Chapter 7
Aly began to give Bastard all sorts of information that was either true or false. Sometimes it was true when Bastard thought it was false and sometimes it was true when he thought it was true.
He couldn't figure out a pattern.
But it had become apparent that Aly wasn't a very reliable source of information, but she was all they had, so they took the risk and lost more troops than they could replace.
The rebels, the one's resisting Dove's rule, were losing.
And Aly was enjoying almost every moment of it.
Almost.
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The spies of King Jonathan's spymaster searched for word of the Copper Isles' spymaster. There wasn't any more information than what was available at the beginning.
Which is a fancy way of saying nothing.
But they still searched, getting very chummy with the spies of Queen Dovasary.
Numair Salmalin searched for Aly, with no success.
Daine Salmalin looked as well, sending animals out looking, but came up the same results. They could tell she was alive, but not where.
King Jonathan and Queen Thayet of Tortall worked with Queen Dovasary and Taybur Sibigat to find some way to get at least some of the diplomats over to the Copper Isles. They were making little headway.
Fesgao and Nawat searched for Aly themselves and with their trusted men.
Chenaol continued to look for news. The meals were getting more and more elaborate the longer they went with no news from Aly.
Of course they knew she was alive because the resistance's supplies and men were in convenient places for Vitorcine and Yoyox.
Vitorcine and Yoyox were tentatively reaching out to the more experienced spymaster of Tortall for assistance and to strengthen and spread their search grid.
Ysul was doing the same with Numair, and having better luck with the more direct approach.
Through a visual speaking spell, Ysul signed, "Will you work with me to find Aly?"
"I'm sorry," said Numair Salmalin, "I don't know sign language."
Ysul looked around for paper and pencil. When he found some, he wrote down the message and showed the black robe mage.
Numair squinted and read it over twice, then started nodding vigorously, saying, "Yes, yes, of course. Now what have you done so far?"
All of them, of course, asked the darkings where Trick was, when they realized that Trick was still with Aly. They all replied the same way, "Doesn't know. Dark. Cold. Underground."
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Another month went by.
By then Dove and Taybur had succeeded in getting Alanna the Lioness, Baron George Cooper, and Daine Salmalin to come to the Copper Isles on trumped up reasons.
Alanna went to work with Fesgao and an exhausted Nawat. He had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep.
Daine worked with her husband and Ysul's mages.
George found Aly's spies and got them to work with him. The Trickster showed him favor. They also recognized the similar facial features between Aly and her father. George didn't admit it and the spies never brought it up.
Within a week of their arrival they found an area in a city on the other side of the Copper Isles from the palace that was like a black hole.
Nothing went in.
Nothing came out.