A Man Betrayed Read Online Free Page B

news
this day, Gamil?" Tavalisk did not deign to turn from his cheese.
    "Your
Eminence will be most interested in the news I bring. Most interested,
indeed."
    "Gamil, your
job is merely to keep me informed. My job is to decide what is
interesting." Tavalisk raised the crumbly cheese to his mouth. The sour
taste of the mold met his palette. "Come now, Gamil, out with it. Stop
sulking like a maiden with no new dress to wear at the dance."
    "Well, Your
Eminence, do you remember the knight?"
    "What night?
Was it moonlit or overcast?" The archbishop was beginning to enjoy
himself.
    "No, Your
Eminence. The knight of Valdis, Tawl."
    "Oh, you mean
the knight. Why didn't you say so in the first place? Of course I
remember the knight. Handsome chap. No liking for the whip, though, if I
remember correctly." Tavalisk was contemplating feeding his cat some of
the cheese.
    "Does Your
Eminence remember we were having him followed as he made his way north?"
    "Do you think
me a toothless dotard? I most certainly remember. There is nothing," the
archbishop showed his teeth, "nothing, you hear, that I ever
forget. You would do well to remember that, Gamil."
    "Please
accept my apologies, Your Eminence." Tavalisk could not resist. "I
will accept your apologies, but I won't forget your impertinence." He cut
a portion of cheese and held it out to his cat. The creature took one sniff and
then beat a hasty retreat. "Carry on with your news, Gamil."
    "Well, as you
suspected, the knight was headed to Bevlin's cottage."
    "Do we know
what transpired in that meeting?" Tavalisk was now crouched down by the
base of the couch, trying to tempt his cat to eat the cheese.
    "We do now,
Your Eminence. One of our spies made haste back to the city just to tell
us."
    "He came
himself? This is most unusual. Why could he hot send a messenger?" The
archbishop had now caught the cat by its neck and was trying to force the
cheese into its mouth.
    "He deemed
the news so monumental, Your Eminence, that he could not risk sharing it with
another."
    "Hoping for a
promotion, is he?"
    "I think when
Your Eminence finally hears what I have to say," a touch of frustration
could be heard in Gamil's voice, "that you might indeed wish to reward the
man in some small way."
    "Oh, might I?
What news could this possibly be? Has Tyren been struck by lightning? Has
Kesmont risen from the dead? Or has the knight himself turned out to be Borc
incarnate?"
    "No, Your
Eminence. Bevlin is dead."
    Tavalisk released
his hold on the cat. He stood up slowly, his weight almost too great to bear.
In silence he walked to his desk. Selecting the finest brandy that waited
there, he poured himself a brimming glass. It did not occur to him to offer
Gamil a cup. Only after he had taken a deep draught of the potent liqueur did
he speak.
    "Are you sure
of what you say? How reliable is this man?"
    "The spy in
question has worked for you for over ten years, Your Eminence. His loyalty and
professionalism are beyond repute."
    "How did
Bevlin die?"
    "Well, our
spy turned up at Bevlin's cottage in the early hours of the morning. He looked
in through the window and saw the wiseman dead on the bench. Stabbed in the
heart. Anyway, he watched and waited, keeping a low profile, and then our
knight came into the room. He found the dead body, and then went over the
barrel, as they say."
    "Over the
barrel?"
    "Lost his
senses, Your Eminence. According to our man, the knight crouched there with the
dead man in his arms for over four hours--rocking him back and forth like a
baby. Our spy was just about to leave, when the young lowlife who was traveling
with the knight came in the room. The boy helped him up and so forth, but then,
as soon as he left the knight alone for a minute, the knight was off: galloping
into the sunset. The next day, having buried the body and secured the cottage,
the boy followed him west. Our spy then made haste to Rorn."
    "Who killed
the wiseman?"
    "That's the
strange thing, Your Eminence. Our spy had