Chapter 24

Embarrassed looks were exchanged by the Ministers. Rhenycyn was about to say something when his father, unaffected by the quip, spoke to Athar in an exasperated voice. "By all means proceed if she will speak to you."

The King's Advisor did not fare all that well, however. Lhynette had been more interested in proclaiming the independence of the Witches of the Moons. The wizard was only able to obtain generalities and vague answers from the white robe which did nothing to exonerate either the witches or Uriel. In fact, her comments had only cast the witches into deeper suspicion.

Lhynette was dismissed when they were done questioning her. But before she left, Dhonlaa said to her, "I do not understand how one who actually encountered the vile SoulSlayers and dispelled them could be so unwilling to cooperate with us."

The white robe turned and looked at Dhonlaa, the recollection of her trauma with the Slayers jarring something within her. Then her brown eyes glanced at the others in the room. She was suddenly confused and her demeanor meek, so much unlike what she had been just moments before. Then Lhynette cast her eyes to the floor, lowered her head a bit and left the hall.

"Strange," said Athar absently, "how very strange."

"Yes," echoed Rhenycyn. "Well, gentlemen—and lady," he smiled a sarcastic smile at Dhonlaa, "how would you have us proceed?" The Prince had his own ideas of course, but wanted to hear the opinions of the others.