftly and silently Roldro put his head down on his arm and let his tankard loll and lean in his thumb, looking every inch the passed-out drunkard.
"I can't stay long!" the shorter man hissed, running a nervous hand through the few strands of brown hair that were left across his balding pate. "I was about to report the ah, troubles at the sanctum to Laspeera. A lot of palace duty-guards saw me pass!"
"How much do you think the Mage Royal and Laspeera know about the details of Vangerdahast's work?"
Rauthur frowned. "Almost all of it. He trained both of them."
"No, no! His grand scheme—the one he's working on right now! Binding dragons to be defenders of Cormyr!"
"Oh! Ah, that plan. Is that really what he's . . . ? Gods! Uh, I'm—I'm not sure. I can try to find out, but. . . well, I'm not a very sly questioner."
"That's stone cold truth, Rauthur. Why not say you heard Van-gerdahast muttering something to himself like 'these dragon bindings will never work!' when his shields went down for a moment, as part of these 'troubles,' and mark their reactions?"
"Ah—yes, yes, of course!"
"Good!" The taller, thinner man muttered something else—and the room was suddenly empty again of all but three tables, their chairs, and a Harper feigning a drunken stupor.
Roldro Tattershar promptly sprang up from his chair like a bolt of lightning in a hurry, yanked open the broom-closet door, and drained his tankard in one long pull ere setting it down carefully on the table and backing through the closet door.
Vangerdahast planned to bind dragons to protect Cormyr? Well, well! It was certainly time to stir the cauldron and see who bubbled to the top first!
Besides, being a Harper was hungry and thirsty work, and the Lady Joysil Ambrur would be sure to pay handsomely for this information.
* * * * *
Caladnei smiled. "Well, I'm sure you're in need of food, drink, a long soak, and some sleep. We daren't give you those here lest someone see you and take note that our hunted prisoner is now more of an honored guest, but we can give you ample coins to get such necessities at an inn. Rhauligan?"
The Harper rolled his eyes, told the ceiling in a mutter, "Always me! Always! Have you noticed?" and from a pouch poured out an ample handful of coins into his palm. He put all of them carefully into Narnra's hand.
"Hear then," Caladnei continued, "your first task: Find the traitor I know is among my War Wizards—not by magic or by confrontation but rather by observing the doings of certain War Wizards in Suzail from the background, trying to stay unnoticed as much as possible."
Narnra raised an eyebrow. "You can't just mind-ream them?"
"Many have trap-magics bound into their shield-spells . . . moreover, they do much better work for me when they think their little sideline activies go unobserved."
" 'Little sideline activities'? Illict and corrupt this and that?"
"Some of them, yes. Others merely have undignified hobbies or socially awkward liaisons, and I don't want them unhappily peering over their shoulders expecting my cold eye on their backsides for the rest of their careers—or those careers will end up being worth very little to me."
"Caladnei, I'm the stranger here. How am I supposed to know when a surreptitious visit to a bedchamber or a murmured name traded for a few coins is a little sideline and when it's high treason to Cormyr?"
The Mage Royal sighed. "A good point. Look, Narnra, I don't care—Speera here doesn't care, Vangey in his day didn't care, and all the Wizards of War knew it—if this or that hairy male War Wizard likes to put on rouge and lady-gowns or roll in nutbutter honey behind closed doors. Or tries to seduce every last noble lady—or lord, for that matter—in the realm. I also don't care if they mutter future trade opportunities to every merchant in the kingdom."
She waved an emphatic finger. "I do care if they go behind closed doors to talk to rich Sembians, Red Wizards of Thay, Zhen-tarim, anyone from Westgate, or nobles who seem to be using false names or who never leave dockside inns in Suzail. I care if they go anywhere to meet alone with independent mages or disappear for days on end into the mansions, hunting lodges, or castles of our nobles."
She sighed and added in calmer tones, "If they do, don't try to confront, harm, or follow them. Just come and tell me who went where. I'll know, of course, if they're supposed to be doing something sly for me wherever you saw them."
"And if I'm arrested as an outlander spy?"
"Demand to be interrogated by a senior War Wizard—something so feared by most Cormyreans that they'll be impressed and won't think you're bluffing. When you end up facing any War Wizard, tell them to contact Laspeera or myself 'in the name of both Azouns.' They dare not ignore that phrase. We'll tell them we've cast a spell on your mind as an experiment and you may therefore do all sorts of odd things . . . and aren't to be prevented from doing so."
"Well, that's true enough."
Caladnei looked hurt for the moment it took her to see Narnra's crooked smile.
"I'm sorry," the Mage Royal said gently. "I know none of this has been easy for you. Think of it as a long, grand theft and us as your fellow gang members."
Narnra rolled her eyes and said briskly, "This is going to proceed much better if I know who these War Wizards are, what they look like, and where in Suzail I might have the slightest hope of finding them."
Caladnei nodded and reached out a finger to touch Narnra's forehead. "Hold still. This is the easiest way, believe it or not."
There was a moment of icy tingling then images burst into Narnra's mind, unfolding from momentary confusion into the faces of a dozen War Wizards. Two women and ten men, all moving slightly, just as they'd been doing when captured by Caladnei's magic. Names appeared in her head with each one, reappearing whenever she turned her attention back to an image already seen. "Thaeram Duskwinter, Bathtar Flamegallow, Calaethe Hallow-thorn, Iymeera Juthbuck, Helvaunt Lanternlar, Bowsar Ostramarr, Huldyl Rauthur, Storntar Redmantle . . ."
Narnra frowned, closed her eyes, and sat back, shaking her head slightly.
"Got those?" Rhauligan asked. When she nodded, he added, "Good," and drew a much-folded square of vellum from his sleeve. It opened out into an incredibly detailed map of Suzail that made Narnra lean forward in awe to peer at the little dots that denoted every last building in the city. The Harper put a finger on one dot and said, "This is a tavern called The Downed Falcon, a favorite haunt of Flamegallow and Ostramarr. And this down here is the—"