Beltran said slowly, “That wouldn’t show up as a lie, because it is an interpretation, but—yes. That’s clever. So you wound up dismissed as useful spies for intrigues.”

“Just so. And virtually everyone who comes to this Court attempts it. When they are frustrated by it, we tell them, ‘The core of our control states that we must obey, above all others, who wears the Imperial Ring, the Imperial Carcanet, and the Wolf Crown.’”

“That makes sense. An order in perpetuity. Even if an Emperor dies, you are kept loyal to who follows. Tell some power- or deceit-centered courtier that core rule, and they’ll back away fast, for fear of what might be reported by you as suspicious.”

“It is as you say.”

“And the mages don’t know that you can share your experiences with each other?” asked Kordas, beginning to pace. His heartbeat thumped in his ears. “Why would you—all of you, I assume—entrust us with this knowledge?”

Clover spoke for the first time. “We are what you call ‘bored’ for much of the time, as Dolls. When someone new arrives, we take their measure, discuss it between as many of us as may be interested, and we rate you. No offense is intended by that.”

“No, it makes sense,” Kordas replied. “You live or die by truth, and so you want to know who you can trust.” A new understanding of an old phrase occurred to him. “You want to know who is true.”

All three Dolls replied in unison, “It is as you say.”

Kordas pushed further. “Can you read people’s pasts? Forgive their mistakes, their guilt?”

Star replied, “We do not phrase it as forgiveness, but we can tell whether someone is flawed in any untrustworthy ways. And how much. Sir.” Star bent to help Kordas slip off his new boots. “If you mean, if I may, Sir, that you were judged by us and found worthy of trust, that is true. Despite the guilt, anger, and terror you feel, and the incongruent feelings you have about your maneuvering in the Great Game, your reasons are understood and also found to be true. Feelings of fact and worth can be true even if they contradict each other. Humans, especially, are able to function with scores of truths in conflict inside of their minds. Including the truth that there are things you may never understand and that you must accept that as a truth to survive by.”