“You’re as bad as my dear uncle. You should have stayed at court if you wished to play political games. You won’t find a worthy opponent here.”

Certainly not Serat. “If you handle these people correctly, show them they’ve nothing to fear, that you wish only to keep the shipping lanes clear and their shores free of pirates then they’ll come to accept our presence—”

“They won’t accept us,” the consul said.

“In time, they will accept us…grudgingly perhaps, but there needn’t be any more bloodshed.”

Serat eyed him speculatively. “Is that the real reason that you came? To make sure I don’t massacre the natives?”

Janek didn’t answer. There was a smidgen of truth to that. Asil had asked him to keep Serat in check, but it wasn’t out of any tender concern for the people here. Asil had his hands full at the capital without worrying about whatever trouble Serat might stir up.

“What great faith my uncle has in me.”

“It’s common sense,” Janek said. “Why make more work for yourself? You can’t possibly be that bored.”

“I am bored out of my mind.” Serat shot him the rueful smile that had earned him a reputation as a charmer among the ladies at court. “Your dancing girl has made you complacent. Is she truly that good?”

Janek’s hands bit into the stone of the wall. Before he could answer, Serat laughed. “Don’t fret. I’m not interested in her. I surely wouldn’t try to pry a woman from a your bed, no matter how much I might be tempted. I’m not so bored that I have a death wish. All I ask is that you don’t impregnate her. She’s the best dancer we have.”

Something about that niggled at the back of Janek’s mind, like a minnow worrying bait. “The others are younger.”

Serat shrugged. “But they haven’t the same training. She’s the only professional who would deign to perform for us.”

“Where did the others go?”

“Home or to the mainland. They were angry we disbanded the troupes. If we hadn’t caught them carrying messages between the clans we would have left them well enough alone.”

His voice was defensive because Asil had advised him to infiltrate the troupes instead. Serat had ignored that bit of advice and perhaps regretted it. Not as much as he regretted allowing his now-dismissed captain to cut a path of destruction up the coast. The brutality of that campaign had led to the formation of the fledgling rebellion. Early mistakes. Serat wasn’t quite as stupid as he seemed and already he’d gentled his hands on the reins. There was hope for him yet.

“Why did she stay?”

Serat laughed, as he started walking toward the stairs. “You’re the one fucking her.