‘I’ve heard that there are some people spreading rumours. They’re telling the townsfolk that there’s a great deal of sympathy for the resurgence of the Eshandist movement in the northern kingdoms.’

‘That’s absurd,’ Sparhawk scoffed.

‘Of course it is, but they’ve managed to persuade a fair number of people here in Cippria that for the first time in centuries a rebellion against the Church might have some chance of success. Not only that, there have been fairly large shipments of arms filtered into the country.’

A suspicion began to grow in Sparhawk’s mind. ‘Have you any idea who’s been circulating these rumours?’ he asked.

The abbot shrugged. ‘Merchants, travellers from the north, and the like. They’re all foreigners. They usually stay in that quarter near the Elenian consulate.’

‘Isn’t that curious?’ Sparhawk mused. ‘I’d been summoned to the Elenian consulate that night when I was attacked in the street. Is Elius still the consul?’

‘Why, yes, as a matter of fact, he is. What are you getting at, Sparhawk?’

‘One more question, my Lord. Have your people by any chance seen a white-haired man going in and out of the consulate?’

‘I couldn’t really say I didn’t tell them to look for that sort of thing. You have someone particular in mind, I gather?’

‘Oh, I do indeed, my Lord Abbot.’ Sparhawk rose and began to pace up and down. ‘Why don’t I have another try at Elene logic, Sephrenia,’ he said. He began to tick items off on his fingers. ‘One: The Primate Annias aspires to the Archprelate’s throne. Two: All four militant orders oppose him, and their opposition could block his ambitions. Three: In order to get that throne, he must discredit or divert the Church Knights. Four: The Elenian consul here in Cippria is his cousin. Five: The consul and Martel have had dealings with each other before I got some personal evidence of that ten years ago.’

‘I didn’t know that Elius was related to the primate,’ the abbot said, looking a bit surprised.

‘They don’t make an issue of it,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘Now then,’ he continued, ‘Annias wants the Church Knights out of Chyrellos when the time comes to elect a new Archprelate What would the Church Knights do if there were an uprising here in Rendor?’

‘We’d descend on the kingdom in full battle array,’ the abbot declared, forgetting that his choice of words clearly confirmed Sparhawk’s suspicions about the nature of his order.

‘And that would effectively remove the militant orders from the debate over the election in Chyrellos, wouldn’t it?’

Sephrenia looked at Sparhawk speculatively ‘What kind of man is this Elius?’

‘He’s a petty time-server with little intelligence and less imagination.’

‘He doesn’t sound very impressive.’

‘He isn’t.’

‘Then someone else would have to be giving him instructions, wouldn’t they?’