“Oh,” Talamir replied, blinking. “But—his own people nearly killed him in their Fires—I thought—”

“His own people had a perfectly good reason to burn him in their Fires, by their lights,” Sendar pointed out, raising his eyebrow. “And sooner or later, he’ll think of that for himself, assuming he hasn’t already. Fine. Perhaps Kantor has managed to insinuate enough into his head while he’s been Healing to make him a bit more receptive to us, but a thinking man doesn’t just suddenly go over to the enemy without reasoning things through for himself. And it will eventually occur to him that just because Kantor is Mind-speaking to him, it doesn’t necessarily follow that Kantor is telling him the truth. I would bet on that.”

Talamir sensed Taver’s surge of indignation at any such notion—and more remotely, sensed Sendar’s Lorenil’s amusement at both of them. Well, Lorenil always had possessed a strong sense of irony, not to mention a sense of humor that was positively sardonic. Rather like young Kantor in that regard.

“We’re going to have to win this young fellow to us, old friend,” Sendar said, as if he was completely comfortable with the notion. “We’ll have to be completely honest with him, or he’ll figure out we’ve been shading the truth for his benefit—but we’ll also have to show him why we’re trustworthy and his own people aren’t. He’ll have to come to the conclusion that we’re telling him the truth and that he has a real and compelling reason to give us his loyalty all by himself. Anything heavy-handed, and we’ll lose him.”

Sendar leaned back in his chair—a modest affair of simple design and unornamented wood and leather, chosen for comfort rather than ostentation—and bestowed a penetrating look on the King’s Own Herald. He and Talamir had known each other and been friends for a very, very long time.

In fact, their friendship dated from the hour that Talamir had been Chosen by Taver as King’s Own Herald on the death of his predecessor—a premature death, brought on by too much stress, too much work, and a brainstorm. Talamir had been so young, uncertain in his office, and disoriented by the bond with Taver, which was so strong, and so life-altering.