“It was pretty smoothly done,” he observed. “Dalt must have been operating under old orders. Not being certain how to collect Luke or locate Jasra for fresh instructions, he took a chance with that feint on Amber. Benedict might well have spitted him again, with equal skill and greater effect.”
“True. I guess you have to give the devil his due when it comes to guts. It also means that Luke must have done a lot of fast plotting and laid that fixed fight out during their brief conference in Arden. So he was really in control there, and he conned us into thinking he was a prisoner, which precluded his being the threat to Kashfa that he really was-if you want to look at it that way.”
“That other way is there to look at it?”
“Well, as you said yourself, his claim is not exactly without merit. What do you want to do?”
Random massaged his temples.
“Going after him, preventing the coronation, would be a very unpopular move,” he said. “First, though, I’m curious. You say this guy’s a great bullshitter. You were there. Did he con Vialle into placing him under her protection?”
“No, he didn’t,” I said. “He seemed as surprised as I was at her gesture. He called off the vendetta because he felt that honor had been satisfied, that he had to an extent been used by his mother, and out of friendship for me. He did it without any strings on it. I still think she gave him the ring so the vendetta would end there, so none of us would go gunning for him.”
“That is very like her,” Random said. “If I thought he’d taken advantage of that, I was going to go after him myself. The embarrassment for me is unintentional then, and I guess I can live with it. I prime Arkans for the throne, and then he’s shunted aside at the last minute by someone under my wife’s protection. Almost makes it look as if there’s a bit of divisiveness here at the center of things-and I’d hate to give that impression.”
“I’ve got a hunch Luke will be very conciliatory. I know him well enough to know he appreciates all of these nuances. I’d guess he’d be a very easy man for Amber to deal with, on any level.”
“I’ll bet he will. Why shouldn’t he?”
“No reason,” I said. “What’s going to happen to that treaty now?”
Random smiled.
“I’m off the hook. I never felt right about the Eregnor provisions. Now, if there’s to be a treaty at all, we go at it ab initio. I’m not even sure we need one, though. The hell with ‘em.”
“I’ll bet Arkans is still alive,” I said.
“You think Luke’s holding him hostage, against my giving him Golden Circle status?”
I shrugged.
“How close are you to Arkans?”
“Well, I did set him up for this thing, and I feel I owe him. I don’t feel I owe him that much, though.”
“Understandable.”
“There would be loss of face for Amber even to approach a second-rate power like Kashfa directly at a time like this.”
“True,” I said, “and for that matter, Luke isn’t officially head of state yet.”
“Arkans would still be enjoying life at his villa if it weren’t for me, though, and Luke really does seem to be a friend of yours-a scheming friend, but a friend.”
“You would like me to mention this during a forthcoming discussion of Tony Price’s atomic sculpture?”
He nodded.
“I feel you should have your art discussion very soon. In fact, it would not be inappropriate for you to attend a friend’s coronation-as a private individual. Your dual heritage will serve us well here, and he will still be honored.”
“Even so, I’ll bet he wants that treaty.”
“Even if we were inclined to grant it, we would not guarantee him Eregnor.”
“I understand.”
“And you are not empowered to commit us to anything.”
“I understand that, too.”
“Then why don’t you clean up a bit and go talk to him about it? Your room is just around the abyss. You can leave through the hole in the wall and shinny down a beam I noticed was intact.”