“I certainly hope so,” Arcolin said. “What did you think of the others? Or hear of them?”

“Both have a good reputation in the city. There’s feeling against the Blues for casting Arneson off without even his death money.”

“They did that?”

“Yes, sir. Said they’d use it to bury him if he died, and there was no use wasting it beforehand. Their physician said he was hopeless. His friends supported him while he was still fevered, but after that he wouldn’t take charity. Sold everything he had to pay his last bills, and tried to find work as common labor, but most wouldn’t hire him, he looked so bad.”

“And Versin?”

“Good, solid, experienced—what I’m guessing Aesil M’dierra told you. Doubt you could’ve found better than the three you signed, Captain.”

“Guess I learned something from the Duke,” Arcolin said. Then he shook his head. “I’ve got to remember to say ‘the king’; he’s not a duke anymore.”

“I don’t think he’d mind, sir. And when are they giving you a title, do you know?”

“Not yet, is what I know. Our prince will be crowned this Midsummer; he might do it then, or he might wait until I come back through in the fall.”

“Will we be staying south, this next winter? Or do you know?”

He didn’t know; he should be planning for that but his plans went only as far as Cortes Vonja. “We’ll see how Burek does,” he said. “I have to go north; I would want to be sure Burek is permanent before leaving you with him.”

“Oh—of course, sir. That makes sense. Only I heard from one of the Clarts that the Duke’s factor who handles the winter quarters rents them out early—we wouldn’t need the whole place, but to reserve part of it …”

Someone Arcolin hadn’t thought to visit. What else had he for-gotten?

“Captain Burek!” he called.

“Yes, sir?” Burek jogged across the inn yard.

“I’ve got a last visit to make here in town. Finish all this—” He waved at the yard where some men were still eating and others were packing up. “—and if I’m not back, start them on the road, ordinary pace. I’ll catch up.”

Paltis, the Duke’s factor, lived across the city; Arcolin rode, to save time, after assuring the innkeeper he would be back to pay any final charges. Paltis was enjoying his own breakfast when Arcolin was shown in.

“Captain Arcolin—it’s been several years! I heard you’d brought a single cohort down.”

“Did you hear that Duke Phelan is now the king of Lyonya?” Arcolin asked.

“That? A rumor, of course. Just because he hasn’t been here a couple of seasons—”

“No, it’s the truth. It happened a few tendays ago, not long before I started south.”

“How did he conquer it? Were you in the battle?”

“It wasn’t a battle.” Arcolin explained again how it had come about.

“What does this mean for his property?” Paltis asked. “Will he want to sell it? I’ve had offers. And who will pay the taxes?”