Page 64 of Cast in Conflict

“I don’t know what it looked like before Durant took the captaincy, but.”

“Yes?”

“You said he took the Tower eighty years ago?”

“It is information that we’ve been given, not information we’ve experienced, but we have reason to trust that information, yes.”

Does he look like he’s a century old to you?

No.

“Can the Towers grant immortality?”

“An interesting question, and one to which we do not have answers. And while answers might eventually be forthcoming, may I suggest that mortality’s desperate desire for longer life makes sharing this question unwise?”

Kaylin nodded. They had an empty Tower, and she personally knew of two people who wanted it. No one needed grubby powerful humans joining the queue—not when their desire had nothing to do with why the Tower was built. She could well imagine that people wouldn’t care if they were tied to the Tower—fieflords did leave them, after all.

Do you know how long Liatt has held her Tower?

For some time.

Longer than Durant?

I cannot confirm with regards to Durant; our fiefs do not border each other. But Liatt is fieflord in a way Barren wasn’t. The Tower has not fallen; she is the fieflord.

Have you met her?

I believe you’ve asked this question before, but mortal memories being what they are, no. We are not playing polite neighbors; we do not show up at the doorsteps of other fieflords with welcome baskets.

Kaylin laughed out loud, which caused all three Arbiters to stare at her. She glanced at Mandoran. He had not spoken a word since his entry to the library; he said nothing now. His eyes were blue, his lips pursed; clearly Kaylin wasn’t the only person in the room who was talking to someone at a distance.

“Sorry. Nightshade is irritated.”

“And this is amusing?”

“Sometimes. I’m sorry to have bothered you, and I’d like to know a bit about Liatt’s Tower.”

“The core of the Tower was Aggarok, a kinsman,” Starrante replied. “If you dislike Lord Nightshade’s Tower, I am not certain you will find Liatt’s Tower hospitable; Aggarok was always responsible, but he was very aggressive about it. I suggest avoiding him if that is at all possible.”

“It should be.”

“And if,” Kavallac interjected, “you manage to meet with Liatt and she offers you the hospitality of her home, will you then baldly refuse it?”

“I think she’d understand why.”

“That is not an answer, Lord Kaylin.”

“I’d refuse, yes.” Kaylin exhaled. “I can’t speak for Bellusdeo. Even if I were empowered to do it, she wouldn’t listen. If she assesses the risk as acceptable, she’s going to do what she thinks is best.”

“Does she understand that she is critical to the future survival of our race?”

Ah. “Believe that there’s no way she could not understand that.”

“Good. I am not in a position to relieve her of that burden; I am tied to the library.”

“Could you be untied?”

Kavallac’s eyes were orange, and they moved toward red. Kaylin held her ground but couldn’t prevent her shoulders from stiffening. Hope, however, seemed unconcerned.

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