“You cannot be serious.”
“Tomorrow night,” he replied. “We must do something by tomorrow night. For that is when the sleeping potion I gave Shrewd will wear off. Another attempt will probably not be made on the Queen until she is on her way to Tradeford. But once Regal has her in his power, well, so many accidents can happen on a journey. A slip from a barge into a freezing river, a runaway horse, a meal of bad meat. If his assassin is half as good as we are, he’ll succeed.”
“Regal’s assassin?”
Chade gave me a pitying look. “You don’t suppose our prince is up to spreading grease and lampblack on steps himself, do you? Who do you think it is?”
“Serene.” The name popped to my lips.
“Then most obviously it is not her. No, we will find it to be some mouse of a man with a pleasant demeanor and a settled life. If we ever find him out at all. Ah, well, set it aside for now. Though there’s nothing quite as challenging as stalking another assassin.”
“Will,” I said quietly.
“Will what?” he asked.
I told him of Will, quickly and quietly. As he listened his eyes widened.
“It would be brilliant,” he said admiringly. “A Skilled assassin. It’s a wonder no one thought of it before.”
“Perhaps Shrewd did,” I said quietly. “But perhaps his assassin failed to learn ….”
Chade leaned back in his chair. “I wonder,” he said speculatively. “Shrewd is closemouthed enough to have such an idea, and keep it even from me. But I doubt, myself, that Will is any more than a spy, just now. A formidable one, and no mistaking that. You must be especially vigilant. But I do not think we need fear him as an assassin.” He cleared his throat. “Ah, well. The urgency for speed becomes ever plainer. The escape must be made from the King’s room. You must find a way to draw the watchers all off again.”