Another bout of coughing cut short anything else he was going to say. Markis made to rise, to go to his father, but the Atavist woman waved him down. She put an arm around the old man's shoulders, speaking to him quietly. He nodded slowly in response. Markis sat back down.
"Well, we have no choice," said Tarlain. "We must act quickly before they have a chance to prepare properly. There's nothing we can do now to make it any better. They won't expect everything we can throw at them."
"But what of the Church?" said Yl Aris.
"The Church is with us," said Tarlain. "Along with the Atavist community. With the miners and the Kallathik, we have more than they can possibly deal with. There are bound to be casualties, and I wish there was some peaceful way to resolve this, but we no longer have any choice. We've seen what they're prepared to do."
Markis was impressed with what he was seeing. Tarlain Men Darnak spoke with strength and authority. There was no hesitation in his words or his manner. Were it not for tradition, thought Markis, he would be a fitting figure to inherit the mantle of Principal. It was hardly the boy he remembered from the Principate gatherings he had attended over the years.
"So when, Tarlain?" said Yl Aris. "When do you plan to act?" Even Yl Aris was deferring to Tarlain's authority.
Any answer was cut short by a commotion outside the tent. All heads turned to face the noise. Two men burst through the tent flaps, dragging another between them. Tarlain stood.
"Edvin," he said. "Well, fate works in very strange ways. Hold him there."
Tarlain advanced on the man, a hard expression on his face. "Where did you find him?"
"He was found about three miles from here. He was carrying this." The man who spoke held up a sealed message tube.
"So, how is my darling sister?" said Tarlain. "And what is that? Is that a message for me?"
In response, Edvin tried to shake free of the grip of his captors. "I'm not telling you anything."
"Edvin?" Aron pushed himself to his feet. Alise rose with him, holding him with one hand, her other arm still around his shoulders.
Edvin seemed to notice the tent's other occupants for the first time. "Why aren't you dead, old man?" he spat. He pulled against the restraining hands. "They should have killed you while they had the chance."
Tarlain's arm flashed out, and he struck Edvin across the face with a resounding slap. "That's enough," he hissed.
Edvin drew back, glaring. He scanned the rest of the assembled faces. "You're all here, aren't you?" he said. "All of you. Yl Aris too. Every one of you will get what you deserve." He spat blood to one side.
Tarlain gestured to the man who was holding the message tube, never letting his gaze falter from Edvin's face. "So, let us see what little errand my sister has sent you on." He quickly broke the tube's seal and withdrew the paper contained inside. He only broke his gaze to look down and scan the message. When he looked up again, he gave a Edvin a slight smile.
"Well," he said. "It appears that Karin is acting just as always." He gave a brief, humorless laugh. He lifted the paper and waved it around. "This, my friends, is a message to Jarid Ka Vail."
Markis sat straighter, and his father let out a low hissing breath between his teeth.
Tarlain continued. "In it, she says that Yosset is becoming a liability to their plans. If Jarid deals with Clier, then he will earn his reward. And that reward ..." He paused. "Includes cementing their relationship."
Markis jumped to his feet. "How could he think that?" he said. "How could she think that Jarid would do such a thing?"
"Wait," said Aron Ka Vail, holding up a hand. "He can do it. He would do it."
Tarlain turned on the old man. "What do you mean?"
Aron hesitated, struggling with the words. "I have only shame for what I am about to tell you." He stopped, then started speaking again. "It was Jarid who was responsible for your brother's death."
Tarlain was across the intervening space in an instant. He had a handful of the old man's robes bunched in his hand. "What do you mean? Explain."
"Leave him!" yelled Markis, taking a step toward the two. Alise put a hand on Tarlain's shoulder, gently pushing him back.
