“You lie!” he hissed. “You tricked him some way, to get ahead of us in the succession.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” I said. “We’re all so far down on the list that it doesn’t matter.”

“Not for the Crown, you fool! For the House! Our father isn’t all that well!”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “But I’d never even thought of it that way. And Mandor’s ahead of all of us, anyhow.”

“And now you’re second.”

“Not by choice. Come on! I’ll never see the title. You know that!”

He drew himself upright, and when he moved I became aware of a faint prismatic nimbus that had been clinging to his outline.

“That isn’t the real reason,” I continued. “You’ve never liked me, but you’re not after me because of the succession. You’re hiding something now. It’s got to be something else, for all this activity on your pan. By the way, you did send the Fire Angel, didn’t you?”

“It found you that fast?” he said. “I wasn’t even sure I could count on that. I guess it was worth the price after all. But… What happened?”

“It’s dead.”

“You’re very lucky. Too lucky,” he replied.

“What is it that you want, Jurt? I’d like to settle this once and for all.”

“Me, too,” he answered. “You betrayed someone I love, and only your death will set things right.”

“Who are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

He grinned suddenly.

“You will,” he said. “In the last moments of your life I’ll let you know why.”

“I may have a long wait, then,” I answered. “You don’t seem to be very good at this sort of thing. Why not just tell me now and save us both a lot of trouble?”

He laughed, and the prism effect increased, and it occurred to me in that instant what it was.

“Sooner than you think,” he said, “for shortly I will be more powerful than anything you ever met.”