My professor got through sixty pages of material. That's sixty pages as put together in Microsoft Word with a twelve-point font with a line between paragraphs, with about one figure per page, and he did this in two fifty-minute sessions. This is going to be an interesting semester.

Next chapter: Haze

The Emperor's Mage
Chapter Twenty-four: Listen

Both Daine and Alanna looked fair red-eyed a couple minutes later, but neither felt the need to talk about that. Daine drew herself up with all the resolve she could muster. She couldn't get involved, but everybody had known that from the start. Even if Arram had given up everything to save her... there was nothing she could do for him in return, not now. Not unless she wanted to give Ozorne an excuse to start a war.

"Sarge took me aside afore we left," Daine said. "He said it'd be fair better if I didn't get any kind of involved."

Alanna cursed, quite loudly, and had a speaking-spell to Gary in the next minute. After she had rather irritably ordered Gareth to come to her room, she turned to a rather surprised Daine. "I'm sorry, Daine, but... it was something Arram said last night. All of us were distracted with figuring out where you were, and if you were alright, but Arram mentioned Sarge by name. His full name."

Daine's brow wrinkled. "I don't think I've heard Sarge's whole name more'n once. It only came up when the queen was teasing him about turnin' him into one of them fancy nobles he dislikes so."

"Arram said to speak with Musenda Ogunsanwo when we were back in Carthak, and to tell him that it was time—whatever that means. I left a mirror with Onua, in case we needed to get anything to Thayet while she was away from the palace, but she can find Sarge for us easily enough."

Alanna was pacing the room, clearly irritated, but Daine felt too lost to get up from the bed. Arram was going to be killed, because he'd done the right thing, and none of them were even going to try to stop it. Daine couldn't, not unless she wanted Carthak to start attacking Tortall again, but she just couldn't stand back and decide it was okay for somebody to die because it'd save people from the country that'd taken her in. She didn't pay any attention when somebody knocked at the door.

Sir Gary had let himself in while Daine was looking out the window, and he shut the door behind him very firmly. Alanna snapped the words that linked her mirror to Onua's. Onua didn't make a bit of protest when Alanna immediately asked for Sarge, leaving no time for pleasantries such as hello. Daine kept to her spot on the bed, and couldn't find the mind to care when Sir Gary came over and rested one of his big hands on her shoulder.

Alanna stopped pacing just before Sarge's face appeared in the mirror. She moved to stand so that Sarge would be able to see the three of them.

"Lioness, what's the trouble?" Sarge asked. Daine felt a little better just hearing his voice. Sarge was obviously prepared for trouble, but his voice sounded just as relaxed and easy as always. "I know you didn't send word on just because you missed me."

Alanna smiled thinly, the best that she could manage. She and Sarge had always gotten along well, probably because he and her husband had the same approach to trouble. Nothing was so serious that a bit of joking wouldn't be amiss. "I don't know what it's going to mean to you, but Arram Draper is condemned to die tonight. He publicly admitted that he's spent ten years helping slaves escape, and he did it with Ozorne three feet away."

Sarge exhaled slowly. "That's true enough. Draper took that up right after Lindhall had gone, and he's been holding that country in one piece for a while now. Strain can make anybody snap."

"Arram was protecting Daine, I think." Alanna glanced over, as if Daine might have something to add, but continued when Daine only looked back toward the window. "He opened a speaking spell to Lindhall last night, and Arram said to speak with you when we got back to Tortall. More specifically, he said that Musenda Ogunsanwo would know that it's time." Alanna hated riddles, but it seemed that she'd need to wait a while longer.

Sarge raised a brow, his only response. "Well then. I can't tell you much of it until your feet are back on the good earth here, but I'll start things moving. If you have the chance, Alanna, tell him that I said thanks. He's a good man. I couldn't go telling folk before you all got squired about, or your reactions would've been too plain."

"Can we?" Daine asked quietly. "Talk to him, I mean. Just for a minute. I wouldn't say a word they'd use against anybody, but I... he should have a little time with people that care."

Sir Gary had never been her very close friend. She knew him well enough, since he and Alanna teased a lot, but for the first time Daine thought that she might really like the always-busy prime minister. "I'll see what can be done," he promised quietly. He stood at a better angle to be seen in the mirror. "Is there anything that we should know before we leave?"

Sarge hesitated, looking past Gary to Daine, but turned his attention back to the business at hand. "If Ozorne has any brains in that gilded skull of his, he'll be very cooperative. He can't replace Draper soon at all, so the country's firepower is down. Push for any concessions that you really want, you just might get them. That's all I have for the political end of things for now." Gary nodded. Sarge waited as the prime minister walked away, and didn't speak again until he heard the characteristic noise of a door opening and clicking shut.

"Daine-girl, you alright?"

Daine shook her head mutely.

"Didn't think so. Arram has a whole lot of faces, but you'd be just the type to find his best." Sarge's voice was very soft, and Daine took the mirror into her hands to see him better. "Draper never has just one reason for what he does. He told me once that he helped all others get on out because he couldn't. Ozorne has some very heavy magics binding your boy there, and nobody but the emperor himself can release them without having Arram dead anyway."

Daine had expected as much, really, but she didn't want to think about all of it. She didn't want to think of it later, either, but maybe later she'd be able to cope without using Alanna's magic as a crutch. "When we come back... could you ask Cloud to come to the docks for me? She's... she got me through losing ma and grandda and all the People on the farm."

"I'll sweet-talk her into it if I have to buy her dinner first," Sarge promised. "Gary's going to look out for you, lambkin. You take a rest and have Alanna spell you if that's what it takes to get through tonight."

Daine smiled weakly. "She already did, so I didn't drive all the animals to acting crazy." She thought that mentioning the execution would have made her sick, but she was relieved that he didn't make a huge deal out of it. When she got home, Sarge would be one of the people that understood how she could be all tore up about someone she'd barely known.

She thought that Sarge and Alanna had more to say, when Alanna gently took the mirror out of Daine's limp hands, but she'd drifted straight back into sleeping. She'd have to deal with it all over again when she woke up, but her dreams were peaceful and quiet. She could pretend that the world was alright for just a little longer. It'd be clear enough by sunset that nothing was okay.