“I don’t want to accept it. I want everything I’m never going to have. I hate politics.”

“Take it easy.” Someone pounded on the door. “What is it?” Kristen demanded.

“It’s Slugbait, Lady. I got a message from Captain Trebilcock.”

Sherilee turned off the tears. Both women answered the door. Slug passed the courier case inside. “Something wrong?” he asked. “Anything I can do?”

“Get Chordine to leave Sherry alone,” Kristen snapped.

“He been after her again? I’ll break his legs.”

“No. No. Just get him to back off. Don’t hurt him. We need him too much.”

“I’ll talk to him.” Slugbait departed looking grim.

Kristen ripped at the pouch. The enclosed letter was long, convoluted, and often confused. In part, it was a diary of recent events. Michael had included his misgivings, his dreads, his battles with his conscience. He had used the letter the way he had sometimes used Aral Dantice during their morning rides, as a vent.

“What’s it all about?” Sherilee finally asked.

“Basically, just that Inger thinks we’re dead, and he wants to keep her thinking that. He’s going to do the same job for her that he did for the King, only his loyalty will be to the kingdom instead of a person. If he can get away with it.”

“That’s all he says? In all that?”

“He rambles, but it’s just fears and feelings and stuff. He sounds awful lonely. And if I didn’t know him better, a little afraid.” Kristen spared Sherilee news of the riots and deaths of so many friends.

“So what do we do?” Sherilee asked. “Go Michael’s way, or Colonel Abaca’s? Do you really want Bragi to be King?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t know. I don’t even want to think about it.”

Slugbait came around again late that afternoon. “Lady, Mr. Dantice is back.” His eyes were a little buggy, as if he had seen a ghost. “He has somebody with him.”

“Who?” Aral was always bringing someone around with investment opportunities. He wasn’t trying to take advantage, just trying to help. He felt a little guilty about running out of Kavelin.

Slugbait smiled and shrugged.

“Send them in.” She told Sherilee, “Maybe I ought to let him invest something just so he can soothe his conscience.”

Sherilee shook her head. “I don’t think so. Don’t forget how thick he was with that Mist. He’s still got the disease. She could be using him. Don’t get pulled into some scheme of hers.”

Someone tapped on the door. “Hush. He’s here.” Kristen opened up. Her jaw dropped. “Dahl. Dahl. Dahl, we thought you were dead. We thought the Itaskians got you.”

Haas shifted from foot to foot. “I got away.” He couldn’t seem to go any farther.