"Disappearance?" Seldon lowered his voice, almost squeezing the words through his teeth, "What do you mean, dead or imprisoned?"
The Knight Captain's Adam's apple bobbed. "The Imperial Palace has already sealed off the news, the official statement is that he was guided by the Holy Light and has entered a period of silent prayer and meditation.
But our informant says... it has been half a month since anyone last saw His Majesty."
The clamor in the banquet hall continued, the nobility apparently not hearing the whispered report, still immersed in the illusion of alcohol and power transition.
But Seldon's world had already quieted down.
His gaze slowly lifted, passing over the long table, the flickering candlelight, and landed on the guest seat to the right.
Bishop Salomon was elegantly cutting his steak, his movements calm, as if all of this had nothing to do with him.
