Amber considered. "I shall have to move my things into you. I shall have to sleep aboard in order to guard you. Oh, Paragon," she cried out suddenly, "don't you have anyone who could speak up for you to the Bingtown Council?"

"Only you."

"Fir try. But I doubt they will give me a chance. I'm an outsider in Bingtown. They only listen to their own."

"You once told me you were respected in Bingtown."

"As an artisan and a merchant, they respect me. I am not an Old Trader. They would not have much patience with me if I began meddling in their affairs. Likely, I would suddenly find I had no customers. Or perhaps worse. The whole town is becoming more divided along Old Trader and newcomer lines. There is a rumor that the Bingtown Council has sent a delegation to the Satrap, with their original charter. They will demand he honor the word of Satrap Esclepius. The rumor is that they will demand he recall all the New Traders, and cancel all the land grants I he has made them. They also demand that Satrap Cosgo live up to the old charter, and forbear from issuing any more land grants without the consent of the Bingtown Traders."

"A detailed rumor," Paragon observed.

"I have a keen ear for rumor and gossip. More than once, it has kept me alive."

A silence fell.

"I wish I knew when Althea was coming back." Amber's voice was wistful. "I could ask her to speak for us."

Paragon debated mentioning Brashen Trell. Brashen was his friend, Brashen would want to speak for him. Brashen was Old Trader. But even as he thought of that, he recalled that Brashen had been disinherited. Brashen was as much a disgrace to the Trell family as Paragon was to the Ludlucks. It would do no good to have Brashen speak out for him, even if he could get the Bingtown Traders' Council to hear him. It would be one black sheep speaking on behalf of another. No one would listen. He set his hand over the scar on his chest, concealing for an instant the crude, seven-pointed star branded into him. His fingers traveled over it thoughtfully. He sighed, then drew a deep breath.