Glawen shook his head.
"Everyone will be drunk but me. There will be a lot of secret Bold Lion ritual: pounces, growls and roars, with penalties for making mistakes. New songs composed by Kiper and Aries will' be introduced, which everyone must memorize and sing with gusto. Kiper and Jardine will vomit. Aries will be Aries. Kirdy will pontificate; Uther will vex him by laughing, and sneering.
There is little to attract me."
"No girls?"
"What girls would go anywhere with the Bold Lions?"
"Still, you must be on hand. Be watchful and formulate theories."
"As you say, sir."
"One final word. Today I spoke with the Conservator. He mentioned that you had been a recent visitor to Riverview House."
"Yes. I'm afraid I talked too much."
"Not according to Egon Tamm. He tells me that when you were asked for your opinions, you stated them clearly and vigorously, but with perfect gentility. Your remarks, so he tells me, were exactly appropriate, and what he wanted to say himself. In short, you have gained his good opinion." He waved his hand.
"That is all for now."
Glawen rose to his feet, bowed stiffly and departed the office.
On Milden afternoon, three wagons driven by Kirdy, Uther and Glawen conveyed all the Bold Lions save Jardine Laverty north along relationship between us. I tried not to believe it but now I know that you are right."
"And that's how you want it?"
"What an odd thing to say! My inclinations have never been considered at any time. Why are they under investigation now?"
Wayness laughed.
"Through an oversight I neglected to notify you that I've been reassessing the situation."
A sardonic chuckle rose in Glawen's throat, which he wisely held back.
"When will we know the results?"
"A few of them are in now."
"Would you like to meet me down on the beach and tell me about them?"
"I don't dare." Wayness looked over her shoulder.
"About the time I was climbing out the window, Mother and Sunje and Dame Clytie would come peeping in to see if I was resting nicely."
"My best ideas turn out to be impractical."
"Now, then: tell me what I did to infuriate you."
Glawen said: "I'm just a bit puzzled why you invited me to Riverview House in the first place."
"Poof!"--a flippant feckless sound.
"Could it be that I wanted to show you off to Sunje and Julian?"
"Really?"
"Really. Is that all?"
"Well--no. I can't understand why you're so mysterious about your trip to Earth."
"It's simple. I can't trust you not to tell someone else."
"Hmmf," said Glawen.
"That's not a nice thing to say."
"You asked, and I told you."
"I didn't expect to hear anything quite so honest."
"It's more a matter of realism. Think, now. Suppose you swore silence by everything you held sacred, which induced me to tell you what I know and what I want to do. After thinking it over, you might decide that your higher duty lay in breaking faith with me and notifying your father. For the same high motives, your father might then inform Bodwyn Wook, and then who knows how far the information might travel? If it reached the wrong ears, very serious consequences might be the result. I avoid this worry by telling no one. Now I hope you understand and are no longer angry with me, at least on that account."
Glawen thought for a moment, then said: "If I understand you correctly, you are involved, or plan to involve yourself, in a matter of importance."
"That's true."
"Are you sure that you can take care of the business alone?"
