Masquerades - Kate Novak [172]
Olive did not comment on the swordswoman's claim. Instead she asked, "Why couldn't you tell me, though?"
"And me," Jamal seconded, glaring at Mintassan.
"I'm really sorry, Jamal," the sage apologized. "But at first we didn't realize how much Dhostar relied on Kimbel for all his information. If Dhostar had other spies watching the two of you, he might have learned you weren't really grieving. I made sure Blais House had room for you before I followed Dhostar's order to evict you from my house. As it turned out, Victor left everything to Kimbel. He trusted me alone in the Faceless's secret lair. I was able to use a wand of cancellation on all the Night Masks' magic. That's also how I managed to get so much damning evidence on Victor and the Night Masters. I needed it, too. Durgar was hard to convince. He insisted on interrogating Dragonbait, too, using another mage as a translator."
"But Durgar still isn't willing to admit Victor was the Faceless," Jamal said with disgust.
"No. He admits Victor's guilt," Mintassan replied. "He just doesn't want the rest of Westgate to know. He's afraid it will cause unrest."
"Well, it certainly makes me unrestful," Jamal growled. "He put the fox in charge of the henhouse."
"So Durgar is going to stick to the story that Victor died trying to find Verovan's hoard in order to make Westgate a better city?" Alias asked. "Why is Thistle letting him do that?"
"Thistle has her own agenda," Olive said, "as does a certain actress who had agreed to go along with the tale."
Alias looked at Jamal in surprise.
"Thistle is going to get Durgar elected the interim croamarkh. Thistle and I like the idea of the interim croamarkh owing us a big favor," Jamal explained with a grin.
"Why?" Alias asked suspiciously.
"The noble houses are in disarray. This is the time to push for giving the people political power. Before the end of the year I intend to see that every man and woman in this city has a vote."
"Everyone? Halflings, too?" Olive asked.
"Oh, really! She's not that crazy," Mintassan said. He threw up his hands to ward off the looks he received from both the halfling and the actress. "Just kidding. Didn't mean it."
"Thistle has agreed to grant votes for other merchants and small shopkeepers and craftsmen, artisans and scholars," Jamal explained. "I'll talk her around to the rest. Back, though, to the conspirators," Jamal insisted. "Did you ever find out why Victor hired you to go after himself? Wasn't he taking an awful risk?"
Alias looked at Mintassan. The sage leaned back in his chair. "According to information Durgar gleaned from Kimbel, Victor was very concerned about rumors that the Harpers wanted to clean the Night Masks out of West-gate."
"Harpers?" Olive asked.
"Harpers," Mintassan explained. "They're this semisecret organization who're supposed to work for good-"
"Yes. I know all that," Olive said. "What do they have to do with it?"
"Nothing, as far as I know," Mintassan replied. "But Victor learned that Alias had connections to them."
"The Nameless Bard was her father," Olive said.
"Yes, she told me," Jamal answered.
"But she's not really a Harper," Olive said.
"Well, when Alias started fighting with Night Masks her very first evening in Westgate, Victor thought she must be a Harper agent," the sage explained.
"But why hire her?"
"Because with the magical misdirection that's cast on her, Victor couldn't scry on her. If he hired her, she would report right to him. He was careful to make it look like Luer's idea."
"You still loot puzzled, Olive," Alias noted.
"Well, I'm just wondering about the rumors Victor heard. It wasn't me the Harpers sent to Westgate. I came down here for some time away from them. I hadn't even heard they had any interest in the area. I wonder who else is down here."
"Why would the Harpers send someone to Westgate when they have a perfectly good agent here already?" Jamal asked. She flipped up her collar to reveal a silver moon-and-harp pin.
Olive's eyes widened, and she laughed. "So now that