Traitor's Moon

intended for suspicion to fall on the Haman the way it did,” Alec speculated. “It was no secret that we were hunting with them.”
    â€œAnd yet here we have evidence of the Virésse,” said Thero, indicating the tassel.
    â€œAnd they traffic with Plenimar,” said Alec. “I’ll bet you a gold sester that if we find the device our murderer used, it will be Plenimaran.”
    â€œI’d back your side of that wager,” Seregil said. “I’ll ask Adzriel if she can smooth my way to searching the house of Ulan í Sathil. Thero, if I do find the object used, you might be able to divine who used it.”
    â€œOr the missing warding charm,” said Alec.
    â€œWhat?” asked Seregil, eyes narrowing.
    â€œHe’s missing a warding charm,” Alec told him, pointing at the dead man’s left wrist. “Torsin had a warding charm just like mine, remember?”
    â€œIt was to warn of ill-wishing, wasn’t it? I see yours is gone, too.”
    â€œIt’s a long story, but I know Torsin still had his a day or two ago. I remember seeing him fiddle with it when we were greeting visitors on the final day of mourning.”
    â€œIf we could find that, it could tell us who poisoned him,” Thero said hopefully. “I’ve been talking with our Akhendi friends. People of that clan can sometimes sense details from the spent charms.”
    â€œHe could have taken it off, in which case it’s probably here somewhere,” said Seregil.
    A thorough search of the room turned up nothing, however.
    â€œMaybe he lost it,” Alec suggested, giving up. “Or someone took it. I say we look for it at Ulan í Sathil’s house.” He held up the tassel again. “They certainly have reason to want Klia out of the way, they had her and Torsin in easy reach, and they’d know about that snake poison.”
    Seregil tapped a finger against his lips, frowning as another thought occurred. “The same might be said of most of the eastern clans. The Ra’basi, for instance.”
    Alec groaned. “Oh, Illior, are we back to that again?”
    â€œBack to what?” asked Thero.
    â€œMaybe nothing, except that I haven’t quite trusted Nyal since we met,” Seregil explained, taking little pleasure in the thought. “The Ra’basi aren’t exactly neutral parties in the negotiations, and as Alec just pointed out, they’d have knowledge of the poison in question.”
    â€œAnyone could have known,” Thero pointed out.
    â€œYes, but who else has come and gone here freely from the start? With the exception of the Bôkthersans, what Aurënfaie has had closer contact with Klia and Torsin?”
    â€œAnd Beka,” Alec added unhappily.
    â€œBut he’s the one who alerted you to the poison!” Thero exclaimed.
    Seregil shrugged. “He wouldn’t be the first murderer to cover his tracks by bustling in helpfully after the damage is done. He’s been everywhere Klia has the past day or so. He knew Torsin was ill, and how the poison worked.”
    â€œBut that seems like all the more reason not to tell us what it was,” Alec insisted. “Go slowly with this, Seregil. Accusing him falsely won’t hurt just him. Think of Beka.”
    â€œYes, but what about his tragic romantic attachment to Amali ä Yassara? You once said you thought I disliked him because he was too much like myself. If you’re right, we have good reason to distrust him. How many times do you suppose I’ve ingratiated myself with a mark, or gotten into a place to spy by way of the bedchamber?”
    Alec gave him a humorless smirk. “More often than I want to know about, obviously.”
    â€œThe Akhendi could be his next targets for all we know,” mused Thero.
    â€œI say we keep quiet until we have more proof,” Alec warned, still doubtful. “Beka’s already given orders to keep out anyone but Bôkthersans. Can’t we let it go at that for now?”
    â€œWe’re a long way from making any accusations yet,” Seregil admitted, running a hand back through his tangled hair. “In the meantime, I don’t want him to guess we suspect him. Just make certain he’s not left alone with Klia.”
    â€œAll the same, there are still too many other possibilities,” said Thero. “If Klia and Torsin were both poisoned at the Virésse banquet, which