The Hidden City

absently stroking the white deer’s neck, ‘but it’s a dream.’
    ‘Are you really sure about that, Sparhawk? Are you so certain that this isn’t reality and that other place isn’t the dream?’
    ‘Don’t do that. It makes my head hurt. What should I do?’
    ‘I’d say that your first step ought to be to have a long conversation with Bhelliom. All of your moping around and contemplating arbitrary decisions has it more than a little worried.’
    ‘All right. Then what?’
    ‘I haven’t gotten that far yet.’ She grinned at him. ‘I’m a-workin’ on it though, Dorlin’,’ she added.
    ‘They’re going to be all right, Kalten,’ Sparhawk said, gently laying his hand on his suffering friend’s shoulder.
    Kalten looked up, his eyes filled with hopeless misery. ‘Are you sure, Sparhawk?’
    ‘They will be if we can just keep our heads. Ehlana was in much more danger when I came back from Render, and we took care of that, didn’t we?’
    ‘I suppose you’re right.’ Kalten straightened up in his chair and jerked down his blue doublet. His face was bleak. ‘I think I’m going to find some people and hurt them,’ he declared.
    ‘Would you mind if I came along?’
    ‘You can help if you like.’ Kalten rubbed at the side of his face. ‘I’ve been thinking,’ he said. ‘You know that if you follow those orders in Krager’s note, he’ll be able to keep you plodding from one end of Tamuli to the other for the next year or more, don’t you?’
    ‘Do I have any choice? They’re going to be watching me.’
    ‘Let them. Do you remember how we met Berit?’
    ‘He was a novice in the Chapterhouse in Cimmura,’ Sparhawk shrugged.
    ‘Not when I first saw him, he wasn’t. I was coming back from exile in Lamorkand, and I stopped at a roadside tavern outside of Cimmura. Berit was there with Kurik, and he was wearing your armor. I’ve known you since we were children, and even I couldn’t tell that he wasn’t you. If I couldn’t tell, Krager’s spies certainly won’t be able to. If somebody has to plod around Tamuli, let Berit do it. You and I have better things to do.’
    Sparhawk was startled. ‘That’s the best idea I’ve heard yet.’ He looked around at the others. ‘Could I have your attention, please?’ he said. They all looked sharply at him, their faces apprehensive. ‘It’s time to get to work,’ he told them. ‘Kalten here just reminded me that we’ve used Sir Berit as a decoy in the past. Berit and I are nearly the same size, and my armor fits him more or less—and with his visor down, nobody can really tell that he isn’t me. If we can prevail on him to masquerade as a broken-down old campaigner again, we might just be able to prepare a few surprises for Krager and his friends.’
    ‘You don’t even have to ask, Sparhawk,’ Berit said.
    ‘Get some details before you volunteer like that, Berit,’ Khalad told his friend in a pained voice.
    ‘Your father used to say almost exactly the same thing,’ Berit recalled.
    ‘Why didn’t you listen to him?’
    ‘It’s an interesting plan, Prince Sparhawk,’ Oscagne said a bit dubiously, ‘but isn’t it extremely dangerous?’
    ‘I’m not afraid, your Excellency,’ Berit protested.
    ‘I wasn’t talking about your danger, young sir. I’m talking about the danger to Queen Ehlana. The moment someone penetrates your disguise—well ...’ Oscagne spread his hands.
    ‘Then we’ll just have to make sure that his disguise is foolproof,’ Sephrenia said.
    ‘He can’t keep his visor down forever, Sephrenia,’ Sarabian objected.
    ‘I don’t think he’ll have to,’ Sephrenia replied. She looked speculatively at Xanetia. ‘Do we trust each other enough to cooperate, Anarae?’ she asked. ‘I’m talking about something a little deeper than we’ve gone so far.’
    ‘I will listen most attentively to thy proposal, my sister.’
    ‘Delphaeic magic is directed primarily inward, isn’t it?’ Xanetia nodded. ‘That’s probably why no one can hear or feel it. Styric magic is just the reverse. We alter things around us, so our magic reaches out. Neither form will work by itself in this particular situation, but if we were to combine them ...’ She left it hanging in the air between them.
    ‘Interesting notion,’ Aphrael mused.
    ‘I’m not sure I follow,’ Vanion said.
    ‘The Anarae and I are going to have to experiment a bit,’ Sephrenia told him, ‘but if what I’ve got in mind works, we’ll be