The two women were a contrast in styles. Olivderval, eldest of the Maricii, still wore summer silks in vivid hues and her jewelry outshone anything that the men wore. Leonida, widow of the Oligarch Dromahl, was tall and slim where Olivderval was short and stocky.

She wore the deep purple of her widowhood, the combs 253.

that held her upswept white hair in place were of ame- thyst and a long braid of gold hung unpendanted around her neck. The only ring she wore was a broad, plain wedding band. She looked frail and simple in that company, but she had taken over the family businesses on her husband's death some fifteen years before and had doubled the profits within three years. No one at the table had bested her in a deal, though all, save Olivderval, had tried.

"And now to our business," Festin Manyas said from his chair at the head of the table. "I should like to call upon friend Olivderval of the Maricii to bring us up to date on the latest intelligence from abroad." He was a spare, fussy man, slightly younger than the others, and would not have been chairman had they not been in his house.

"Thank you, Festin, and may I compliment you on your admirable hospitality." She smiled down the table at him among murmurs of a.s.sent. "As you know," she proceeded briskly, "the first installment of money has been paid to the Discipline according to the terms of our secret compact. There is a working group of the Weatherwards on Harbor Island examining conditions in the skies and I am told reliably that special emphasis is being placed on that aspect of the training of the Apprentice Magicians at the Collegium. Needless to say, they will have to produce a great many new Weather- wards in the years to come. I have no doubt, however, that they will be able to improve our conditions consid- erably, even, let us hope, in the rainy season. I think that it is worth our while to be patient.

"Our relations with the Magical Kingdoms and with Talisman continue to be good, although the unrest in Paladine this past summer produced a slight downturn in flax and the cereal trade. Wool and leather, however, were unaffected. Indeed the number of fleeces increased.

254 From all reports, Queen Naxania is firmly in control again, though she is not markedly popular. In short, there is no reason to suppose that next year's profits should not be up to, or beyond, last year's. The same holds true for both Arundel and Talisman. So much for the good news."

Olivderval paused and drank some water. She glanced at her colleagues and was pleased to see that no one was taking notes.

"Conditions in the Empire," she resumed, "are far from smooth. The general unrest is continuing. The preachings of Simian the Hermit have affected the man- ufacturing towns and the production, particularly of cloth and metalware, is down substantially. That, com- bined with an indifferent harvest in most Electorates, has led to an increase in imports, notably of grain, and a decrease in exports. It is my judgment that, within a year, Umbria will become a debtor nation."

There was a brief silence, broken by Marwin, whose increasing weight and wispy hair gave him the look of an oversized baby.

"If Varodias spent less money on his army, he might be able to pay his bills."

"Scant chance of that while there's rebellion abroad,"

the Oligarch Larridan replied.

"I would think that it is too early to label it rebellion, but the question is, are we going to extend him credit?"

The observation and question were couched in Leoni- da's cultivated tones.

How does a reed that thin produce such a rich sound?

Olivderval wondered. She waited for someone to an- swer. When none did, "I think we must," she said. "We do not want to give him an excuse to turn on us, not yet."

"Not yet?'The query came from Calliost.

Olivderval smiled across the table at him. He was tall, 255.

still slim in robes that disguised his paunch, and his thick, grey hair made him look younger than he was.

Olivderval and he had had an affair when both were young. It had petered out gracefully and she was still fond of him.

"It will come, my dear Calliost, it will come," she said regretfully. "n.o.body loves a creditor, as we are all well aware, but Varodias has deeper troubles and is be- ginning to look abroad for a diversion, something to take the people's mind off their domestic problems. We are the obvious target."

"When you say that the Emperor is already begin- ning to look at us with envy, are you just being logical or do you have some proof?" The question came from Torrant.

"Oh, I have proof," Olivderval said pleasantly. "Now that the Elector of Estragoth has retired to his estates, his place has been taken by his former secretary, one Malum of Quern, with one difference. Young Malum is also Varodias' spymaster. Young Quern, whose ac- quaintance I made at Stronta, has sought, quite suc- cessfully I am happy to say, to suborn my tiring woman-and I am sure that he has other sources in Belengar."

"And why are you happy to say that your tiring woman has been enlisted as an Umbrian spy?" Festin asked.

"Because she is a loyal soul," Olivderval replied sweetly, "and she came straight to me." She shrugged and raised her hands. "I, of course, told her exactly what I wanted Lord Malum to hear. I shall continue to do so."

"And have you taken steps to acquire reliable infor- mation from Umbria?" Leonida inquired.

Olivderval smiled- "Naturally. We all have our own network of traders and I question mine closely, but, in

256 addition, I have found some Umbrians who are more than willing to supply information for ready cash." She flashed a look around the table. "Umbrians are easy to snare," she said contemptuously. "They're too greedy to look ahead and, once committed to treason, too afraid of betrayal to back out."

"And wh at did you tell your maid to tell the Um- brians?" Marwin asked.

"That the Council was too bogged down in the de- tails of building roads through Songuard to think about much of anything else."

"Well, that's the truth," Rully of the Narboresa put in sardonically. "That's what we're here for, isn't it?"

Olivderval looked at Leonida and then at Calliost, hoping that one of them would take the initiative. Both knew her thinking on the matter, but they both avoided her eyes. She took a breath.

"Only partly." she said. "That is why we have taken such precautions about this meeting and why no word of what is decided here can seep out, even to members of your families." She stopped and pushed her chair back as quietly as she could. She levered her bulk up and walked softly to the doors. She opened them quickly and stepped out into the pa.s.sageway. At the end of the corridor, two of Festin Manyas' servants were deep in conversation. There was no one else in sight. She turned an reentered the withdrawing room.

"I apologize for the melodrama," she said lightly, "but, from now on, one cannot be too careful. The future of the State depends on it."

She felt as well as heard the skeptical silence and re- took her place with deliberation. She sensed the antag- onism of the men. They had yielded to her hard work and experience long ago and treated her as an equal, but they still did not like it when she took it upon her- self to formulate policy for them. Too bad, she thought; 257.

if we waited for them we'd be a province of the Empire- She smiled up and down the table, inviting them to see the humor in her fears, despising herself for the gesture as she performed it.

"My caution may seem overdone to some of you, but the reality is that we must prepare ourselves for war with the Empire."

"Oh come now, Olivderval," Torrant expostulated.

"Your imagination has taken control of your usually admirable practicality. The Empire has no need to ex- pand. It has vast new territories that it can't possibly populate and they have absolutely no reason to fear us."

"You are being logical, Torrant," Leonida said dryly, "and also obtuse. We have already heard about the un- rest in the Empire and we now know that Varodias con- siders us important enough"-there was a wealth of sarcasm in the "important"-"to spy on members of this Council. I recommend, gentlemen, that you look to your households. If this Quern person has seen fit to spend gold on the servants, you may wager that he has made similar efforts elsewhere." The level brown eyes scanned the faces around the table. "It would, of course, be far more productive to have one of us in his em- ploy." She let the statement linger accusingly in the air.

"Fear is not Varodias' prod," Olivderval resumed, "or at least not direct fear of us; fear of his own people maybe. Envy is the spur. We do not grow, we do not spin, we do not manufacture, but we prosper. Success inspires resentment and it fosters greed."

"Beautifully said, dear lady." Asphar of Urcel's gen- teel voice dropped languidly into the debate. "Now, you know that I admire you beyond measure, but I also know you pa.s.sing well. For you to have risen to such poetic heights means that you are about to propose

258 something deucedly expensive." He smiled across the table at her and sprawled back carelessly in his chair.

And I know you, Olivderval thought, a dandy with a mind of honed steel and a grudge-bearing ability that the G.o.ds would envy. She replicated his smile, though with difficulty. When they were both children-he was fourteen, she twelve-he had beaten her dog because, when they had both called it, the dog had gone to her and not to him. She had been a mere girl then with an older brother to fight her battles for her, but he had died and she was Oligarch now.

"Oh aye," she said pleasantly, proud of her control, "it will cost, but less I think than would the wholesale disruption of world trade, or having our houses fired and Isphardis put to the sword." Her voice was light, to the extent that it natural depth allowed. It was not he way she had intended to approach the subject, but she was reacting to Asphar. d.a.m.n the man' Why did she have to spend her life reacting to him?

"And what is your suggestion?" Marwin asked cau- tiously.

Olivderval took in a breath and made herself relax.

"We shall have to arm and train a militia." She held up a hand as babble broke forth.

"I know, I know," she said. "We have never resorted to arms, but times have changed."

"Changed?" came the clotted voice ofCalliost. "We have avoided arms in times of war, what possible reason could we have to resort to them in times of peace?"

"Thank you, Calliost," Olivderval said slowly. "To begin with, we shall have to have a force to protect our roadbuilders in Songuard. Their government is new and relatively powerless and, to compound the problem, what sway they hold is in the north whereas we shall begin our operations in the south. I put it you that the sight of all that activity will prove too much for the 259.

southern clans. We shall need armed men to protect our workers, our mules and our equipment."