Iona let Sir Samuel kiss her hand, compliment her combs and babble on, using long words to say it was a shame they were leaving so early. Beside her, Derek was trying to work out how to bow low without dropping the cutlery he was smuggling in his sleeve. Suddenly, a disturbance by the door caught his eye. A tall man in the livery of the Amroth Temple had burst into the room and was gabbling to two Albion officers, one of whom was of such high rank that Derek didn"t recognise his insignia. His guildmaster"s sense for trouble told him this was not just an ordinary message. The flushed countenance of the messenger, the intense concentration of the two officers and the hurried manner in which they were all speaking and gesticulating gave a sense of urgency and excitement. Unable to stop himsel
