Soul of the Fire

"You bring it up here and put it on my desk so I can look it over. If there is no valuable information that might have been betrayed to a spy, I will not recommend any disciplinary action-this time. But you had better not be caught breaking the rules again, Mistress Firkin. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." She was nearly in tears. "Master Campbell, the Mother Confessor and the Lord Rahl have been down in the library."

"Yes, I know."

"Lord Rahl asked to see Joseph Ander's books and writings. What should I do?"

Dalton could hardly believe the man was wasting his time looking over such useless books. He almost felt sorry for the Lord Rahl in his ignorance. Almost.

"The Mother Confessor and Lord Rahl are honored guests as well as being important people. They may see any book in our library. There are to be no restrictions on them. None. You hereby have authorization to show them anything we have."

He tapped his desk again. "But that book you showed to that other man, that Ruben fellow, I want that book on my desk, and I want it now."

The woman was fidgeting like she was about to wet herself.

"Yes, sir. Right away, Master Campbell." She scurried from the room, her entire life now focused on retrieving the book.

Dalton didn't really care about the book-whatever it was. He simply didn't want the people in the library to get sloppy and start violating the rules. He couldn't have people he didn't trust in charge of valuable things.

His cobweb was humming with matters more important than some useless, dusty old book by Joseph Ander, but he had to mind everything, regardless of how minor. He would take a look at the book, but just her bringing it was what mattered to him.

Every once in a while it was necessary to throw a bit of fright into people to remind them who was in charge and who held sway over their life. Word of this would spread to others in the household. The fear from this one incident would straighten everyone's back. If it didn't, the next time he would put the violator out of the household in order to make an impression.

Dalton sank back into his seat and returned to his stack of messages. Most disturbing of them was the one saying the Sovereign was improving. He was reported to be eating again. Not a good sign, but the man couldn't last forever. Sooner or later, Bertrand Chanboor would be Sovereign.

There were a number of messages and reports about other people dying, though. People out in the country were frightened by strange occurrences-deaths out of the ordinary. Fires, drownings, falls. Country people, terrified of things in the night, were coming into the city, seeking safety.

People in the city, too, were reported to be dying from similar events, and were similarly frightened. Seeking safety; they were fleeing the city and going into the countryside.

Dalton shook his head at the foolishness of people's fears. He gathered the reports into a stack. Just before he put them to the candle flame, a thought struck him. His hand paused. He pulled the sheaf of messages back from the flame.

Something Franca once said had given him an idea.

They might be of use. He stuffed the reports into a drawer.

"Sweetheart, are you still working?"

Dalton looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. Teresa, wearing an alluring rose-colored dress he didn't recall seeing before, was sweeping into the room.

He smiled. "Tess, darling. What brings you up here?"

"I came to catch you with a mistress."

"What?"

She went past his desk to pause and gaze out the window. A green velvet sash gathered the waist of the dress, accentuating her curves. He envisioned his hands where the sash embraced her.

"I was pretty lonely last night," she said as she watched people out on the lawns.

"I know. I'm sorry, but there were messages I had to-"

"I thought you were with another woman."

"What? Tess, I sent you a message, explaining that I had to work."

She turned to him. "When you sent- word you would be working late, I didn't think much of it. You've been working late every night. But when I woke up and it was almost dawn, and you weren't there beside me… well, I thought sure you were in the bed of another woman."

"Tess, I wouldn't-"

"I thought of going and throwing myself at Lord Rahl, just to get even, but he has the Mother Confessor and she's more beautiful than me, so I knew he would just laugh and turn me away.

"So, I got dressed and came up here, just to be able to say I knew you weren't really working, when you later lied and told me you were. Instead of an empty office, I saw all your messengers scurrying around like they were preparing to go off to war. I saw you in here handing out papers, issuing orders. You really were working. I watched for a while."

"Why didn't you come in?"

She finally glided over to him and settled herself into his lap. She put her arms around his neck as she gazed into his eyes.

"I didn't want to bother you when you were busy."

"But you aren't a bother, Tess. You're the only thing in my life that isn't a bother."