His informant puffed her air sacs. Distended membranes quivered, and croaking affirmation emerged.

"In Faerlonnish," Aureste directed. Confronting empty golden eyes, he repeated the command sharply. These Sishmindris often feigned linguistic limitation, but almost all of them had mastered the language of their masters to some degree. He bent a piercing gaze upon her.

"Yes. Two," she replied in her hoarse inhuman voice, adding with palpable reluctance, "and other."

"What other?"

She flexed her brow ridges, the Sishmindri equivalent of a shrug. The impertinence deserved punishment, but he was pressed for time and therefore dealt her greenish face the most perfunctory of slaps-more of a threat than a real blow. Even such fleeting contact with the cool, slightly moist flesh of the amphibian was distasteful. He drew his hand back quickly. She neither flinched nor uttered a sound. Her silent impassivity was appropriate but annoying, and he found himself wondering whether the stroke of a riding crop across her shoulders would draw some livelier response. Before he had made up his mind to perform the experiment, she bowed deeply and withdrew.

Aureste descended to the reception gallery, there to encounter a brace of Taerleezi guards, one of them an underofficer. With them waited a travel-stained civilian of Faerlonnish aspect.

"Gentlemen." Aureste inclined his head to the angle precisely calculated to convey the obligatory respect due Taerleezi authority while maintaining the superior dignity of a Vitrisian magnifico.

The Taerleezi guards saluted correctly, in minimal acknowledgment of their host's rank but without the vigor or deference undeserved by a member of the conquered Faerlonnish.

"Communication from the Eleventh Section Watch Station, Magnifico," announced the underofficer. "This traveler here-what did you say your name is?"

"Rivviu Chelzo, in service to His Lordship the Magnificiari Abbevedri of Orezzia," the civilian replied.

"This Chelzo here brings news that concerns you, Magnifico," the underofficer continued. "You'd best hear it."

"Speak, then," Aureste directed.

"According to your will, Honored Magnifico." Chelzo bowed in typically gauche Orezzian style. "I was traveling upon my master the magnificiari's command to the city of Vitrisi, along the VitrOrezzi Bond. Scarcely halfway to my destination I paused along the way, and in a clearing a few paces from the road happened upon a scene of destruction. A fine carriage stood there. The horses were gone, but the passengers remained-two women, both dead by violence. Seven men liveried in grey and silver likewise lay dead on the ground, together with one other corpse, plainly dressed, a kerchief hiding his face. It was clear that the carriage had been attacked by a gang of highwaymen. Alone I could do nothing for the dead, nor would I entrust the news of the massacre to the folk at the wayside inns, for fear of looting. Thus I continued on to Vitrisi, where I told my tale to the authorities at the first Watch station I could find. And they have brought me here to you, Honored Magnifico."

"This Orezzian has described the arms on the carriage door," the underofficer clarified unnecessarily. "Three wheels of black fire upon a silver field. These are the arms of House Belandor."

... the passengers remained-two women, both dead by violence.

Aureste Belandor scarcely heard his own roar of furious anguish. The surrounding atmosphere seemed to boil and burn. He struck out reflexively and only dimly sensed the impact of his fist on flesh and unyielding bone. The reddish haze momentarily clouding his vision cleared, and he looked down to behold Rivviu Chelzo stretched out on the floor, blood streaming from a split lip. The luckless messenger coughed and spat out a tooth. The two Taerleezi soldiers stirred a little but made no move to interfere.

Aureste restrained his impulse to kick the fallen man. The blood was thundering in his ears and a feverish heat possessed him, but he could not afford to give way entirely to rage. Two dead women, only two, when three had embarked from Vitrisi. A constriction in his throat threatened to muffle his voice, but he managed to command steadily enough, "Get up."

Rivviu Chelzo cowered. His eyes jumped to his Taerleezi companions in vain search of assistance.

"Come, man, I won't hurt you," Aureste promised impatiently. "Get up."

Chelzo obeyed with reluctance.

"Describe the two women."

Chelzo's gaze wandered anew in search of help or escape, found none, and returned to his interrogator's ashen face. Wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, he answered, "One inside the carriage, of middle years with greying hair piled up in a tower, generous girth, fur-trimmed cloak, a lady. The other on the ground, much younger and smaller, hard to judge what her face might have been, light brown hair all in curls, ordinary clothes, not a lady. Maidservant, I think."

"And what of another-young, slender, well garbed, very beautiful, with dark hair and black brows?"

"No. Nobody like that."

"If you are lying to me, pig, I'll exterminate your entire family down to the newest suckling."

"I speak the truth, Magnifico." Chelzo swallowed fervently. "There were only the two women, neither as you describe. Believe me, Magnifico."

Believe him. He burned to believe. Jianna, still alive out there. She was clever and resourceful. Somehow she had managed to escape. She had run off into the woods, eluded her assailants, gotten clean away, and soon she would send word to her father. She would easily find help-anyone she encountered should consider himself privileged to serve her-and very soon a messenger would arrive, any minute now- Or perhaps she had not actually escaped, maybe that was too much to expect. They had taken her prisoner, but they wouldn't harm her, not when they discovered her identity. Jianna would have sense enough to name her father, or else they would simply recognize the Belandor crest on the carriage, and they would demand a high price for her safe return, but he would pay gladly, anything they asked, and then they would send her home.

But he should have heard from them by now. The demands of the kidnappers should have flown on the wings of greed, easily preceding this ordinary traveler Chelzo to the door of House Belandor. Where was the ransom note?

Could there be some forgotten enemy out there whose lust for vengeance exceeded the lust for cash? Someone who would kill Jianna and relish her father's agony above money? Had he ever crossed paths with anyone that unnatural?

Aureste did not take time to review the long list of potential nemeses. Turning to the Taerleezi underofficer, he commanded, "You will dispatch a party of your men to the site of the attack. This Orezzian will guide you. You will search the area for my daughter, the Maidenlady Jianna Belandor."

"Outside our jurisdiction," the other informed him. "Go to Orezzia and try your luck with the commandant there. As for the gathering of your Faerlonnish dead, that's no concern of ours."

For one moment, the urge to kill almost overpowered Aureste. He wore a dagger at his waist. A single quick, enjoyable thrust would wipe the look of cold contempt off that Taerleezi face forever.

And then he would be tried as a partisan murderer, noble rank notwithstanding. A Faerlonnishman convicted of killing a Taerleezi soldier would suffer public execution by torsion, and his friendship with the governor, expensive though it was, would not save him. He would die horrifically and then there would be nobody to rescue Jianna-at least, nobody as capable as her father. No, he could not afford to indulge his appetites. Someday the opportunity would arise, but not now.

"You waste time." Aureste charged his restraint with precisely modulated menace. "The governor will confirm my orders. The delay will displease him."

"I can't speak for the governor." And neither can you, Faerlonnish kneeser. The underofficer's silent postscript hung in the air.

"You will be hard-pressed to speak for yourself when your superiors are informed of your conduct. You may go," Aureste decreed. "This Orezzian will remain."

"I cannot stay," Chelzo objected. "My master the magnificiari expects me. My master-"

"Must survive without you for a time," Aureste advised him. "You have now entered my service, where you remain until dismissed."

"Truly, I cannot," Chelzo mourned. "You must understand that my master the magnificiari will not endure it. My master the magnificiari is of a choleric disposition. Should I fail to complete my errand promptly, I shall suffer the magnificiari's extreme displeasure."

"Should you prove obdurate, you will suffer mine."

"But-"

"Your master the magnificiari is far away," Aureste suggested pensively. "He is in no convenient position to express his disappointment. The same cannot be said of me."

The Orezzian had no answer.

"I have dismissed you." Aureste's attention returned to the Taerleezi guards. "You are unwilling or unable to address the situation, and your incompetence offends me. Remove yourselves."

Such insolence from a member of the subject population might ordinarily have warranted a beating or worse, but the governor's marked favor offered unusual privileges.

For a moment the underofficer stared, then sketched an ironical salute and withdrew, followed by his lividly silent subordinate. The luckless Chelzo remained.

"You will lead me and a band of my servants to the site of the attack," Aureste informed his captive.

"Please, Magnifico, you don't need me for that," the other appealed. "I can tell you where it is. There are landmarks; you won't have any trouble."

"I anticipate none. Prepare to leave within the hour."

"Magnifico, pity me. I am weary with travel. I've not rested, eaten, or performed my master the magnificiari's bidding."

"I am your current master and my bidding is your sole concern. You may go to the kitchen, eat, and refresh yourself as best you can in the time that remains. Do not commit the blunder of attempting escape. My fund of good nature is not inexhaustible."

"But-"

"Do you argue with me, fellow?"

"Never, Honored Magnifico. Not at all. No."

Aureste tugged the bellpull, and a human lackey appeared within seconds. Orders were issued and the servant withdrew, trailed by the despondent Orezzian.

Despite his fifty years he was still fit, capable of riding hard and living sparely. This so, preparations for departure could be completed within the space of minutes. In the meantime, there was another potential source of assistance awaiting consultation, and that one probably the best.

A quick march brought him to the second-story salon, with its carved dark paneling and its hidden doorway standing wide open. He went through into the workroom beyond, where he found his brother closeted with a pair of the household Sishmindris. The creatures were croaking and peeping away in their barbarous tongue, while Innesq Belandor leaned forward in his wheeled chair, listening with the closest attention. Fresh anger scalded Aureste. Jianna was missing and in danger. In the midst of such crisis, what right had Innesq to squander his attention on chatty amphibians?

The unintelligible conversation cut off as he entered. Silence smothered the workroom. Aureste confronted three sets of eyes whose shared inscrutability heightened his rage. It was almost as if they resented the master's intrusion. Addressing the amphibians, he commanded harshly, "Get out."

The golden mottled eyes remained as expressionless as ever, but both Sishmindris cringed in expectation of a blow and sidled for the exit. Aureste did not trouble to watch them go. His gaze sought his brother's calm pale face.

"What has happened?" Innesq inquired at once.

"The Belandor coach was attacked en route to Orezzia. Flonoria and the servants were killed. Jianna has disappeared. There is no corpse, no ransom note, no word from her. What can you tell me?"

"Flonoria killed?" Innesq appeared stunned. "There can be no mistake? Our sister is dead?"

"So I've been told, and the messenger has neither wit nor motive to lie."

"It is almost inconceivable. She was kind and harmless. Who would have the heart to lift a hand against her?"

"I don't know, and can't concern myself at the moment."

"Can't concern yourself? What are you saying? She was our sister, and a Belandor."

"An insignificant one."

"You cannot mean that. I hope you are not truly as callous as you seem."

"Enough of this. It's absurd at such a time. Did you not hear me, Innesq? Jianna is missing. Nothing else matters until she is restored to me."

"I understand. I share your grief and concern."

"Then prove it. I need your help. You must use those arcane skills of yours to find her. You must do it now, without delay. I'm relying on you."

"Aureste, compose yourself. You speak wildly."

"I am perfectly composed. I've requested your assistance. I'm your older brother and the head of House Belandor. Will you deny me?"

"Never while it lies within my power to serve you, but I am not certain that you know what you ask. Do you take me for a god or a demon, fit to deliver miracles upon demand?"

"Yes. Oh, I know you're neither god nor demon. But you have the knowledge that grants power-the talent, the intelligence and self-discipline, all that's needed to perform marvels-combined with the affection that you bear your niece. All of these are in you, and therefore I know that I don't ask more than you can give."

"You do not ask more than I am willing to give, but I fear that you overestimate my powers. I cannot flourish a magic wand and bring Jianna home."

"I know. But you can tell me where she is. You've done it often enough."

"Yes, when she was a child lost in the cellarways of Belandor House. But-"

"More recently than that, and your vision doesn't confine itself to this house. There was the time she ran off to see some rope-dancer, and you located her within minutes."

"Barsudio the Boneless performed in Vitrisi that day, almost within sight of the Clouds. The search commenced within two hours or so of Jianna's departure, and the imprint of her passage lingered upon the epiatmosphere. Her whereabouts all but proclaimed themselves to the trained observer. The present circumstances are quite different, and I fear-"

"Don't fear. And don't tell me you can't succeed; I won't hear it."

"You won't hear. As always." Innesq shook his head. "Aureste, you do not stop to consider the element of time."

"Have you not listened?" Aureste's frustration threatened to slip restraint. "I've already told you that I need your immediate assistance. Why do you waste priceless minutes in argument?"

"You've demanded instant results, but your expectations are unrealistic. It is possible that an arcane investigation will yield some clue concerning Jianna's fate, but the project requires hours of effort-perhaps days."

"That won't do. You must work faster."

"Impossible."

"Not for you. Don't sit there dreaming up objections. Just do it. Now."

"You imagine that sheer force of will overcomes all obstacles. Perhaps for you it does, but my world is quite different. There are supradimensional exigencies to consider."

"I don't know what you're talking about and I don't care. I only know that you can help Jianna if you choose. Will you not try, Innesq? Is that too much to ask for your niece?"

"I will do all that I can for her. But understand that the process may be protracted, and there is no help for that. Moreover, your presence will be required."

"Mine? Why?"

"The bond between you and Jianna is always strong and particularly powerful now, in view of your heightened emotional state. When you have been properly prepared, your consciousness set to rest and your logical faculties disabled, then those alternative forms of perception of which you are not ordinarily aware will operate freely. By their agency, if we are fortunate, we may perhaps trace Jianna's path."

"Consciousness set to rest? You speak of a sleeping draught?"

"Not in the sense that the term is generally used. Your body will remain active, perhaps excessively so. But your awareness of your surroundings must be disengaged and your power of reason suppressed. Throughout this interlude, your freedom of movement must be restricted."

"Are you suggesting that I should be-"

"Tied down to a chair. Regrettably so. I am sorry, but it is for your own protection as well as the household's. The procedure I offer jeopardizes body and mind. There is no predicting its duration and no assurance of success at the end. Perhaps you would do best simply to assemble and dispatch a search party, or even lead the hunt yourself. You would prefer to take charge personally, would you not?"

"That was my first thought. In fact, I've already issued orders to that effect. But tell me truly. This procedure of yours-if successful, does it offer the best hope of locating Jianna quickly? Or at least of knowing that she lives?" Aureste took care to maintain a dispassionate tone.

For a moment Innesq regarded him and then replied with palpable reluctance, "That is possible. But the risks are real, and I advise you to consider them. You will hardly be fit to assist your daughter if you are left physically or mentally impaired."

Impaired. Crippled or paralyzed. Mad or simple-minded. An ugly, vivid image filled Aureste's mind. Himself, some years hence, squatting half naked in some rainy alley deep in the Spidery. Starved old body covered with welts and bruises visible beneath a scant covering of filthy rags. Long, sparse wisps of white hair. Slack jaw, toothless gums, sunken cheeks. Dull eyes, vacant, mindless, dead.

Aureste blinked, and the image faded. His jaw was set and his armpits tingled with sweat. Meeting his brother's eyes, he unclenched his teeth and proclaimed, "I've complete confidence in your abilities."