Hill's teasing left Lynn with nothing but a helpless smile. Tyr's followers had once been the very definition of stubborn. A thousand years ago, people used to say that while others turned back when they hit a wall, Tyr's followers would fight tooth and nail to knock it down.
Yet a thousand years later, a priest of Tyr could hear one of these underhanded little tricks and understand it at once.
"Neverwinter's envoy actually arrived several days ago, but I wasn't happy with his attitude, so I never mentioned him to you," Lynn said with a frown. "And I had a feeling the Temple of Helm might waver. They haven't exactly been comfortable in Aglaia City. Not many people here worship Helm. With so many nonhuman races around, it's already a mark of restraint that they don't curse him.
"But I really didn't expect them to decide so quickly. They didn't even wait for the Paladins in Luskan to return. In public, the Temple of Helm always used to make it look as though those Paladins made its decisions. The priests never wanted to take responsibility for certain choices. During that invasion of Mazték, even after Helm himself was dragged into it, they still claimed the Paladins had acted rashly in their desire to protect their employers.
"Hah. Who with half a brain would believe a word they said after that?
"No wonder Neverwinter's envoy went straight to the Temple of Helm and stayed there after I provoked him today. I'd wager he offered the priests something they couldn't refuse. That's why the temple is so eager to leave. He probably thinks it'll make you furious, and that you might even punish me for mishandling matters as your city administrator."
Hill took something from his robe pocket and set it