Lieutenant Cothon took a quill and a small knife from his pocket and began sharpening the quill.
”Why do you always carry so many quills?” Captain Bangion asked.
”Excuse me, sir?”
”Forget it.”
Cothon stared at the tip of his quill. Captain Bangion had just rebuked him, he was sure of it. ”We could still just end this undertaking, sir”, he said. ”Give up Fangnir to Denethor.”
”I would rather we carry on, if at all possible still.”
”Radawen, Delioron and the woman of Harad have all disappeared. But where have they gone to?”
”What tidings from Pelargir?” Bangion asked.
”The Withered Tree sent one of their hands, the man we know only as ’Seedwarden’, to Pelargir to aid Fangnir’s hidden fellowship there. Su’mokr sent him to Lady Meldis’ house to kill the old woman and the woman of Harad. Su’mokr told Mudon that Seedwarden never returned. I believe somebody killed him in that house.”
”The Corsair steward?”
”No, sir. Su’mokr was quite certain that the Corsair had left the house and Pelargir several days before the incident. Perhaps he took the woman of Harad with him, but Su’mokr had not seen it.”
”Which means Delioron has left someone else in the house to protect the old woman.”
”Yes, sir. I believe Delioron intends to confront Fangnir in Pelargir. I gave Mudon orders to stay there. A messenger from Arnach just arrived with tidings: there has been sightings of a dark-skinned woman there. I sent Gwathron and Nadhorion to Arnach to investigate.”
”Delioron is on the move. I can feel it in my bones. He is planning something and we can’t even guess what it could be.”
”He has secreted the woman of Harad away somewhere, maybe in Arnach. Has to be. But what is the point? It’s only a matter of time for him and his woman. They are doomed and they know it.”
”I would not see this undertaking ruined.”
”Neither would I, sir”, Cothon said. ”But how long does it take before Parthadan figures out what is going on?”
”It depends on Delioron”, Bangion said. He had a tiny coal brazier on his desk, and a small leather pouch next to it. Bangion took the pouch, opened it and dropped a pinch of dried herbs on the coals. Smoke curled up in thin streams. Sharp, acrid and bitter scent filled the room. ”Nothing to do but wait now.”
