Creegan shrugged as if it were of no importance, but said, “I will be the new Grand Master.” The way he said it, she realized it was a fait accompli. He glanced over and smiled. “This was decided long ago. So, I will dispatch Bellamy as soon as the convocation is over, and you will then return to your duties, to do whatever he asks, for he will be speaking for me. Until then, you must take charge here.”

“Why me?” she asked softly.

“You are the only one I trust, Sandreena.” He came back and sat behind the desk. “Only a few know of what is really going on out there—I’ll leave you a list and you will not trust anyone not on it—and you’ve also earned it. Your almost getting yourself killed isn’t what I’m talking about, but rather you keeping your wits about you and your keen understanding of the political reality you found yourself in without warning.

“Few members of the Order would have coped so well with demons and secret alliances.”

“The Mother-Superior?” she asked.

Creegan smiled. “She’ll object, of course, but as she has no standing within the Order, I’ll smile, nod, and suggest she get packed if she’s to leave with me on the ride to Salador.”

Sandreena nodded. The Mother-Superior had ambitions of her own and would be actively seeking her own allies in her bid to attain the office of High Priestess of the Grand Temple once the convocation began. The current High Priestess was older than the Grand Master so Sandreena judged there would be another convocation in Rillanon in the next few years.

Creegan said, “I suspect she’ll dismiss your promotion quickly and start the endless flattery I will be subjected to along the way.”

Sandreena couldn’t help but smile. The High Priestess might be pleased to see Creegan leaving Krondor—their relationship had always had a contentious element in it, but with his rising to the highest calling in the Order, that suddenly made him an even more important voice in the temple, and he would have a great deal to say about the succession when the current High Priestess stepped down.

“You’ll only need make one quick courtesy call—which I suggest you do now, before I let her know of your promotion.”

“Promotion?”

“Of course. I can’t leave a Knight-Adamant in charge of the Order in the Western Realm. Effective immediately, you are now a Sergeant-Adamant of the Order, but will bear the office rank of adiuvare. It’s an old title we rarely use, but it’s still recognized. So your official title will be Adiuvare-Sergeant-Adamant. Once Bellamy comes here, you will become just another Sergeant.”