‘That’s a peculiar word. Anyway, I found it, and I followed it, and it came out in the cellar of a warehouse several streets on out in the city. It doesn’t go any farther than that, though, but it doesn’t really have to. There’s a door leading out from the cellar into an alley. That’s the information I was selling to the thieves of Chyrellos. Anyway, I was down in that cellar this afternoon, and I saw Martel come sneaking out of that passageway. I hid and he went on by. He was alone, so I followed him, and he went into a kind of store-room. Annias was waiting for him there. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they had their heads very close together like men doing some very serious plotting. They talked together for a while, and then they left the store-room. Martel told Annias to wait for the usual signal and then to meet him again down there. He said, “I’ll want you somewhere safe when the fighting starts.” Then Annias said that he was still worried about the possibility of Wargun showing up, but Martel laughed and said, “Don’t worry about Wargun, my friend. He’s blithely ignorant of everything that’s happening here.” Then they left. I waited a while and came right here.’

‘How did Martel find out about the aqueduct?’ Kalten asked him.

‘Some of his men probably chased one of the thieves and found it,’ Talen shrugged. ‘Everybody gets civic-spirited when it comes to chasing thieves. I’ve been chased by absolute strangers sometimes.’

‘That explains Wargun’s absence,’ Komier said bleakly. ‘All our messengers have probably been ambushed.’

‘And Ehlana’s still sitting in Cimmura with only Stragen and Platime to defend her,’ Sparhawk said in a worried tone. ‘I think I’ll go down to that cellar and wait for Martel. He’ll come along eventually and I can waylay him.’

‘Absolutely not!’ Emban said sharply.

‘Your Grace,’ Sparhawk objected, ‘I think you’re overlooking the fact that if Martel dies, this siege dies with him.’

‘And I think you’re overlooking the fact that our real goal here is to defeat Annias in the election. I need a report of a conversation between Annias and Martel to swing the votes I need to beat the Primate of Cimmura. Our situation here is getting very tenuous, gentlemen. Every time those fires out there sweep into a new quarter, we lose a few more votes.’

‘Wouldn’t Talen’s report of a meeting between Annias and Martel make the Hierocracy suspicious, Your Grace?’ Kalten asked.

‘Most of the Hierocracy have never heard of Martel, Sir Kalten,’ Emban replied, ‘and this boy’s not the most reliable of witnesses. Somebody in Chyrellos is bound to know that he’s a thief. We have to have a totally incorruptible and reliable witness. One whose neutrality and objectivity can never be questioned.’