least, he could ignore the introduction just made by his own Master of Ceremony.
Jazhara said, ‘Sir William conDoin—’
At the mention of William’s surname, the governor’s attention shifted, and James realized that this had thrown him off balance, just a little. ‘ConDoin’ meant a relative of the King of the Isles, and no matter how distant that relationship was, the bearer would always be a man of some importance.
‘—And Sir James Jamison.’
The governor threw James a perfunctory smile and nod, then turned his attention back to Jazhara and William.
James listened as the governor chatted with William, pausing occasionally to smile in James’s general direction, but James could tell he had already consigned James to a ‘not very important’ role in his mind. Perhaps the lady had two lovers, or a lover and his friend, but whatever that relationship might be, the governor was concentrating on people he considered important, those who might be used to his advantage, or who might somehow pose a threat. To be inconspicuous was exactly what James wanted. He would endeavour to fade into the background as best he could through the evening, so that by dawn tomorrow, if all went well, the governor wouldn’t even be able to remember what he looked like.
Now, the governor took Jazhara by the arm and steered her towards a large table that had been surrounded by couches, in the Quegan manner. James thought this a bit odd, but as Queg was merely a week’s sailing to the north, he presumed the governor had visited, liked their dining style, and installed it in his own court.
A regal-looking woman stood before them and the governor made introductions. ‘My dear, this is the Lady Jazhara, Sir William and—’ he glanced over his shoulder a little, ‘—and Sir James, from Krondor.’ To his guests he said, ‘My wife, Lady Shandra.’
James and William bowed slightly, while Jazhara extended her hand and the Lady Shandra took it. ‘We are honoured to have you in our home,’ she said.
She had been a stunning beauty in her youth, James decided, for despite the grey in her hair and having gained a little weight, she was still a striking figure. She had dark eyes and full lips; her face was slightly lined, but she used powder and rouges to good advantage. But beneath the striking exterior, there was something else. The subtle way her husband’s behaviour had changed told James that while the governor might rule the city of Durbin and the surrounding environs, Lady Shandra ruled this house. And something else was causing James’s ‘bump of trouble’ to itch. For no reason he could name, he marked this woman as dangerous.
A servant escorted them to their places, and James reclined on one of the couches. After finding a comfortable way to lie and accept titbits from passing trays, he found himself next to a young traveller from somewhere in the heart of Kesh, a dark-skinned man who looked more like a warrior than the merchant he claimed to be. James assumed he was one of the governor’s agents and guarded his conversation accordingly.
The dinner proved tedious: as James had anticipated, the companion on his left attempted to gain information about why the lovely Lady Jazhara was in Durbin – not the most direct route to see her family, should she be travelling into the Jal-Pur – and what could James tell him about the young knight travelling with her: how closely was he related to the royal family? The attempts, being clumsy, were easily evaded. James stuck to the prepared story: Jazhara was travelling this way because of some minor family business in the city, and because her family was in residence at an oasis closer to Durbin than Shamata, and because rumours of raiders in the eastern Jal-Pur made this route more prudent. As for the good-looking young knight-lieutenant, he was a very distant cousin to the prince and king, bearing a name but little rank, wealth or influence. However, the Lady Jazhara and he
Jazhara said, ‘Sir William conDoin—’
At the mention of William’s surname, the governor’s attention shifted, and James realized that this had thrown him off balance, just a little. ‘ConDoin’ meant a relative of the King of the Isles, and no matter how distant that relationship was, the bearer would always be a man of some importance.
‘—And Sir James Jamison.’
The governor threw James a perfunctory smile and nod, then turned his attention back to Jazhara and William.
James listened as the governor chatted with William, pausing occasionally to smile in James’s general direction, but James could tell he had already consigned James to a ‘not very important’ role in his mind. Perhaps the lady had two lovers, or a lover and his friend, but whatever that relationship might be, the governor was concentrating on people he considered important, those who might be used to his advantage, or who might somehow pose a threat. To be inconspicuous was exactly what James wanted. He would endeavour to fade into the background as best he could through the evening, so that by dawn tomorrow, if all went well, the governor wouldn’t even be able to remember what he looked like.
Now, the governor took Jazhara by the arm and steered her towards a large table that had been surrounded by couches, in the Quegan manner. James thought this a bit odd, but as Queg was merely a week’s sailing to the north, he presumed the governor had visited, liked their dining style, and installed it in his own court.
A regal-looking woman stood before them and the governor made introductions. ‘My dear, this is the Lady Jazhara, Sir William and—’ he glanced over his shoulder a little, ‘—and Sir James, from Krondor.’ To his guests he said, ‘My wife, Lady Shandra.’
James and William bowed slightly, while Jazhara extended her hand and the Lady Shandra took it. ‘We are honoured to have you in our home,’ she said.
She had been a stunning beauty in her youth, James decided, for despite the grey in her hair and having gained a little weight, she was still a striking figure. She had dark eyes and full lips; her face was slightly lined, but she used powder and rouges to good advantage. But beneath the striking exterior, there was something else. The subtle way her husband’s behaviour had changed told James that while the governor might rule the city of Durbin and the surrounding environs, Lady Shandra ruled this house. And something else was causing James’s ‘bump of trouble’ to itch. For no reason he could name, he marked this woman as dangerous.
A servant escorted them to their places, and James reclined on one of the couches. After finding a comfortable way to lie and accept titbits from passing trays, he found himself next to a young traveller from somewhere in the heart of Kesh, a dark-skinned man who looked more like a warrior than the merchant he claimed to be. James assumed he was one of the governor’s agents and guarded his conversation accordingly.
The dinner proved tedious: as James had anticipated, the companion on his left attempted to gain information about why the lovely Lady Jazhara was in Durbin – not the most direct route to see her family, should she be travelling into the Jal-Pur – and what could James tell him about the young knight travelling with her: how closely was he related to the royal family? The attempts, being clumsy, were easily evaded. James stuck to the prepared story: Jazhara was travelling this way because of some minor family business in the city, and because her family was in residence at an oasis closer to Durbin than Shamata, and because rumours of raiders in the eastern Jal-Pur made this route more prudent. As for the good-looking young knight-lieutenant, he was a very distant cousin to the prince and king, bearing a name but little rank, wealth or influence. However, the Lady Jazhara and he
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