“Maybe Credence found out. He sent his Marena Dimura out of town as soon as he left us.” He and Liakopulos had been delayed while he studied reports on the sporadic rioting. “In any case, Derel should be here now. Though I can’t picture him and Cham controlling Credence if Credence doesn’t want to behave.”

He’d planned to arrive first, then had been too preoccupied to worry about Abaca. He reined in before the manor house, jumped down, ran.

All for naught. A perfectly healthy Inger greeted him at the door. “What’re you doing here? I didn’t expect you till tomorrow.”

“Didn’t Derel explain?”

“Derel? I haven’t seen him.”

Michael exchanged glances with Liakopulos. “He was supposed to meet us here. We’re way late. Some rioting. Your friends are claiming we’ve killed you.”

“I looked over the papers. I can sign them. Why did you bring the General?

I thought he was at Baxendala on maneuvers.”

“He was. He came back. Let’s don’t worry about the papers. Damn it, Derel, where are you?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Have you been comfortable enough?”

“As comfortable as one can be in a ruin. I’ll be glad to get out of Kavelin. It’s been nothing but heartaches. I was a fool to want to make Fulk King.”

“There you go, Michael,” the General said. “Antedate the papers.”

Inger’s eyes narrowed. “What is going on? Why are you here? Why is Derel coming? To give those rioters something to scream about?”

Michael laughed weakly. “Far from it. It’s a big confab. You. Me. The General. Derel. Mundwiller. Abaca. Only I’m beginning to wonder if the rest are going to show. Maybe the riots turned worse, or something. General?”

Liakopulos shrugged. “The word could have gotten through. You know what that would mean.”

Inger said, “Michael, you’d better get to the point.”

Michael looked at Liakopulos. The General nodded. “All right. The straight of it. The King is dead. Fulk is King.”

“What? How? Are you sure?” Inger became very pale. Her hands fluttered aimlessly.

“He tried to sneak up on Lord Hsung. While he was out of touch with us, Hsung was assassinated, replaced, and his invasion of Hammad al Nakir called off. When Bragi got to Throyes the legions were waiting for him. Only a few men got away. The General brought the word today.”

“Let’s go somewhere where I can sit down.” As she led them into the house, she muttered, “He’s dead? Bragi is dead? I can’t believe it.”

“It’s true, Your Majesty,” Liakopulos replied. “It was a great bloody slaughter, and he was among the last to fall.”

“Spare me the gory details,” she breathed, “He’s dead? I don’t believe it. How could that be? He was always so lucky. I didn’t even believe he’d go through the pass. I thought he was up at Maisak waiting for the Estates to do something so he could come down and hang a few Nordmen.” She wheeled on Michael. “This is another of your schemes, isn’t it?”