“But this source of True Names, this source of words—he led you to it. I’m wondering if he led others in the same way.”
“...you’re thinking of the Barrani.”
“I am. If an alternate source of life was found and offered to the Barrani, those who dislike bowing to the Consort and the Lake might have eagerly accepted it. But Barrani of power are suspicious bastards. They would have wanted to test it, right?
“If—and only if—whoever was in charge could offer the Barrani a different source of life, the Consort would become irrelevant. And if they could control this secondary source, it would give them almost undreamed-of power among the Barrani.
“The Lake’s function depends on the Lady, and the Lady is chosen by the Lake. The Lady is above politics because she is, in some sense, the mother of all her people. It is by her hands that names are delivered to the sleeping, by her hands that they wake.
“Imagine a future in which it is not the Lake that decides, nor even the Lady, but people of power. Imagine a future in which those names are sold to the highest bidder, and without proper payment, no children of your line will ever wake. No children of the poor or insignificant.
“How long would the current High Lord retain his power in the face of such a reality? Barrani families of power care deeply about lineage.”
“Not all of us,” Teela said. She didn’t otherwise disagree with anything Kaylin had guessed. As her eyes had already become as dark as they could, their color didn’t change.
The Dragon turned to Teela. “Do you believe there is any accuracy in Kaylin’s guess?”
“I see it as a possibility—one we had not considered. Further investigation is necessary. Kitling, this isnotyour investigation.”
Kaylin nodded. It wasn’t. Didn’t mean she couldn’t do the work in her personal time. “Shall we talk about Yvonne, then?”
Bellusdeo, or her regal sister, chose to depart. Her questions about Shadow and its possible use had become interlocked with elements of the sisters’ shared past, and she wasn’t ready to discuss those. But the mention of the Outcaste had unsettled even this sister.
Teela also chose to depart and accompanied Bellusdeo out of the parlor.
Sedarias, Mandoran, and Terrano chose to stay.
An invitation would be sent immediately. They hoped to be able to entertain Yvonne tomorrow, if Yvonne accepted that date. Sedarias doubted she would. Kaylin didn’t.
But it would serve as a test: was it Yvonne’s choice, or An’Tellarus’s? If An’Tellarus was in charge, Sedarias felt four days from the invitation date would be more likely. If Yvonne could freely make the choice, Kaylin expected she’d say yes. In either case, they assumed An’Tellarus would also be visiting.
“Sedarias feels it important that you write your invitation immediately; she will personally see that it’s delivered.”
“Can’t she write a proper invitation? I’ll sign it.”
“I did ask. Teela feels, however, that it would be best if you wrote it.”
“It won’t meet Sedarias’s standards.”
“No, dear. Teela feels that’s the point. The invitation is not meant to come from a Barrani Lord; it’s meant to come from a human. Less will be expected of you, and less offense taken.”
“In theory.”
“Sedarias and Teela have been arguing since Bellusdeo left.”
Right. It was the cohort. The fact that Teela and Sedarias weren’t in the same room meant nothing. There was no way to walk away from their argument.
Having made that plan, the cohort, Kaylin, and Mrs. Erickson gathered in the dining room for lunch. No one looked like they were enjoying the food, but everyone was grateful for Mrs. Erickson’s presence. The older woman must have been able to tell they were all worried—or angry, or upset—but she didn’t acknowledge it. If they didn’t tell her—and they didn’t want to involve her any further than she already was—she felt she wasn’t meant to know. And didn’t need to.
But she wasn’t silent; the cohort was already the wrong kind of silent. She talked about baking, and about the day’s visit to the Halls of Law. She was slightly embarrassed and also incredibly grateful that the Hawks at the public desk had been so happy to see her. Fallessian had accompanied her to the Halls before, and was capable of being friendly because he knew it put Mrs. Erickson at ease.
Fallessian never found any of this offensive, but he’d been actively involved with the current crisis. He couldn’t be her escort at the moment.
Mrs. Erickson carried the conversation with her stories of the Halls of Law; her eyes and voice were bright. Kaylin thought this must have been what she’d been like when the ghosts of four children were her only companions.
And as if they were those ghostly children, the cohort andKaylin took comfort from her obvious delight, her desire to share something positive.
“That is her nature,” Helen said, her voice warm with affection. “She would not deny you your anger or your pain should you feel the need to express it; she is not attempting to deny that those things exist. But she offers small joy where it might be accepted; she finds small sparks of delight in the darkness, and she holds those tightly so she can share them.