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swallowed, put off balance by the small talk but unable to do anything except play along. “Uh—I don't know. We've never even found evidence that Dare did invade the Nests.”
    “Oh, come,” Alwir chided patronizingly. “We both know he must have done so. The Dark were defeated somehow. I feel sure that your reconnaissance to Gae will reveal to us exactly how it was done—and how we, allied with the armies of Alketch, may do likewise.”
    “Yeah,” Rudy said warily, still trying to understand this cat-and-mouse game. “There are good odds, anyway.”
    Alwir's smile was wide and false and cold, like something he'd stapled on. “And afterward?”
    “If I'm alive afterward,” Rudy replied, picking his words carefully, “we'll see.”
    “Indeed.” Alwir was still smiling, but the lobelia-blue eyes would have scratched diamonds. As if to change the subject, he said, “I assume your liaison with my sister is a well-kept secret? Not that I don't understand her feelings,” he hastened to add, cutting off Rudy's flaring words. “After all, she is young and lonely. She was grateful to you for saving her son's life—as were we all, of course. And she could hardly have fallen in love with Gil or Ingold.” He sighed. “I would have prevented this if I could have. But the affair seems to have begun behind my back and was, I believe, well advanced by the time we arrived here. Was it not?”
    His voice strained, Rudy asked, “What do you want?”
    “My dear young friend.” The Chancellor sighed, his face never losing that determined smile. “I am not trying to trap you. But a man has a right to do a little plain speaking with the man who is lying with his sister. I wonder if you have considered the consequences to her?”
    When Rudy made no reply, Alwir shook his head with mingled patience and disappointment. “Presumably, as a wizard, you can prevent her conceiving by you—or if that hasn't occurred to you, I assume that she can get advice from her women friends among the Guards. And as far as I know, my sister was quite faithful to poor Eldor, and Altir is indeed the late King's child.”
    “As far as you know!” Rudy lashed, furious at the insult. “She worshipped him, dammit!”
    “And mourned him intensely, I'm sure,” Alwir purred. Rudy felt his face redden. Alwir went on. “It would be putting it mildly indeed to say that her reputation would suffer, were the news to come out among the people that their Queen was less than two weeks replacing their— worshipped—lord in her bed. I could probably protect her from actual harm,” he mused, “but without a doubt she would be excommunicated.”
    Govannin's fanatic eyes seemed to glitter before Rudy. He swallowed, “You couldn't…”
    Alwir's curved eyebrows lifted. “For lying with a wizard? In the South she would be burned for it.”
    Rudy stared at him in shock. “You're kidding.”
    “Don't treat yourself to false comfort at her expense,” the Chancellor told him mildly. “If the scandal became open, she would certainly be excommunicated and, as such, would no longer be able to hold the Regency or to have custody of her son.”
    The words fell on Rudy's ears without meaning at first; then understanding came and the slow kindling of fury deep within him. He was surprised at how steady his own voice sounded. “Which you would get.”
    “Of course.” Alwir sounded amazed that there would be any question. He laid a patronizing hand on Rudy's shoulder. “But believe me,” he went on, his voice low and grave, “I have no desire to create such a scandal.”
    Through his teeth, Rudy said, “That's nice.'”
    “I am quite fond of Minalde, you know. She's a dear child, for all she's headstrong; and I admit to a certain weakness for pretty young girls.”
    Rudy remembered the agonies of remorse Alde had passed through, fighting her instinctive loyalty to her brother, and the disillusionment that stemmed from the strength of her love for him. He