"I've also made Lord Jecks agree to part with Herstat as part of the bargain, to be saalmeister here. Halde will stay on to a.s.sist him, but only for a time, until Herstat is comfortable." Anna turned to Jecks. "What have you discovered about Halde?"

"He is honest, according to all. He works hard. He does not appear to listen, but he does," The white- haired lord shrugged. "A courtier he is not. That is why he would have remained an a.s.sistant, I would judge."

"The armsmen of Synfal speak of him in a like fashion," added the Arms Commander. "They respect him.

They do not like him, but they do not dislike him."

"Well... let's get this over." Anna raised the iron bell and rang it, wincing at the off-key clang.

Fhurgen opened the door.

"If you would ask Halde to come in..."

The dark-bearded acting saalmeister entered the chamber, closing the door gently but firmly, and bowed.

"Lady Anna, lords."

"Halde," Anna said, wondering how she was going to handle telling Halde he was about to be replaced.

"Yes, Lady Anna?" The black-haired young man bowed again.

"I will be naming the heir to Synfal shortly."

"That is your right as regent."

"The heir will have his own saalmeister."

"That is his right."

"Halde," Anna repeated, adding slowly. "Everyone in Synfal believes you are hardworking, good at the work of your job, and honest. Most find you cold and difficult to talk to. I promised you a good position if you worked hard and well, and I will honor that promise."

"All say you honor your word." Halde bowed his head.

"Halde...I have a request."

"Your word is my command."

Anna wanted to stamp her boots or slap the young saalmeister. Instead, she forced a smile. "Herstat will be arriving to become saalmeister. He will need your a.s.sistance to learn all he needs to know about Synfal quickly. He would learn it in any case, but your a.s.sistance would make matters easier" Anna waited.

"I will offer all a.s.sistance I can," promised Halde, his light gray eyes meeting Anna's.

"My request is that you also learn from him. Watch how Herstat talks to people, how he makes them feel good without giving away what he must not." Anna's eyes focused on Halde, and she emphasized the next words slightly. "If you will learn from Herstat, if you work at knowing people as you know the keep, then I will indeed reward you."

For the first time, Halde appeared uncertain, and his hand went to the neatly trimmed dark beard.

"Lady..."

"You have talent, Halde, and I need talent. But I need someone who does not make people feel like tools.

People need to feel like people. That is not weakness; that is another skill." Anna cleared her throat. She wasn't good at this sort of lecture, but she was desperately short of people who were good at what they did. "Do you understand?"

Halde nodded, then swallowed. 'Might I ask. . . of the heir?''

"I'd ask you to say nothing until I make the announcement." Halde nodded. "The heir will be Lord Jimbob. The past lords of Defalk have been weakened because they didn't have enough coin or lands.

That left them unable to protect their people. After the heir is named, I will not have any part in the day- to-day running of Synfal. That will be up to you and Herstat. Now, and when Lord Jimbob visits in the future, as he will more frequently as he gets older, he will learn all he can."

Halde inclined his head. "In these times, few could fault your decision. Some lords may rage behind their walls, but few will say so where any can hear."

"What of those in Synfal?" asked Jecks.

"Already, it is clear that the regent is fair and just. That is rare as well, and most call themselves fortunate."

"Most?" asked Anna.

Halde smiled ironically. "I have not found anyplace where all agree, even in my father's house."

"Do you have any questions?"

"Do you know, lady, when I might expect this... Herstat?"

"Within the next two weeks, Halde. And no," she antic.i.p.ated the question, "I do not know how long he will need your a.s.sistance. I do know that he is just and fair, and as kind as he can afford to be."

"Thank you, lady." Halde bowed again.

"You may go, Halde. Thank you for all your help and hard work. I do appreciate it."

After the door closed, Hanfor shook his head. "He listened. I did not think he would. You are a wonder, Lady Anna."

Anna just felt tired.

"What have you in mind?" asked Jecks.

"I need a saalmeister for Loiseau. and I need someone who can put it back together so that it works without sorcery." She reached for her goblet and took a long swallow of water. "I hope he can learn. I'm asking a lot."

"He has skill," Hanfor added.

"But can he learn about people?" Anna turned to Jecks. "Was I right about Herstat? I only have met him once."

Jecks smiled broadly and shook his head. "One would never have guessed that. You described him well.

At times, my lady, you indeed astound me."

"Then, let's hope he can teach young Halde." Anna coughed. Her chest still hurt when she did, but it was far more of an ache than the stabbing pain it had been. "We'll need to draft a proclamation or whatever's necessary to grant the lands to Jimbob...."

Jecks nodded.

"We'd better talk to Jimbob, first, too, before he hears something."

"I will get him." The white-haired lord, walked swiftly from the quarters.

Hanfor looked at her once the older lord had left. "Am I risking disaster, Hanfor? Probably. Except that the alternatives are worse. These lands are too old and too traditional to give to you or someone else who isn't from an old family in Defalk. If I hold them, it will make more lords rebellious, and if I grant them to Jecks, it will be seen as a scheme of some sort." She shrugged.

"When you speak that way, it does ring true." The veteran coughed. "Will the power not affect the boy?"

"I'm going to try to stop that"

Hanfor nodded. His face went blank as Jecks returned with Jimbob.

"Lady Anna?" The redhead bowed. "Grandsire said you needed to speak to me."

"I do." Anna waited until the door closed. "You had asked the other day who would inherit Synfal. Your grandsire said I could not make an announcement immediately. Do you remember that?"

"Yes, lady."

"I'm going to inform the heir," she continued with a smile, "and I thought you should know."

Hanfor's eyes twinkled as Jimbob's face took on a puzzled expression.

"Once you have the age and experience, these lands of Synfal will be yours, along with those of Falcor, and eventually, I would guess, those of Elheld."

Jimbob's mouth almost opened. He swallowed.

"I would ask you not to speak of it I will make the announcements within the next few days."

"Yes, lady."

Anna turned to face Jimbob, and her eyes fixed his. "I want to make some things clear, Jimbob. First, while you will be the lord of Synfal, the lands will be administered for you by Herstat while you learn about them and every thing else you need to know. Second, your word, unless it is supported by your grandsire or Herstat, is not yet law. Do you understand that?"

Jimbob frowned. "Then why, Lady Anna, are you naming me now?"

"To settle things as quickly as possible. And as smoothly. So the people have a chance to get accustomed to you, and so that you can learn what you need to know."

The red-haired boy nodded, as if he were unsure.

Anna looked from Jecks to Jimbob. "There are a couple of rules I wilt insist on. Until you are of age, you will never contradict Herstat or question his actions or judgments in any public place. Nor will you question me or your grandsire in public about what we have done. I expect you to ask questions-that's one way of learning- but in private chambers, never where you will be overheard.'' Her eyes went to the youth. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, lady."

"Second, if you strongly disagree with an action Herstat has taken, you will talk first with your grandsire.

If he feels it is necessary, he will come to me. Third, you will keep in mind that most people will do what's necessary if you make it clear what needs to be done and that you respect them. They also must respect you." Anna's eyes focused directly on Jimbob. "Your sire and mother were respected, your mother especially, because they knew what had to be done and how to do it. Authority and power-or birthright-will never inspire true respect. Knowledge, skill, understanding, and strength will. You need to learn more of these. Herstat will help you learn that, and to keep you from making too many mistakes."

"Yes, Lady Anna."

"I would only add one thing to what the Lady Anna has said," Jecks remarked. "By granting you Synfal, she has given you the chance your sire never had. She has also given you even greater power to destroy yourself." He grinned at his grandson. "But if you look like you're going to try that, I am still not too old to knock you back into your britches."

Jimbob swallowed. "1 will do my best, grandsire... Lady Anna..."

"You will do better than that, lad," said Jecks, the smile vanishing. "You will do better than you think you can."

Jimbbb glanced from Jecks to Hanfor to Anna, then back to Jecks. Then he straightened his shoulders.

"Yes, grandsire. Yes, sire."

Anna suppressed a smile. "You may go, Jimbob. We'll talk more about this once Herstat arrives."

"In the meantime," added Jecks, "not one word."

"No, sire."

Not more than a few moments after Jimbob left, after a heavy thump on the door, Fhurgen peered inside.

"A scroll for you, lady, relayed by. messenger from Falcor."

Hanfor slipped out of his chair and claimed the scroll from Fhurgen, tendering it to Anna as the guard closed the door.

Anna glanced at the words. 'Hadrenn?" she murmured. The name was familiar, but he wasn't one of the Thirty-three of Defalk. Then she wanted to shake her head at her stupidity. He was one of the two fighting it out in Ebra. She opened the scroll and began to read. After reading through it silently, she repeated the key phrases to Jecks and Hanfor.

"... times have changed, and we of Ebra must change with them or perish.... I would propose an arrangement of mutual benefit, pledging the lands of Synek, my ancestral lands, in fealty to the regent and Regency of Defalk. In turn if the Regency could see fit to recognize me as one of the Thirty-three when that would be appropriate...

"...maintaining such fealty will initially be most difficult. . . particularly given the recent coins and arms provided by the Liedfuhr of Mansuur to the usurper Bertmynn....

"...Ebra can no longer stand against the rest of Liedwahr, nor should it.... Synek, and in time, all of Ebra, would be most benefited to share arms with Defalk..."

"He is begging for any sort of aid you are willing to provide," said Hanfor. "We have little to provide.''

"There have always been thirty-three lords," Jecks said deliberately. "Changing that might be difficult, especially in these days."

"We don't change it," Anna said. "Cheor belongs to Jimbob, right? Now, doesn't he count as the Lord of Falcor, and the Overlord of Defalk?"

A smile crossed Hanfor's face, quickly vanishing, as he raised a hand to cover a mock cough.

Jecks nodded, his lips crinkling into a smile as Anna continued, "We actually lack at least one lord now. Also, if we grant lordship to this Hadrenn, that might make it more difficult for anyone else to claim lordship over Cheor."

"In theory. Lady Anna."

"Do we want to fight in three lands?" asked Hanfor.

"Why can't we get Hadrenn to fight there for us?" responded Anna. ''We can spare a little coin. We'll tell him that most of the Thirty-three have paid between eight hundred and a thousand golds a year in liedgeld, once their times of trouble have pa.s.sed. We'll promise help as we can, knowing that we must swim together or sink separately" She wondered where she'd come up with the last phrase. She didn't even like swimming.

A quizzical look pa.s.sed across Jecks' face.

"Coins? How do we know he won't turn on us?" asked Hanfor. "You buried part of his land in fire and molten rock, and devastated the rivers. Yet now he would turn to you, and you would send him coin?"

"Right now, we don't know if he will be trustworthy. Remember... I didn't. oppose him, but his enemy the Evult. And besides, he has nowhere else to turn, does he?" Anna shook her head. "If he's asking us for coin, I'd bet that this Bertmynn is getting golds and weapons from some of our other friends-like Konsstin and maybe the Sturinnese. Why else would Hadrenn turn to us? He can't have anywhere else to turn."

"Can a mountain cat so cornered be trusted?" Hanfor touched his trimmed but graying beard.