"Holding Edri's head." Kerrel was still there. A sour mood seemed to
have come over everyone. Joris sat with his head hanging forward. His
eyes were open, staring moodily into the spilled wine, but he was
obviously on the verge of passing out. Shairn had torn to bits the pale
flowers in her lap, scattering them on the grass. No one was talking.
Kerrel had not touched the wine. He was looking at Shairn, just sitting
still and looking at her. Trehearne said to him, "You haven't given up,
have you?"
"No."
"He only thinks he hasn't," Shairn said angrily. She rose and stood in
front of Kerrel. "What is it you just can't bear to give up--me, or my
thirty ships?"
Kerrel got up. He lifted his hand and slapped her hard across the
cheek. There was a second when no one moved, when Shairn's eyes blazed
wider and wider, and then Trehearne thrust her aside and moved in.
Kerrel was stony sober and his reflexes were fast. The next thing
Trehearne saw, through a ringing haze, was Kerrel walking away, leaving
small sharp scars in the turf where his heels had cut in.
"No," said Shairn. "Not this time, Michael. Let him go."
His head hurt. The wine was turning on him, and he felt ashamed. He
wanted to kill Kerrel, and he couldn't.
Shairn said uneasily, "I'm not mad. That's funny, Michael. I'm not mad
at all, I'm scared."
"Why?"
"Him." She nodded after the dark figure receding among the trees.
"He'd never hurt you."
"Not directly. It's you I'm thinking of. He won't let you go. He was
warning me. He can't let you go, and it isn't only because of me,
or his pride. I've left him before, but this is different. You're
different. He knows we lied to the Council."
"What can he do?"
"You saw him go after Edri. I don't know, Michael, but be careful.
Don't give him even the hint of a chance at you." She shook her head.
"I've changed my mind. I'm glad you're going voyaging. And meanwhile,
you'd better not see much of Edri."
"You love me, Shairn?"
"I should think I'd done enough to prove it!"
"Don't get your back up. I was only wondering. Would you really have
gone to the Orthists to help me?"
She laughed. "It was a safe threat to make. I knew Joris would never
call it."
As though the sound of his name had decided him, Joris fell quietly
sideways and began to snore. Trehearne bent over him, and he thought he
saw in the moonlight a curious thing. He thought he saw tears on the
old man's cheeks. He decided he must be very drunk indeed.