Challenges (41 page)

“We can’t do that,” Bron said calmly, instantly denting Delin’s good mood. “His superiors have to know what we’re capable of even if by some chance he doesn’t, so they’ll probably be alert for signs of tampering. If we leave those signs in him and discover they can’t be erased, we’ll be telling everyone just what they shouldn’t know.”

“We’ll be much better off finding someone high enough up that they won’t be monitored,” Selendi proposed with a nod. “Signs of tampering won’t matter if no one thinks to look for them, but we’ll still have to be careful in general. We don’t want to run into any part of that very widespread investigation of the murders.”

“They’re really determined to find out who’s behind it all,” Homin put in while Delin’s indignation dissolved into chills. “Everyone is furious over having accused an innocent man, thereby being the direct cause of
his
death. They’re dead set on finding out who used them as a murder weapon, and when they do…”

“And when they do, I’d hate to be the one,” Kambil agreed with his own shudder. “If they don’t make the most horrible example of him imaginable, the sun will probably fail to rise the next day. But that doesn’t tell us who we ought to question. Choosing one of the Advisors, for instance, would probably be a waste of time, because he would be too high up. Details would be known by his subordinate, but just which one…”

Delin’s attention withdrew from the discussion, his mind still clanging over that phrase Kambil had used: the most horrible example imaginable. That was what would happen to
him
if he were caught, and all for such an unimportant little to-do. But of course
they
didn’t consider it unimportant, not when they were the ones he’d made fools of. They would even the score in blood and agony,
his
blood and agony…

Small beads of sweat sprang out on Delin’s forehead, the same sweat that arose any time he thought about the matter. He also felt that terrible sense of shock again that he’d first experienced when he’d learned that Rigos was dead, too soon, unfortunately, for people to still be in doubt about his guilt. Leave it to Rigos to ruin Delin’s plans even in death…

“… so that’s what we’ll do,” Delin heard Kambil say. “It makes the most sense, but we’ll have to cover our tracks carefully. We’ll pretend we’re going out to party, we’ll find a group to join, and after making sure they all believe we’re still there, we’ll go about our business. If we pay attention to the details, we won’t have a problem.”

The others all added their sober agreement, which meant Delin would feel like a fool if he asked about what they were agreeing to. He’d either have to wait and see, or get Kambil aside a bit later and question the man. Delin’s dislike of Kambil flared again, almost to the point of hatred. Kambil now acted as though
he
were their leader, an usurpation Delin refused to allow. He might need the Spirit magic user now, but once they’d won the Fivefold Throne…

A moment later Lord Idian appeared, but the man stayed only long enough to take the report on their “progress.” Kambil dutifully gave Idian what he wanted to hear, and once the man left again the group broke up. Delin searched discreetly for Kambil without finding the man, nor did he appear at lunch. A servant told Delin that Kambil was napping, and had left instructions not to be disturbed. That meant Delin had no choice but to wait, and so after lunch he took his own nap.

They all got together to go out to dinner, during which they pretended to boisterous good cheer. Delin pretended along with everyone else, and soon was feeling almost as good as those around them thought he did. A good number of party invitations came their way from other diners, but they accepted only the one where the most people were likely to appear. Kambil did the accepting, and that, too, rubbed Delin the wrong way.

The party was alive with music and laughter, but Delin had scant time to enjoy himself. Homin had quietly reminded him that it was his responsibility to keep them all sober no matter how much they drank, and he also had to do the same for himself. Delin was ready to feel put-upon until Selendi whispered, “I thank any Higher Aspect that you’re here, Delin. We certainly couldn’t do this without you.”

The truth of that soothed Delin so much that he
was
able to enjoy himself, and that despite his chore. The five of them were scattered all over the large ballroom, but Delin still had no trouble keeping track of his people—and keeping them free of the effects of alcohol. The negligible effort interfered not at all with Delin’s usual lies to the women who interested him, and he was in the midst of that when he felt Kambil’s touch.

Responding to the touch had become so automatic that it was done before Delin had time to think about it. Then three additional connections sprang into being, and despite the lack of a proper formation, the five of them were Blended.

*
It’s gotten good and late, so this might be the best time for us to move,
* the Kambil part of them sent. *
What do you think, Delin
?*

*
Yes, this is definitely a good time,
* Delin agreed, his ego soothed by having been deferred to. *
If we affect only the ones in our immediate vicinities and those in the fringes, the matter will appear much more natural. People on the other side of the room can’t be expected to be aware of our presence or absence.
*

Complete agreement came from the others, so they all moved one step higher into that state of being where they were a single entity. The entity reached out to the people near its five separate locations, ordering them to remember its individual presence even once those individuals were gone. Then the entity searched out and touched with forgetfulness all those who would have to be passed on the way out of the room, and the chore was done. Those who saw them leave and later return would never remember the times.

And then Delin was himself again, which he needed to be in order to leave. He parted his lips to excuse himself from the presence of the ladies he’d been speaking with, then nearly laughed aloud. The ladies were still speaking to—and apparently hearing—him, but a “him” supposedly standing a foot and a half to the left of his actual position. The foolish sluts looked at and simpered at empty air, which meant he was free to simply walk away.

One by one the others joined him in the outer hall, but they didn’t go toward the front door. They made their way to a side door instead, slipped out without notice, moved through the shadows of the lawn to the street, where a coach unfamiliar to Delin waited. The driver sat and stared as though in a trance, and Kambil climbed up to join the man while the others entered the coach.

The trip wasn’t all that long, and when they reached their destination Delin finally realized who they would be questioning. High Lord Embisson Ruhl lived on the estate just ahead, and their coach pulled into the drive but stopped well before reaching the house. No one had been around to see them enter the grounds, and later no one would see them leave.

“Lord Embisson ought to be able to tell us everything we need to know,” Delin murmured, realizing that the choice must have somehow been influenced by him. “He’s in charge of everything to do with the competitions, but never comes near any of the participants.”

“We ought to know in just a few minutes,” Kambil said as he opened the coach door and climbed inside to sit on the floor. “We all know what has to be done, and we’ll do it as soon as Delin tells us it’s safe to begin.”

They all looked at Delin then, who preened for a very short time before checking all about. He was absolutely essential to the group, and the gratifying part was that they all knew it. Not a single consciousness of the human variety was aware of their presence, so he nodded regally, giving his permission to begin.

And begin they did. So swiftly were they Blended and then melded, that the Delin individual would have gasped. But the Delin individual was no more, not while the entity was awake and functioning. It drifted away from the five bodies which had spawned it, floating easily toward the house where its objective could be found.

Walls were no barrier to the entity, but being unfamiliar with the quarry’s trace slowed it down. More people were awake and moving about than the entity had expected to find, and it finally gathered that some sort of private party was in the process of being enjoyed. That made things both harder and easier, as the quarry was with the party attendees, and therefore not alone.

But being in the midst of a crowd was no protection for the quarry, as a single, light touch convinced him that he needed to relieve himself. The entity floated along after him as he left the room, deflecting some rather powerful probes that came in its direction. Some of those at the party obviously had stronger than average ability, but none was strong enough to penetrate to the entity’s presence.

Lord Embisson led the way to the largest privacy facility the entity had ever seen, one that was, happily,
not
meant for the use of the party attendees. Lord Embisson’s thoughts reflected the concepts of personal property and complete privacy, and so it turned out to be. No one was in the room, and so it would be unnecessary to send the man elsewhere.

*
Stand and respond to the questions put to you
* the entity commanded with another touch. *
You will answer fully, and speak only the truth. Afterward, you will forget.
*

“I will answer fully and truthfully, and afterward I will forget,” the aged man agreed easily, otherwise unmoving and unblinking. “What would you like to know?”

*
What secrets concerning Blending are there in your possession?
* the entity put first. *
And what evaluation has been made about the various noble Blendings? Are any of them a match to the Blending chosen by the Advisors?
*

“All information about Blending is closely restricted,” Lord Embisson answered at once. “It’s worth a man’s life to learn even one fact too many, and there are no exceptions made. I enjoy life far too much to want to see it ended over some bit of lore I have no use for in the first place.”

*
And the rest?
* the entity prompted.

Disappointment tried to touch it, but it was far too occupied to allow that.

“The four noble Blendings in my province are primarily all the same,” Lord Embisson continued, his tone unexcited. “They have all managed to Blend, which is just as well for them, as we would have used them in any event. They’re all pretending to do their assigned exercises, but most of them are lying about it. They’re basically too lazy and stupid to do anything
but
pretend and strut, but that’s hardly unexpected. As far as the chosen Blending goes, I know nothing about it, nor do I care to. Those who are dealing with it most closely won’t survive the end of the competitions by even a full day. I’m one of the very few old enough to remember that, so I haven’t even made the effort to find out who the soon-tobe-doomed are. After all, why bother?”

The entity considered that very briefly, then found itself agreeing. Although completely unhelpful, the attitude was entirely reasonable. Wise men learned to avoid what was dangerous to know, and wasted no time on those slated to die. So it touched the man again, returning him to normal, then floated out of the house and back toward the coach. This time its floating was faster, however, as one of the party guests could conceivably choose to leave at any moment.

When the entity reached the coach it became five individuals again, one of whom, Bron to be precise, reached up and rapped against the coach roof. Delin watched him do it, only faintly surprised when the coach began to move again, then could no longer hold back his anger.

“Of all the stupid wastes of time!” he snarled, glancing longest at Kambil, who was wholly responsible for the fiasco. “If that man knows nothing, no one within our reach will be any different. All this effort to learn absolutely nothing!”

“We did learn one thing,” Kambil had the nerve to disagree, shifting uncomfortably where he continued to sit on the coach floor. “We found out that no one suspects what we’re up to, at least not yet. I caught an echo of surprise from Idian today, and didn’t understand it until just a moment ago. We’ve been behaving much too well for the ‘lazy, stupid, and useless’ people we’re supposed to be, and Idian has noticed. Tomorrow we’ll all have an excuse for sleeping late and missing our appointment, and I think we ought to make use of it.”

The others all agreed immediately, and despite Delin’s outrage and anger, he was forced to add his own agreement. The rest of them seemed pleased to hear that awful opinion being voiced about them, not one of them taking it as the mortal insult it really was. To them it was protective coloration, but to Delin it was completely unforgivable, almost as bad as what Rigos had done…

That thought calmed Delin, and let him lean back in his seat with a smile. Rigos had done his worst, but still no longer lived. It was necessary to remember that, and remember as well that Embisson was simply a man. He, too, might die, especially if his death served to divert suspicion from Delin where the previous deaths were concerned…

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Vallant strolled along the path in the park, pretending to be out doing nothing more than enjoying a pretty day. He’d been told that there was a lake in the middle of the park where models of sailing ships were raced, and that was supposed to be his ultimate destination. He’d complained about missing the sea, and so had been sent to watch the model racing. In reality, however, he was there for an entirely different reason.

There weren’t many people in the park around him, and those few didn’t seem to notice when Vallant left the path for the privacy of a thick stand of bushes. He stood for several long moments making sure of that, and only at the end of the time did he leave his watchpost and head deeper into the shrubbery. The presence of the lake was like a bright beacon for him, but another, brighter beacon had been flashing ever since he’d entered the park.

Finding that second, deliberate beacon wasn’t difficult at all, especially since Vallant knew what it looked like on the outside. Pagin Holter was a small, energetic man who’d been a groom before passing that first test, and all through the rest of the tests he and Vallant hadn’t had any trouble matching one another. Now he waited in the midst of another thick patch of shrubbery, using the power to pulse his talent like a flashing light every minute or two.