Chapter Seven The Regent realised that she had not received a sufficient answer about the origins and powers of her foremost adviser, the Senior Forecaster Jaxon Tangshi. As Adaeze paced the limits of her terrace, her steps longer and more powerful than those of her perfectly proportioned predecessor, she frowned in an attempt to recreate the exact conversation she had conducted with Hekili, Master of the Wereguard. Surely she had asked him about Jaxon? Had Hekili avoided the question, or had he deliberately distracted her by telling her of other matters? The miniscule amount of liveware enjoyed by the Wereguard, for example, and the fact that he was the most articulate of them. Had he been putting himself forward, trying to manipulate her into placing more trust in him than he deserved?