Writing was one thing she couldn't do well left-handed. Finally, she rose. The words weren't wonderful, but they fit, and she'd just have to visualize strongly.

Anna turned to Phurgen as she opened the door. "After we leave here to clean some of the other rooms, could you get someone to fill that tub in the washroom?" She paused and smiled. "Not your armsmen.

Someone here should have that duty. I'm sorry, but..."

Fhurgen nodded, not grimly.

Jecks stepped forward, almost beside Anna, concern in his hazel eyes, saying in a low voice, "Should you...?"

"I think I can.... Don't want to sleep in filth, and from what the cook said, there's no one to clean up."

Anna gestured toward the players. "If you'd play right outside the door. I'm going to try to extend the spell to cover some of the rooms on this end of the hall."

She waited until they rearranged themselves. "The first building spell, the short one."

Liende gestured, and the melody rose. Anna sang.

"Clean, clean, the bricks and wood and lesser things, And take the dirt until all shines and spotless sings...

The very air and song. . . ensure all filth and vermin gone."

The impact was as though a silent whirlwind had rushed through the s.p.a.ces, and every surface glistened.

Anna staggered, and Jecks slipped his arm under her left to steady her. She took a deep breath. It definitely smelled better, and her head didn't ache any more than it already had. Nor was her double vision any worse. She wanted to smile. She'd managed it without doing Darksong... so far.

She smiled directly at Liende. "Now... the players quarters. Go ahead."

As the players headed for the stairs, Jecks turned to Anna. "Is this wise?"

"I can manage one more spell."

"Are you certain?"

She nodded and began to walk toward the steps. She did let Jecks steady her.

Jecks paused to look in his s.p.a.ces as they pa.s.sed. He smiled at Anna and shook his head. "That is much cleaner."

"I'm glad. I'd rather not use sorcery for cleaning, but there are times when it's almost easier."

The quarters Alvar had found for the players were up on the third level, smaller, dustier, and with an even less appetizing aroma Anna shook her head as she stopped.

"This definitely needs sorcery." Even Kaseth smiled.

Beside her, Jecks did not.

"Let's do it." At the bewildered look, she added, "The spell."

There was more enthusiasm in the playing on the third level. Amazing how much better it gets when it helps you.

Her head ached after the spell, but her vision remained unchanged-still double, but no worse. She turned to Jecks, still helping her un.o.btrusively. "I would like to wash up. Then maybe we could find something to eat." She paused. "Can the kitchens feed all our armsmen and players? They need to eat, too,"

"I have already made those arrangements, Regent Anna, as you requested,'' Jecks added.

She hadn't requested that, but she appreciated Jecks' covering for her.

"They will eat at the tenth gla.s.s." Jecks nodded to Alvar and Liende.

"Thank you, again, all of you," Anna said to the players.

She got a scattering of smiles before they dispersed. Liende slipped up to Anna. "I thank you."

"I'm glad I could do it"

"You will have more playing for us?"

"I'd planned on it. Not here, but I'm told that the bridge on the other side of Cheor is ready to fall."

"We will be ready.'' With a brief smile and a bow, Liende stepped away.

"I'm ready for a bath," Anna said. "What about you?" She blushed, realizing that she hadn't quite said what she'd meant.

A twinkle flashed in Jecks' eyes, but his voice was evenly modulated as he answered. ''I look forward to washing up."

They walked down to the second level, where Jecks bowed after he had escorted her to her own door.

Then he turned and entered his quarters.

Anna closed her door behind her, glad in a way that there were guards outside her door. The more she'd seen of Synfal, the more puzzled she'd gotten, because of the conflicting impressions she'd received.

Was it because of her own preconceptions?

She sat on the chair in front of the writing desk for a moment, pouring herself a goblet of water, and drinking.

In some ways, Liedwahr was so like her image of a medieval culture that she'd a.s.sumed it was one. Bad a.s.sumption. She glanced down at her hand. Luckily the cut had been shallow and relatively clean, and her alcohol had seemingly been effective in disinfecting the wound. Not painless, but better than: the alternatives.

Finally, she stood and walked to the bath chamber and the tub filled with murky cold water. She winced as she thought about the necessary spells, but walked back to the main room and retrieved the lutar.

Her head and her hand were throbbing before she had the water clean and steaming and the lutar replaced in its case, and the wound had oozed more blood on the dressing.

More alcohol. She needed more alcohol for internal, not external, purposes. But she had a deep swallow of orderspelled water instead.

Finally, thank G.o.d, she could ease into the tub. Thank G.o.d? From nowhere, seemingly, came another thought. There were no churches in Liedwahr. She hadn't seen one, anyway. Why not? In every culture on earth there was a worship of some form of supreme being. Why not on Erde?

Yet Jecks had been truly appalled at the idea of a ballroom and dancing, and Alvar had been upset as well, more in a disgusted sort of way, as though dancing were obscene; rather than evil.

She washed slowly, hoping the hot water would loosen the stiffness in her shoulders. The heat helped, but not enough, by the time the water was cooling, and she pulled out the plug. She still found it amusing that the few tubs for the well-off all had drains, but were filled by buckets. It made sense; in an offbeat way.

She forced herself into a clean set of riding clothes. Laundry of the old set could wait, would have to wait.

At least she'd been able to get her room clean and disinfected, even if it had taken all her players, and the spells involved had given her a splitting headache. But no more Darksong side effects.

Finally dressed, and with her wound resterilized and rebandaged, she poured another goblet of orderspelled water and took a long swallow, then another, and refilled the goblet. After that, she ate one of the hard biscuits left over from her travel provisions. She could almost feel the worst of the headache subside.

Food and more food-you're always eating.

Was the room dimmer? She laughed. Of course it was. It was twilight, twilight of one of the lengthiest days she'd spent in a long time. Finally, she sang the candle spell, and the wall candles lit. Her head only twinged.

At the thrap on the door, she stood. "Yes?"

"Lord Jecks to see you, Lady Anna," Fhurgen announced.

"Oh ... please come in."

''My lady." Jecks wore a clean blue tunic, and had washed up. He looked more handsome than ever.

"Lord Jecks." Anna wished she were more in the mood to appreciate him. "Please sit down."

Instead of sitting on the window seat, he pulled one of the wooden chairs over to the side of the writing desk opposite her.

"Jecks?" she ventured. "Will you humor me and answer some questions?"

"I would well humor you after all you have done for Jimbob."

She wished he hadn't put, it quite that way. "Even after my railing on about the greediness of the lords of Defalk?"

"You did not rail. You frowned." Jecks laughed. "That was enough." He paused. "Vierk said that there were six thousand golds. I told him you were the sorceress. Then he said there were ten, and that some of the rents had not arrived." Jecks shrugged. "I have never seen ten thousand at once, not in the whole time I have held Elhi. Some farmers, they can offer no coins, and have accepted fowl and beeves, even. Such help feeds the hold."

"I have another question. It doesn't have anything to do with golds."

"You have many questions. That is why you are regent." The white-haired lord's voice was wary.

"Do people believe in a G.o.d here?"

"A G.o.d?"

"A supreme being. . . a supernatural . . . ent.i.ty... in charge of the world?"

"An almighty Lord of Harmony, do you mean?"

"Something like that."

"There are some." Despite her concerns, his slightly crooked smile warmed Anna as Jecks shifted his weight on the plain wooden chair. "The. . . women of Ranuak believe that harmony is governed by the earth mother. The Sea-Priests, they believe that harmony and disharmony flow with the tides of the great oceans. The Pelarans, who might know? The Evult thought he was the Lord of Harmony, until you appeared." Jecks offered a wider smile, somehow tentative. "Some are saying you are the Lady of Harmony."

"Me?" asked Anna involuntarily.

"So they say."

"Not me." A growling from her stomach reminded Anna of other necessities, and rescued her. "I need to eat."

Jecks stood immediately. "If I might join you? Alvar ate with Jimbob already. Jimbob sleeps now. He still is young."

"Of course." Anna offered a smile, hoping her concerns didn't show through too much. "I had thought you would. Earlier, I mean. And I understand about Jimbob. Sometimes you forget he's only twelve."

The Lord of Elheld nodded, then stood as she did, and they walked silently down the wide main brick stairs.

They sat at a corner of the large table in the intimate dining salon beside the kitchen. The three lit wall sconces gave a dim but adequate light. Two platters rested on the table, one of a roasted fowl, uncut, evenly roasted brown, and oozing golden drippings, and a second of sliced meat over thick noodles, covered with a white sauce.

Anna could smell the duck. Was it as greasy as it looked? And smelled? Then, she'd never cared that much for either goose or duck. She helped herself to the noodies, her mouth watering. She'd really eaten far too little over the course of the day.

She'd almost finished her first helping before she spoke. "You saw the kitchens."

"Yes?" mumbled Jecks.

"And the stables?" Anna paused. "They were well kept, better kept, and cleaner in many ways than the rooms people lived in here."

"I do not think anyone has lived here for some years, except for Lord Arkad. Alvar said Fauren's quarters were with the armsmen." Jecks took a hefty swallow of wine from his goblet, then reached for the pitcher to refill his goblet. "Those are clean."

'I wonder." Anna carefully lifted the goblet and took a small swallow of wine, since she hadn't felt like order-spelling any water besides that in her quarters. The pewter like goblet was heavy, and she wasn't used to using her left hand. "I had the impression that Fauren was the evil plotter behind a weak and crazy old lord. I suppose it doesn't matter now. Except it does." She pursed her lips.

"Lord Arkad had some greater plan, you think?"

"I don't know. He kept the ballroom-the dancing room-and the old throne room. He was gathering huge amounts of golds, and outside of the main part of the hall, everything is clean and in good condition."

"Our weapons difficulties may be slighter, now," Jecks said after taking another mouthful of the duck that had proved too greasy for Anna.

'There was an armory somewhere?"

"Over two hundred good blades, and close to a hundred lances. A number of bows. Those I did not count."

"Won't that leave the liedburg's armsmen without weapons?" she asked.

"Those were racked below. The armsmen have their blades."

Anna nodded to herself. One way or another, the blades needed to go to Falcor. "That will help Hanfor.

And if we can get the ones from Ranuak..."

"A blade in the hand is worth two in the forge."

Anna yawned. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was so tired." She shook her head.

"You amaze me. You have ridden nearly two leagues, cast numerous spells, been wounded, and taken over a strange hold, and you are astonished that you are fatigued." Jecks' eyes twinkled as he stood and offered his arm.

Anna took it. "It makes sense that way."

Not much else does, but that does. She stifled another yawn and took the first step toward the stairs, glad for his stability in an unstable world.