“And what good is that, I ask you, when we lack reliable means of identifying rule breakers?” she retorted. “I say we must establish a register so that every transaction of dangerous substances, not just azafris, but liggsinth and Cordett’s fire and Nantari spine-seeds and the like, is on record. Clearly, Brice, we can no longer trust that the mages of Dorana will do the right thing unprompted.”

“Nor can we expect those foreigners who sell such items to cut a hole in their own purses by informing on their customers,” Sallis added. “They’d not stay in business long if that were their practice. And since Dorana’s laws stop at its borders and the banning of such substances failed once, and will surely fail again, Shari’s suggestion is the only answer.”

Brice’s sigh was close to a growl. “Shari’s suggestion, like outright banning, will cause more trouble than it prevents. Sallis, I do not dismiss the gravity of this news. Far from it. But nor do I think that—”

Frozen where she sat, barely listening to Brice and Sallis brangle, Venette smoothed her face to a safe blankness. She could feel her heart thudding hard against her ribs. Azafris. That cursed stuff. A pity its efficacy was ever discovered. A greater pity that when its meagre source played out in Dorana, some clever Trindeki trader found it elsewhere and failed to keep his mouth shut.

Briefly closing her eyes, she saw again the look on Morgan’s face as he asked her, so casually, about working with the terrible stuff. She’d known then, in her bones, that though he denied it he was about to do something rash. And now every instinct she possessed told her he had.

You fool, my dear. You silly boy. How often do you expect me to save you from yourself?

“Do you have an opinion, Venette?”

With a wrenching effort she forced herself to look properly interested, before Sallis or Shari noticed she felt ill enough to weep.

“I always have an opinion, Brice,” she said, pretending lightness. “In this case, I agree with you. An overreaction to one incident will do more harm than good. But should we uncover further transgressions, I think we must seriously consider adopting Shari’s suggestion.” She nodded at the woman. “It’s not that you’re wrong. But I don’t believe we’re quite there yet.”

Brice was frowning at his steepled fingers, lips pursed as he thought through the disturbing news. “Regardless of how we proceed in the long term, it is the short term with which we must concern ourselves now. We need a name, Sallis.”

“And if I had a name I’d provide it,” Sallis replied, shrugging. “But these matters are kept clandestine. Names are not bruited about. I consider it fortunate that even this much information found its way to me.”

“Sallis…” Brice looked up, his stare forbidding. “There are ways to encourage volubility.”