“Yes,” agreed Mother Mahrnee, nodding. “The horses of Komees Hari are aptly reputed to be among the best in all the Confederation and he is justly proud of them. Immediately we finish here, ride you over to his hall and introduce yourself he has not seen you in more than ten years and I doubt he would see the boy you were in the man you are.
“Talk horses and keep your hands off his daughters. Ask to see his herd and to meet his kingstallion. Brag of your warhorse some, then mention your desire to purchase a trained hunter. You’ll have a bag of gold; of course, hell refuse to accept it, but the form must be observed.
“After that, my son, it is up to you and your training and your judgment. If you blunder and choose a bad horse . . .” Ske made a wry face and shrugged meaningfully. “If Hari approves you, Drehkos will usually follow his lead; it is as simple as that.” “The Vahrohnos Myros of Kehnooryos Deskati will hate you, no matter what you do or say! He will hate you for three reasons, Bili: primarily, because you bear the Morguhn surname; secondly, because you do not look your Ehleen blood; thirdly, because, although you are a handsome man and will no doubt set his parts to itching, you outrank him and so he can neither buy you nor force you into buggery. Be formally polite to the swine, nothing more. And should he dare to offer you open offense, run your steel through his body a few times, and fear no bloodprice. There would be none to demand one anyway, for he hates all things female and so has never wed, and he has outlived all his relatives.
“Myros and Vahrohneeskos Stefahnos, who also sits on the second Third-”
“-are both insane!” interrupted Mother Behrnees. “As is that sly, sleek priest and all the poor, common fools they’ve beguiled into believing their fantasies! If you can believe it, Bili, those two and that Blackrobed ass have all but stirred up a rebellion in this duchy!
“Between the agents of Myros and Stefahnos and the priests of that cursed Kooreeos, the heads of many-too many-of the Dirtmen and city commoners have been filled with lovely dreams. Those dreams go something like this: the Kindred’s farms and Halls and pasturelands, their womenfolk and horses and cattle and their riches are to be evenly divided between all the poor, deserving Dirtmen and urban ne’er-do-wells, which will bring about no work, no want, and idle luxury for all.”
Bili could take no more in silence. “Dung and more dung! Without work, there can be nought save want. Idle luxury be damned, most nobles labor far harder than any Dirtman or mechanic or tradesman. Why, were it not for…”
Mother Mahrnee raised her hand. “Hold, Bili. You know the truth and I know the truth, Myros and Stefahnos and the Kooreeos and his damned priests know it But their dupes do not. The common folks seldom see their
betters at work, but only the proceeds of that work, they…”
Mother Behrnees clanged her empty cup upon the table. “We waste time, sister, and we’ve damned little of it to waste. Bili knows that the commoners are misled and stupid to swallow such a tale. He can delve into the matter later if he likes, after the Moonmeeting is done.
“For the last Third, son, suffice it to say that there is but one man on whom you can depend. Feelos Pooleeos is now a merchant, but for twenty years he was a soldier in the High Lord’s army, rising as high as lohkeeas ere he was done. His loyalty is only to the Confederation, not to the Kindred or to your father. But because the Thoheeks represents the established order, while Myros and his scum represent only chaos and anarchy, he will back us and you.”
She stared for a long moment at her remaining four fingers, then grimaced and wiped them forcefully upon her skirt, as if she had touched some foulness.
“The rest are all Myros’s creatures. Paulos, Guildmaster of the ironsmiths, is your father’s halfbrother-one of your grandsire’s multitudinous bastards-and Myros has promised him all to which the misbegotten pig aspires: Morguhn Hall, your father to torture to death, you and your brothers as gelded slaves, my sister and me for concubines and so on.