surprising-his portrait revealed a bovine complacence that avoided evil mainly
through lack of energy.
And these are the pride of Ranke? thought Lalo. He found himself almost grateful
to Coricidius. I would never have known-he grimaced at the painting again-I
would have uprooted my family to seek my fortune in the capital, innocently
certain it must be superior to Sanctuary. But there, the evil is only better
disguised….
From the courtyard below he could hear the even tramp of bullhide sandals-the
Prince’s Guard was drilling again. These days, even the City garrison marched
and polished their armor, but whether it was in hopes of being sent to the war
or the opposite, he did not know. Nor, at this moment, did he care. He found it
hard to believe that any new invader could make things any better, or worse, in
Sanctuary.
Still, the incessant marching made him nervous, as if his former certainties
were illusions, and just around the corner lay some new threat that he could not
see. Restlessly he paced to the window, and was just turning back when the guard
brought the fourth sitter in.
“My Lord Zanderei!” Lalo bowed to the man to whom he had spoken at the
reception. “Please be seated-” he indicated the sitter’s chair.
“I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Master Limner,” the man said plaintively,
settling himself. “I was detained at the warehouses. There seems to be some
confusion regarding the grain supplies set aside for the war …”
Lalo busied himself with his paints to hide a grin. He could well imagine that