The Hidden City

can find out for sure if it’s really Ehlana who’s locked up in that house.’
    ‘We could at least get closer,’ Stragen said.
    ‘Why? Distance doesn’t mean anything to my blue friend here.’ Sparhawk touched the bulge under the front of his tunic. ‘Just as soon as I know for certain that Ehlana’s there, we’ll go pay Zalasta and his bastard a call. I might even invite Khwaj to come along. He has some plans for them that sort of interest me.’
    The light was suddenly very bright, and the citizens of Sepal abruptly ceased jerking around like marionettes on strings and started to walk like normal humans. It had taken a half a day to explain to Ghnomb why it was necessary for them to return to real time, and the God of Eat still had some serious reservations about the whole idea.
    ‘I’ll wait in that tavern just up the street,’ Tynian said to Ulath as the two of them stepped out of the narrow alley. ‘Do you remember the password?’
    Ulath grunted. ‘I shouldn’t be long,’ he said. He walked across the street toward the pair of travelers who had just come into town. ‘That’s an interesting looking saddlebow you’ve got there, neighbor,’ he said to one of them, a broken-nosed man on a roan horse. ‘What’s it made of? Ramshorn?’
    Berit gave him a startled look, then glanced quickly around the narrow street near the east gate of Sepal. ‘I didn’t think to ask the saddle-maker, Sergeant,’ he replied, noticing the blond Elene’s tattered-looking uniform jacket. ‘Ah—maybe you could give my young friend and me some advice.’
    ‘Advice is free. Go ahead and ask.’
    ‘Do you happen to know of a good inn here in Sepal?’
    ‘The one my friend and I are staying at isn’t too bad. It’s about three streets over.’ Ulath pointed. ‘It’s got the sign of a boar hanging out front—although the picture doesn’t look very much like any boar I’ve ever seen.’
    ‘We’ll look into it.’
    ‘Maybe my friend and I’ll see you there. We’re usually in the taproom after supper.’
    ‘We’ll stop by—if we decide to stay there.’
    Ulath nodded and walked up the street to a tavern and went on inside, where he joined Tynian at a table near the fire. ‘What did you do with our shaggy friend?’ he asked.
    ‘He went out looking for another dog,’ Tynian replied. ‘You might have made a mistake there, Sergeant. He seems to be developing a taste for them. There won’t be a dog left in the whole town if we stay much longer.’
    Ulath sat down and leaned back. ‘Ran into an Elene fellow out there in the street,’ he said, loudly enough to be heard by the other tavern patrons.
    ‘Oh?’ Tynian said casually. ‘Astellian or Edomish?’
    ‘It was sort of hard to say. He’d had his nose broken at one time or another, so it was a little difficult to determine his race. He was looking for a good inn, so I recommended the one where we’re staying. We might see him there. It’s good to hear somebody talking Elenic for a change. I get tired of listening to people babbling at me in Tamul. If you’re about finished here, why don’t we drift on down to the harbor and see if we can find somebody to ferry us on across the lake to Tiara.’
    Tynian drained his tankard. ‘Let’s go,’ he said, standing up. The two of them left the tavern and strolled back to their inn, Walking casually and moving at the leisurely pace of men with nothing really pressing to do.
    ‘I want to have a look at that shoe on my horse’s left forehoof,’ Ulath said when they arrived. ‘Go on ahead. I’ll meet you in the taproom.’
    ‘Where else?’ Tynian laughed.
    Khalad was in the stable as Ulath had expected. He was making some show of currying Faran. ‘I see that you and your friend decided to stay here,’ the big Thalesian said in a casual tone.
    ‘It was handy,’ Khalad shrugged.
    ‘Listen carefully,’ Ulath said in a voice hardly more than a whisper. ‘We were able to pick up some information. Nothing’s going to happen here. You’ll get another one of those messages.’
    Khalad nodded.
    ‘It’s going to tell you to go on across the lake to Tiara. Be careful of what you say on the boat, because there’ll be a fellow on board who’s working for the other side—an Arjuni with a long scar on his cheek.’
    ‘I’ll keep an eye out for him,’ Khalad said.
    ‘You’ll get another message in Tiara,’ Ulath continued. ‘You’ll be told to go on around the lake to