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mind working a long day. After all, it’s for the good of the country, isn’t it?” He supplemented this last remark with a weak smile, as though it were a joke—or perhaps half a joke.
    “It is indeed,” said Coronado soberly. “And that’s something you care about, is it? The good of your country?”
    “Of course,” said Ewan. What else can you say to a prime minister who also happens to be your employer? But in point of fact, Ewan was being honest. Though he felt that his own future might lie in lands far to the west, he was concerned about Caramorn. His father and mother were here, and his two sisters, and everyone he had known as a boy. He knew about the bad harvests, and even felt slightly guilty that he had missed the worst of them by being away in the Western Empire, where food was plentiful.
    “I’m glad,” said Coronado. “Because it happens that there’s a small favour you can do for your country. A little extracurricular task, as you might say. I can’t offer you money, or any other material incentive, but I can assure you that if you do this little thing you’ll have brought the country one step nearer to salvation from ruin. Will you do it?”
    Ewan wanted to reply, as any sensible person would have: “That depends what it is.” But it was such a nice speech, such a heartfelt appeal, that it would have seemed churlish and unpatriotic to prevaricate. So Ewan said, “I’ll be glad to,” just as Coronado had known that he would.
    “That’s excellent,” said Coronado. “I’m afraid you’ll be an unsung hero, because this must be kept very quiet. It’s a state secret, in fact. You’ll have nothing but the satisfaction of having helped your country, but for a man like yourself I know that will be enough. Now, I want you to swear that you’ll never breathe a word of this to anyone. No one must ever know of your involvement.”
    Ewan felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew that he was being used. The slickness of the prime minister’s whole approach told him that something underhanded was going on. But he also knew that he had no choice. He had to play the game, whatever it was.
    “Do you swear?” said Coronado.
    “I swear,” said Ewan, with the faintest of sighs.
    “Well, then,” continued the prime minister, leaning over so that his lantern jaw was only a few inches from Ewan’s ear, “it’s like this. Prince Damian is in a bit of a spot. It is vitally necessary, for reasons of state, that he should marry a certain young lady. It was, for various reasons, necessary that we should arrange all this in a bit of a hurry. Naturally, both the young people concerned are a little apprehensive. They’re a fraction reluctant. They don’t really understand why things must move so fast, and apparently without much regard for their own feelings. You, of course, are an intelligent person and can see the logic of such arrangements, can understand the fact that sometimes a marriage must be made in order to help a kingdom out of its little difficulties.
    “To cut a long story short, the other party—the young lady, that is—is prevaricating slightly. She says that she will marry the prince if he can answer three questions she will put to him, and has offered him the right to put three questions to her. This way, both young people have a chance to… er… make sure of one another. Win one another’s respect, if you see what I mean. It’s an old custom—perhaps you’ve read about it?”
    “I believe I did,” said Ewan, “somewhere…”
    “Well,” said Coronado. “Never mind trying to remember. The important thing is this. We need someone to give the prince a little assistance—answering the questions that are put to him and framing the ones which he shall put in his turn. That is where you come in.”
    “Ah,” said Ewan, pensively.
    “What do you think?” asked Coronado.
    “Isn’t it just a bit… a very little bit… dishonest?”
    The prime minister drew himself up