I did want to talk to them. I urged my stallion to his best pace and closed up fast.

No everyday mount stood a chance against him.

The Shadar hit the north road. As I nosed up on the most laggardly the leaders swept over the crest. And collided with riders headed south.

Horses shied. Men yelled. Riders came unhorsed. I circled a Shadar who regained his feet and tried to run. Hed lost his helmet. I grabbed him by the hair, ran him fifty yards before turning to examine the victims of the collision.

Well. Swan, Mather, and Blade. And that sneaking twit of a hedge wizard, Smoke. What now?

Mather, Smoke, and Blade had kept their seats. Swan was on the ground, groaning and swearing. He got up, swore some more, kicked a fallen Shadar, looked around for his horse.

Smoke was rattled right down to his ankles. He had no color left, was whispering some sort of prayer.

Mather and Blade ignored Swans histrionics. I presumed that meant he wasnt hurt.

My captive tried to get away. I ran him a few yards, let him loose when the horse was moving faster than he could keep up. He flung forward, slid on his face, stopped at Swans feet. Swan sat down on him. I asked Mather, What are you doing here? He was the only one of the bunch who made straight sense.

The Radisha sent us. Wants to know whats happening down here. There have been rumors. Some say youre alive, some say dead.

Im not yet. Not quite.

My men arrived. Ghopal. Hakim. Take these two somewhere and ask them why they were snooping. They were Narayans cronies, the only two who could ride. Hed probably sent them along to keep an eye on things.

Swan got up and leaned against Mathers leg. You dont have to twist no arms to find that out. Been some wild rumors lately. Youve got Jah jumpy as a cat in a kennel.

Oh?

Things were going his way. He got back from Dejagore before anybody else. Only bad luck put the Radisha at Ghoja before him. She closed the ford. He still figured he had the world by the oysters, then here comes word somebodys kicked the feathers off a gang of the Shadowmasters boys. Right behind comes a rumor that it was you. You not being dead dont look so good for Jahs ambitions. The Company picked up a lot of respect putting it together so fast. Made all those priests look like conniving, selfish jerks.

Blade chuckled.

Mather said, You collected some of that respect, being a woman and having everybody know how much you had to do with it falling together. He looked me in the eye. But being a woman is going to be a handicap now.