Mistress of the Night - Don Bassingthwaite [29]
"A badly-written label is hardly an inscription," Mifano said as he picked up the flask again. "Anyone could have written this and stuck it to the flask. Anyone could have gone to a less than ethical alchemist and bought the poison. Anyone can invoke Shar's name if they choose to." He set the flask down. "It's not a cult, Feena. I think you stumbled across a misguided madman working on his own."
"But there could be a cult at work," protested Feena. "How do you know there isn't?"
Velsinore leaned forward. Her face was cross. "Because we do," she said. "Honestly, do you think we don't take the threat of Shar's followers seriously? We monitor every tale and rumor that passes through Yhaunn-and around it, too. We have faithful who aid us in watching. We're vigilant, Feena! You know the spoor of Malar's servants, don't you? You know when they come to Arch Wood. If there was any sign of a Sharran cult spreading in the city, we would have known."
"This is a sign!" Feena banged the table.
"No, it isn't!"
"Sisters!" snapped Mifano.
Feena caught her tongue. Across the table, Velsinore stiffened into silence. Mifano sighed and set the flask down.
"Feena," he said. "I don't want you to think that we're belittling what you did last night. It's like the shack you mentioned by the docks-by checking that disease now, we prevent a plague. You did the same thing. Shar's evil found a single servant, her toehold in the city. You broke that toehold. And how many people would have died if that well had been poisoned? You saved them, too."
"But I… that wasn't…" Feena began. Words failed her. She pressed her hands over her face and groaned in frustration. "Oh!"
"I'm glad you think so highly of your service to Selune," said Velsinore as she rose from the table. "Someone else probably would have let such praise go to her head!" She swept out of the room.
At least the bitterness and resentment in the tall priestess' voice was plain.
Mifano's cheer simply rang hollow as he stood and asked, "What would you like done with the remaining poison, Feena? A victory toast for the heroine of the hour, Moonshadow Hall's shield against Shar? You didn't even have to lay a hand on that cultist-he killed himself just at the sight of you!"
Feena glared at him over the tops of her fingers and said, "Get rid of it, Mifano."
"As you wish," he replied, scooping up the vial. "I'll return the flask to you, though, shall I? It will make a wonderful souvenir."
"Get out," Feena snarled.
Mifano slid gracefully out the door, then leaned back in.
"By the way," he said, "Lady Monstaed has sent her regrets-she won't be able to meet with you today. Maybe she heard about what happened at Ladysluck Tower yesterday. Well done."
He vanished again. Feena let him get a good long head start before standing and following.
What was I thinking last night? That Selune guided me to a problem I was capable of dealing with?
"Moonmaiden's grace," Feena cursed under breath. "Could I really have been that wrong?"
As much as she hated to admit it, Velsinore's argument made sense-the clergy of Moonshadow Hall probably would have already found a Sharran cult if one was operating in Yhaunn. They were attuned to the activities of
Selune's enemies. Mifano made sense too. Maybe she had stopped Shar's power before it could grow behind a single madman. Maybe that had been Selune's only intent, guiding her to prevent the deaths of innocent Yhauntans. Maybe she was a hero.
So why didn't she feel like one?
She needed advice. She needed to talk to Dhauna Myritar. Feena turned her path toward the cloisters and a short cut across the inner courtyard. First thing that morning, she had written a message, relating what had happened and what she intended to do, and dispatched a novice to deliver it while she met with Velsinore and Mifano. Feena blew out her breath in a long sigh. Having spoken with the pair of them, she felt like she needed the High Moonmistress more than ever!
Except Dhauna found her first. Feena was halfway across the courtyard when the high priestess stepped through the