| Ducas registered it in the same moment: "You have no eyes," he said
"No," Rinaldo said equably"I used to, of course, but they were judged inappropriate for me by my nephew, at the suggestion of both Tyrants seventeen years ago this springI had the temerity to oppose Casalia's decision to lay down his Ducal status and become a Governor instead
Alessan was staring fixedly at Erlein as Rinaldo spokeDevin followed his glanceThe wizard looked more confused than Devin had ever seen him
"I do know who you are, then," he said, almost stammeringJust as I know you, and knew your father, Erlein bar AleinI was brother to the last real Duke of Senzio and am uncle to the craven disgrace who styles himself Casalia, Governor of Senzio nowAnd I was as proud to be the one as pink louis vuitton bag I am shamed to call myself the other
Visibly fighting for control, Erlein said, "But then you knew what Alessan was planningYou knew about those lettersYou know what he intends to do with them! You know what it will mean for our province! And you are still with him? You are helping him?" His voice rose erratically at the end
"You stupid, petty little man," Rinaldo said slowly, spacing the words for weight, his own voice hard as stone"Of course I am helping himHow else are we to deal with the Tyrants? What other battleground is possible in the Palm today but our poor Senzio where Barbadior and Ygrath circle each other like wolves and my crapulous nephew drowns himself in drink and spills his seed in the backsides of whores! Do you want freedom to be easy, new cartier watches Erlein bar Alein? Do you think it drops like acorns from trees in the fall?"
"He thinks he is free," Alessan said bluntly"Or would be, if it wasn't for meHe thinks he was free until he met me by a river in Ferraut last week
"Then I have nothing more to say to him," said Rinaldo di Senzio, with contempthow did you find this man?" It was Sertino, speaking to AlessanThe Certandan wizard still kept to the far side of the room from the Prince, Devin noted
"Finding such men has been my labor for twelve years and more now," Alessan said"Men and women from my home or yours, from Astibar, Tregea all over the peninsulaPeople I thought could be trusted and who might have reason to hate the Tyrants as much as IAnd a desire to be free that matched my ownTruly free," he said, cartier mens watch roadster looking at Erlein again"Masters of our own peninsula
With a faint smile he turned to Ducas"As it happened, you hid yourself well, friendI thought you might be alive, but had no idea whereWe lived in Tregea on and off for more than a year but no one we spoke to knew, or would say anything about your fateI had to be terribly clever tonight to lure you into finding me instead
Ducas laughed at that, a deep sound in his chestThen, sobering, he said, "I wish it had happened earlierYou have no idea how muchI have a friend I think will take to you as much as you will to him
"Shall I meet him?"
"In Senzio, later this spring, if events fall rightIf we can make them fall right
"If that is so, you had best start by telling us how you need them to fall," Rinaldo said rolex watch prosaically"Let me tend to your two wounded while you tell what we should know
He moved forward, tapping the ground ahead of him as he came up to Devin"I am a Healer," he explained gravely, the sharpness gone from his voice"Your leg is bad and needs dealing withWill you let me try?"
"So that is how you knew us," Ducas said, wonder in his voice again"I have never known a true Healer before
"There are not many of us and we tend not to announce ourselves," Rinaldo said, the empty sockets of his eyes fixed on nothingness"That was so even before the Tyrants came: it is a gift with limits and a priceNow we keep ourselves hidden for the same reason the wizards do, or almost the same: the Tyrants are happy to seize us, and force us serve them until they wear us chanel bag gold chain out |