He murmured his thanks as he took the glass and followed it with a compliment after he had drunk a little.
‘You will not retreat from your position?’ Cassraw said again as he settled back in his chair.
‘No,’ Drommel said, seeing little alternative. ‘Our people must be able to travel abroad in safety. They must know that their government will act firmly should anything happen to them.’
Cassraw laid down his glass and tapped the Santyth thoughtfully. Drommel waited, still wondering why he had been asked here and what Cassraw’s true interest was in this affair. He was, after all, neither merchant nor trader.
Cassraw’s voice was reflective when he eventually spoke. ‘You recall, some weeks ago, dark clouds coming over the land, plunging us into night in the middle of the day?’ he said. Drom
