“This man identified himself as Ollarin.”
Elluvian’s eyes met Severn’s before returning to the statue.
“Ollarin visited the Oracular Halls.”
“Not under that name.”
“Not many of my kin would take the risk of lying in the Oracular Halls.”
“Why not?”
“Lies have a way of being discovered—and not in a way that one can easily recover from. The discovery, the means of discovery, are not predictable.”
“You recognize him. Is he An’Sennarin?”
“He was not An’Sennarin at the time of the visit. His ascension to the title is new.”
Severn looked at Ybelline; her eyes remained closed.
“This man visited Random?”
Severn nodded.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. She was willing to discuss it with Ybelline; she expected Ybelline to answer any questions it was safe to answer.”
“If Ybelline were Barrani—”
“I am not,” Ybelline said.
“—she would answer no questions.”
“She’s not Barrani.”
“She will be castelord.”
Ybelline nodded. “I will answer questions,” she told Elluvian. “But I will answer them in private. I have still not given Private Handred the information I was instructed to give him.”
“You believe that information to be relevant now?”
“Yes. I have not been given permission to share that information beyond Private Handred. If Helmat wants to question the private, Severn is a Wolf. Helmat will not, however, question me.”
“And I won’t, either.”
“Not and receive answers, no. I would prefer to have the rest of the interview tomorrow, if possible.”
“Then why are you coming to the Halls of Law?”
“I, too, wish to examine what Random gifted to Severn.”
Severn wasn’t certain that she did. It wasn’t his choice to make.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Ybelline,” Helmat said when they entered the Wolves’ office. He was standing, arms folded, beside Rosen’s desk—or rather, by her mirror. Rosen, seated, looked past Ybelline to Severn and Elluvian.
Ybelline’s eyes narrowed; she stopped in the doorway as she met Helmat’s gaze.