Masquerades - Kate Novak [148]
"The key to open the passage to the demiplane is described as a copper feather," Victor said. "The new croamarkh would need such a key before he tried anything so blatant. What's this scrawl in the margin?"
"I believe that is a notation of the late, unlamented Mintassan," Kimbel said dryly.
"But what does it say? 'Lily Netted'? Why do sages always have such awful handwriting?"
Kimbel bent over the book, peering at the notation. "I believe it says, 'Lady Nettel.'"
"The symbol of House Thalavar is a green feather, and the Thalavars are-distant relatives of the Verovan line," Victor said excitedly. "Copper patina is green. Doesn't- didn't Lady Nettel always wear some kind of a garish green brooch? You don't suppose they buried it with her, do you?"
Kimbel shook his head. "I believe Lady Thistle is now in possession of it. She was wearing it at her grandmother's funeral."
"King's Verovan's treasure hoard." Victor laughed with fiendish glee. "The loot gathered from a lifetime of sucking Westgate dry. Why, the gold alone would be sufficient to build a small empire. And the key hangs on dear little Dervish's bosom-that sweet young girl who's been left all alone in the world." Victor chuckled nastily.
Kimbel raised an eyebrow. "House Thalavar remains one of the most powerful rival houses. Forging an alliance with Lady Thistle could prove most useful when the council of merchants elects the next croamarkh."
Victor snorted. "Croamarkh! Once I charm that key from little Dervish, I can be king, with or without her support. Although… she could prove very useful, as the swordswoman was useful. She's popular, lovely- can't swing a sword, but at least she's of the proper class. And she is young and impressionable. She could be easily swayed by the interests of a kind and dashing noble, eh?"
"Assuming that said noble wasn't still supposed to be mourning his last love," Kimbel noted with a chill tone.
"I should call on Lady Thistle. We can commiserate with one another over our losses. A girl like that will do wonders to help assuage the sorrow I feel over the death of dear Alias."
Twenty-One
New Contracts
Kimbel insisted it should not appear as if the new croamarkh was singling out Thistle for special attention. He arranged for Victor Dhostar to pay a courtesy call on each grieving noble family to express his sympathies. The calls took two full days. House Thalavar had been scheduled last, and Victor came to think of it as a reward for the ordeals he suffered at all the other houses. At each call, one of the ruling survivors button-holed him with some demand, request, or poorly veiled threat involving the family's continued support. Victor could only shake his head sadly at these people as if to reprimand them for sullying such a solemn occasion with common business.
He was received in the main hall of Castle Thalavar by Lady Thistle herself. The new head of House Thalavar was flanked by a pair of the ever-present halflings that plagued her particular household.
Victor recognized the halfling on Thistle's right as Alias's ally, Olive Ruskettle. The halfling's suspicious questions in the Faceless's lair remained ingrained in his memory. When he saw the icy look in her eyes, he wished he had thought to include her somehow in the party that had "disappeared" with Alias in the sewer. The furry-footed creature could have no proof of anything, but that might not keep her from spreading rumors. He reassured himself with the knowledge, delivered by Kimbel, that the halfling seemed to be handling her grief over the swordswoman's death by crawling into an ale keg.
The other halfling was a reed-thin, stiff-backed girl dressed in a black gown so austere that she reminded Victor of the deceased Lady Nettel. As if that weren't enough to make him uncomfortable, the halfling's bright green eyes seemed to pierce Victor to his soul, looking for any smudge of evil with