Trumps of doom

«Merlin,» he said, «good to see you again. Listen, when you get a chance I'd like to have a little talk with you in private.»

«Sure,» I said, «but Random and I have to take care of something after dinner.»

«When you get a chance,» he repeated. I nodded.

A few moments later I had the feeling that someone was trying to reach me via my Trump.

«Merlin!»

It was Fiona. But she was just sitting at the other end of the table…

Her image came clear, however, and I answered her, «Yes?» and then I glanced down the table and saw that she was staring into her handkerchief. She looked up at me then, smiled, and nodded.

I still retained the mental image of her, simultaneously, and I heard it say, «I dislike raising my voice, for a number of reasons. I'm certain that you will be rushed off after dinner, and I just wanted to let you know that we ought to take a walk, or row out on one of the ponds, or Trump out to Cabra or go look at the Pattern together sometime soon. You understand?»

«I understand,» I said. «I'll be in touch.»

«Excellent.»

The contact was broken then, and when I glanced her way she was folding her handkerchief and studying her plate.

Random did not linger, but rose quickly after he had finished his dessert, bidding the others a good night and gesturing for Martin and me to accompany him as he departed.

Julian brushed by me on the way out, trying to look somewhat less than sinister and almost succeeding.

«We must go riding together in Arden,» he said, «soon.»

«Good idea,» I told him. «I'll be in touch.»

We departed the dining room. Flora caught me in the hall. She still had Bill in tow.

«Stop by my room for a nightcap,» she said, «before you turn in. Or come by for tea tomorrow.»

«Thank you,» I said. «We'll get together. It all depends on how things run, as to just when.»

She nodded and hit me with the smile that had caused numerous duels and Balkan crises in the past. Then she moved on and we did too.

As we mounted the stair on the way to the library, Random asked, «Is that everyone?»

«What do you mean?» I said.

«Have they all set up assignations with you by now?»

«Well, they're all tentative things, but yes.»

«He laughed. «Didn't think they'd waste any time. You'll get everybody's pet suspicions that way might as well collect them. Some might come in handy later. They're probably all looking for allies, too - and you should seem a pretty safe choice.»

«I do want to visit with all of them. It's just a shame it has to be this way.»

He gestured as we came to the top of the stairs. We turned up the hallway and headed toward the library.

«Where are we going?» Martin asked.

Although he resembled Random, Martin looked a little less sneaky, and he was taller. Still, he was not a really big.

«To pick up a rifle,» Random said.

«Oh? Why?»

«I want to test some ammo Merlin brought back. If it actually fires, our lives have just acquired an additional complication.»

We entered the library. The oil lamps were still burning.

The rifle was standing in a corner. Random went to it, dug the shell out of his pocket, and loaded it.

«Okay. What should we try it on?» he mused.

He stepped back out into the hall and looked around.

«Ah! Just the thing!«

He shouldered it, aimed at a suit of armor up the hall, and squeezed the trigger. There followed a sharp report and the ringing of metal. The armor shook.

«Holy shit!» Random said. «It worked! Why me, Unicorn? I was looking for a peaceful reign.»

«May I try it, father,» Martin asked. «I've always wanted to.»

«Why not?» Random said. «You still got that other round, Merlin?»

«Yes,» I said, and I rummaged about in my pocket and brought out two. I passed them to Random. «One of these shouldn't work, anyway,» I said. «It just got mixed in with the other two.»

«All right.»

Random accepted both, loaded one: He passed the weapon to Martin then and began explaining its operation. In the distance I heard the sounds of alarm.

«We're about to have the entire palace guard descend upon us,» I observed.

«Good,» Random answered, as Martin raised the piece to his shoulder. «A little realistic drill every now and then never hurts.»,

The rifle roared and the armor rang a second time. Martin looked startled and quickly passed the weapon back to Random. Random glanced at the shell in his hand, said, «What the hell!», loaded the final round and fired without sighting.

There was a third report, followed by sounds of a ricochet, just as the guard reached the top of the stair.

«I guess I just don't live right,» Random remarked. After Random had thanked the guard for their prompt response to a training exercise and I overheard a mutter about the king being in his cups, we returned to the library and he asked me the question.

«I found the third one in the pocket of Luke's field jacket,» I answered, and I proceeded to explain the circumstances.

«I can no longer afford not to know about Luke Raynard,» he finally said. «Tell me how you read what just happened.»