"That went very well, I believe." "Yes," said Tenoctris flatly, "it did." She paused. "I always found Cashel impressive," she said. "I find him even more so now that I have-" She twisted a lock of hair to call attention to her gleaming, sandy-red curls. "-more capacity for appreciation." This time it was Tenoctris who looked away. She cleared her throat and continued, "Sharina, I have powers that I wouldn't have, couldn't have, dreamed of in the past." She smiled wryly. "In a verylong past life. I hope that this power hasn't caused me to lose my judgment, however. Specifically, it hasn't caused me to miss what Cashel is: a rock which will stand though the heavens fall." "I never doubted you, Tenoctris," Sharina said. She didn't know if that was true. Her lips were dry. "If you're wise," Tenoctris said, smiling again, "then you never doubted Cashel.

You never should doubt Cashel, Sharina. Though the heavens fall."

Sharina rose, feeling a trifle dizzy. That was common after squatting, after all. "I'm sure Rasile will find him a good companion and protector," she said. "If there's need, of course." There would be need. Sharina was as sure of that as she was that there would be a thunderstorm. She didn't know when or how violent it would be- But she knew that the storm was coming. *** Ilna's fingers knotted short lengths of cord as she looked at the four people across the desk from her. She was angry, but that-like the fact the sun rises in the east-wasn't unusual enough to be worth comment. Directly before her were a pair of plump young women, Carisa and Bovea, foster nurses employed by the Lady Merota bos-Roriman Society for Orphans; they were crying. A man of thirty named Heismat, originally from Cordin, sat to their left. He'd wanted to stand, but he'd obeyed when Ilna ordered him onto the third low stool. Despite his bluster and the angry red of his face, Heismat's eyes were cold with fear. Ilna smiled, though nobody could've mistaken the expression for humor. Heismat knew he was in trouble, though as yet he didn't understand how serious the trouble was. It was hard to convince some people that they shouldn't knock children around, and even more people thought a Corl kit was an animal rather than a child.