"I must have him search the city. Lua must be found. The castle guards—we must appoint others, Miela. I must have a council, too—not doddering old men, but others that we shall select. Who collects the taxes? Where is the money? Who handles it?"
The questions piled upon me faster than I could voice them, and all the while my tired brain and weary, aching body called only for rest—for sleep.
I thought of Mercer and Anina. They should be back by now.
"We must send home and have them told we are here, Miela. And that slave woman of Baar's—she will be there, too. She must be sent here to us also."
We had decided to live in the castle.
"When Mercer and Anina return, we must arrange to go to the Water City. The disturbance there must be quelled. All the cities must be told of our actions here. I must visit them all, Miela."
My voice seemed trailing off as though I were talking to myself. A thousand problems rushed in confusion through my mind. I felt I was talking almost incoherently. A knock on the door of our room brought me to myself.
A young girl stood respectfully on the threshold. Miela listened to what she had to say, questioned her swiftly, and then turned to me. Her face had gone suddenly white.
"The girls have returned from over the sea, Alan. This is one of them. But Anina and our friend Ollie have stayed there."
"Stayed there?" I cried. "Why?"