“What can he do?” Carrick was dismissive. “Send a fleet of ships to intercept us? Try to take over the search himself? He is only one man, even if he is an unpleasant one.”

“A very dangerous man,” Bombax said at once. “I should know. I’ve spent enough time around him over the past year, watching him manipulate and deceive everyone from Ministers to his mother. What he will do if he finds out about this is hard to imagine. But I wouldn’t be too quick to assume that anything is beyond him.”

“We’ll take no chances,” Khyber agreed. “While you are looking, you will not discuss the specifics of what we are about. This is an expedition that requires men and women who possess certain skills. The pay will be high and the work dangerous. That is all anyone needs to know. The rest can be revealed later. There is to be no mention of magic.

“And,” she added, drawing out the word, “there will be no communication among us until we are returned to Paranor. Attempts at communication are too dangerous. The danger of giving something away is too great. We will allow one week for this effort. Then we will return. Remember. One week only.”

Heads nodded and a chorus of mumbled agreement was voiced. Khyber asked each in turn, wanting a solid commitment. No one, not even Pleysia, spoke a word of objection.

Moments later, when they had adjourned the meeting and were filing out the door, Khyber felt a hand touch her arm lightly.

“Mistress.” Aphenglow was standing very close, clearly not wanting any of the others to hear. “Can I speak to you in private?”

Khyber led the young Elven woman down the hall and into her personal study. She gestured for Aphenglow to take a seat and then set about making tea. Only after the tea was ready and both were sipping from the steaming mugs did she ask what Aphen wanted.

“Two things, in fact.” Aphenglow seemed to gather her thoughts. “Let me start with a request. I would like permission to seek an audience with the King when I reach Arborlon. I intend to ask him to lend us use of the Elfstones.”

Khyber nodded, keeping her face expressionless. “Why would you do that, Aphen? In all the centuries the other Elfstones have been missing, no one has ever been successful in using the blue Elfstones to find them. Why would it be any different now?”

“I don’t know that it would.” Aphen brushed back strands of her long blond hair and tightened the ribbon that held the thick mane back from her face. “But if it were to turn out that the blue Elfstones could help, wouldn’t we want to have them in our possession?”

“We would. Do you know of my agreement with Arling Elessedil?”