Malkon failed to call for help? Riodan wondered.Hesaid he knew the physician was on his way so he decided to exert hisenergy in trying to revive Arfen.Hmm,it sounds logical enough ifone isnt suspicious in the first place.Heprobably counted on that, Dylen agreed. It was likely a spur ofthe moment decision. The opportunity presented itself, and hesnatched it.Itmust have encouraged him, Riodan guessed. Hence Gavansaccidentand the attempt on Larals life.Buthe has to be very careful now lest suspicion does fall on him,Dylen said. Talvas dislikes him and, I dare say, so does Laral.Have you noticed how cold he is toward Malkon? They seem barely onspeaking terms.Riodannodded. Some of our consular staff were present at the time ofSivars binding to Malkon. They say Laral opposed the marriage somuch that he absented himself from the ceremony and only brieflyshowed up at the nuptial dinner afterward.Sotheres already a precedent for their distance, Dylen remarked.Well then, under the circumstances, Malkon will likely bide histime until he feels its safe to strike again.ChapterEighteenOverturesTheinitial spate of educated conjectures and enlightening discoverieswas followed by the business of following up on everything from theTrade Ministers promises to the various intrigues of the Asmarancourt that might have some effect on the countrys relations withYlandre. It was tedious going for the most part for neither Dylen norRiodan wished to offend their hosts by being too open in theirinvestigations of Malkon Ferrenda.Dylenand Riodan did not believe the Halvans completely trusted Malkoneither, but the Deir was wed to one of their own and thus had to betreated with due respect. And so all inquiries about him had to beconducted as discreetly as possible, and that meant a lack ofdirectness and therefore speed.Fortunately,there was the exploration of a land new to both of them to alleviatesome of their frustration at the slow pace if their investigation.And, if their occasional absences from the capital served toalleviate any suspicions regarding their inquisitiveness, so much thebetter. Not to mention it allowed them the freedom to lower theirguard just that tiniest bit and thus relax enough to enjoy whateverdiscoveries came their way.Suchwas the case during their brief sojourn in the mountaintop lakesidetown of Varthe. The lake was unique in that it was the crater of anancient extinct volcano. Looking at the tranquil deep blue basin, onefound it hard to imagine that once upon a very long time ago, it hadbeen a seething cauldron pockmarked with pools of steaming water,boiling mud and molten rock. Now the cold depths of the lake teemedwith a dizzying variety of aquatic life and the slopes of the formervolcano were thick with trees and other vegetation.Varthewas a bucolic towna perfect getaway from the frenetic rhythm oflife in the cities of Asmara. It was also close enough to Shenze thatone did not have to plan weeks in advance for a trip to the town.And, if one was gifted with the skill of translocating, the journeythence took no more than a few minutes.** * *Riodangrinned at the sight of Dylen standing knee-deep in the murkierwaters along the lakefront as he examined a fat silvery fish. Fishingwas a major