Jeres Geliadde listened to the guardsman’s rather garbled account with an expression of dour patience. “Now, let me see if I understand,” he said eventually, tenting his hands before him on his desk and gazing at them all over the tips of his fingers. “This foreigner, Lord Chontas Taudde ser Omientes, ostensibly from Miskiannes, is accused by this deisa, Lily, of being a Kalchesene assassin who has aimed sorcerously at Prince Tepres’s life. An ineffectual assassin, evidently, as the prince was perfectly well when I last saw him, a scant hour past. This accusation owns no evidence save the set of twin pipes originally given by Lord Chontas to Prince Tepres and subsequently given by the prince to the young keiso Moonflower. Moonflower, notwithstanding possession of these pipes, also currently enjoys good health.”
Lily drew an angry breath to speak, but at a calm look from Jeres closed her mouth without saying a word.
“Meanwhile, Lord Chontas maintains that he is an ordinary man of business and a nobleman of Miskiannes. Tarre,” he added to a waiting guard captain, “please send someone to Lord Chontas’s house and bring me the papers we are informed exist. Lord Chontas, does your servant know where these papers are located? Tarre, have the servant accompany your guardsman. Lord Chontas, if you will indulge me by accepting the hospitality of the Laodd for an hour or two while we examine these papers?”
Lord Taudde inclined his head graciously, and Jeres Geliadde said, without a trace of irony in his tone, “Thank you, my lord.”
Then the prince’s bodyguard transferred his attention to Leilis. “Also, the woman Leilis, staff of Cloisonné House, is accused of having been suborned by Lord Chontas. As it happens, the woman is known to me. As well as the regard in which she is held by the Mother of Cloisonné House. Also, I am familiar with the keiso and deisa of Cloisonné House.”
He gave Leilis a small nod of acknowledgment. Of course, Leilis realized: The prince’s senior bodyguard would have carefully studied the personnel of Cloisonné House after the prince had become infatuated with the House’s newest keiso. It hardly sounded like Jeres Geliadde meant to take Lily’s accusation seriously.
The prince’s bodyguard continued, “This accusation is certainly irregular. I should have expected a young deisa to make her suspicions known to the Mother of her House, not directly to me.” The look he turned on Lily was not sympathetic. Then he transferred his gaze, now neutral, to Leilis. “However, I will inquire as to your purpose in coming to the Laodd today. You asked first for Koriadde, and then for me, I believe? Koriadde is not here, but as I am here and attentive to this matter, we may as well examine these pipes. Do I correctly surmise that you are able to produce this instrument, young woman?”
Without hesitation, Leilis extracted the pipes from the interior pocket of her robe.
“You said—” the senior guardsman began, and stopped, looking embarrassed. Lily was plainly outraged. Lord Taudde maintained an inscrutable neutrality.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to have them disappear into the court bureaucracy,” Leilis excused herself blandly, and Jeres Geliadde gave her a grave, faintly amused nod.
“I think—I’m certain—Mage Ankennes is responsible for these,” Leilis told him.
“A serious accusation,” the prince’s bodyguard murmured.
“I’ve reason to make it.” Leilis realized this was true even as she spoke. She knew now what had been bothering her about, well, everything—something Lord Taudde had said had made things fall clear in her mind. She explained to Jeres, afraid she would sound incoherent but trying to be clear, “Moonflower’s sister Nemienne is Mage Ankennes’s apprentice, did you know? Nemienne must have told Mage Ankennes everything about hearing the pipes. Of course she told him. It’s a strange story, but Mage Ankennes must have heard it almost as soon as I did. Why didn’t he come to see us? He should have come to see that Moonflower was all right and look into what had happened. I know it may not seem like a good reason—perhaps I shouldn’t have come to the Laodd—I must sound like a fool—”
“Hmm.” Jeres tapped his fingers gently on his desk. “No. I quite understand your reasoning, young woman. Your conclusion seems sound to me, if hardly definitive. As it happens, I am also recently in receipt of a letter that makes much the same accusation.” He laid a thoughtful hand gently on a black-bound scroll, which Leilis hadn’t previously noticed among the clutter on his desk.
“Tarre,” the prince’s bodyguard continued after a slight pause. “Please send a man to find Mage Ankennes and deliver my request that he attend me here when he next finds himself at leisure.”