"We're alone, Allie. n.o.body can hear us."

"That's not the point. If you keep making comments like that, one day somebody will hear you, and then where will you be?"

"I'll be fine," she shrugged. "It's your scrawny little neck on the line, my queen, not mine."

"You are truly the most terrible person I know, Jacinta D'Orlon," she said with a grin. "No wonder n.o.body wants to marry you."

Jacinta smiled at her cousin, glad to see she had eaten most of the eggs.

"That's just the way I like it, too," she agreed. "Finish your toast."

"You're a bossy old cow," Alenor grumbled as she took a bite.

"And don't you forget it," Jacinta warned as she rose to her feet to answer a knock at the door. She opened it to find Dimitri Bayel standing outside.

"The queen really isn't ready to receive visitors, my lord."

"This can't wait, my lady."

She stood back to let him enter, knowing the Seneschal would never intrude upon Alenor in herrooms so early if it wasn't important.

"We've already had word about the Tsarina docking this morning," she informed him as she closed the door.

"A minor inconvenience in light of the news I bring, my lady. Good morning, your majesty."

"Good morning, Dimitri," Alenor replied. "You haven't come to bully me about how much I eat, have you?"

"I wish that was the only concern I have, your majesty. I would undertake the task gladly. The news I bring is much graver. I've just received a bird from Avacas. They have appointed the new Lord of the Suns."

"Lord of the Suns?" Jacinta asked. "I thought we were expecting a Lady of the Suns?"

"We were, my lady. The new Lord of the Suns is Dirk Provin."

"That's ridiculous," Alenor laughed. "Who sent you that message, Dimitri? They are pulling your leg, I'm certain."

"No, your majesty, I fear the message is genuine."

"How did that happen?" Jacinta asked with a frown.

"Paige Halyn's will named the man or woman holding the position of right hand to the High Priestess of the Shadowdancers as his successor. Dirk Provin is, or was, the holder of that position at the time of Lord Halyn's death."

"But the Lord of the Suns was a.s.sa.s.sinated. Surely the appointment of the new prelate should have been done by election?"

Dimitri seemed surprised Jacinta had known that. "He died more than sixty days after he was wounded, my lady."

Jacinta looked at Alenor, who had gone very quiet. "He's quite a piece of work, this cousin of yours, Allie."

"What do you mean?" Alenor asked in a small voice.

"I mean we have a Dhevynian ruling the Church of the Suns for the first time in history," she explained.

"Dirk Provin's nationality does not seem to have influenced his actions thus far," Dimitri pointed out.

"I don't see he has much concern for our needs."

"This can't be an accident," she concluded. "The coincidences that would imply defy logic."

"Which makes his appointment all the more disturbing, my lady."

"What should we do?" Alenor asked. The news seemed to have rocked her to the core.

"You'll have to send an envoy, Allie. To officially extend your congratulations and a.s.sure the new Lord of the Suns of your undying loyalty to the Church."

"The Lady Jacinta is right, your majesty," Dimitri agreed. "You must send someone. And the sooner the better."

"Who?"

"I'll go," Jacinta volunteered.

"But I need you here."

"You need to find out what Dirk Provin is up to more than you need me standing over you to makesure you eat breakfast, Alenor."

"Once again, the Lady Jacinta speaks the truth, your majesty. And I'm inclined to support her suggestion she represent you. She is your cousin, and as such has sufficient rank to do so without insult, and she, at least, can be trusted not to be corrupted by the taint that surrounds Dirk Provin."

"Why, thank you, Lord Bayel," Jacinta said graciously. "That was very kind of you to say. Not to mention very dramatic. The taint that surrounds him? I do believe adversity brings out the poet in you."

Dimitri smiled sourly. "In truth, my lady, I fear it usually brings out my gout. But I do think you are the best person for this job. From what little I know of Johan Thorn's b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he's neither easily fooled nor easily thwarted, but in you, I think, he may meet his match."

Jacinta wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.

"I wish you wouldn't call him that, Dimitri," Alenor said. "You make him sound so... evil."

"Perhaps he is, your majesty. I suggest we won't know until the Lady Jacinta has seen him at work."

"Please let me go, Allie," Jacinta begged. "I want to do this for you."

"You want to run out on me just when I need you the most," Alenor objected. "Kirsh is sailing into Kalarada Harbor as we speak."

"You can handle Kirshov Latanya," she a.s.sured the queen. "Besides, you've been ill. You can get away with swooning and fainting for months if you have to, whenever you don't want to deal with him."

Alenor thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "All right, you can go, I suppose. I think we'd better find out what Dirk is up to and there's no way I can go myself. I was away far too long the last time and I refuse to leave Kirsh in Kalarada on his own. But I have one condition."

"What's that?"

"That you find me another lady-in-waiting before you leave." The queen smiled and added, "One that isn't a bully like you."

Jacinta was relieved it was the only thing Alenor asked for. "I'll see what I can do," she promised.

Jacinta saw Dimitri to the door, stepping outside with him when she noticed the expression on his face.

"There's something else I didn't mention," he told her in a low voice. "The High Priestess announced the G.o.ddess has spoken to her again."

"What did the G.o.ddess have to say this time?"

"There's to be an eclipse. It's supposed to be a sign."

"A sign of what?" Jacinta asked skeptically.

"I don't know, my lady, but if it's true, even the most cynical nonbeliever will start to wonder at the power of the Shadowdancers."

"What's he up to, do you think?"

"Dirk Provin?" Dimitri asked. "I have no idea, my lady, but I'll tell you this much. Whatever it is, it doesn't look good for Dhevyn."

"Alenor clings to the hope he's on our side."Dimitri frowned. "She also clings to the hope that somehow she and Alexin Seranov will one day find happiness." When he saw Jacinta's shocked expression, he smiled sadly. "Oh yes, I know all about it. And have no fear, I would never betray my queen, but she is hoping for a miracle when there are none to be had. She has your heart, but not your head, I'm afraid. You must let her down gently when you break it to her that her hopes and dreams lack substance."

"You say when, not if," Jacinta pointed out. "Don't you allow for even the remote possibility some good may come of this?"

He shook his head, a weary and disillusioned old man. "Nothing good ever comes of dealing with Senet and the Church of the Suns, my lady, and it can only get worse if it involves Dirk Provin. You mark my words."

Chapter 40.

After several more nights of cramps and shivering, of sweats and chills, Misha was looking particularly haggard. Tia was worried about him, although Master Helgin seemed quite pleased with his progress. He also seemed a little surprised Misha had come this far and not given in to the call of the poppy-dust.

Tia found the old physician in the kitchen carefully measuring out Misha's next dose. It had been another long night and neither she nor Misha had slept much. Rubbing her eyes, she sat down, and then folded her arms on the table, put her head down and closed her eyes.

"You should have woken me," Helgin scolded.

"Why?" she mumbled. "It's not like you could have done anything. Misha just needs someone to hold his hand to help him get through the night. We just talk most of the time."

"Well, your hand is far more pleasant to hold than mine," he remarked with a smile in his voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Just that if I had a choice between sitting up all night with a crusty old physician or a beautiful young woman, I'd know which one I'd choose."

"It's not like that."

"I wasn't implying it was like anything, Tia. In fact, I'm very glad you're here. I don't have your stamina anymore. I can't get by on two hours' sleep at my age."

"I'm not too thrilled about it at my age, either," she said, stifling a yawn.

"It was never my intention to force you to share my suffering, Tia."

She looked to the door as Misha limped into the kitchen. Despite the ravages of withdrawal, he could walk without the crutch now and if you looked at him when he was dressed and standing still, you couldn't even tell he was crippled. It was only when he walked and his limp betrayed him, or he tried to lift anything with his left arm, you noticed there was something wrong.

"You're not forcing me," she a.s.sured him with a wan smile. "I get a kick out of seeing how long I can go without sleep."

Misha sat down heavily on the bench opposite Tia and looked up at Helgin.

"How much longer, Master Helgin?""It will be ready soon," Helgin said, stirring the dust carefully into the cup.

"I meant before I'm free of the poppy-dust."

"Another few months at least."

Misha shook his head. "I can't do this for another few months."

"You can't quit now!" Tia urged. "You're almost there!"

"But that's exactly what I intend to do, Tia. Quit. Completely. Master Helgin, what will happen if I simply stop taking the poppy-dust?"

"I wouldn't recommend-"

"I didn't ask for your recommendation, Helgin, I asked what would happen to me."

"Well, you're down to considerably less of the drug than you were taking when you first came to Mil. But the symptoms you suffer now would become much worse. You may even start to have fits again. And the cravings will be unbearable."

"How long will it last?"

"If you survive them, the acute symptoms may go on for two or three days. But only, I stress-if you survive them. Simply stopping the dust could kill you, Misha."

"I can't keep this up for months, Helgin. I'm exhausted and so is everyone else. I can't put myself through it and I won't put Tia through it with me."

"Misha, I was only joking about not getting any sleep," Tia hurried to a.s.sure him, thinking she was responsible for his sudden decision to do this dangerous thing.

"I know you were, Tia, and in truth, concern for your sleeping habits is not my only reason for this."

"I would think you'd need an excellent reason for attempting such a foolish and dangerous course of action," Master Helgin said.

"This has got something to do with Dirk, hasn't it?" Tia asked.

He nodded. "I know you think I'm imagining things, Tia, but I can't believe Dirk Provin is now Lord of the Suns by some strange set of circ.u.mstances that placed him in the right place at the right time. And with this eclipse the G.o.ddess-or rather, if I am to believe your version of events, Dirk Provin-has predicted, then the logical a.s.sumption is that he's planning something to coincide with it. As he already appears to have removed Belagren, I can only conclude my father is his next target. Either way, I need to be there, either to protect my father or to step up and take his place if Dirk succeeds."

"You want us to help you protect the Lion of Senet?" Tia snorted. "You're asking a bit much, don't you think?"

"My offer still stands, Tia," he promised. "I will withdraw the Senetians from Dhevyn as soon as I have the power to do so. Saving my father from Dirk Provin will give me that power almost as certainly as a.s.suming the throne myself."

"If you survive," Helgin warned.

"I'm not going to go on like this for the rest of my life. And I'll not listen to your logical arguments about a manageable addiction. I'll either be free of this or I will die trying and I have neither the time nor the will to take the safe road in doing it."