I cannot come.
I leaped to my feet, my legs tangling in the chair’s, and fell on the rug. Frantically I scrabbled to my feet, and even more frantically scrabbled after the contact. Verity!
I hear you. What is it, boy? A pause. You’ve reached me on your own, have you? Well done!
We need you to come home right now!
Why?
Thoughts tumbled so much faster than words, and in far greater detail than he could have wished to know. I felt him grow sad with the information, and wearier. Come home. If you were here, you could put it all to rights. Regal could not claim to be King-in-Waiting, he could not strip Buckkeep like this, or take away the King.
I cannot. Be calm now. Think this through. I could not come home in time to prevent any of this. It grieves me. But I am too close now to give up my goal. And if I am to be a father -his thoughts were warm with this new feeling-it becomes even more important that I succeed. My goal must be to retain the Six Duchies intact, and with a coast freed of sea wolves. This, for the child to inherit.
What am I to do?
Just as you have planned. My father, my wife, and my child; it is a weighty burden I have put upon you. He sounded suddenly uncertain.
I will do what I can do, I told him, fearing to promise any more than that.
I have faith in you. He paused. Did you feel that?
What?
Another is here, trying to break in, to listen on our Skilling. One of Galen’s spying brood of vipers.
I did not think that possible!
Galen found a way, and schooled his poisonous offspring in it. Skill no more to me now.