“Takes after his mother,” said Pug, and Amirantha was struck by the fact that this was Pug’s first reference to his late wife that didn’t contain a note of sadness. He hoped that was a sign the magician’s black moods were behind him. Too much depended on Pug’s leadership in the coming fight.

A few minutes later, Jim appeared, looking far more composed than any of the three had expected. He smiled and said, “We dine,” and led them to the door leading out of the apartment he occupied.

As if anticipating his need, an Imperial servant waited to guide them to a small alcove overlooking one of the seemingly endless gardens within the palace. Rather than lying on a divan to eat, they sat upon large cushions around a low table. A variety of foods was provided, several Kingdom dishes like fried cake and savory sausage, as well as the more traditional sweet Quegan delicacies. To everyone’s delight, a large pot of steaming Keshian coffee sat alongside a near boiling pot of water and an infuser with one of the more exotic teas from Novindus.

Jim ate like a man who had starved for a week, and when he noticed the others staring at him, he said, “I worked up an appetite last night.”

“Apparently,” said Magnus with a slight smile.

“You scholars can slight the Emperor’s generosity if you wish, and I don’t denigrate your reasons, but it would have been an insult had I left the festivities too early last night.”

“We noticed,” said Amirantha. “She was very pretty.”

“Very smart, too,” said Jim. “I managed to get out of the orgy by getting off in a corner with a particularly attractive server, which given the differences in our cultures, my host assumed had something to do with Kingdom modesty.”

Pug began to smile. “She was a spy.”

“Of course, and if I get back this way any time soon, I’m going to do my best to turn her.” As if to himself he said, “Though if she won’t turn, I’ll have to kill her and that would simply be a waste.” Looking at his three companions, he said, “It was a certainty the Quegan intelligence service would have several agents watching us.”

“The young woman seated with me?” asked Pug.

“No,” said Jim. “She is what she says she is: the minor daughter of a very minor noble, who if the Emperor can’t marry off to some minor functionary”—he waved his hand at Pug—“will have to marry off to some distant cousin, and this Emperor would rather save himself even that modest dowry.” Looking at Amirantha, he said, “That voluble fellow who bent your ear last night, now he is one of the service’s best men. I doubt you even know how much you told him.”