Song of the Saurials - Kate Novak [43]
"That's not the same thing as a ward against evil creatures," the swordswoman argued.
"That's true," Morala agreed. "There are important differences. A protection ward is very cut-and-dried, but Elminster's one-way spell required provisions so that the servants and guards and the sage could enter and leave Nameless's cell unhindered. I suppose the spell would have also allowed Nameless to leave if the room was burning, say, or in the case of some other emergency that threatened the bard's life. If Elminster's wording had been ambiguous on some provision, the spell might have broken from the strain of determining whether or not the provision was met."
"Excuse me, your lordship," a voice said from the hallway.
Mourngrym turned toward the voice. A tower guard stood at the door to the Harpers' courtroom.
"Yes, Shend? What is it?" his lordship asked.
"Captain Thurbal has finished checking the tower security. He said to tell vou everything seems in order, except for two things. First, he can't get into Nameless's cell; the door's locked.
"Akabar Bel Akash felt unwell, so he's resting in there," Mourngrym said.
"Harper Kyre is tending him. No need to disturb them. I'll check with them later. What's the second thing, Shend?"
"When I was on guard duty early this morning, I let someone pass through the gate without announcing her. She said it wasn't necessary. Now we can't find her, and no one saw her leave the tower. Captain Thurbal thought it a little strange, so he wanted me to report it to you personally."
"Who was it, Shend?" Mourngrym asked.
"That halfling Harper," Shend replied.
"What halfling Harper?" Morala asked.
Shend's eyes wandered up to the ceiling, as if the halfling's name might be written there.
Alias felt her heart skip a beat. It can't be, she thought.
"You know the one, Lady Alias," Shend said. "The bard what helped you and Dragonbait kill the kalmari two years back. Tree name she 'ad… Peach or Maple or-"
"Olive," Alias supplied, rubbing her temples with her fingers.
"That were it. Olive Rustiepan."
"Ruskettle," Alias corrected.
"Who?" Breck asked.
"There aren't any halfling bards," Morala pointed out.
"She's a rogue," Alias explained. "A thief… a minstrel… an adventuress."
"Olive Ruskettle," Breck murmured. "I don't recall any Harpers by that name. Who was her sponsor?" he asked.
Alias swallowed. "Nameless," she said softly.
"Nameless!" Morala exclaimed. "You mean he gave her a Harper's pin?"
Alias nodded.
"Of all the reckless, arrogant- The man is impossible!" the priestess declared.
"Olive freed him from Cassana's dungeon in Westgate, then helped him rescue Dragonbait and me," Alias explained.
"She could be the Princess of Cormyr and we still wouldn't accept Nameless's sponsorship of her," Morala insisted. "Nameless was exiled in disgrace. He has no business-"
"Excuse me, your grace," Breck said, "but we might yet reverse our decision, in which case this Ruskettle might be of some use to us-that is, providing she wasn't involved with this Grypht creature. Is it possible she might have allied with Grypht in the hope that it would rescue Nameless?" the ranger asked Alias.
Alias paused to consider. After the close call Olive had had with the pseudo-halfling Phalse, who had turned out to be a fiend from Tarterus, one would have thought that the halfling had learned her lesson about dealing with strangers. Still, Olive could be awfully unpredictable. She might do something truly foolish if she believed it would help Nameless. She had seemed exceptionally fond of the bard last year in Westgate.
On the other hand, Olive's affection might work the other way. Alias had also noted that as long as Nameless's attention had been fixed on her, the halfling had seemed to behave with unusual civility and honor. "She wouldn't suggest a plan to Nameless that she knew he'd disapprove of," Alias answered.
"Where could she have gone?" Mourngrym asked.
"She would have tried to see Nameless," Alias said.
"She would have been trapped inside Nameless's cell, then," Mourngrym said. "She