They had all gathered in Gaenor's house because Oberon did not generally send his Thought over Elfhame Elder-Elf. The eldest of his children were the least likely to bring disaster Underhill. Oberon Knew that the mortal Harry FitzRoy had wakened many of the eldest, but they had more wisdom, enough to keep FitzRoy in check, and Oberon was pleased with the foresight that had made him mark Harry with the blue star. Fortunately Elizabeth's bright aura was masked by those of the Sidhe around her and did not draw Oberon's attention. As a centerpoint for disaster, Elizabeth was high on Oberon's list.
Gaenor's house was small, but it obligingly stretched itself to accommodate the whole party. Sitting on the floor at Rhoslyn's feet, Harry shook his head.
"Oh, no," he said. "This is way beyond me, unless you want me to go into the mist, find Vidal, and shoot him with this." He tapped the holstered gun that shot iron bolts.
"Go right ahead," Elizabeth said. "I'm tired of being Vidal Dhu's favorite target."
"No," Pasgen protested. "If you shoot him, Oberon will make me rule the Dark Court, and I've never done anything evil enough to merit that kind of punishment."
"No," Denoriel said, almost simultaneously. Then he waited courteously for Pasgen to finish and added. "Harry can't go into the mist. He'll be lost in it."
"We will be wary for him," Mechain said, smiling.
"And I do not think Vidal Dhu will be easy to kill, even with a steel bolt," Elidir remarked. "Nor will he be easy to find if the mist wishes to hide him."
"He recovered the last time I shot him," Harry said, making a face.
"In any case, I cannot think it wise to kill the prince of the Dark Court," Gaenor said. "Oberon has his reasons for what he permits and what he punishes. If you desire Prince Vidal punished more than what the mist has done, Elizabeth should complain to Oberon."
"But then Oberon would know about the mist," Elizabeth said, looking distressed. "He will . . . end it. That wouldn't be fair! The mist is like a baby, just learning. One doesn't kill a baby for making a mistake."
"That is a large and very dangerous baby," Rhoslyn pointed out. "It has learned to make. The lion it made killed two mortals."
"That was me," Elizabeth said anxiously. "I asked it to make a hungry lion that would eat the men who had abducted me. It wasn't the mist's idea."
"And the mist didn't like the lion," Pasgen said thoughtfully. "The lion attacked the male . . . ah . . . doll. The one that looks something like me. And when I struck it, the lion I mean, with my sword, the mist dissipated it."
"It hasn't made anything dangerous on its own," Elizabeth put in eagerly. "The red-haired doll and the gold-haired doll did no harm to anyone. They were gentle things."
"But it took the kitten and the lion from your mind, Elizabeth," Denoriel said. "The Mother knows what it will pick out of Vidal Dhu's mind."
"It won't take anything from him because he won't ask it nicely," Elizabeth said firmly. "He'll yell at it and threaten it."
"So far it does not seem to want to kill," Mechain said. "It must have been aware of what Vidal did to its construct. Could it not have fashioned a knife—think how strong those bands in which it wrapped Vidal were—and stabbed him?"
"Hmmm." Elidir bit his lower lip. "Vidal could live a long time wrapped in those bands. There is power in plenty, in great plenty, in that Unformed land. He can draw that in to sustain his life."
"Then likely he will not die at all," Pasgen said, a note of relief in his voice. "He is a very good mage once he sets his mind to magic rather than rage. Once he recovers from his shock and initial fear, he will soon devise a spell to release himself."
Elizabeth sighed. "Then no harm at all will have been done," Elizabeth said. "And there will be no need to tell Oberon about the mist."
Gaenor looked around at her guests. Elizabeth looked hopeful. Pasgen, Mechain, and Elidir looked brightly interested. Harry and Denoriel both had the same expression of concern, their eyes on Elizabeth. When Vidal was free he would try again to be rid of Elizabeth. Rhoslyn alone looked worried and undecided. Gaenor nodded. Rhoslyn had "made" fearsome things and feared the damage such constructs could do if the mist created them out of Vidal's mind.
"Then, for the present, we will do nothing," Gaenor said. "Pasgen and I, and perhaps my student Hafwen, who seems able to 'smell' evil constructs, will keep watch. Unless the mist does create something monstrous"—her lips quirked into a smile—"we will let the baby grow."