The Hidden City by David Eddings Page B

Ulath agreed. ‘Krager’s going to give Sparhawk instructions. Those instructions might give us some clues about whose idea this
really
is,’
    * * *
    â€˜You noticed it, too, didn’t you?’ Berit said to Khalad that evening when the two of them were getting ready for bed.
    â€˜Noticed what?’
    â€˜Don’t play the innocent with me, Khalad. You see everything that’s going on around you.
Nothing
gets by you. Sparhawk and Sephrenia were behaving very peculiarly when Flute and Danae were talking to each other.’
    â€˜Yes,’ Khalad admitted calmly. ‘So what?’
    â€˜Aren’t you curious about why?’
    â€˜Has it occurred to you that “why” might not be any of our business?’
    Berit stepped round that. ‘Did you notice how much the two little girls resemble each other?’
    Khalad shrugged. ‘You’re the expert on girls.’
    Berit suddenly blushed and silently cursed himself for blushing.
    â€˜It isn’t a secret, you know,’ Khalad told him. ‘Empress Elysoun’s fairly obvious. She doesn’t hide her feelings any more than she hides – well, you know.’
    â€˜She’s a good girl,’ Berit quickly came to her defense. ‘It’s just that her people don’t pay any attention to our kind of morality. They can’t even comprehend the notion of fidelity.’
    â€˜I’m not throwing rocks at her. If the way she behaves doesn’t bother her husband, it certainly doesn’t bother me. I’m a country boy, remember? We’re more realistic about things like that. I just wouldn’t get
too
attached to her, Berit. Her attention may wander in time.’
    â€˜It already has,’ Berit replied. ‘She doesn’t want to discontinue
our
friendship, though. She wants to be friendly to me
and
to him – and to the half-dozen or so others she neglected to mention earlier.’
    â€˜The world needs more friendliness, Berit,’ Khaladgrinned. There wouldn’t be so many wars if people were friendlier.’
    Krager’s next note arrived two days later, and it was authenticated by another lock of Ehlana’s hair. The thought of the sodden drunkard violating his Queen’s pale blonde hair enraged Berit for some obscure reason. Vanion once again read the note to them while Sparhawk sat somewhat apart, gently holding the lock of his wife’s hair in his fingers.
    â€˜ “Sparhawk, old boy,”’ the note began. ‘ “You don’t mind if I call you that, do you? I always admired the way Martel sort of tossed that off when everything was going his way. It was possibly the
only
thing about him that I admired.
    â€˜ “Enough of these fond reminiscences. You’re going to be making a trip, Sparhawk. We want you to take your squire and travel by the customary overland route to Beresa in southeastern Arjuna. You’ll be watched, so don’t take any side-trips, don’t have Kalten and the other baboons trailing along behind you, don’t have Sephrenia disguised as a mouse or a flea hidden in your pocket, and most
definitely
don’t use Bhelliom for anything at all – not even for building campfires. I know we can depend on your absolute co-operation, old boy, since you’ll never see Ehlana alive again if you misbehave.
    â€˜ “It’s always a pleasure to talk with you, Sparhawk, particularly in view of the fact that it’s
your
hands that are chained
this
time. Now stop wasting time. Take Khalad and the Bhelliom and go to Beresa. You’ll receive further instructions there. Fondly, Krager”.’

Chapter 3
    They talked and talked and talked, and every ‘maybe’ or ‘possibly’ or ‘probably’ or ‘on the other hand’ set Sparhawk’s teeth on edge. It was all pure speculation, useless guessing that circled and circled and never got to the point. He sat slightly