He showed me row upon row of worn but still nasty fangs.
“Try the matter of the succession,” he said.
“Okay. Say the Ways of Sawall are supporting one possible successor, Jesby the other, Chanicut the other. Say we’re at each other’s throats over the matter. Say I’ve come back into the middle of a vendetta. So whoever’s giving the orders right now has declared us under watch as a matter of keeping things from getting messy. I appreciate it.”
“Close,” he said, “but it’s already gone further than that.”
I shook my head.
“I give up,” I said.
From somewhere there came up a wailing sound. “Think about it,” he replied, “while I welcome a guest.”
He rose and stepped into the pool, vanishing immediately.
I finished my beer.
Chapter 2
It seemed but moments later that a rock to my left shimmered and emitted a bell-like tone. Without conscious intent my attention gathered itself at my ring, which Suhuy had referred to as a spikard. I realized in that instant that I was preparing to use it to defend myself. Interesting, how familiar I felt with it now, how adapted I seemed to have become to it in so short a time. I was on my feet, facing the stone, left hand extended in its direction when Suhuy stepped through the shining place, a taller, darker figure at his rear. A moment later and that figure followed him, emerging into substantiality and shifting from an octopal ape form to that of my brother Mandor, humanized, wearing black as when last I had seen him, though the garments were fresh and of a slightly different cut, his white hair less tousled. He quickly scanned the area about us and gave me a smile.
“I see that all is well,” he stated.
I chuckled as I nodded toward his arm in its sling.
“As well as might be expected,” I replied. “What happened in Amber after I left?”