The Wanderer stood at the threshold to his bedchamber, gazing through a small gap between the curtain and the edge of the frame. He peered at the still form of Sirinna as she lay on her bed, her sides rising and falling slowly and steadily. He had already checked on Amanda moments before and found her fast asleep as well.

Carefully, the merchant slipped past the curtain, crouching as he made his way as silently as possible towards the exit. He was not concerned with Sirinna waking and seeing him leave. This he could deal with. As a more "typical" slave, he would not have to explain himself, and Sirinna would likely forget about it.

But if she awoke and the noise of their soft conversation woke Amanda, who was most assuredly not a typical slave, that might give him trouble later.

It was most unfortunate that he had to do this. At the same time, he was prepared for it. His task was so important that he needed to be prepared for nearly any eventuality, however unlikely it may be. This had been considered more of the unlikely ones, which unfortunately meant his preparations were not as good.

In fact, he already knew that luck would be a large factor in his success.

Jollis made it into the cool night air. He paused a moment, and felt only the lightest of breezes. This would work in his favor. Already luck began on his side.

He took his time as he walked the paths of the Manor. There was no need to rush. Only a guilty man hurried along at this time of the night. The innocent had no need. Yet he was careful. He did not wish anyone to see him. It was unlikely that anything would be traced back to him, but stranger things have already happened on this mission.

He reached the Healer's office. It was empty and open. There was simply no need to secure such things in a Manor. No slave would think of coming to this place at this hour, nor be skilled in using it unless she had been specifically trained for it.

Jollis found a small oil lamp and ignited it. He took in his surroundings carefully, making note of where the Healer might keep his herbal and potion supplies. He wanted to make sure he did this in the quickest amount of time, and by touching the least number of things in the room. The less he disturbed, the more unlikely it would be that the Healer would discover his work.

He began to gather the ingredients that he needed.

Jollis was no Healer. However, he was quite good at memorization, and a potion formula was quite an easy thing to remember. But there was more than a formula to what he was undertaking. He knew that such a thing should be tailored to the individual, but there was no way this could be done. He had to hope that a "standard" formula would work.

Yet here, it appeared, his luck had run out, for Vanlo's supplies were missing a key ingredient.

The merchant sighed into the darkness. It should not have surprised him. There was little use for a Healer at an Overlord's Manor to be making draughts to cure mental disorders. Jollis looked again, to make sure he had not missed it somewhere.

It was then he found the Jonalla.

Jollis recognized it at once. He knew of the events that had transpired here. He knew how this had been used by the Imperial agent to poison the minds of the slaves. The shiny black crystals were rigorously controlled by the Healers' Guild. Even the likes of Vanlo would have had trouble procuring it on his own.

Obviously, in keeping the Jonalla, the Healer had decided to make the best of a bad situation. The Jonalla in and of itself was not at fault for what had happened. He had seen no need to throw out a perfectly good herb simply because of the way it had been abused.

Jollis also knew that Jonalla could be used as a substitute for his missing ingredient if he carefully adjusted the doses of the others. Yet he also knew this was incurring more risk. The resulting potion would be more unstable and more prone to imbalances in the mixing.

But Jollis had no choice. It must be done.

He quickly took the ingredients into the inner chamber, where the apparatus that Vanlo used to produce his potions sat on its customary table. The merchant looked forlornly at it. He wished he had the time to brew this properly through the apparatus. That would greatly reduce the risk. But it would also take much of the night to finish, and then he would have to clean the apparatus afterward. No, this would not do.

Jollis instead arranged the ingredients on the table on the opposite side of the room from the apparatus, where he kept his special items. After carefully measuring out the ingredients one by one into a flask, adding the black Jonalla crystals last, he opened one of the drawers. There arrayed on velvet were nearly two dozen blue pearls.

He needed exactly two. One for now, and one for when he delivered the potion to the Healer's residence.

Jollis' hand hovered over the pearls, sweeping over them slowly, until his latent magic sense told him which one held the proper spell. He picked up the correct one and dropped it into the mixture.

There was a dull glow and a gentle frothing as the binding energies of the spell forced the ingredients to mix at a vastly accelerated rate from the normal apparatus. This is what Vanlo used when he needed to mix a potion quickly if a patient's life was at stake, as he had the night Sirinna nearly died from a sleeping powder overdose. For simple poisoning antidotes, this was acceptable.

It was generally considered sheer madness to do it for the potion that Jollis was preparing.

Jollis counted silently to himself as the potion mixed. He took a long, thin wooden stick from the counter and inserted it into the mixture as his count reached a particular point. He carefully stirred, the glow suffusing more through the potion before eventually fading. Soon the frothing stopped as well.

The merchant lifted the flask and held the oil lamp to it. His eyes held a subdued look. It was not perfect. It was not even good. He was not at all sure he had balanced the other ingredients properly with the introduction of the Jonalla.

But it would have to do.

He used a small set of grasping claws to fish the pearl from the potion and place it on a patch of cloth to dry. He looked down at the potion he had created and paused.

This was the first time in his mission that he actually hesitated to carry out his master's will. He knew that everything he was told to do was for the greater purpose, but he found this to be reprehensible nonetheless. Yet, was it any better than the plans that were in store for others that were closer to him? At least the Healer was a stranger to him.

Jollis picked up the flask. He returned to the drawer with the blue pearls and selected another after a moment's contemplation. He then turned and headed out the door and back into the night.

Rennis stood in stunned silence after Roquan finished speaking.

Clad now in his robe, a nearly drained goblet of wine in one hand, Roquan fixed his level gaze on his friend when the silence continued for another few moments. "It would help if you would say something to me at this point," Roquan said in an irritated voice.

Rennis just stared incredulously at Roquan.

Roquan sighed. "Do you wish to hear me say that I was foolish to agree to Freya coming to my quarters for this so-called debate? Is this what you wish to hear from me, Rennis, before you will grace me with your words? Is that ...?"

"You used a slave as a spy," Rennis said tonelessly.

Roquan paused. "Yes, I used Amanda to give me information on ..."

"You used a slave as a spy."

"Let us not go there for the moment. The point is, I ..."

"You used a slave as a spy!"

Roquan stared hard at his friend. "Do you wish to repeat that a little louder?" said Roquan icily. "So that the Overlords on the other side of the Manor can hear you?"

Rennis turned way from Roquan, his hands clenching into fists. "Roquan, this ... I ... words completely fail me!"

"That is not what I wanted to hear from you."

Rennis gaped. "Not what you wanted ...! What in the blazing hells did you want?! Did you want me to sanction what you did? Did you want me to tell you 'good thinking, Roquan!' Is that what you want to hear from me?"

Roquan remained silent.

Rennis sighed and shook his head. "I don't believe this ... Roquan, you ... you have done some stupid things before ..."

"I beg your pardon!"

"Yes, Roquan, stupid! This goes beyond just letting your ego get the best of you when you decided to train her in the first place!"

"Rennis, this is not the time to argue the wisdom of my actions," Roquan said in a voice of forced calm. "We need to figure out how ..."

"Then when is a good time? You have this Conclave going in order to get the other Overlords to do something about a travesty that the Emperor has committed against Overlord traditions! Roquan, what you did in having Amanda spy for you is no better than what the Emperor did against you!"

"That's enough!" Roquan shouted. "You will not DARE compare my actions to those of Z'haas! I did not poison anyone! I did not try to forceably kidnap anyone! And I most certainly did not try to kill an Overlord's BEST TRAINER!"

Rennis was livid. "Don't get self-righteous with me! I've had enough of it! Don't think yourself above everyone else just because the Emperor wronged you!"

"Then what would have me do?! Let Gronnus buy the vote of the Conclave? Let the Emperor continue to do what he is doing? Let him try to go to war?!"

Rennis remained silent for a moment.

"Or do you think I am paranoid about that? The Emperor has terminated relations with Colos, Rennis!"

"I am already aware of this ..."

"But are you really aware of the consequences?"

Rennis took a deep breath. "No Oceanus Emperor has gone to war in a over a century."

"This is no ordinary Emperor. No ordinary Emperor does the things that Z'haas did. Even in that last war you mentioned, as I understand it, the Emperor sought support from the Nobility and the Overlords before he lifted a finger. Where is that support-seeking now?"

Rennis sighed, exasperated. "Roquan, do you realize what you're asking me to do here? You're asking me to tell you that it was okay to use Amanda like that. I can't tell you that!"

"No, I will not ask that of you. I realize that is impossible."

"Then just what do you want from me?"

"I simply want your support, Rennis. I need that more than ever right now."

Rennis blinked once. He was too surprised to respond. He was seeing a look in Roquan's face that he had never seen before: fear.

"You cannot tell anyone how I have been using Amanda," Roquan continued, his voice softer. It was not a command he was giving but a plea.

Rennis gave Roquan a nonplussed look. "I had no intention of telling anyone. I wouldn't do that to you."

"Thank you."

"But you're playing a dangerous game here. If someone else does find out, or Freya refuses to keep her silence on this ..."

"I must take that chance."

Rennis stared at him. "You plan to use Amanda again, don't you?"

"Yes. Twice more tomorrow. That would make four deals total I can snatch away from Gronnus."

"Unless he figures out what you're doing."

Roquan made a face. "Overlord Gronnus is clever. He is sly and duplicitous. One thing he is not is intelligent. He will not figure it out. And the others will not either, as they are too mired in their thinking to ever conceive of this."

Rennis wanted to protest, but he had already come to the embarrassing conclusion that he, too, was guilty of this. It had never entered his mind that a slave could be used in such a way, even after having had one in their midst as an Imperial agent!

"And after that?" asked Rennis. "What then?"

Roquan paused a long moment. "That is what I had hoped you might help me with."

"What is there to help? You have to give Amanda to Freya."

"I cannot do that."

Rennis stared. "You just got through telling me this Conclave was important enough for you to make a slave break her loyalty, and it's suddenly not important enough to ..."

"Freya abuses her slaves."

Rennis fell into a stunned silence. It was one thing to suggest, to insinuate, to imply that an Overlord perhaps went a little too far in punishing his slaves, but to come right out and make such a statement was never, ever done.

"Realize what you are saying, Roquan ..."

"Yes, I fully realize it, Rennis! And I say nothing but the truth! You know yourself how she alters the formula for her Draughts, how it turns them into virtual playthings instead of true slaves ..."

"You have no proof of that ..."

"I have all the proof I need from Amanda! And I will not sanction the abuse of any slave I own!"

Rennis was quiet for a moment. "Did what Amanda tell you confirm any of the rumors about Freya's slaves?"

Roquan was already nodding his head. "That she makes them feel inferior and humiliated? Yes. That she uses orgasm denial outside of proper punishment? Yes. That she withholds reward when they do well? Yes. Do I need to go on?"

Rennis sighed. "You know, if she wasn't a woman, the other Overlords ..."

"Yes, I know," Roquan said softly.

Rennis stopped. He realized if he went any further, he would only embarrass his friend.

"So I have a dilemma," said Roquan with a small sigh.

"I don't know what to tell you."

"There has to be a way to stop this. I cannot let Amanda go."

Rennis was both surprised and worried about the conviction in Roquan's voice. His friend was looking for answers and solutions that Rennis did not have. "You may have to give Amanda to her. Temporarily."

Roquan's eyes hardened.

"She gave you a deadline, Roquan," Rennis said, his voice rising. "You can't ignore that! So she owns Amanda for a short time while she is here. She is still in your Manor. There is a limited amount of ... of abuse that she can do to the girl."

"And then what?" Roquan demanded.

"Then ... we try to figure something else out. That's all I can tell you! I have no magic that can change the situation for you. And you might consider bringing Doran in on this."

"No."

"Not to tell him about the Draught, just that Freya's demanding this payment for her vote."

"Yes, and you know exactly what he will say." Roquan drained the rest of his goblet in one go. "He will praise the deal, and tell me that I am finally learning how to negotiate well."

Rennis nodded somberly. "Yes, he probably would say that."

Roquan turned away. "Please leave me," he said, though it was not in anger. "We've done all we can do ... I've ... said all I care too. More than I cared too."

Rennis was not so sure what was worse, Roquan having to say it or himself for hearing it. He wished he had been able to continue in blissful ignorance of Roquan's actions. Now he felt like it was a pall that had settled over their relationship.

"We'll talk in the morning," Rennis said, but Roquan had already turned away and was retreating to his bedchamber.

Rennis paused, then turned and left without another word.

Jollis came upon the entrance to Healer Vanlo's residence. The door was open to allow for the cool night breezes to circulate through his room. Jollis stepped up to one side of the door frame and peered inside cautiously.

Vanlo lay still on his bed, a light blanket drawn over his thin body. He did not stir, and his sides rose and fell slowly. A very soft snore escaped from his lips.

Jollis paused and wet the tip of one finger with his tongue. He held it in the doorway, and sensed that the air was blowing from the door to the window above the Healer's head. This was most fortunate. It meant that the merchant would not have to advance too far into the room.

Nevertheless, one of the ingredients he had added to the mix was a very small bit of sleeping powder. It would insure that the noise he made would not awaken Vanlo before the potion could have its affect on him.

When the merchant was satisfied that the Healer was asleep, he crouched and crept into the room.

He advanced only as far as the foot of the bed. This is as far as he dared. He had no idea how heavy a sleeper the old Healer was. Carefully he set down the flask containing the potion on the floor alongside the bed, all the while his eyes on the Healer, watching for signs of movement. Finally, the flask in place, he took the blue pearl and dropped it into the potion.

Jollis immediately held his breath and retreated even as the first snakelike tendrils of vapor rose from the mouth of the flask. The tendrils quickly became a miasma-like fog that drifted towards the bed and the window, the potion frothing and making a low hissing noise.

Vanlo stirred. The merchant immediately ducked to the side of the door and waited, listening. When he heard nothing but the sibilant sounds made by the bubbling potion, he peered back inside.

The Healer was still again, and the potion had vaporized into a thick fog that lingered near the old man's body. It was already beginning to dissipate, but Jollis was satisfied that enough had been breathed to have the desired effect. In fact, if it had not cleared completely in a short while, Jollis would hasten it along.

He had specifically made the potion about five times stronger that it needed to be had the intent been for him to drink it. Where instead he knew it would be delivered in this manner, the concentration had to be increased. It was yet another risk, however. If Vanlo breathed in too little, he may still have a small sensing ability left. Too much, and it would have detrimental side effects.

Jollis had no wish to be cruel towards the man.

The potion had expended itself by now, the flask laying quietly on the floor, its insides discolored from the effect of the magic imbued in the pearl. He waited another few moments for the thickest of the fog to clear. At the same time, he took no chances and held his breath while he recovered the flask, moving more easily now that the Healer would not awake at the merest sound.

The merchant took the flask and headed back out into the night. He stopped a short distance from the Healer's residence and looked back with a small sigh. He already felt a pang of conscience over what he had just done. But now he was clear to do what he needed to do. He could contact his master and have him send the sample goods that he needed to give to Roquan in the morning.

Jollis headed back to the Healer's office. There, he carefully cleaned the flask, dried off the pearls and put them away, and returned all the ingredients to their rightful locations. If his luck continued to hold, the Healer would not know that anything had been touched.

The merchant Herdon emerged from his tent, carrying the parcel wrapped in leather tied together with several lengths of string. He advanced on the waiting Overlord with a small smile on his face as he presented the offering near the gate of the Manor.

Gronnus accepted the parcel and moved a hand to tug at the string that would release the leather wrapping. Herdon raised a hand and stopped him.

"Considering the contents, your Lordship," said Herdon, "It is best you leave it wrapped until you get to your quarters."

Gronnus paused and then nodded silently, looking down at the parcel, his fingers tightening around it. He feared now that he would be forced to pay for this after all, as this was based on the goods to be given to Overlord Trennan. He would not tell the merchant this yet. He needed to see if he could somehow salvage his fortunes and give the goods to some other Overlord.

"I assure you, it is as I told you," Herdon continued. "A very fine weapon for such as yourself. You will find it quite easy to use and to master."

"I have no doubts as to the quality of the weapon, merchant," Gronnus said smoothly, a wan smile on his face. "But I do fear that I may need some assistance. I have never had to assemble such a thing before."

"I would be happy to oblige on that score in the morning, Overlord."

Gronnus nodded. "I must be heading back, then. Good night to you, merchant Herdon."'

"Good night to you, Overlord Gronnus."

Herdon waited until the Overlord had faded into the night before turning away and heading back towards the merchant camp.

He did not waste time. Swiftly, but not too fast to attract notice, he returned to his tent and grabbed his crossbow. He cocked and loaded it, then swung it up and rested it against his shoulder.

Herdon headed to the far edge of the camp, where another of the merchants already patrolled the rim of the camp. The guardsman stopped and nodded respectively to Herdon at his approach.

"Get out of here, Balnon," Herdon said with a smirk. "I'll take this shift."

"Aw, you don't have to do that, Herdon, I ..."

"I won't hear of it. Go inside the Manor and find yourself someone soft and willing."

Balnon smirked. "You just described every female past that gate."

Herdon chuckled. "Well, then, you should have no trouble."

Balnon grinned and clapped Herdon on the arm before eagerly unshouldering his weapon and heading back towards the camp.

Herdon casually drifted into the shadows beyond the reach of the fires in the camp. When he was sure no one was watching him, he slipped past the perimeter and into the trees.

He had been receiving the summons ever since he had met the Overlord at the gate, but he could not simply interrupt the transaction. He was very sure that this summons was directly related to it anyway, for he had been told from the start to prepare for this contingency.

Herdon was nervous. He would not admit that, however, even to himself. Despite all his past training and his loyalty, to do what he was sure he was about to be asked to do was new to him. He had never killed in this manner. Yes, he had killed, but as a soldier, not like this.

Not as an assassin.

Herdon found a small clearing. He paused and turned in a circle, sweeping the weapon out before him, listening for the telltale signs of a predator closing in on him. When he heard nothing, he stopped, took a deep breath, and answered the summons.

Herdon bowed deeply as the shimmering form of the Emperor came into being before him. "My Emperor," he said respectfully. "My apologies for the delay in answering you."

"It is of little consequence," Z'haas said crisply. "You are waiting for word. The word is given."

"Then the Overlord Roquan is to be killed?" Herdon surprised himself as to how smoothly he had said this.

"Yes. You have at most two or three days. I cannot brook further delay than that. Every day that passes makes that Overlord more a threat to the Imperium."

Herdon's eyes hardened. He suspected that his father believed Herdon had no loyalties. This was wrong. He did indeed have loyalties, but they were where they belonged. Not to his Clan, or to the Guild, but to his Emperor. As it had been in days long past. Nothing was more important than this.

"It will be done, my Emperor. I have already set part of the process in motion. I have delivered the means to do the deed to the rightful place. It will indeed appear as if it had been done by the hand of another Overlord."

"I must ask one more thing of you in this task."

One of Herdon's eyebrows raised imperceptibly.

"You must also eliminate Overlord Gronnus."

This gave Herdon pause. "But ... is this not the one you wish to see framed for the death?"

"Yes. And I want him dead as well."

Now Herdon was being asked to deal two deaths instead of one. Yet there was no doubt as to what his answer would be. "As you wish of me, my Emperor."

"Above all else, merchant, there must be no ties back to the Imperium!"

"Yes, you stipulated this to me from the beginning." He paused, and a thought came to him. "I believe I have devised a means to accomplish this. It will be more difficult than it was when it was just Roquan to be eliminated, but ..."

"I do not want any excuses! I have heard quite enough of them of late from that insufferable Gronnus."

"I will give you no excuses, my Emperor," Herdon said in a hard-edged but respectful voice. "Only results."

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction. "If only I would hear such words spoken with such conviction more often about court."

Herdon took this as praise of the highest order and bowed his head. "Is there anything else you wish of me?"

"Yes. My Mages tell me that a Portal had been opened in the vicinity of the Manor recently. Do you know anything about this?"

"I do, but only what I have heard. I saw no such thing for myself."

"And?"

"I know only that the Overlord Roquan apparently had learned of it and was searching the Manor for one with a Focus."

"Did he find one?"

"No, he did not."

"Bah! Roquan cannot be trusted to maintain his own security! Or he is simply playing the game, pretending to be innocent of his collusion. I will be doing the other Overlords a favor."

"There is, however, a foreigner here, my Emperor."

Z'haas paused. A scowl came over his face. "A what?"

"A foreigner. A clanless merchant who claims to be from far off lands. He was with us when my Clan arrived at the Manor."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed. He turned and appeared to confer with someone off to the side, nearly stepping out of view of the Farviewing magic. Shortly, he reappeared. "What are this man's origins?"

"I don't know, my Emperor. It is not something merchants traditionally request of another."

Z'haas made a disgusted noise.

"He appears to be very close to Roquan."

"This is not surprising, for this man is likely an enemy agent."

Herdon paused. "Do you wish me to kill him as well?"

The Emperor paused. "No."

Herdon raised an eyebrow.

"Roquan is his contact. If we take that away, he will need to seek another. You may be able to help track him. Then we can uncover more who are acting treasonous to the Imperium."

"Yes, my Emperor."

"I will summon you in three days. I will expect the job to be done by then. No excuses."

"You will hear none from me. I will do as you command."

Herdon gave another respectful bow. The image of the Emperor faded and vanished.

The merchant straightened. No, not a merchant, not anymore. Now he was the Emperor's assassin.

This was not something he had expected would befall him when he had first met the Emperor ten years ago. It had been hinted at, yes, but he had never thought things would be serious enough in order to warrant it.

Yes, the Emperor had confided a small amount of his growing fears even then to the young and impressionable Herdon. And an impression they indeed did make. It was enough to make Herdon listen to every word the Emperor had said, and then to obey him without question.

In retrospect, Herdon should have realized that the Emperor had been grooming him for this all along. It was not just enough to simply observe when one was an Imperial agent as he was. An agent must always be ready to kill when needed. Yanna before him had been ready to do it. She could have easily killed those who were in her way instead of merely incapacitated them.

And she would have had no qualms doing it.

Herdon took a deep breath and let it go. He had no business feeling second thoughts, or remorse, or guilt. This was the Emperor's will. It was for the good of Oceanus. The Emperor was saving them from a grave threat, one that centered around Roquan's collusion with the enemy.

Even though Herdon had no exact idea of who the enemy actually was.

Jollis crept cautiously back into Sirinna's quarters. The Trainer had turned over in her sleep since he had left, but continued her peaceful slumber.

He stole past her and into his bedchamber unnoticed. He was about to prepare for bed when he glanced towards the sanitary. He paused, then walked through it and into Amanda's bedchamber beyond.

Amanda's naked body was curled up facing the window, part of her chain draped across her waist. She shifted slightly in her sleep, causing it to clink softly.

Jollis silently stepped over to the girl and gave her a very light kiss on her cheek. Amanda uttered a small, soft moan and subsided.

"Sleep well, little one," Jollis whispered. "You have so much ahead of you. So much that you will need to do. So much that you will need to experience."

Jollis realized that he had grown very fond of the girl. It made his ultimate task so much more a burden to him. He could only hope that, in the end, she will remain as charming and unassuming as she is now.

He smiled at her and left the bedchamber.

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