Ylona looked, at last, a little weakened, but she was not conquered. ‘I cannot,’ she said simply. ‘Whether I will or no. What you want of me, I imagine, is to block Dwinal from absconding with the island. Is that right?’
‘Yes. If she is no longer Lokantor—’
Ylona held up a hand. ‘Exactly. Do you think it is so easy, to take over that post? If it was, the role would change hands rather more often, and much more violently. It is possible for a new Lokantor to be appointed in the absence of an old one — Dwinal is not the first person to walk out on the job — but it is a lengthy process. The Lokantor must be absent for an agreed length of time, a challenger must accumulate enough support to justify their claim… I cannot simply usurp Dwinal’s post at will. I definitely cannot do so in time to
