A Man Rides Through by Stephen Donaldson Page B

Lebbick sounded no more than mildly interested in the idea. "Like what?"
     
    His manner gave her a moment of panic. She was afraid that he had become unreachable—that whatever was happening to him had taken him beyond the point where anybody could talk to him, argue with him, guess what he would do next. Breathing deeply to shore up her courage, she replied, "Like how did I survive when Gart tried to kill me the first night I was here. Like what was I using that secret passage in my rooms for. Like what really happened the night Eremis had his meeting with the lords and Prince Kragen. Like what happened the first time Geraden was attacked." Her own passion mounted against the Castellan's blankness. "Like how I can be sure Eremis is lying."
     
    At that, something like a spark showed in Lebbick's eyes. His posture didn't shift, but his whole body seemed to become unnaturally still. "Tell me."
     
    "It all fits together," she answered. King Joyse had told her to reason, and reason was the only weapon she had. "I can even tell you why they're afraid of Geraden—Vagel and Eremis and Gilbur—why they're trying so hard to get him out of their way."
     
    Lebbick didn't blink. "Tell me," he repeated.
     
    So she told him. As clearly as she could, she told him how Adept Havelock had saved her from the High King's Monomach. She described how Havelock and Master Quillon had used the passage hidden behind her wardrobe. She related every detail she could remember about Eremis' clandestine meeting with the lords of the Cares, including Artagel's role in saving her. And then she told the Castellan what conclusions she drew.
     
    "The first time Gart tried to kill me, he obviously didn't know about that secret passage. The last time, he did. How did he find out? You knew it was there. Myste and Elega knew." Lebbick didn't react to this revelation. "Quillon and Havelock, of course. Geraden knew. And Saddith, my maid. But Myste and Elega and Havelock and Quillon all knew about it long before I came here. They could have told Gart that first night. Forget them. What about Geraden?
     
    He didn't know when I first moved into those rooms. You think he's in with Gart. Well, I told him about it the next morning. After I talked to you. Why did he wait all that time before letting Gart know the best way to kill me?
     
    "On the other hand"—she was determined to hold back nothing that might help her—"Saddith and Eremis are lovers. She could have told him about the passage—and she could have taken a long time to do it.
     
    "She could have told him where I was that first night."
     
    "I know all that," the Castellan murmured without inflection. "Tell me something I don't know. Tell me why Eremis rescued you. Gart came through the passage, and Eremis could have gotten rid of you both at the same time. How do you explain that?"
     
    Because she was only guessing, Terisa did her best to sound plausible. "There were witnesses. If Gart just killed me, Geraden would see that Eremis let it happen. And if Gart tried to get both of us, the guards outside might catch him at it. All they had to do was open the door. Either way, everyone would know Eremis is a traitor.
     
    "What he thought he was going to do"—she forced herself to say this also—"was make love to me. And then while I was asleep or distracted Gart would sneak in and kill me. And no one would ever know Eremis had been there.
     
    "He wasn't expecting Geraden to interrupt."
     
    Still the Castellan didn't show what he was thinking. All he said was, "Go on."
     
    Grimly, Terisa continued.
     
    "Eremis controlled every detail of that meeting with the lords. He arranged the location, the time, who was going to be there. He arranged where I would be afterward. Geraden couldn't have known any of his plans. The only thing Eremis didn't arrange was Artagel. He didn't arrange for me to be saved.
     
    "When Gart attacked, he obviously came and went through a mirror. I don't know how he did that