"You suspect he was murdered, too," retorted Eliar. "Who can measure his true crimes now that he has vanished with no chance to speak on his own behalf?"

Talk of prisoners made Mai uncomfortable. The Qin had been able to drag criminals and, indeed, any person at all off to their prison block in Kartu Town, where they held their own manner of court, and the law court of Kartu Town had no authority to stop them or even oversee the hapless prisoners. She began to replace the coins and bars in the bag. It gave her something to do with her hands.

"How can a man be freed from Assizes Tower?" Anji repeated.

"Impossible," said Calon.

"Necessary," said Anji. "First, I have an obligation to him, and my honor to uphold. Second, he knows things we don't. We are grasping in the dark, and he holds a light insofar as he knows which people he talked to, and if he traveled to Argent Hall, and what he saw there."

"I'll see it's done," said Eliar.

Calon groaned, clapping a hand to his head in a gesture so very like Ti that Mai expected him to declaim in threes. "Fool!" he growled. "You can't get into Assizes Tower."

"My sister can. My sister was there today. She said there was one man in the deepest pit, untended and filthy. It could have been this reeve."

"Your sister goes to the Assizes Tower?" Calon asked. "Whatever for?"

"She brings food to indigent prisoners."

Calon laughed as though it hurt. "The hells, yes, you Silvers do go on about your 'god rules' in a way that does get to annoying people. Begging your pardon, Eliar."

The youth gave something like a wink with his right eye. Mai saw at once that he was angered by this comment but didn't want to show it. "We will be judged at the gate according to the measure of how we walked in the world and showed justice and mercy to poor and rich, innocent and guilty, those with power and those who are helpless, according to the law."

Calon coughed. "That was the law in the land you came from. That's why folk will keep calling you outlanders."

"No, it is the law in all lands, not just the land we came from."

"Let's not have this argument, cub."

Eliar turned his back and took several steps away, shoulders heaving, hands in fists up by his mouth.

Anji watched.

Mai said, "Master Eliar, even if you could get into Assizes Tower, how would you know Reeve Joss if you saw him, and why would he trust you, even if you could speak to him?"

From Eliar came silence.

Master Calon rubbed at his chin with a knuckle, looking thoughtful, and turned to Mai. "Perhaps you could go with that sister of his, verea."

"How could I do that?"

"Because the Silver women only appear in public with veils covering their faces. No one need know it was you."

Maybe this could work after all. Heart pounding, Mai turned to Anji. "I can't fight. At best I can defend myself at close quarters with my knife, but any competent soldier would overwhelm me. This is something I could do."

"No," said Anji. "What do you trade in, Master Calon?"

"Flesh. In slaves."

"So. This entire complicated scheme might be nothing more than a plot to rid yourself of my company, which seems dangerous to you, and steal my wife without any risk to yourself. You and I both know she would be worth a great deal of coin on the slave market."

"I could sell her for twenty cheyt, at the least," agreed Master Calon with a genial smile.

"I won't have this talk!" cried Eliar, lurching back to the circle. "Never tell a man of my people that he has stirred his hand in the pot of slavery! Do you mean to insult me?"

"Cub, hold your tongue!" Calon grabbed hold of his arm, but Eliar shook him off.

"Enough." Anji stepped between the two men, and they both backed off. "Answer me a few questions, if you will, Eliar sen Haf Gi Ri." He grabbed a stick out of the fire and held it up. Flames licked down the wood. "On what fuel does the flame sup?"

"The wood," said Eliar, looking irritated. "What is the point of this?"

"And on what food did this wood grow?"

"On water and earth and sun. As any fool knows!"

"And water and earth and sun, where are they grown? What is their origin? Is it not the case that 'all things blossom out of the heart of the Hidden One'?"

"I beg you, accept my apologies," said Eliar in a stricken tone.

Anji tossed the stick on the fire. "No need. I studied the archives as part of my education at the palace school. Now I know who you are. Your people lived in the empire."

"Not my clan, but distant cousins out of other clans, yes. After our people crossed the ocean, some of the clans fetched up on the shores of the Sirni Empire. They were driven out because they would not make sacrifices at the temple of the false god."

"That's not quite how it is written in the histories of the palace."

Eliar had the grace to blush. "I suppose it would not be. I intend no offense."

"You can be sure I take none, as I am not a believer. But you're right. It was a long time ago, four generations. As it happens, the priests of Beltak had a lot to say about your people, as they have a lot to say in all their writings. But I never thought I would meet one of you. They called your people 'the servants of the Hidden One, an avatar of the Lord of Lords, King of Kings.' They claimed you lived half in light and half in shadow, and in the end the priests insisted that any of you who refused to perform the sacrifice at the temple depart from the empire or be put to death. It is written there were no executions, so I am minded to believe that the priests were merciful in your case."

Eliar nodded. "It is said in our lore that some among the clans betrayed our people and sacrificed to the false god in order to stay in the empire. But the rest came north into the Hundred to join their kinsmen. A few sailed farther north even than that, to the lands beyond."

"Many things were written," added Anji, "but I recall in particular that the priests of Beltak were outraged that among these 'servants of the Hidden One,' slavery was entirely outlawed in all ways and shapes, and in every manner. In the empire, clans and houses are required to provide slaves for service in the temples. This your people refused to do."

Eliar nodded. "It is against the will of the Hidden One that any should hold another's life in bondage, or aid in such a transaction."

"But what of their labor?" asked Calon. "Labor is separate from life, as it is written in the law of the Hundred. Still." He smiled as Eliar puffed up, ready to burst into a tirade. "This is a dispute for another time."

"Everyone keeps slaves," said Mai. "That's just how it is. How can anyone change that?" She looked at Priya, but Priya remained silent.

Anji looked at Eliar, and then at Mai. "These are desperate times. But tell me, Master Calon, how are we to manage this overthrow, since it will take longer than one night to plan and execute? If we don't depart in the morning, they'll guess something is amiss."

Calon took in a deep breath, and seemed to have breathed in a midge, because he set to coughing until Chief Tuvi slapped him on the back and dislodged the irritant from his throat.

"Eh. Gah. I thank you." He wiped his brow. He was sweating, although it wasn't hot any longer. "Misdirection. In the morning, ride west along West Spur, as if you mean to obey the council's order. After a day or two cut south into the Lending."

"The Lending?"

"The grasslands. The high plains land south of the Olo'o Sea. With good horses, and if you can hunt, you'll manage. It's a difficult time of year to find water, but the rains will come soon. We're almost to the turn of the new year. Out there, the Greater Houses won't be able to follow you, for despite the power they hold here in Olossi, they don't possess more than the town militia. I guarantee you that the militia won't march out into the Lending in pursuit. They've had trouble out there in the past, but if you're hospitable to the tribes and raise no sword against them, you'll be given free passage. Then you can await word, until we're ready to strike."