He turned to see what the boy wanted and realized with despair that Jacinta D'Orlon was with him.

He suddenly became very conscious of the fact he had been caught skipping stones like a ten-year-old boy. Cursing under his breath, he tossed away the pebbles he had been skimming over the surface of the lake, brushed his hands clean on his trousers and strode across the lawn to meet them.

"See! I told you I knew where he was," Eryk declared happily as Dirk reached them.

Jacinta smiled at the boy. "Yes, you did, Eryk, although by the look of him, I'm not sure your master wanted to be found."

"He doesn't mind seeing you, my lady," Eryk told her. "It's just everyone else he's hiding from."

Jacinta looked at him curiously. Dirk wanted to cringe with embarra.s.sment.

"Go find something to do, Eryk," he ordered.

"Like what, Lord Dirk?"

"Like fetching Lady Jacinta something cool to drink, perhaps?"

"That would be lovely, Eryk," Jacinta agreed.

The boy nodded eagerly and ran back toward the house. Jacinta watched him leave and then turned back to Dirk with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, my lord. I truly didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's all right," he shrugged. "He's right, actually. I was hiding from everyone.""Are we not enjoying being the Lord of the Suns?" she asked with a slightly raised brow.

"Actually, we're not," he admitted, a little surprised to find himself confiding in her.

"I have noticed you seem rather reluctant to a.s.sume the robes of your office."

He glanced down at his shirt and trousers with a wan smile. "I just can't bring myself to walk around in a long yellow dress."

Jacinta laughed. "I'm sure the rest of your order would be quite offended to hear you refer to their traditional robes in such a manner."

"You're probably right. Still, there's no way I can get out of wearing them for ceremonial occasions.

But I'm d.a.m.ned if I'm going to wear them any other time."

"Well, I for one applaud your stance, Lord Provin. I think you're right. You'd look ridiculous in a long yellow dress. Shall we walk?"

Jacinta fell in beside Dirk and they began to walk along the sh.o.r.e. Within a few steps the trees obscured the palace and they were effectively alone.

"It's quite beautiful here," Jacinta remarked, looking around with interest.

"It is, isn't it?" he agreed, and then he looked at her curiously. "But that's not why you're here."

"No, it's not. I came to thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping the refugees in Oakridge."

"What makes you think I had anything to do with that?"

"You had everything to do with it, my lord. Alenor was right about you, wasn't she? You are still on our side."

"I'm going to rather a lot of trouble to prove that I'm not, my lady."

"And you've succeeded admirably," she a.s.sured him. "The Dhevynians who believe you shouldn't be hung, drawn and quartered are a very small minority."

"Well, there's a comfort."

She was silent for a moment, as if working up the courage to speak. He wondered if she was planning another test to prove where his loyalties lay.

"I need to ask you another favor, my lord," she said eventually.

Apparently she was. "What sort of favor?"

"Alexin Seranov has been arrested."

"What for?"

"Adultery with the queen."

Dirk stopped and stared at her. "Please tell me this is your idea of a joke."

"I wish it were."

He closed his eyes for a moment. Poor Alenor. "What happened?"

She shrugged. "I don't know the full story. All I know is he was caught with Alenor, and Kirshov is bringing him here to face the Lion of Senet."

"Then he's as good as dead, my lady." Dirk's mind was reeling. Why this? Why now?"And so is Alenor unless you intervene."

"How can I help?" he asked, a little impatiently.

"You're the Lord of the Suns, Dirk Provin. You are the only person on Ranadon who can pull rank on the Lion of Senet and get away with it. You control the High Priestess of the Shadowdancers.

You're probably the single most powerful man in the world right now. If you can't save Alenor and Alexin, n.o.body can."

Dirk stared at her, wondering how much she knew. Or what she had guessed. Jacinta scared him a little. That such a sharp mind lurked behind such as disarming face was extremely disturbing. For a fleeting, inexplicable moment he was tempted to confide in her, to tell her everything. He resisted the temptation. He'd come this far alone. He would see it through to the bitter end.

"Do you trust me?"

"That's an odd question."

"But an important one. Do you trust me?"

She thought about her answer for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I think I do."

"Do you believe I would never do anything to hurt Alenor?"

"She certainly believes it."

"But do you?"

Once again, she considered her response carefully before she answered. "Yes."

"Then if I'm to save them, I'll need your help."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to denounce Alexin."

"What?"

"When Kirsh and Alenor arrive in Bollow, I want you to stand up and declare you know for certain Alexin is in league with the Baenlanders and he seduced Alenor with the sole intention of turning her from the G.o.ddess."

"That will brand him a heretic."

"I know."

Suddenly Jacinta smiled. "And if he's a heretic, it becomes a matter for the Church and the Lord of the Suns can take a hand in his fate. You're smarter than you look, Dirk Provin."

She was very quick, this girl. He would never have gotten away with half the things he'd done lately if there was anybody else around him with even half her wit.

"You'll have to be convincing," he warned. "And Alenor will be furious with you until you can explain it to her."

"I can be convincing, but will my word be enough?"

"Probably not," he agreed. "But in that, we may have had a stroke of luck. I have it from a very reliable source that Tia Veran is currently in Bollow. Her presence would lend such a theory a great deal of credence if I can find her before Alenor and Kirsh get here."

"Will you find her?"

"If I don't, it won't be from lack of trying. I've got every soldier and city guard in Bollow looking for her.""And with Tia Veran in custody, what then? She won't acknowledge Alexin is a member of the rebel underground willingly."

"That won't matter provided I don't let Antonov question her directly. All I really need to do is have her arrested and then a.s.sure him that she has verified your story. He'll believe me. And after the eclipse... well, it won't matter so much then."

She stared at him suspiciously. "You just thought this up now, didn't you? You're making this up as you go along."

"That doesn't mean it won't work, my lady. I'll speak to Marqel. She'll back me up when I demand Alexin is handed over to me. With the Lord of the Suns and the Voice of the G.o.ddess demanding justice, you implicating Alexin as a heretic and the greatest heretic of all's daughter confirming your accusation, Antonov won't be able to deny me."

"Do you trust the High Priestess to do such a thing?"

"I don't trust her at all," he told her. "But I have ways of making her toe the line."

She searched his face curiously for a moment. "What are you up to, Dirk Provin?" When he didn't answer, she smiled suddenly, and let the question go unanswered. Jacinta was obviously dying to press him on the subject, but she had the sense not to insist he elaborate. "Do you know when Kirsh and Alenor are due to arrive?"

"The day after tomorrow, I believe," Dirk told her.

"I'll need to be here when they arrive. Kirsh won't wait on this."

"Perhaps you should think about moving up to the palace, then?" he suggested. "Alenor will need you close by and we have plenty of room."

Unaccountably, Jacinta burst out laughing.

"My lady?"

"I'm sorry," she chuckled. "I'm not laughing at you or your kind offer. I was just thinking about...

you see, my mother... Oh, it's just too hard to explain..."

Dirk smiled. "You'll stay then? I can have someone sent into town to collect your things."

Forcing her laughter under control, Jacinta's smile faded. "I'd best go with them. And be careful who you send to aid me, my lord," she cautioned. "There's a certain book in my possession that could get me into an awful lot of trouble if it were discovered among my things."

He smiled knowingly. "I'll send Caterina and Eryk with you. They could come across you burning effigies of the G.o.ddess in the middle of the Bollow Temple and I'm sure they'd swear you were doing nothing wrong."

"Are you angry with them?"

"Jealous, actually."

She eyed him skeptically. "You've nothing to be jealous of, my lord. I'd be delighted to engender even a fraction of the devotion Eryk and Caterina have for you in my servants."

"The people who'd like to see me dead outnumber my loyal followers rather dramatically, my lady."

"Which doesn't seem to bother you at all," she remarked, studying him with those strange, color-shifting eyes. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

He smiled. "No."

"Well, that's a relief. You'd be rather scary if you weren't even a little bit uncertain." They walkedon in silence for a way. "I can't thank you enough for helping Alenor and Alexin."

"I haven't done anything yet." He was uncomfortable with her grat.i.tude. Jacinta was placing a great deal of trust in him he wasn't sure he deserved. His plan sounded clever, but Antonov's fury on learning Alenor had taken a lover and fallen pregnant with a child that wasn't Kirsh's might be much stronger than his belief in church law. Despite his stated approval of Dirk's new role, Dirk had not challenged Antonov openly since becoming Lord of the Suns. He wasn't sure what would happen when he did.

"But you will," she said confidently. "And now, if you will excuse me, I'll leave you in peace to continue... hiding. Would you be offended if I wasn't in attendance for dinner this evening? I need to visit my parents."

"I'll see there's a carriage made available to you."

"You're being very generous."

"Actually, since you're the queen's envoy, I probably should have invited you to stay at the palace when you first arrived in Bollow."

She stared at him suspiciously. "You haven't been talking to my mother, have you?"

"No. Why?"

"Nothing," she shrugged, and then smiled. "Just an idle thought. I'll see you later then?"

"Undoubtedly."

She turned to leave but had only gone a few steps before she turned back to him with a slight frown.