Free Krondor the Betrayal by Raymond E. Feist

before, I know only a little about this speech, but what I do know is it can be very taxing. The magician Pug’s daughter is known to be among the most gifted in the world at this and can speak across vast distances, but she is rare, even unique. For lesser magicians, it requires much rest.’’
    Gorath looked on impassively, but Locklear said, ‘‘Come to the point, if you don’t mind. I’m having trouble staying awake.’’
    ‘‘The point is whoever this magician is, he’s lying low in one place, probably guarded, and probably has one or two key agents in a given area. The rest of his orders are being run by messengers, I’m thinking. So they know where we’ve been, and may have even guessed where we are today, but they don’t know for certain, and they don’t know which way we’ll be going.’’
    Locklear said, ‘‘Fine, but what does that mean about our choices of route.’’
    Gorath said, ‘‘It means he must spread his men equally be-51

    Raymond E. Feist
    tween the two routes, so the best solution is to take the route where we will be best able to defend ourselves or travel with a larger band, such as a trading caravan.’’
    Locklear motioned to the innkeeper, who came and gave him a key, indicating the room at the top of the stairs. As they mounted the stairs, Locklear observed, ‘‘If we were trying to come back from Kesh, a caravan might be a good cover, but as the King’s Highway is usually well patrolled, most traders feel comfortable traveling with a few mercenary guards or none at all. Most commerce along the coast is by ship.’’
    As they reached the room, Owyn said, ‘‘Could we make for Quester’s View and hire a ship?’’
    ‘‘With what?’’ asked Locklear. ‘‘Captain Belford’s letter of introduction isn’t exactly the King’s writ. If a fleet ship is at anchor, I know I could talk our way aboard and get it bound for Krondor, but I’m not anxious to sit around waiting for one to show up. I’m not anxious for anything but a good night’s sleep, finding Isaac and getting this riddle of a special ruby solved, and then figuring out how to get to Krondor as fast as we can.’’
    Owyn said, ‘‘I can’t argue about that night’s sleep.’’
    Gorath said nothing.
    An hour after dawn they left the inn, and Locklear felt remarkably recovered. Where searing agony had accompanied his every movement the day before, he now only felt slightly stiff and weak.
    He indicated a journey toward the north end of the town as he said, ‘‘If I know Isaac, he’s probably staying at the house of his cousin, a certain young gentleman named Austin Dela-croix.’’
    ‘‘From Bas-Tyra?’’ asked Owyn, as they started up the busy street. Windows were opening as vendors put out their wares for display, or housewives opened up their homes to the morning air and sun.
    ‘‘Originally,’’ said Locklear. ‘‘A family of marginal nobility, descended from a onetime hero of some forgotten war when Bas-Tyra was a city-state; their house rank is all based upon that.’’
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    KRONDOR THE BETRAYAL
    ‘‘Your human issues of rank and status are . . . difficult to understand,’’ observed Gorath.
    ‘‘Why?’’ asked Owyn. ‘‘Don’t you have chieftains?’’
    ‘‘We do,’’ said Gorath. ‘‘But it is a rank earned by deeds, not one conferred by birth. Delekhan rose by betrayal and bloodshed, yet he was sheltered by his early service to Murmandamus and Murad.’’ He almost spat the last two names.
    ‘‘If his son Moraeulf gains his ambition to inherit from his father, it will be over the bodies of many such as I. In better times, he would be a valued sword against our people’s enemy, but these are not better times.’’
    ‘‘This is the house, I think,’’ said Locklear, pointing to a once-prosperous dwelling fallen on hard times. The house, like those on either side, was a small but well-built structure of wood and stone, with a sturdy door and shuttered