Rook

make the top ten,” Myfanwy said levelly.
    “No, I suppose it would not,” Farrier said, with a small smile. “That’s the problem with our profession. Hardly anything manages to strike us as unlikely.” The waiter arrived and, sensing the tension between the two women, was very nervous in taking their orders. “However, we can still be surprised. And you, you are the most surprising thing I have seen in a long time. I wonder, how did you learn about who and what you are?”
    Myfanwy stared at her, and, for a moment, she was tempted. Could she explain that Thomas had known what was coming—had known and had made preparations? Farrier wielded power and would make a valuable ally.
And besides,
she thought to herself,
it’s hard going through this alone. It’s only been a day at work, and already I know so many terrible things. A monstrous army is about to descend upon the country. Somebody in the Court wants me dead, and I still don’t know why. I am responsiblefor fixing these things, and I can’t even remember my middle name! I want to tell somebody!
    It was tantalizing, and yet Myfanwy knew that she could not. If she had inherited Thomas’s powers, she had inherited her enemies too. Whether Farrier was a true enemy or not, she was not a friend.
    “It appears that I am a quick study,” Myfanwy said and took a long sip from her water glass.
    “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?” Farrier asked.
    “Please,” said Myfanwy.
    “This may sound strange, but who do you think you are? Do you think of yourself as Myfanwy Thomas, Rook of the Checquy? Or are you just the person wearing her body? Do you have any memories of being her?”
    “Good question,” Myfanwy said with a small smile. “I’m still coming to a decision on that one.”
    “But…”
    “But I’m not her. She blinked, and when these eyes opened, a new person looked out.”
     
Alrich woke up.
     
    “May I ask you a question?” Myfanwy asked Lady Farrier.
    “I suppose so” was the dubious reply.
    “What was Thomas like?” she asked, and she was rewarded with a startled look.
    “Oh, er, my goodness,” fumbled Farrier, who was somewhat taken aback. “She was… nice.”
    “Nice? She was
nice?
”
    “You must understand, it’s a little disconcerting to be telling
you
what I thought of Myfanwy Thomas,” Farrier pointed out, not unreasonably.
    “Certainly, but I’m not asking you whether you would have trusted her with your Bentley. I just want to know what she was like.”
    “Ah, well, give me a moment,” said Farrier. Her eyes got the same faraway look they had had three nights ago when she had been surprised in Myfanwy’s dream. “Thomas was simultaneously a tremendous disappointment and a surprisingly valuable asset.
    “When we acquired that child, it was a coup. An entirely new talent with no alarming weaknesses or deformities. Do you know how rare that is? On an island this small? The organization screened her life intensely. If you like, you could probably find in the Estate’s records what kind of dinner she had every night for the three months between the manifestation of her powers and our acquisition of her. I watched that little girl’s dreams for weeks and recorded every minute detail, looking for any sort of mental instability. I interviewed her, taking care that every dream was set in a place that would test her…” Farrier trailed off.
    “And?” Myfanwy prompted.
    “And it was fine. She was healthy, she was happy, she was sane. She was
ours
.”
     
An attractive young man was led into Alrich’s room, and Alrich’s eyes brightened.
     
    “So, how was she a disappointment?” asked Myfanwy, already knowing part of the answer but wanting to hear Farrier’s perspective on the events.
    “It was one of those things that can’t be anticipated. A bright little girl, seemingly resilient, but she just didn’t respond well to the transfer. Many children have problems when they’re taken from their families, but the Estate is designed to minimize the impact. Its purpose is to welcome students in rapidly, make them feel comfortable and loved, and train them in the effective use of their powers. But Myfanwy Thomas withdrew into herself. She seemed almost pathologically shy. In some instances, I suppose, that’s acceptable. But with a talent that turned out to be linked exclusively to physical contact, it was disastrous. And we’d pinned such high hopes on you… I mean her.” Farrier stopped