"You know as well as I that the memories live inside even if we do not speak them," Sien said, her eyes dark. "False reports will mislead the search of the Urth ship." She gave Mari and Alain a grim smile. "Sometimes, in those days, I would make cause for such false reports to place me elsewhere, not trusting to chance. We can do that. Tiae's army has many young men and women. If those closest in appearance to Kira and the boy are chosen, the women dressed in the manner of Kira and the men looking somehow different from most people, and we send them out in pairs to travel through many places, calling attention to themselves…"

"The Urth ship will get a lot of false reports from people who wanted the promised reward," Mari agreed. "But there would be risks to those young men and women, Sien. My enemies might try to kill the women, while someone seeking foolish leverage against the Urth people might try to kidnap the men."

"Ah, yes, the reward." Sien gave a royal snort of derision. "You told me earlier that the boy said the Urth ship would give us only toys. The reward will be such a toy, I am sure."

"Something flashy and useless," Mari agreed. "And probably designed to stop working after the ship from Urth leaves here."

"As expected. Mari, I will ask for volunteers. No one will be ordered to serve as a decoy to mislead the people of Urth."

Alain shook his head. "Queen Sien, Mari is loved in your kingdom second only to yourself. If you ask a deed on her behalf, no one will turn away."

Sien gave him a severe look. "Would you have me do nothing, Sir Mage? These people from Urth have openly mocked me, treating me as if I were a powerless figurehead such as apparently still exist in some places on their world. They have disregarded the laws of this land and disrespected the officers who represent and protect the people. I have no desire for war, but I would have those of Urth know that the people of Tiae are not sheep, passively waiting to be sheered."

"The queen of Tiae is wise," Alain said.

"Not so wise that she does not need her decisions questioned. My thanks for doing so. What else can be done?"

"Alain has already sent messages that should reach every Mage, warning them that the ship from Urth seeks to steal their powers by asking them to demonstrate those powers. Sien, odds are that by now Kira is out of Tiae, but if you send out cavalry patrols it will help mislead the Urth people."

"And what is my cavalry to do if it finds Kira?" Sien asked.

"If Kira and the Urth boy are still inside Tiae, then something has gone wrong. Can your cavalry hide them?"