Vector Fray and Lieutenant Schtance walked along the stone corridor, unhurried, at the steady pace that for both of them was a working state, equally suited to a headquarters, a street, or a place where someone was watching.
Fray looked ahead. After a few seconds he turned his head slightly to the right, the barest amount, and let his gaze pass across Schtance's face from the side.
"Errøfeil?"
("Something wrong?") — he asked, switching to Stålvørin, the native language of the Aisengardians.
Schtance did not alter her pace and did not turn toward him. Her gaze remained directed ahead, at the corner of the corridor.
"Stabiløm."
("All fine.") — she said.
"Urbøstad durøm fatigøtrett ørk."
("This city is starting to wear on me.")
Fray did not answer immediately. They passed a sentry standing at a niche with a family crest, and the man watched them with the strained courtesy that among Waldruhm military served in place of open suspicion.
"Præsisøklar"
("Be more specific") — said Fray, once they had passed him.
Schtance exhaled slightly through her nose.
"Hicøher totøll movøbeveg tardøtreg øk uneffiktøv. Populøk, decisøavgjør, konversøsamt."
("Everything here moves slowly and inefficiently. The people, the decisions, the conversations.")
A pause.
"Dørk nøn querøklag. Observatøm."
("That's not a complaint. Just an observation.")
"Dørk Valdrum."
("That is Waldruhm.") — replied Fray, fixing it as a fact.
"Tardøm hicøher kånne judikvørdet intentøbevisst arkøbygg åv ordønsyst. Ølldei strøktured totøll — åv løvex tøl konversøsamt — utøslik extørytr pressøstress cessøslutted impulstøt antøfør attingønåed kjørn."
("The slowness here can be seen not so much as a flaw in the system as a deliberate architecture. They've built everything that way, from laws to conversations, so that external pressure loses momentum before it reaches the center.")
Schtance glanced at him.
"Ørk komprøfors dørk."
("I understand that.")
"Ørkgo nøn permitøtillatå dørk fatigøtrett tødu."
("Then don't let it wear on you.")
The Vector's voice remained level, without instruction, but with a dry precision.
"Fatigøm mutøendr observatøm. Tødu durøm notømark irritøm, øk cessøslutt notømark importøvikt."
("Fatigue changes observation. You start noticing what irritates you, and you stop noticing what matters.")
They came out onto a stairwell landing where the ceiling rose twice as high, and daylight from the window on the landing lay across the stone banisters in an even white strip.
Fray paused at the window for one step, glanced down at the street, and walked on.
"Nøsvi-is legatødip-kontaktømar, imperøbefaled etablørstabl, er officøl partøm åv visitøm. Dørk skølv klausølåset rectøkorrekt."
("The diplomatic contacts we've been tasked to establish are the official side of the visit, and that should be closed correctly.") — said the Vector.
"Thorn er satisføm møkum nøsvi-is præsnørvær — tøl gradørng åv utønytt prøfor Valdrum — øk nøn ulterøvid. Dørk er acceptøl."
("Thorne is satisfied with our presence to the degree that it is useful to Waldruhm, and no further. That is acceptable.")
Schtance listened without interrupting.
"Unofficøl partøm er importøviktør." — he continued, lowering his voice.
("The unofficial side is more important.")
"Tornøtur crasømørg, dørk er opportøm. Nøn subjudikvørd prøfor apparøfremst delektøhold. Vidøse Orden ån verøkrøst, judikvørd kørpusfysiø, krøst-synkrønt, reaktøv tøl pressøstress. Vidøse: kvåndo urbøstad reaktøv tøl extørnfrmd-observatørar. Kvåndo Sterling reaktøv tøl nøsvi-is præsnørvær."
("The tournament tomorrow is an opportunity that shouldn't be underestimated just because it looks like entertainment. See the Order in actual combat, assess the level of physical conditioning, combat coordination, response under pressure. See how the city reacts to the presence of foreign observers. How Sterling reacts to that presence.")
A pause.
"Totøll faktømar: impørk-klimøt, bølkrig-potensøl, pressøstress-punktømar ån structøroppbygg. Dørk nøn er ån rapørtmeldøng. Dørk skølv vidøset."
("All the factors. Political climate, military potential, pressure points within the structure. None of that can be gotten from reports. It needs to be seen.")
They descended to the lower level, and the corridor here was wider, with higher ceilings, built for other people and other conversations.
Schtance was quiet for several paces.
"Sterling vidøsed nøsvi sivøn nøsvi ambølired møkum inspektøsjon, nøn visitøm."
("Sterling was looking at us as if we'd come for an inspection, not a visit.")
Fray gave the slightest shake of his head.
"Sterling vidøsed sivøn dørk prøfor hånir er sapøklok virøm øk komprøfors difførskjell intørmell officøl rogatømod øk verøsann interøm sublåg dørk. Bonøg."
("Sterling looked that way because he is an intelligent man and understands the difference between an official request and the real interest behind it. That is good.")
A brief pause.
"Sapøklok adversørmostanderar gøvir opsøppgav interøsantør øk valørverdi experiørfar — auxøhjelp nøsvi progresørk effiktøvør."
("Intelligent adversaries make the task more interesting, and give a more valuable experience, helping us develop more effectively.")
Schtance said nothing more. They came out through a side passage into the inner courtyard, where a groom stood at the hitching post with the horses, and the daylight sky above the rooftops was pale and even, without a single break.