“Benden, Landing, Southern, here, Southern Boll—trouble avoided at Crom because the healer was stitching a wound and the patient’s relatives beat off the ‘drunken louts.’ Then caught them when they tried to sneak back in,” Sebell said with wry amusement. “Bitra’s healer chased two off, and Nerat was locked up too tight, though an obvious attempt had been made to break in. Haven’t heard anything from Keroon. That makes twenty-three apprehended while damaging Healer property, and nine who were detained for damaging three separate Glass Halls. Master Fandarel says there were prowlers at the SmithCraftHall but no harm done. Benelek was working late. In view of the number of attempts, he thinks there may have been one on the Computer Hall, too. They’re frequent enough.”

“I hadn’t realized there were so many,” Groghe said, twisting his glass until the wine came dangerously close to the rim.

“Then there’s less possibility that these were all random, local disgruntlements,” F’lar said.

“If there hadn’t been so many, and such emphasis on healer halls,” Lessa said, frowning slightly, “I might attempt to understand their reasons for such attacks. Especially at this time of a Turn when petitions are part of the celebrations, a clearing away of grievances to start a new Turn in good heart. Nor would they give their hold and hall affiliations. I know there are still many who survive—quite well—as holdless. But that doesn’t give them the license to attack halls and deny such services to others. Did I understand correctly, Groghe, that the prisoners became thirsty enough to talk?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” The success of that tactic briefly cheered Groghe. “Not having anything but bottled and abominated water worked well, though not quite as I’d thought. Zalla, the Scalp—” Groghe chuckled at the nickname she had acquired. “—was terrified that tunnel snakes would be drawn by the smell of blood and eat her alive. She got everyone else so worked up they dropped more information than we could have anticipated. Isolating their leader helped. No real discipline in the bunch.” He harrumphed at such moral weakness before he went on.

“The ‘B’ on the map stands for ‘Batim,’ the leader’s name. He comes from Crom, evidently served as a guard at Crom Hold, but he’s been elsewhere, too, strictly for pay. Three are from Bitra, five from Igen, the others from Keroon, Ista, and Nerat. All have one thing in common.” He gave an apologetic nod to Master Crivellan. “They have what they think are good reasons to mistrust healers. Viscula, the Itch, blames the Craft for not ridding her of her rash. Lechi is missing fingers due, he claims, to healer incompetence. Another blamed healers for not saving his family from fevers. They do not”—he held up his hand to forestall an obvious question—“know from whom Batim received his orders.”