"Perhaps a few nights rotting in a cell will give you time to reflect that it would be wise to change your mind," Madison said. With that she turned on her heel, and she and her escorts left.
"Toadying old fool, am I?" Herrimar said when she had gone.
Katie smiled. "So her magic isn't as good as she thinks. I wonder if the guards heard anything."
"No, it isn't that, Majesty. I didn't hear a word. But during the course of countless interminable meetings of the council, I taught myself to lip-read. It's occasionally come in very useful when someone has whispered something to the person sitting next to him that he thinks no-one else can hear."
"Pity. I was hoping that Madison might not be quite the ace magic user that she thinks she is. In that case I think our best chance is that Joador will smell a rat. Maybe he's a good enough wizard to detect a change in the Queen's magical aura, or something?"
"Yes, that's possible. Or Madisobrina might make a slip. Even if she knows that you were working with Joador on your warding ability, since the sessions were private she won't know the details and could say something that would alert him to the deception."
Tue Feb 08 16:13:00 2011