The fountain stream froze in midair and the surface of its pool began to glow silver-white. The light was reflected in Veza's mirror and she could hear Empress Llawan in it, pronouncing the words to a spell Veza didn't recognize. A soft, insistent whine rose behind the empress's voice.

With a ripping crack, the surface of the pool became a three-dimensional disk of energy. The crest of Empress Llawan's skullcap broke the surface of the disk, and her large, round head continued to rise through the portal until it was physically in the room with Veza.

The disoriented empress's eyes darted around the room until she spotted the bay waters lapping up on Veza's living room floor. Llawan threw herself out of the portal and into the water with a splash. She rolled over once, regaining her bearing and adjusting to the temperature and purity of the bay. Veza took one last look at the glowing portal in the corner, then joined her empress under the waves.

"Greetings, loyal Veza. We must speak quickly and plainly, so listen well. You will contact the Ambassador Laquatus on our behalf. From time to time he makes use of a mirror similar to the one we gave you. We will provide you with the means to access his mirror. Something is stirring in the land to the north, Veza, and its effects are being felt down below, even in our city. News from the shores and shallows rarely filters down that far, which we would now remedy. The most recent assassination plot was conceived, planned, and launched nearby, where we would not discover it.

"Rest easy," Llawan added, "we know that you are loyal to the empire and to us. But there are others to the north who are not so reliable. You have heard of Laquatus?"

"Yes, Empress."

"You are to learn what the ambassador is doing in Cabal City. We would also know how and to whom he is doing it. There is no point in trying to keep our interest in this from him, but you must disguise your true intent. Lead him to believe that we are inspecting the emperor's newly drawn trade routes, or that we are in hiding until the threat of assassination is removed. I recommend you introduce yourself as my agent and then present yourself as a disgruntled member of my court, persecuted and ignored as a 'crawler. That will appeal to Laquatus's pride and also give him the illusion of something in you that he can exploit."

Veza swallowed heavily. "Yes, Empress."

"But you are to use every available method to discover what Laqua-tus is up to and how Aboshan is involved. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Empress."

"No one knows I have come to you, or what I have said. If you fail or are found out, you are the only one who will suffer."

"I understand, Empress."

"Keep us informed. We expect regular communication from you from now until we are satisfied with what you discover."

"It will be done, Empress."

"You will be rewarded for your service, Veza."

"Thank you, Empress." "This audience is over." Llawan held out her forelimb, and Veza kissed the tip. Llawan left a small, waterproof scroll with her seal on it in Veza's hand. "Read that account of recent events before you contact Laquatus. Access to his mirror is also inside." Veza nodded and tucked the tiny scroll behind her ear. Llawan waved her tentacle carelessly over her shoulder.

"You may conduct us back to our city."

"Empress." Veza swam up and pulled herself out of the bay, standing between the empress and the fountain. The empress then shot up out of the water and landed in Veza's outstretched arms.

Llawan's weight and soft body caused her to sprawl in a manner most undignified, but Veza averted her eyes and gently placed her empress in the portal head-first. Llawan disappeared into the portal like a stone down a well, and the glowing disk snapped shut behind her.

"Do not fail us, Veza," said the empress's faint voice in the mirror. Then the mirror went dark as well and became an ordinary reflective surface.

Veza went to her personal library to review the information on the scroll and anything else she had on Ambassador Laquatus. She knew him by his formidable reputation, but she needed to know a lot more if she was going to determine his motives and report them back to Llawan. She had many duties in Breaker Bay, and now she had one that was more important than all the rest combined.

An angry knock sounded at her front door. Veza swore softly, startling her own ears. She retrieved her crumpled dressing gown from the floor and opened the door. An angry human woman stood on Veza's doorstep with the little boy who had knocked earlier clenched tight in her fist.*

"Did you threaten to cast a spell on my son, you miserable sea hag?"

Veza was caught off-guard, but she was becoming sadly accustomed to this level of discourse.

"What? Of course not. He was very polite and helpful to a guest of mine, and I promised him a reward."

The woman glared at Veza suspiciously. "You threatened to make him one of you." The boy at her side looked completely miserable.

"I offered to let him swim unencumbered on my private beach."

The human sneered. "Sure you did. Well, thanks but no thanks. He won't be coming by here again, and he doesn't need your kind of reward."

"Sorry, lady," the boy muttered, and the human woman clipped him across the ear.

"Shut up," she snapped. She turned and stomped down Veza's path, dragging the boy behind her.

Veza stood in the open doorway for a full minute after they'd gone. Then, she shook her head, closed the door gently, and went back to her papers.

The First stood silently in a chamber no one but he and his attendants knew about. He was gazing into a detailed light model of Cabal City and its environs, a perfect miniature recreation. The First used it as an organizing tool, one of many he employed to keep thousands of Cabalists and millions of transactions working smoothly.

He focused his thoughts on the model and spoke a few words under his breath. The background buildings in the projection faded slightly, leaving a series of stark, colored dots to represent the individuals he was interested in following.

Two small, black dots waited in the proving grounds of Skellum's dementist academy, representing Chainer and Skellum himself. The

First noted with some satisfaction that the pair were still training hard, even with the progress Chainer had already made. The boy was proving to be capable of everything the First had in mind for him.

A small blue dot lurked around the shore just outside the city walls, where Ambassador Laquatus connived and plotted. The ambassador both interested and amused the First. Laquatus may have mastered the shifting tides of diplomacy, but his childish self- interest made him woefully predictable. Also, the egotistical fool seemed to actually think he could keep secrets from the First in the heart of the Cabal's biggest city.

A small cluster of white dots approached from the plains beyond the main gate. Lieutenant Kirtar of the Order coming to call, or perhaps Captain Pianna herself? Whichever of its noble heroes came, Chainer's found treasure spelled the end of the Cabal's relative tnice with the Order. The First thought of himself primarily as an entertainer. While he was pragmatic enough to accept a resumption of hostilities, the host in him mourned the loss of resources that would be spent on destructive conflict rather than constructive spectacle. Finally, and most interestingly, a single red dot was heading into his city from the Pardic mountains to the southeast. This dot glowed brightly when compared to the others. The First commanded the finest network of spies and informers on or around Otaria, bar none. He knew who this dot was, and what it represented to his plans for the Cabal. The First smiled.