"I'll need staff here—we must plow and plant quickly," Arvil said when I returned to the plantation. He didn't seem daunted by the task. That's how Ry, Tory and I, along with Farzi and two other reptanoids, ended up in the nearest city, looking to hire workers. Nenzi drove.
"We made sure they could do as they said," I told Arvil later. I didn't tell him I knew if they were lying. We found experienced workers who knew how to operate the equipment. Tory sent mindspeech, joking over the fact that Lendill might have, in his words, a cow, if he could see what we were doing right then. I just shrugged, smiled at the inexplicable cow statement and went on. The fields were plowed two eight-days later—rain had come three of those days, which held things up a little. Arvil sent Carthin somewhere to get the drakus seed to plant—I suppose it was a secret location only he and the Hardlows knew. Ry said he could follow the signature path and sent the information to Lendill when Carthin returned.
Delvin feels power signatures from wizards and warlocks. How are you getting around that? I sent to Ry. We were having an after-dinner drink around the pool. Farzi and the others had been out in the fields, supervising the work. Nenzi headed the machinery repair detail. He was happiest, I think, when he came home covered in grease and muck.
Mom, Ry answered my mental question. She has a shield around me that no wizard or warlock can crack. When I lifted an eyebrow, he explained. She's mated to Kifirin, remember? She's what he is.
And I didn't bow to her?
She doesn't like it.
Thank the stars. I thought I'd messed up, somehow.
"I haven't heard from Reah since I sent Ry and Tory. I get all the reports from them, now." Lendill flopped onto Norian's sofa. "Why do you have a bigger office than I do?"
"Because I'm your boss." Norian knew Lendill was teasing. "Why are you worried that Reah isn't giving you the reports? Ry and Tory have more experience at this."
"They didn't know how Grish died, but Ry thinks Reah knows something. He says she was out half the night. Grish was dead the next morning."
"Did she kill him?"
"Tory says no—there was a guard posted outside all night."
"Doesn't matter—we may find out who the Alliance double agent is this way. They'll have to contact San Gerxon if they want to keep getting paid."
"True. And I didn't shed a tear over Grish—he's probably been smuggling drugs and contraband with his fruit and vegetable shipments for years. That's how he met up with his Alliance contacts, most likely."
"Undoubtedly."
"I still want to hear from Reah."
"Then send her mindspeech."
"She doesn't like talking with me."
"You just don't like feeling guilty."
"Neither do you."
"That's why I put you on this." Norian was grinning at his oldest friend.
"Do you think she'll ever get over this—all of it?" Lendill leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.
"No idea. Why are you worried about it?"
"No reason." Lendill's lie had Norian frowning.
"Have you heard from that son of yours?" Wylend Arden asked Erland as soon as Wylend's guards left his study.
"Yes, Reah is fine. Ry said she almost knifed somebody because they grabbed one of her people."
"Well, I can't blame her. Can you?"
"I would have put a spell on them, but the intent would be the same."
Reah? I hadn't gotten mindspeech from Lendill in a long time.
Vice-Director? I wanted to keep this formal if I could. I was cleaning up in the bathroom before getting into bed with Tory.
Reah, Ry says that you were out half the night when Grish died. He says he doesn't think you had anything to do with his death, but that you might know how he died. I'd like that information, please, to put in the case file.
I stood rooted to the bathroom floor for ticks, trying to form words to tell Lendill Schaff how Grish had died without getting the reptanoids into more trouble. He died of snakebite, I finally handed Lendill the truth. I just wasn't going to give the complete truth.
And you know it was snake bite because? Lendill left the question hanging.
Because I saw the snake that bit him. Watched it crawl in and then crawl out. Satisfied?
What kind of snake?
No idea. What kind of snakes are local?
Three that I can tell—that are poisonous, anyway. Field vipers, white-mouthed adders and lion snakes, Lendill replied. I think he was looking the information up on his comp-vid.
Do any of those have a black pattern on their scales?
Only the lion snake.
Then it must be that one, I said. Black, teardrop patterns, one end to the other.
That's a lion snake all right. Lendill sent a mental sigh. And the death is quick—you only have a few ticks to administer antivenin. Grish probably didn't live long.
So, no pain or thrashing about in terror?
No—it happens too quickly, Reah.
Too bad, I returned.
I see you didn't like Grish.
He was a murderer of innocents, Lendill.
Reah, I have a question for you.
What is it, Vice-Director?
Will you marry me?
Chapter 12
What's wrong with her? Lendill demanded. Tory had heard Reah hit the bathroom floor. Lendill was sending mindspeech to both Tory and Ry the moment he failed to get a response from Reah.
Out cold, Tory replied, slapping Reah's cheek lightly. "Reah? Reah baby, what's wrong?" Ry stood over Tory, unsure what to do. He didn't want to ask for a physician—that could be trouble.
Let me know if I should send someone, Lendill instructed his operatives. Lendill considered contacting Karzac—with a Larentii's help, the healer could get in and out without raising any suspicion. Lendill just didn't want the tongue-lashing Karzac was likely to hand out afterward.
She's coming around, Tory sent. Lendill breathed a relieved sigh.
Tell her—Lendill began—tell her that I'm serious. About what I said to her. Tell her I want to talk to her about it when she gets back. Tell her that it's making me crazy.
I'll give her the message. Tory cut off the communication.
Tory was washing my face with a cloth that Ry had handed to him when I came around. Had I truly fainted when Lendill Schaff had—no. He couldn't have asked that. Couldn't have. Not with the way he'd treated me.
"Back, now, avilepha?" Tory was brushing back what little hair I had with the washcloth.
Ry knelt to take a look for himself. I felt embarrassed.
"Lendill says to tell you he was serious," Tory said. "What did he ask you?"