Men Darnak blinked a couple of times, and thought about what the man was telling him. The man? Who was...
Witness Kovaar?
Yes, whatever Kovaar had told him seemed right. The transition. He turned back to the room. Where was everyone?
"Go and see if you can find some signs of life, Priest."
He crossed to one side of the room and freed one of the broad armchairs placed evenly along the wall from beneath its protective cover. He tossed the dustsheet carelessly on the floor. There'd be hell to pay from Karin, but that was the least of her worries at the moment. Turning, he lowered himself into the armchair's deep padded support and resting his arms on each side, steepled his fingers in front of his face. "Well, Priest? What are you waiting for? I will remain here."
Kovaar hesitated for a moment more, then ducked his head and disappeared up the other end of the room and through a connecting door. Men Darnak was left alone with his thoughts.
He really should attempt to find out where Tarlain had gone. After the argument, the boy had simply packed his things, taken his groundcar and left. That was a concern, for if there were problems with the transition, particularly with Tarlain no longer in the mix, then he'd have to take more care, more of a guiding hand to make sure things went smoothly, not only with Karin, but also with Roge too. He felt a momentary pang of guilt. Perhaps he had not spent enough time with the boy, given him enough attention. What with the affairs of the Principate... But no, he'd always been a loving father. Always. And he did love the boy. Nobody could deny him that.
So why had he let him leave like that? And where the hell was he now?
A deep furrow grew in his brow. What had he been thinking? He didn't even know where Tarlain had gone. He tapped his two forefingers rhythmically against his lips. Perhaps he had spoken with Karin or Roge before leaving. He was sure that Karnav Din Baltir would have some idea where he might have gone. And he'd be damned if the Guildmaster would not tell him. Approaching Din Baltir would be awkward, particularly after the confrontation, the way Din Baltir himself had been drawn into it. Better to approach it from another angle. He could get Sandon to?but no, he couldn't even do that any more. Hopefully Karin would know. He frowned again. They really ought to be here by now.
Levering himself to his feet, he glanced about. The room was far too dim for his liking. He looked for a light switch, but considering the time, thought better of it. He wandered up the side of the room to a large wood cabinet set against the wall. He remembered the cabinet; he had installed it in this very spot himself when the children were still young. He slid the dustcover from it and let it slide to the floor. Opening the leftmost top drawer, he ran his hand inside. Yes, just where he had left it. There wasn't a thing wrong with his memory after all. He lifted the flint triumphantly, crossed to one of the bracketed lamps set into the wall and proceeded to spark it into light. He dropped the flint back into the drawer, admiring the way the soft yellow glow picked up the highlights in the rich wooden panels. Such a fine piece. He stood back and admired it, his hands clasped behind his back. It was a good piece. A fine piece of craftsmanship. He stepped forward and rubbed one hand up the side, feeling the smoothness of the rich polish. Sometimes it was easy to forget the finer things that had come with his former life.
"Father?"
He glanced up to see Karin standing in the doorway, Witness Kovaar hovering behind her. She quickly glanced around, took in the two crumpled dustsheets lying tumbled on the floor, the open drawer, the lamp upon the wall and her lips pursed in disapproval. Her gaze returned to him.
"What are you doing?"
"Waiting for you, Karin."
"But what are you doing here?" She crossed to stand in front of him. Kovaar scurried across the stone-flagged floor to stand beside her.
"That's a fine welcome for your father," said Men Darnak.
Her lips remained set in a firm line, and a vague frown appeared on her face. She nodded and lifted one hand to touch his shoulder.
"But the preparations?" she said, as if that was explanation enough.
"Well, surely you can take a little time," he said. "You have people enough to look after them for you."
"Yes, yes, I suppose so. But you should come inside. We've already cleared this room."
