"Release him, then. I would speak to him".
Pevara hesitantly did as instructed. Dobser dropped to the floor, barely catching himself. He stumbled for a moment, unsteady on his feet, then immediately glanced toward the exit.
Emarin reached behind his back, pulled something from his belt and tossed it to the floor. A small sack. It clinked as it hit. "Master Dobser", Emarin said.
"What’s this?" Dobser asked, tentatively crouching down, taking the sack. He peeked into it, and his eyes widened noticeably.
"Payment", Emarin said.
Dobser narrowed his eyes. "To do what?"
"You mistake me, Master Dobser", Emarin said. "I’m not asking you to do anything, I’m paying you in apology. I sent Androl here to request your aid, and he seems to have . . . overstepped the bounds of his instructions.
"I merely wished to speak with you. I did not intend to see you wrapped up in Air and tormented".
Dobser glanced about himself, suspicious. "Where’d you find money like this, Emarin? What makes you think you can start giving orders? You’re just a soldier . . ". He looked at the pouch’s contents again.
"I see that we understand each other", Emarin said, smiling. "You’ll maintain my front for me, then?"
"I . . ". Dobser frowned. He looked at Welyn and Leems, lying unconscious on the floor.
"Yes", Emarin said. "That is going to be a problem, isn’t it? You don’t suppose we could just give Androl to Taim and blame him for this?"
"Androl?" Dobser said, snorting. "The pageboy? Taking down two Ashaman? Nobody would believe it. Nobody".
"A valid point, Master Dobser", Emarin said.
"Just give em the Aes Sedai", Dobser said, jerking a finger toward her.
"Alas, I have need of her. A mess, this is. A pure mess".
"Well", Dobser said, "maybe I could talk to the M’Hael for you. You know, straighten it out".
"That would be much appreciated", Emarin said, taking a chair from beside the wall and setting it down, then placing another before it. He sat, waving for Dobser to sit down. "Androl, make yourself useful. Find something for Master Dobser and me to drink. Tea. You like sugar?"
"No", Dobser said. "Actually, I heard there was wine round here somewhere . . ".
"Wine, Androl", Emarin said, snapping his fingers.
Well, Androl thought, best to play the part. He bowed, shooting Dobser a calculated glare, then fetched some cups and wine from the storeroom. When he returned, Dobser and Emarin were chatting amicably.
"I understand", Emarin said. "I have had such trouble finding proper help inside the Black Tower. You see, the need to preserve my identity is imperative".
"I can see that, m’Lord", Dobser said. "Why, if anyone else knew a High Lord of Tear was among our ranks, there’d be no end to the boot licking. That I can tell you! And the M’Hael, well, he wouldn’t like someone with so much authority being here. No, not at all!"
"You see why I had to maintain my distance", Emarin explained, holding out a hand and accepting a cup of wine as Androl poured it.
A High Lord of Tear? Androl thought, amused. Dobser seemed to be drinking it in as he did strong liquor.
"And we all thought you were fawning over Logain because you was stupid!" Dobser said.
"Alas, the lot I’ve been given. Taim would see through me in a moment if I were to spend too much time around him. So I was forced to go with Logain. He and that Dragon fellow, both are obviously farmers and wouldn’t recognize a highborn man".
"I’ll say, m’Lord", Dobser said, "I was suspicious".
"As I thought", Emarin said, taking a sip of the wine. "To prove it’s not poisoned", he explained, before passing the cup to Dobser.
" ’S all right, m’Lord", Dobser said. "I trust you". He gulped down the wine. "If you can’t trust a High Lord himself, who can you trust, right?"
"Quite right", Emarin said.
"I can tell you this", Dobser said, holding out his cup and wagging it for Androl to refill, "you’ll need to find a better way of keeping away from Taim. Following Logain won’t work anymore".
Emarin took a long, contemplative sip from his cup of wine. "Taim has him. I see. I did guess it would be so. Welyn and the others showing up tells the tale".
"Yeah", Dobser said, letting Androl refill his cup again. "Logain is a strong one, though. Takes a lot of work to Turn a man like him. Willpower, you know? It will be a day or two to Turn him. Anyway, you might as well come out to Taim, explain what you’re up to. He’ll understand, and he keeps saying men are more useful to him if he doesn’t have to Turn them. Don’t know why. No choice but to Turn Logain, though. Awful process". Dobser shivered.
"I’ll go and speak with him then, Master Dobser. Would you vouch for me, by chance? I’ll . . . see you paid for the effort".
"Sure, sure", Dobser said. "Why not?" He downed his wine, then lurched to his feet. "He’ll be checking on Logain. Always does, this time of night".
"And that would be where?" Emarin said.
"The hidden rooms", Dobser said. "In the foundations we’re building. You know the eastern section, where the collapse made all of that extra digging? That was no collapse, just an excuse for covering up extra work being done. And . . ". Dobser hesitated.
"And that’s enough", Pevara said, tying the man up in air again and stopping his ears. She folded her arms, looking at Emarin. "I’m impressed". Emarin spread his hands apart in a gesture of humility. "I have always had a talent for making men feel at ease. In truth, I didn’t suggest picking Dobser because I thought he’d be easy to bribe. I picked him because of his . . . well, understated powers of cognitive expression".
"Turning someone to the Shadow doesn’t make him any less stupid", Androl said. "But if you could do this, why did we have to jump him in the first place?"
"It’s a matter of controlling the situation, Androl", Emarin said. "A man like Dobser mustn’t be confronted in his element, surrounded by friends with more wits than he. We had to scare him, make him writhe, then offer him a way to wiggle out". Emarin hesitated, glancing at Dobser. "Besides, I don’t think we wanted to risk him going to Taim, which he very well might have done if I’d approached him in private without the
