“The alliance?” I said.
“Yep.”
I glanced at Nayda, who was staring at me, clearly expecting a resumption of our sotto voces. Bill noted this, too, and turned away. Just then Cade began talking to Nayda, however, so I finished what was on my plate and took a sip of wine while I waited. In a little while the plate was whisked away, to be replaced shortly by another.
I glanced at Bill who glanced at Nayda and Cade, then said, “Wait for the music.”
I nodded. In a sudden moment of silence I overheard Dretha say, “Is it true that King Oberon’s ghost is sometimes seen?” Gerard grunted something that sounded like an affirmative just as they were drowned out again. My mind being a lot fuller than my stomach, I kept eating. Cade, trying to be diplomatic or just conversational, turned my way a little later, addressed me and asked my views on the Eregnor situation. He jerked suddenly then and looked at Nayda. I’d a strong feeling she’d just kicked him under the table, which was fine with me because I didn’t know what the hell the Eregnor situation was. I muttered something about there being things to be said for both sides of most matters, which seemed diplomatic enough for anything. If it were something barbed, I supposed I could have countered with an innocent-sounding observation about the Begman party’s early arrival, but Eregnor might actually be some tedious conversation piece that Nayda didn’t want to get into because it would cut off our own discussion. Also, I’d a feeling that Llewella might suddenly materialize and kick me under the table.
A thought hit suddenly then. Sometimes I’m a little slow. Obviously, they had known Random wasn’t here, and from what I already knew and from what Bill had just said, they weren’t too happy with whatever Random was about in the neighboring kingdom. Their early arrival seemed intended to embarrass us in some fashion. Did that mean that whatever Nayda was offering me was part of some scheme that fitted in with their general diplomatic strategy on this matter? If so, why me? I was a very poor choice, in that I had no say whatsoever concerning Amber’s foreign policy. Were they aware of this? They must be, if their intelligence service were as good as Nayda had indicated. I was baffled, and I was half tempted to ask Bill his views on the Eregnor situation. But then, he might have kicked me under the table.
The musicians, having finished snacking, resumed the entertainment with “Greensleeves,” and Nayda and Bill both leaned toward me simultaneously, then glanced up, their gazes meeting. Both smiled.
“Ladies first,” Bill said loudly.
She nodded to him.
Then, “Have a chance to think about my offer?” she asked me.
“Some,” I said, “but I had a question. Remember?
“What was it?”
“It’s kind of you to want to do me a favor,” I said, “but at times such as this, one must be excused for checking the price tag.”
“What if I were to say that your good will would be sufficient?”
“What if I were to say that my good will isn’t worth much at the policy level here?”
She shrugged. “Small price for a small return. I already knew that. But you’re related to everybody in this place. Nothing may ever happen, but it’s conceivable that someone might ask your opinion of us. I’d like you to know you have friends in Begma and to feel kindly disposed toward us if that occurred.”
I studied her very serious expression. There was more to it than that, and we both knew it. Only I didn’t know what might be on the horizon, and she obviously did.
I reached out and stroked her cheek once with the back of my hand.
“I am expected to say something nice about you folks if someone should ask me, that’s all, and for this you will go out and kill someone for me if I just supply the particulars. Right?”
“In a word, yes,” she replied.
“It makes me wonder why you think you can manage an assassination better than we could. We’re old hands at it.