Dagger's Edge (Shadow series) Read Online Free Page B

ever since the wedding, but it just gets worse. The Temple of Baaros is growing every day. Do you know, there are shops and inns and taverns all over town that have ‘No elves admitted’ signs over their doors despite the laws and the fines, and twice as many that unofficially make elves unwelcome. The Dyers’ Guild has canceled every elven apprentice and won’t even deal with elven merchants. Elves are starting to retaliate in their own businesses, and the forest zone patrols are getting—well, even I would call it a little brutal in dealing with poachers and trespassers. The only reason trade between the forest and the city hasn’t been choked off altogether is because of Argent’s contacts and influence with the other merchants.”
    “Jael,” Shadow prompted, and Jael leaned a little closer, eager to catch every word.
    “It’s obvious that Jaellyn has some of the old wild blood,” Donya said wearily. “One look at her shows it. The elves see it as a sign from the Mother Forest that the elven influence in the city will grow with her as Heir. The humans see it as just another sign that their own influence is decreasing, and they want Jael bypassed as Heir and one of the twins—preferably Mera—chosen instead. It’s not without precedent; Sharl the Ninth passed over his two eldest.”
    “Oh, please,” Shadow groaned. “He did that because he had no choice; Rulia was barren and crippled, too, and Romal the Black never took anybody but stableboys and the occasional goat to his bed. Everybody in the city knows that.”
    “That’s not the point,” Donya told her. “Half the council wants Jael declared Heir immediately, and preferably betrothed even sooner, and the other half wants me to send her quietly off to some distant city to be fostered, wait a decent interval, and then choose one of the twins. Either way, somebody will be very, very upset. Every day I wait, they push a little harder. I was afraid to send Jael to the forest this summer, for fear either the elves or the humans would see it as significant.”
    “Well, it sounds to me as if the Temple of Baaros is the bellows that fans the fire,” Shadow speculated. “Don’t forget that anti-elven preachings mean Argent, and you, too, Doe. It could grow into covert or even open rebellion against the ruling line because of your elven blood. Do something about them, first.”
    “What should we do?” Donya asked helplessly. “We have no precedent for interfering with any temple’s doctrines when they aren’t actually breaking city law, and acting against the Temple of Baaros will be seen as taking the elves’ side against the humans. According to Ankaras, two days from now the Temple of Baaros will be holding their Lesser Summoning. That’s when Baaros himself will appear to instruct the faithful in the signs he’ll send prior to his manifestation at the Grand Summoning. It’s reaching a crisis point. I’ve sent messengers to other cities with elven and human populations to see if they’ve had any trouble with this particular temple, and how they’ve dealt with it. I still haven’t heard from a few, but most say the temple has caused no trouble. Our problem seems unique.”
    “Well, I have to admit that Jael doesn’t seem to have much of Argent in her,” Shadow said slowly. “Doe, has it ever occurred to you that—”
    “At least three times an hour,” Donya said miserably. “But how can I know? Argent has some Hidden Folk ancestry; so does my mother.”
    “That’s not exactly what I meant,” Shadow said gently.
    “I know.” Donya reached for a goblet of wine, and Jael saw, to her amazement, that her mother’s hands were shaking. “But it’s impossible, Shady. Just look at her. Her ears, her height—”
    “Her coloring,” Shadow said softly. “Her foot.”
    Jael leaned a little closer, careful not to rustle the ivy. This was getting interesting. What in the world were they talking about?
    “I tell you, it’s not