The moment he was gone, the unveiled lady spoke. “I’m sorry I called that
warning-you handled everything so well, and purely physically, too, without a
sign of your Ability.”
Her voice was soft and she seemed to lean toward him, but he stood stiffly, a
dozen paces away. Glaring at her. Still he appeared to be in shock, and she saw
pain in his face.
“What in four hells are you doing here, Jo?” He could not have made his
displeasure more obvious, but the catch in his voice bespoke pain, too.
“I’m sorry I felt I had to come here, in disguise. It’s all right, Ahdio, it’s
all right now. Ezucar died over four weeks ago. I left just days later. I had no
care for what ‘looked right,’ Ahdio. I am a widow. I am free. I may even be able
to smile again. I came straight here, with a caravan. I came looking for
Ahdiomer Viz … and I find one Ahdiovizun, wearing mail in a rough, low place
peopled by rough, low patrons; tending bar and handling trouble with-with hands
and strength alone?!”
He glanced away. “Yes, well … this isn’t Suma, and I had to leave. You know
that.” He took up a wet cloth and began rubbing the bar’s counter-top.
“I know that you are a superlative wizard among wizards, and were surely on your
way to being Chief Wizard and Advisor,” she said, with a note almost of pleading
in her voice. “And then you simply vanished.” She looked around, gestured. “And
I find you … in this.”
“I didn’t vanish, Jodeera. I left because of a woman- she was the wife of a
mighty well-off and powerful noble, and I loved her. I couldn’t stand being so