RAYMONDE.FEIST

Silverthorn

BookTwooftheRiftwarSaga

ByTheSameAuthor

MagicianSilverthorn

ADarknessatSethanonFaerieTale

PrinceoftheBloodTheKing’sBuccaneer

ShadowofaDarkQueen

RiseofaMerchantPrinceRageofaDemonKing

ShardsofaBrokenCrown

Krondor:TheBetrayalKrondor:TheAssassinsKrondor:TearoftheGods

TalonoftheSilverHawkKingofFoxesExile’sReturn

FlightoftheNightHawksIntoaDarkRealmWrathofaMadGod

RidesaDreadLegionAttheGatesofDarkness

AKingdomBesiegedACrownImperilled

WithJannyWurts:DaughteroftheEmpireServantoftheEmpireMistressoftheEmpire

WithWilliamR.Forstchen:HonouredEnemy

WithJoelRosenberg:

MurderinLaMut

WithSteveStirling:JimmytheHand

Thisbookisdedicatedtomynephewsandniece,

BenjaminAdamFeist,EthanAaronFeist,

AliciaJeanneLareau,littlemagicians,all.

TableofContents

CoverTitlePageByTheSameAuthorDedicationMapSynopsis

Book Three: Arutha and

JimmyPrologue:TwilightChapterOne:ReunionChapterTwo:KrondorChapterThree:PlotsChapterFour:RevelationsChapterFive:ObliterationChapterSix:ReceptionChapterSeven:WeddingChapterEight:VowChapterNine:Forest

ChapterTen:SarthChapterEleven:ClashChapterTwelve:NorthwardChapterThirteen:StardockChapterFourteen:ElvandarChapterFifteen:ReturnChapterSixteen:MoraelinChapterSeventeen:WarlordChapterEighteen:VengeanceChapter Nineteen:Continuation

Epilogue:Retreat

ADarknessatSethanonAcknowledgementsAbouttheAuthorCopyrightAboutthePublisher

Map

SynopsisOurStorySoFar…

Upon the world ofMidkemia, themighty Kingdom ofthe Isles arose,beside the vastEmpire of Great

Kesh to the south.The Kingdom wasthennearinganeraof greatness; thenation spanned acontinent, from theKingdomSeatotheEndlessSea.In the twelfth

yearof thereignofRodric the Fourth,in the westernmostprovince of the

Kingdom, theDuchy of Crydee,an orphan kitchenboynamedPugwasmade apprentice tothe magicianKulgan. Anindifferent studentofmagic,herosetohigh station, for hesaved the daughterof Duke BorricconDoin, Princess

Carline,fromadirefate and became asquireoftheDuke’scourt. Pug thenfound himself theobject of Carline’sgirlish infatuationand, as a result,rival to youngSquire Roland, amember of thecourt.With his best

friend, Tomas, Pugdiscovered thewreckage of analien vessel and adying man ofunknownnationality. TheDuke’s priest,Father Tully, usedhis magic to learnthat the dying manwas from anotherworld, Kelewan,

dominated by amighty empire ofwarriors, theTsurani. They hadreached Midkemiaby a magic gate, arift in space, andmight be preparingthe way forinvasion. DukeBorric took councilwith theElfQueen,Aglaranna, who

agreed that somestrange menacewas approachingtheFarCoastoftheKingdom; the elveshad seen strangewarriors mappingthe West, men whovanishedmysteriously.Fearing this a

preludetoinvasion,LordBorricandhis

younger son,Arutha, led acompany of men towarn King Rodricof the possibleattack, leavingCrydee to the careof his elder son,Lyam, andSwordmasterFannon. Thecompany numberedKulgan the

magician, Pug andTomas, SergeantGardan, and fiftysoldiers of Crydee.In the forest calledtheGreenHearttheDuke’s party wasattacked by thedreaded moredhel,the dark elvesknown as theBrotherhood of theDark Path. After a

long, bloody fight,the Duke and theother survivorswere saved byDolgan, a dwarvenchief, and hiscompanions.Dolgan led them

through the minesof Mac MordainCadal, where awraith attacked,separating Tomas

from the others inthe company.Tomas fled deepinto the ancientmine,whileDolganled the others tosafety.Dolgan returned

intotheminetofindTomas, discoveringthat the boy hadbeen given refugebyoneofthelastof

the mighty goldendragons, ancientandneardeath.Thedragon, Rhuagh,told of his life, ofhis encounter withthe strangesorcerer Macrosthe Black, and ofother wonders.Rhuaghvanishedina wondrous finalmoment of glory, a

boon of Macros,andleftTomaswitha special gift,magic goldenarmour.Duke Borric’s

company reachedthe city of Bordon,where they tookship for Krondor,capital of theWestern Realm ofthe Kingdom. They

were driven by astorm to Sorcerer’sIsle, home of thelegendary Macrosthe Black. TherePug met amysterious hermit,discovered later tobe Macros. Hehints they shallmeet again, butwarns them not toseekhimout.

In Krondor,Prince Erland, theKing’s uncle andheir apparent,instructed theDuketo continue on toRillanon, capital oftheKingdom,toseethe King. While inKrondor, Pug metPrincess Anita,Erland’sonlychild,and learned she

was expected tomarry PrinceArutha when shegrewup.In Rillanon,

Duke BorricdiscoveredtheKingto be a man ofvision, also a manof doubtful sanity,given to outburstsof temper andramblingdiscourse.

Duke Caldric ofRillanon, Borric’suncle by marriage,warned that theburden of repellingthe Tsurani, shouldthey come, wouldfall to the westernlords. The Kingdistrusted thePrince of Krondor,dreaming of plotsagainst the crown,

andwas even leeryof Borric, whofollowed afterErland in thesuccession. HerefusedtoallowtheArmies of the EasttoleavetheEasternRealm. Then camethe Tsuraniinvasion, andRodricputasidehissuspicions, giving

Borric command ofthe Armies of theWest. Borric andhis companionsrushedwestwardastheRiftwarbegan.During the early

part of the war, araid into Tsurani-held territory wasmounted, and Pugwascaptured.Tomas was with

Dolgan’s force ofdwarves,amongthefirst to resist theinvaders.Something alienhad manifesteditself in Tomas’sarmour, and whilewearing it hebecame a warriorof awesome power.Hauntedbystrangevisions, he was

slowly changing inappearance. In afrantic battle in thedwarven mines, theTsurani forcedTomas andDolgan’s companyto flee into theforests. Having nosafe haven, thedwarves struck outforElvandar, homeoftheelves,seeking

to ally themselveswith the elves.Reaching the courtof the Elf Queen,they were madewelcome.Something inTomas’sappearance causedthe old elvenSpellweavers to befearful, though theywould not speak of

it.LyamleftCrydee

to join his father,and SwordmasterFannon assumedcommand of thecastle, with Aruthahis second-in-command. Carlinegrieved over Pug’sloss and turned toRolandforcomfort.The Tsurani raided

Crydee, using acaptured ship;during the battle,Arutha rescuedAmos Trask, theship’s captain, aformerpirate.The Tsurani

besieged Crydeeand were repulsedmanytimes.Duringa battle,Swordmaster

Fannon waswounded andArutha assumedcommand. After aterribleunderground battlebetween Arutha’smen and Tsuranisappers, Aruthaordered thegarrisonssurroundingCrydeeto coordinate for a

final battle againstthe Tsurani. Butbefore that battlecould commence,the Tsuranicommander,Kasumi of theShinzawai,receivedorders to returnhome with hiscommand.Four years

passed, and Pug

was working as aslave in a swampcamp on Kelewan,the Tsuranihomeworld, with anewcomer, Laurieof Tyr-Sog, aminstrel. Aftertrouble with thecamp overseer theywere taken byHokanu, youngerson of the

Shinzawai, to hisfather’s estate.They were orderedto train Kasumi inevery aspect ofKingdom cultureand language.TherePugalsometaslavegirl,Katala,with whom he fellinlove.Thebrotherof the Lord of theShinzawai,

Kamatsu, was oneof the Great Ones,magicians ofpower, beings whowere a law untothemselves. Onenight the GreatOne, Fumita,learned Pug hadbeenapprenticedasa magician onMidkemia. HeclaimedPugforthe

Assembly, thebrotherhood ofmagicians,andtheyvanished from theShinzawaiestate.Tomas by then

had grown to afigure of stunningpower, made so byhisancientarmour,once worn by aValheru–aDragonLord – one of the

legendary firstpeople ofMidkemia, mastersof all. Little wasknown about themsave that theywerecruel and powerfuland had kept theelves andmoredhelas slaves.Aglaranna,herson,Calin, and Tathar,her senior adviser,

feared that Tomaswas beingconsumed by thepower of Ashen-Shugar, theancientDragonLordwhosearmour he wore.They feared anattempt at a returnof Valherudomination.Aglaranna wasdoublytroubled,for

besides fearingTomas, she wasfalling in love withhim. The Tsuraniinvaded Elvandarand were drivenbackbyTomasandDolgan’s forces,aided by themysterious MacrostheBlack.After thebattle, Aglarannaadmitted her

feelings to Tomasandtookhimasherlover, therebylosingherpowertocommandhim.Pug was

cleansed of hismemory by theteachers of theAssembly and afterfour years oftraining became amagician. He

learned he was agifted follower oftheGreaterPath,amagic nonexistentupon Midkemia.Kulgan was aLesser Pathmagician,sohehadbeen unable toteachPug.Pugwasgiven the nameMilamber when hebecame a Great

One. His teacher,Shimone, watchedasMilamberpassedthe final test,standing upon athin spire at theheight of a stormwhile the history ofthe Empire ofTsuranuanni wasrevealed to him.There he wassteeped in the first

duty of a GreatOne, to serve theEmpire. Pug methis first friend inthe Assembly.Hochopepa, ashrewd magicianwho instructed Pugin the pitfalls ofTsuranipolitics.Bytheninthyear

of the war, Aruthafeared they were

losing the struggle,thenlearnedfromacaptive slave thatnew troops werearriving fromKelewan. WithMartin Longbow,his father’sHuntmaster, andAmosTrask,Aruthatravelled toKrondor to seekadditional aid from

Prince Erland.Duringthejourney,Amos discoveredMartin’s secret,that he was LordBorric’s bastard.Martin made Amosswear never toreveal the secretuntil Martinallowed it. InKrondor, Aruthadiscovered the city

underthecontrolofGuy, Duke of Bas-Tyra, an avowedenemy of LordBorric. Guy wasclearly embarkedon some plan togain the crown forhimself. Aruthathen ran afoul ofJocko Radburn,Guy’s henchmanand head of the

secret police, whochased Arutha,Martin, and AmosintothearmsoftheMockers, thethieves of Krondor.There they metJimmy the Hand, aboy thief; TrevorHull, a formerpirate turnedsmuggler; and hisfirst mate, Aaron

Cook.TheMockerswere hidingPrincessAnita,whohadfledthepalace.JockoRadburnwasfuriously trying torecapture AnitabeforeGuyduBas-Tyra returned froma border skirmishwith theneighbouringEmpire of Great

Kesh. With theMockers’ help,Arutha, hiscompanions, andAnita fled the city.Duringaseachase,Amos luredRadburn’s shiponto the rocks andthe head of thesecret policedrowned. Uponreturning to

Crydee, Aruthalearned that SquireRoland had beenkilledinaskirmish.BythenAruthawasin love with Anita,though he wouldnot admit as muchtohimself,countinghertooyoung.Pug, now

Milamber, returnedto the Shinzawai

estate to claimKatala, anddiscoveredhewasafather. His son,William, had beenborn during hisabsence. He alsolearned that theShinzawai wereinvolved in a plotwiththeEmperortoforce peace uponthe Tsurani High

Council,whichwasdominated by theWarlord. Lauriewas to guideKasumi, who hadby then masteredthe language andcustoms of theKingdom, to theKing, bearing theEmperor’s offer ofpeace. Pug wishedthem well and took

his wife and childtohishome.Tomas

underwent a greatchange, bringingthe forces of theValheru and thehuman intobalance, but onlyafter almost killingMartinLongbow.Ina titanic innerbattle, the human

was nearlyovercome, but attheendhemasteredthe raging thingthat once was aDragonLordandatlast discoveredpeace within hissoul.Kasumi and

Laurie camethroughtheriftandmade their way to

Rillanon, wheretheydiscoveredthatthe King hadbecome thoroughlymad. He accusedthemofbeingspies,and they fled withthe aid of DukeCaldric. The Dukeadvised them toseek out LordBorric, for itseemed civil war

would surely come.Reaching Borric’scamp, Laurie andKasumi met Lyam,who informed themBorricwasclose todeath from awound.Milamber, as

Pug was known,attended theImperial Games,given by the

Warlord tocommemorate hissmashing victoryover Lord Borric.Milamber becameenraged at thewanton cruelty,especially thetreatment ofMidkemianprisoners.Inafitofrage he destroyedthe arena, shaming

the Warlord,thereby throwingthe politics of theEmpire intoshambles.Milamber then fledwith Katala andWilliam back toMidkemia, aTsurani Great Oneno longer,butonceagain Pug ofCrydee.

Pug returned intime to be at LordBorric’s side whenhedied.TheDuke’slast act was tolegitimize Martin.The King thenarrived,angeredbyhis commanders’inability to end thelongwar.He led amadchargeagainstthe Tsurani and,

against all odds,broke their front,driving them backinto the valleywhere they heldtheir rift machine,their means oftravel between theworlds. The Kingwas mortallywounded and, in arare lucid moment,named Lyam, the

eldest conDoinmale,hisheir.Lyam sent word

to the Tsurani hewould accept thepeace offer Rodrichad spurned, andthe date for thetruce talks was set.Macros then wentto Elvandar,warning Tomas toexpect deception at

the peace meeting.Tomas agreed tobring his warriors,as would thedwarves.At the peace

meeting, Macroscreated an illusion,bringing chaos andbattle where peacewas the intent.Macros arrived,and he and Pug

destroyed the rift,stranding fourthousand Tsuraniunder Kasumi’scommand onMidkemia. Hesurrendered themto Lyam, whogranted themfreedom if theysworefealty.All returned to

RillanonforLyam’s

coronation, saveArutha, Pug, andKulgan,whovisitedMacros’s isle.There theydiscovered Gathis,a goblin-likeservant of thesorcerer, who gavethem a message.Macros, itappeared, had diedinthedestructionof

the rift. He left hisvast library to Pugand Kulgan, whoplanned to start anacademy formagicians. Heexplained histreacherybysayingthat a being knownonly as the Enemy,a vast and terriblepowerknowntotheTsurani in ancient

times, could findMidkemiabymeansoftherift.Thatwaswhy he had forceda situation wherethe rift had to bedestroyed.Arutha, Pug and

Kulgan went on toRillanon, whereArutha discoveredthe truth aboutMartin. Since he

was the eldest ofBorric’s sons,Martin’s birthclouded Lyam’sinheritance, but theformer Huntmasterrenounced anyclaimtothethrone,and Lyam becameKing. Arutha wasmade Prince ofKrondor,asAnita’sfather had died.

Guy du Bas-Tyrawas in hiding andin his absence wasbanished as atraitor. Lauriemade theacquaintance ofPrincess Carline,who seemed toreturnhisinterest.Lyam, Martin,

who became Dukeof Crydee, and

Arutha left for atour of the EasternRealm, while Pugand his family,along with Kulgan,travelled to theisland of Stardock,to begin theconstruction of theacademy. Fornearly a year,peace reigned intheKingdom…

BookThreeAruthaandJimmy

Theirrisingallatoncewasasthesound

Ofthunderheardremote.–MILTON,ParadiseLost,

BOOKII,1.476

•Prologue•Twilight

The sun droppedbehindthepeaks.The last rays of

warmthtouchedtheearth and only therosy afterglow ofthe day remained.

From the east,indigo darknessapproached rapidly.The wind cutthrough the hillslike a sharp-edgedblade, as if springwere only a faintlyremembereddream.Winter’s ice stillclung to shadow-protected pockets,ice that cracked

loudly under theheels of heavyboots. Out of theevening’s darknessthree figuresentered thefirelight.The old witch

lookedup,herdarkeyes wideningslightly at the sightof the three. Sheknew the figure on

the left, the broad,mute warrior withtheshavedheadandsingle long scalplock. He had comeonce before,seekingmagicsignsfor strange rites.Though he was apowerful chieftain,she had sent himaway,forhisnaturewasevil, andwhile

issues of good andevil seldom heldanysignificanceforthe witch, therewerelimitsevenforher. Besides, shehad little love forany moredhel,especially one whohadcutouthisowntongue as a sign ofdevotion to darkpowers.

Themutewarriorregarded her withblue eyes, unusualfor one of his race.He was broader ofshoulder thanmost,even for oneof themountain clans,who tended to bemore powerful ofarm and shoulderthan their forest-dwelling cousins.

The mute woregolden circle ringsin his large,upswept ears,painful to affix, asthe moredhel hadno lobes. Uponeach cheek werethree scars, mysticsymbols whosemeaning was notlostuponthewitch.Themutemadea

sign to hiscompanions, andthe one to the farright seemed tonod.Itwasdifficulttojudge,forhewasclothed in an all-concealing robe,with a deep hoodrevealing nofeatures. Bothhands were hiddenin voluminous

sleeves that werekept together.As ifspeaking from agreat distance, thecloakedfiguresaid,‘We seek a readingofsigns.’Hisvoicewassibilant,almosta hiss, and therewas a note ofsomething alien init. One handappeared and the

witch pulled away,for it wasmisshapen andscaled, as if theowner possessedtalons coveredwithsnakeskin.Shethenknew the creaturefor what it was: apriest of thePantathian serpentpeople. Comparedto the serpent

people, themoredhelwereheldin high regard bythewitch.She turned her

attention from theend figures andstudied the one inthecentre.Hestooda full head tallerthan the mute andwas even moreimpressive in bulk.

He slowly removedabearskinrobe,thebear’s skullproviding a helmfor his own head,and cast it aside.The old witchgasped, for he wasthe most strikingmoredhel she hadseen in her longlife. He wore theheavy trousers,

jerkin, and knee-high boots of thehill clans, and hischestwasbare.Hispowerfullymuscledbody gleamed inthefirelight,andheleaned forward tostudythewitch.Hisface was almostfrightening in itsnear-perfectbeauty.But what had

caused her to gasp,more than hisawesomeappearance,wasthesignuponhischest.‘Do you know

me?’ he asked thewitch.She nodded. ‘I

know who youappeartobe.’He leaned even

farther forward,

untilhisfacewaslitfrom below by thefire, revealingsomething in hisnature. ‘IamwhoIappear to be,’ hewhispered with asmile.Shefelt fear,for behind hishandsome features,behind the benignsmile, she saw thevisage of evil, evil

so pure it defiedendurance. ‘Weseek a reading ofsigns,’ he repeated,his voice the soundof ice-clearmadness.She chuckled.

‘Even one somightyhaslimits?’The handsome

moredhel’s smileslowly vanished.

‘One may notforetell one’s ownfuture.’Resigned to her

own likely lot, shesaid, ‘I requiresilver.’The moredhel

nodded. The mutedugacoinfromoutof his belt pouchand tossed it uponthe floor before the

witch. Withouttouching it, sheprepared someingredients in astone cup. Whenthe concoction wasready,shepoureditupon the silver. Ahissing came, bothfrom the coin andfrom the serpentman. A green-scaled claw began

to make signs, andthe witch snapped,‘None of thatnonsense, snake.Your hot-landmagic will onlycantmyreading.’The serpent man

was restrained by agentle touch andsmile from thecentre figure, whonodded at the

witch.In croaking

tones,herthroatdrywithfear, thewitchsaid, ‘Say you thentruly: What wouldyou know?’ Shestudied the hissingsilvercoin,coverednow in bubblinggreenslime.‘Is it time? Shall

Idonowthatwhich

wasordained?’A bright green

flame sprang fromthe coin anddanced. The witchfollowed itsmovement closely,her eyes seeingsomething withinthe flame none butshe could divine.After a while shesaid, ‘The

Bloodstones formthe Cross of Fire.Thatwhichyouare,youare.Thatwhichyou are born to do… do!’ The lastword was a half-gasp.Something in the

witch’s expressionwasunexpected,forthe moredhel said,‘Whatelse,crone?’

‘You stand notunopposed, forthere is onewho isyour bane. Youstandnot alone, forbehindyou… I donot understand.’Her voice wasweak,faint.‘What?’ The

moredhel showednosmilethistime.‘Something …

something vast,something distant,somethingevil.’The moredhel

paused to consider;turning to theserpent man, hespoke softly yetcommandingly.‘Gothen, Cathos.Employ yourarcane skills anddiscoverwhere this

seat of weaknesslies.Giveanametoour enemy. Findhim.’The serpent man

bowed awkwardlyand shambled outof the cave. Themoredhel turned tohis mutecompanion andsaid, ‘Raise thestandards, my

general, and gathertheloyalclansuponthe plains ofIsbandia, beneaththe towers of Sar-Sargoth. Raisehighest thatstandard I havechosenformyown,andletallknowwebegin that whichwas ordained. Youshall be my

battlemaster,Murad,andallshallknow you standhighest among myservants.Glory andgreatness nowawait.‘Then, when the

mad snake hasidentified ourquarry, lead forththe Black Slayers.Let those whose

souls are mineserveusbyseekingout our enemy.Find him! Destroyhim!Go!’Themutenodded

once and left thecave.Themoredhelwiththesignonhischest faced thewitch. ‘Then,human refuse, doyou know what

dark powersmove?’‘Aye, messenger

of destruction, Iknow.By theDarkLady,Iknow.’He laughed, a

cold humourlesssound. ‘I wear thesign,’ he said,pointing to thepurple birthmarkupon his chest,

which seemed toglow angrily in thefirelight. It wasclear that his wasno simpledisfigurement butsome sort ofmagictalisman, for itformed a perfectsilhouette of adragoninflight.Heraised his finger,pointing upwards.

‘I have the power.’Hemade a circularmotion with hisupraised finger. ‘Iam theforeordained. I amdestiny.’The witch

nodded, knowingdeath raced toembrace her. Shesuddenlymouthedacomplex

incantation, herhands movingfuriously throughtheair.Agatheringof powermanifested itself inthe cave and astrange keeningfilledthenight.Thewarrior before hersimply shook hishead. She cast aspell at him, one

that should havewitheredhimwherehe stood. Heremained, grinningat her evilly. ‘Youseektotestmewithyour puny arts,seer?’Seeing no effect,

she slowly closedher eyes and saterect, awaiting herfate. The moredhel

pointedhisfingerather and a silvershaft of light cameforth, striking thewitch.Sheshriekedin agony, thenexploded intowhite-hot fire. Foran instant her darkformwrithedwithintheinferno,thentheflamesvanished.The moredhel

cast a quick glanceat the ashes uponthe floor, formingthe outline of abody. With a deeplaugh he gathereduphisrobeandleftthecave.Outside, his

companionswaited,holding his horse.Far belowhe couldsee thecampofhis

band,stillsmallbutdestined to grow.He mounted andsaid, ‘To Sar-Sargoth!’ With ajerkon thereinshespun his horse andled the mute andthe serpent priestdownthehillside.

•ChapterOne•Reunion

Theshipspedhome.The wind changed quarter

and the captain’s voice rangout;aloft,hiscrewscrambledto answer the demands of afreshening breeze and acaptain anxious to get safelyto port. He was a seasonedsailingmaster, nearly thirty

yearsintheKing’snavy,andseventeen years commandinghis own ship.And theRoyalEaglewasthebestshipintheKing’s fleet, but still thecaptainwishedforjustalittlemorewind, just a littlemorespeed,sincehewouldnotrestuntil his passengers weresafelyashore.Standingupontheforedeck

were the reasons for thecaptain’s concern, three tall

men.Two,oneblondandonedark, were standing at therail, sharing a joke, for theyboth laughed. Each stood afull four inchesover six feet,andeachcarriedhimselfwiththe sure step of a fightingmanorhunter.Lyam,KingoftheKingdomoftheIsles,andMartin, his elder brother andDuke of Crydee, spoke ofmany things, of hunting andfeasting, of travel and

politics, of war and discord,and occasionally they spokeoftheirfather,DukeBorric.The third man, not as tall

orasbroadofshoulderastheother two, leaned against therailashortwayoff,lostinhisown thoughts.Arutha,Princeof Krondor and youngest ofthe threebrothers, alsodweltupon the past, but his visionwas not of the father killedduring the war with the

Tsurani, in what was nowbeing called the Riftwar.Instead he watched the bowwake of the ship as it slicedthrough emerald-greenwaters, and in that green hesawtwosparklinggreeneyes.The captain cast a glance

aloft, then ordered the sailstrimmed.Again he took noteof the three men upon theforedeckandagainhegaveasilent prayer to Kilian,

Goddess of Sailors, andwished Rillanon’s tall spireswereinsight.Forthosethreewerethethreemostpowerfuland important men in theKingdom, and thesailingmasterrefusedtothinkofthechaosthatwouldbefallthe Kingdom should any illchancevisithisship.Arutha vaguely heard the

captain’s shouts and therepliesofhismatesandcrew.

Hewasfatiguedbytheeventsof the last year, so he paidlittle attention to what wasoccurring about him. Hecould keep his thoughts onlyupon one thing: he wasreturning to Rillanon, and toAnita.Arutha smiled to himself.

His life had seemedunremarkable for the firsteighteen years. Then theTsurani invasion had come

and the world had beenforever changed. He hadcometobecountedoneofthefinest commanders in theKingdom, had discovered anunsuspected eldest brother inMartin, and had seen athousand horrors andmiracles. But the mostmiraculous thing that hadhappenedtoAruthahadbeenAnita.Theyhadbeenpartedafter

Lyam’s coronation. FornearlyayearLyamhadbeendisplayingtheroyalbannertoboth eastern lords andneighbouring kings, and nowtheywerereturninghome.Lyam’s voice cut through

Arutha’s reverie. ‘What seeyou in the wave’s sparkle,littlebrother?’Martin smiled as Arutha

looked up, and the formerHuntmaster of Crydee, once

called Martin Longbow,nodded towards his youngestbrother. ‘I wager a year’staxes he sees a pair of greeneyes and a pert smile in thewaves.’Lyam said, ‘No wager,

Martin. Since we departedRillanon I’ve had threemessagesfromAnitaonsomematter or other of statebusiness.Allconspiretokeepher in Rillanon while her

mother returned to theirestates a month after mycoronation.Arutha, by roughestimate, has averaged betterthan two messages a weekfromhertheentiretime.Onemight draw a conclusion ortwofromthat.’‘I’d be more than anxious

to return if Ihadsomeoneofher mettle waiting for me,’agreedMartin.Arutha was a private

person, ill humouredwhen itcame to revealing deepfeelings, and he was doublysensitive to any questioninvolving Anita. He wasimpossibly in love with theslender young woman,intoxicated with the way shemoved,thewayshesounded,the way she looked at him.And while these werepossiblytheonlytwomenonallMidkemiatowhomhefelt

close enough to share hisfeelings, he had never, evenas a boy, shown good gracewhen he felt hewas the buttofajest.As Arutha’s expression

darkened, Lyam said, ‘Putaway your black looks, littlestorm cloud. Not only am Iyour King, I’m still yourolder brother and I can boxyourearsiftheneedarises.’The use of the pet name

their mother had given himand the improbable image ofthe King boxing the ears ofthe Prince of Krondor madeAruthasmileslightly.Hewassilentamoment, thensaid,‘Iworry I misread her in this.Her letters, while warm, areformal and at times distant.And there are many youngcourtiersinyourpalace.’Martin said, ‘From the

moment we escaped from

Krondor, your fate wassealed,Arutha.She’shadyouin her bow mark from thefirst, like a hunter drawingdownonadeer.EvenbeforewereachedCrydee,whenwewerehidingout,she’dlookatyou in a certain way. No,she’s waiting for you, havenodoubt.’‘Besides,’ added Lyam,

‘you’ve told her how youfeel.’

‘Well, not in so manywords. But I have stated myfondestaffection.’Lyam and Martin

exchanged glances. ‘Arutha,’said Lyam, ‘you write withall the passion of a scribedoingyear-endtaxtallies.’All three laughed. The

monthsof travelhadalloweda redefinition of theirrelationship.Martinhadbeenboth tutor and friend to the

other two as boys, teachinghunting and woodcraft. Buthe had also been acommoner, though asHuntmaster he stood as ahighly placed member ofDukeBorric’sstaff.With therevelation that he was theirfather’sbastard,anelderhalfbrother, all three had passedthroughatimeofadjustment.Since then they had enduredthefalsecamaraderieofthose

seeking advantage, thehollowpromisesoffriendshipand loyalty from thoseseeking gain, and during thistime they had discoveredsomething more. In theothers, each had found twomen who could be trusted,who could be confided in,who understood what thissudden rise to preeminencemeant, and who shared thepressures of newly inflicted

responsibilities. In the othertwo,eachhadfoundfriends.Arutha shook his head,

laughingathimself.‘IguessIhaveknown from the first aswell, though I had doubts.She’ssoyoung.’Lyam said, ‘About our

mother’s age when she wedFather,youmean?’Arutha fixed Lyam with a

sceptical look. ‘Do you haveananswerforeverything?’

Martin clapped Lyam ontheback.‘Ofcourse,’hesaid.Thensoftlyheadded,‘That’swhyhe’stheKing.’AsLyamturned a mock frown uponMartin, the eldest brothercontinued. ‘So when wereturn, ask her to wed, dearbrother. Then we can wakeold Father Tully from beforehis fireplace and we can allbeoff toKrondorandhaveamerry wedding. And I can

stopallthisbloodytravelandreturntoCrydee.’A voice from above cried

out,‘Landho!’‘Whereaway?’shoutedthe

captain.‘Deadahead.’Gazing into the distance,

Martin’s practised hunter’seye was the first to perceivethedistant shores.Quietlyheplaced his hands upon hisbrothers’ shoulders. After a

time all three could see thedistant outline of tall towersagainstanazuresky.Softly Arutha said,

‘Rillanon.’

The sounds of the lighttapping of footfalls and therustle of a full skirt heldabove hurrying feetaccompanied the sight of aslender figure marchingpurposefully down a long

hallway. The lovely featuresof the lady rightlyacknowledged the reigningbeauty of the court were setin an expression of less thanpleasant aspect. The guardsposted along the hall stoodface front, but eyes followedher passage. More than oneguard considered the likelytarget of the lady’s well-known temper and smiledinwardly. The singer was in

for a rude awakening,literally.In a most unladylike

fashion, Princess Carline,sister to theKing, sweptpastastartledservantwhotriedtojumpasideandbowtoheratthe same time, a feat thatlandedhimonhisbacksideasCarline vanished into theguestwingofthepalace.Coming to a door, she

paused.Pattingherloosedark

hairintoplace,sheraisedherhand to knock, then halted.Her blue eyes narrowed asshe became irritated by thethought of waiting for thedoor to open, so she simplypushed it open withoutannouncingherself.The chamber was dark, as

the night curtains were stilldrawn. The large bed wasoccupied by a large lumpbeneath the blankets that

groaned as Carline slammedthe door behind her. Pickingher way across the clothing-strewn floor, she yankedaside the curtains, admittingthe brilliant midmorninglight. Another groan emittedfromthelumpasaheadwithtwo red-rimmed eyes peekedout over the bedcovers.‘Carline,’camethedrycroak,‘are you trying to wither metodeath?’

Coming to stand over thebed, she snapped, ‘If youhadn’t been carousing allnight, and had been tobreakfast as expected, youmight have heard that mybrothers’ ship had beensighted. They’ll be at thedockwithintwohours.’Laurie of Tyr-Sog,

troubadour, traveller, formerherooftheRiftwar,andlatelycourt minstrel and constant

companion to the Princess,sat up, rubbing at tired eyes.‘I was not carousing. TheEarl of Dolth insisted onhearing every song in myrepertoire. I sang until neardawn.’Heblinkedandsmiledup at Carline. Scratching athis neatly trimmed blondbeard,he said, ‘Themanhasinexhaustible endurance, butalsoexcellenttasteinmusic.’Carline sat on the edge of

the bed, leaned over, andkissedhimbriefly.Shedeftlydisengagedherselffromarmsthat sought to entangle her.Holding him at baywith herhanduponhischest,shesaid,‘Listen, you amorousnightingale, Lyam, Martin,andAruthawillbeheresoon,and the minute Lyam holdscourt and gets all theformalities done with, I’mtalking to him about our

marriage.’Laurie looked around as if

seeking a corner in which todisappear. Over the last yeartheir relationship haddeveloped in depth andpassion, but Laurie had anear-reflexive avoidance ofthe topic of marriage. ‘Now,Carline–’hebegan.‘“Now, Carline,” indeed!’

she interrupted with a jab ofherfingerintohisbarechest.

‘You buffoon, I’ve hadeastern princes, sons of halfthe dukes in the Kingdom,and who knows how manyothers simply begging forpermission to pay court tome.And I’vealways ignoredthem.Andforwhat?Sosomewitless musician can triflewithmyaffections?Well,weshallhaveanaccounting.’Lauriegrinned,pushinghis

tousled blond hair back. He

sat up and, before she couldmove, kissed her deeply.When he pulled away, hesaid, ‘Carline, love of mybeing,please.We’vecoveredthisground.’Her eyes, which had been

half-closed during the kiss,instantly widened. ‘Oh!We’ve covered this groundbefore?’ she said, infuriated.‘Wewill bemarried. That isfinal.’ She stood up to avoid

his embrace again. ‘It hasbecome the scandal of thecourt, the Princess and herminstrel lover. It’s not evenan original tale. I ambecoming a laughing-stock.Damn it all, Laurie, I’mnearly twenty-six. Mostwomenmyageareeight,nineyears married. Would youhavemedieaspinster?’‘Never that, my love,’ he

answered, still amused.

Besides the fact of herbeauty, and the slim chanceofanyone’scallingheranoldmaid, she was ten years hisjuniorandheregardedherasyoung, a perceptionconstantly furthered by heroutbursts of childish temper.Hesatupfullyandspreadhishands in a gesture ofhelplessness as he stifled hismirth. ‘I am what I am,darling,nomoreor less. I’ve

been here longer than I’vebeenanywherewhen Iwasafree man. I’ll admit, though,this is a far more pleasantcaptivity than the last.’ Hewas speakingof theyearshehadbeenaslaveonKelewan,the Tsurani homeworld. ‘Butyou’ll never know when I’llwanttoroamoncemore.’Hecouldseehertemperrisingashe spoke, and was forced toadmit to himself that he was

often what brought out theworst in her nature. Herapidly changed tack.‘Besides, I don’t know if I’dmakeagood…whateverthehusband of the King’s sisteriscalled.’‘Well, you’d better get

usedtoit.Nowgetupandgetdressed.’Lauriegrabbedthetrousers

shetossedtohimandquicklyput them on. When he was

finished dressing he stoodbefore her and put his armsaround her waist. ‘Since thedaywemetIhavebeenyouradoring subject, Carline. Ihave never loved, nor will Ilove, anyone as I love you,but–’‘Iknow.Ihavehadmonths

of the same excuses.’ Shejabbedhiminthechestagain.‘You’ve always been atraveller,’ she mocked.

‘You’ve always been free.You don’t know how youwould fare being tied to onespot – though I’ve noticedyou’ve managed to enduresettling down here in theKing’spalace.’Laurie cast his eyes

heavenwards. ‘This is trueenough.’‘Well, lover mine, those

excusesmayserveyouasyoubid farewell to some poor

tavern keeper’s daughter, butthey’ll do you little goodhere.WeshallseewhatLyamthinks of all this. I shouldimaginethereissomeoldlawor other in the archivesdealing with commonersbecoming involved withnobles.’Lauriechuckled. ‘There is.

My father is entitled to agolden sovereign, a pair ofmules, and a farm for your

having taken advantage ofme.’Suddenly Carline giggled,

tried to smother it, thenlaughedaloud.‘Youbastard.’Tightly hugging him, sherested her head upon hisshoulder and sighed. ‘I canneverstayangrywithyou.’He cradled her gently in

the circle of his arms. ‘I dogive you reason uponoccasion,’hesaidsoftly.

‘Yes,youdo.’‘Well,notallthatoften.’‘Lookyouwell,boyo,’she

said.‘Mybrothersarenearingtheharbouraswespeak,andyou stand here arguing. Youmaydaremake freewithmyperson,buttheKingmaytakea dimviewof things as theystand.’‘So I have feared,’ Laurie

said,withobviousconcerninhisvoice.

Suddenly Carline’s moodsoftened. Her expressionchanged to one ofreassurance. ‘Lyam will dowhatever I ask. He’s neverbeen able to say no toanythingI’vetrulywishedforsince I was tiny. This is notCrydee.Heknows things aredifferenthere,andthatI’mnolongerachild.’‘SoIhavenoticed.’‘Rogue. Look, Laurie.

You’re no simple farmer orcobbler. You speak morelanguages than any“educated” noble I haveknown. You read and write.You have travelled widely,even to the Tsurani world.You have wits and talents.You are much more able togovern than many who areborn to it. Besides, if I canhave an older brother whowasahunterbeforebecoming

a duke, why not a husbandwhowasasinger?’‘Your logic is impeccable.

I simply don’t have a goodanswer. I love you withoutstint,buttherest–’‘Yourproblemisyouhave

theabilitytogovern,butyoujust don’t want theresponsibility.You’relazy.’He laughed. ‘That’s why

my father tossed me out ofthe house when I was

thirteen.Said I’dnevermakeadecentfarmer.’Shepushedawayfromhim

gently, her voice taking on aseriousnote. ‘Thingschange,Laurie. I’ve given this muchconsideration.IthoughtIwasin love before, twice, butyou’re the only man whocouldgetme to forgetwho Iam and act this shamelessly.When I’mwith you, nothingmakes sense, but that’s all

right, because then I don’tcare if the way I feel makessense. But now I must care.You’d better make a choice,andmakeitsoon.I’llbetmyjewelsArutha andAnitawillannounce they are betrothedbeforemybrothersare in thepalace a day. Which meanswe’llallbeofftoKrondorfortheirwedding.‘When they are wed, I’ll

returnherewithLyam.Itwill

beuptoyoutodecideifyouwillbecomingbackwithus,Laurie.’ She locked gazeswith him. ‘I have had awonderfultimewithyou.I’vefeelings I couldn’t imaginepossiblewhen I dreamedmygirl’sdreamsofPugandthenRoland. But you must getready to choose.Youaremyfirstlover,andwillalwaysbemy dearest love, but when Ireturnhereyouwillbeeither

myhusbandoramemory.’Before he could answer,

shewalkedtothedoor.‘Inallways I love you, rogue. Buttime is short.’ She paused.‘Now come along and helpmegreettheKing.’He came to her side and

openedthedoorforher.Theyhurried to where carriageswere waiting to take thereception committee to thedocks. Laurie of Tyr-Sog,

troubadour, traveller, andhero of the Riftwar, wasacutelyawareofthepresenceofthiswomanathissideandwondered how it would feeltobedeniedthatpresenceforgood and all. He feltdecidedly unhappy at theprospect.

Rillanon, capital of theKingdomof the Isles,waitedto welcome home her King.

Thebuildingswerebedeckedin festive bunting andhothouse flowers. Bravepennants flew from therooftops and bold banners ofevery colour were strungbetween the buildings overthe streets the King wouldtravel. Called Jewel of theKingdom, Rillanon restedupontheslopesofmanyhills,a marvellous place ofgraceful spires, airy arches,

and delicate spans. The lateKing, Rodric, had embarkeduponarestorationofthecity,adding lovely marble andquartzstonefacingtomostofthe buildings before thepalace, rendering the city asparkling wonderland in theafternoonsunlight.The Royal Eagle

approached the King’s dock,where the welcoming partywaited. In the distance, upon

those buildings and hillsidestreetsaffordingaclearviewof the dock, throngs ofcitizens were cheering thereturn of their young King.FormanyyearsRillanonhadabided under the black cloudof King Rodric’s madness,and though Lyamwas still astranger tomostof the city’spopulace, hewas adored, forhewasyoungandhandsome,hisbraveryintheRiftwarwas

widely known, and hisgenerosityhadbeengreat.Hehadloweredtaxes.With a master’s ease, the

harbour pilot guided theKing’sshipintoitsappointedplace. It was quickly madesecure and the gangway runout.Arutha watched as Lyam

was the first to descend. Astraditiondictated,hedroppedto his knees and kissed the

soil of his homeland.Arutha’s eyes scanned thecrowd, seeking Anita, but inthe press of nobles movingforwardtogreetLyamhesawnosignofher.Amomentarycoldstabofdoubtstruckhim.Martin nudged Arutha,

who, protocol dictated, wasexpected to be the second todisembark. Arutha hurrieddown the gangway, withMartin a step behind.

Arutha’sattentionwascaughtby the sight of his sisterleavingthesideofthesinger,Laurie, to rush forward andfiercely hug Lyam. Whileothers in the receptioncommittee were not as freewith ritual as Carline, therewasaspontaneouscheerfromthe courtiers and guardsawaiting theKing’spleasure.Then Arutha had Carline’sarms about his neck as she

bestowed a kiss and hug onhim. ‘Oh, I’ve missed yoursourlooks,’shesaidhappily.Arutha had been wearing

the dour expression heexhibited when lost inthought.He said, ‘What sourlooks?’Carline looked up into

Arutha’s eyes and, with aninnocent smile, said, ‘Youlook as if you’d swallowedsomethinganditmoved.’

Martin laughed aloud atthat, then Carline washugging him in turn. Hestiffened at first, for he wasstill less comfortable with asister thanwith twobrothers,then he relaxed and huggedher back. Carline said, ‘I’vegrown bored without youthreearound.’Seeing Laurie a short

distanceoff,Martinshookhishead. ‘Not too bored, it

seems.’Carline playfully said,

‘There’snolawthatsaysonlymen can indulge themselves.Besides, he’s the best manI’ve met who’s not mybrother.’ Martin could onlysmile at that while AruthacontinuedlookingforAnita.Lord Caldric, Duke of

Rillanon,FirstAdviser to theKing, and Lyam’s great-uncle, smiled broadly as the

King’s huge hand engulfedhis own in a vigorous shake.Lyam nearly had to shoutover the cheers from thosenearby. ‘Uncle, how standsourKingdom?’‘Well, my King, now that

you’vereturned.’As Arutha’s expression

grew more distressful,Carline said, ‘Put away thatlong face, Arutha. She’s inthe eastern garden, waiting

foryou.’Arutha kissed Carline’s

cheek,hurriedawayfromherandalaughingMartin,andashe dashed past Lyam,shouted, ‘With YourMajesty’spermission.’Lyam’s expression ran

quickly from surprise tomirth, while Caldric and theother courtiers were amazedat the Prince of Krondor’sbehaviour.Lyamleanedclose

toCaldricandsaid,‘Anita.’Caldric’s old face beamed

with a sunny smile as hechuckled in understanding.‘Then you’ll soon be offagain, this time for Krondorandyourbrother’swedding?’‘We’d sooner hold it here,

but tradition dictates thePrinceweds in his own city,and we must bow beforetradition. But that won’t befor a few weeks yet. These

thingstaketime,andwehavea kingdom to govern in themeantime, though it seemsyou’ve done well enough inourabsence.’‘Perhaps, Your Majesty,

but now that there is a Kingagain in Rillanon, manymattersheld inabeyance thislastyearwillbeunloosedforyour consideration. Thosepetitionsandotherdocumentsforwardedtoyouduringyour

travels were but a tenth partofwhatyouwillsee.’Lyam gave amock groan.

‘We think we shall have thecaptain put to sea again atonce.’Caldric smiled. ‘Come,

Majesty.Your citywishes toseeitsKing.’The eastern garden was

empty save for one figure.She moved quietly betweenwell-tended planters of

flowers not quite ready tosend forth blooms. A fewheartiervarietieswerealreadybeginning to take on thebright green of spring andmanyoftheborderinghedgeswere evergreen, but thegarden still seemedmore thebarren symbolofwinter thanthe fresh promise of spring,which would manifest itselfwithinafewweeks.Anita looked across the

vista of Rillanon below. Thepalacesatatopahill,oncethesite of a large keep that stillserved as its heart. Sevenhigh-arched bridges spannedthe river that surrounded thepalace with the loops of itsmeandering course. Theafternoonwindwaschill,andAnita drew a shawl of finesilken material close abouthershoulders.Anita smiled in

remembrance.Hergreeneyesmisted over slightly as shethought of her late father,PrinceErland, andof all thathad occurred in the last yearandmore: howGuy duBas-Tyra had arrived in Krondorand attempted to force herinto a marriage of state, andhow Arutha had come toKrondor incognito.They hadhidden together under theprotection of the Mockers –

the thieves of Krondor – forover a month until theirescape toCrydee.At the endof the Riftwar she hadtravelled to Rillanon to seeLyam crowned. During allthose months she had alsofallendeeplyinlovewiththeKing’s younger brother.AndnowAruthawas returning toRillanon.The tread of boots upon

flagstone caused her to turn.

Anita expected to see aservantorguard,cometotellof the King’s arrival in theharbour. Instead a weary-looking man in fine butrumpled traveller’s clothingapproachedacrossthegarden.His dark brown hair wastousledby thebreezeandhisbrowneyeswere ringedwithdark circles. His near-gauntfacewassetinthehalf-frownwhich he assumed when he

wasdwellinguponsomethingserious, andwhich she foundso dear. As he neared, shesilentlymarvelled at thewayhe walked, lithe, almostcatlike in his quickness andeconomyofmovement.Ashecame up to her, he smiled,tentatively, even shyly.Before she could musteryears of court-taught poise,Anita found tears coming tohereyes.Suddenlyshewasin

his arms, clinging tightly tohim. ‘Arutha’ was all shesaid.For a time they stood

saying nothing, holding eachother tight. Then he slowlytilted her head back andkissedher.Withoutwordshespoke of his devotion andlonging and without wordsshe answered. He lookeddownat eyes as green as thesea and a nose delightfully

dusted by a small scatteringof freckles, a pleasingimperfection upon herotherwise fair skin. With atired grin he said, ‘I’vereturned.’Then he was laughing at

the obvious remark. Shelaughed as well. He feltbuoyant to be holding thisslender young woman in hisarms,smellingthefaintscentof her dark red hair, which

was caught up in somecomplex fashion popular atcourtthisseason.Herejoicedtobewithheragain.Shesteppedawaybutheld

tightly to his hand. ‘It hasbeen so very long,’ she saidsoftly.‘Itwasonlytobeforamonth … then another, thenmore.You’vebeengoneoverhalf a year. I couldn’t bringmyself to go to the dock. IknewI’dcryatsightofyou.’

Her cheeks were wet fromtears. She smiled and wipedthemaway.Arutha squeezed her hand.

‘Lyam kept finding morenobles to visit. The businessoftheKingdom,’hesaidwitha wry note of deprecation.From the day he had metAnita, Arutha had beenunable to articulate hisfeelings for thegirl.Stronglyattractedtoherfromthefirst,

he had wrestled with hisemotions constantly aftertheir escape from Krondor.He was powerfully drawn toher and yet saw her as littlemorethanachild,onlyaboutto come of age. But she hadbeen a calming influence onhim, reading his moods likeno one else, sensing how toease his worry, stem hisanger,anddrawhimfromhisdark introspection. And he

had come to love her softways.He had remained silent

until the night before he haddeparted with Lyam. Theyhad walked in this garden,speaking late into the night,and while little ofconsequence had been said,Arutha had left feeling as ifan understanding had beenreached. The light, andoccasionally somewhat

formal,toneofherlettershadcaused him worry, fear thathehadmisreadherthatnight,butnow,lookingdownather,heknewhehadnot.Withoutpreamble he said, ‘I havedone little but think of yousinceweleft.’Hesawtearscomeagainto

hereyes,andshesaid,‘AndIofyou.’‘Iloveyou,Anita.Iwould

have you always atmy side.

Will you consent to marryme?’She squeezed his hand as

she said, ‘Yes,’ thenembraced him again.Arutha’s mind reeled underthesheerweightofhappinesshefelt.Holdingherclose,hewhispered, ‘You aremy joy.Youaremyheart.’They stood there for a

time, the tall, rangy Princeand the slender Princess,

whose head barely reachedhis chin. They spoke softlyand nothing seemed ofimportanceexcepttheother’spresence. Then the self-conscious sound of someoneclearing his throat broughtthembothoutoftheirreverie.They turned to find a palaceguardsman standing at theentrance to the garden. Hesaid, ‘His Majestyapproaches, Your

Highnesses. He will beentering the great hallwithinafewminutes.’Arutha said, ‘We shall go

there at once.’ He led Anitaby the hand past the guard,whofellinbehindthem.HadAruthaandAnitalookedovertheir shoulders, they wouldhave seen the experiencedpalace guardsman fightinghard to overcome a broadgrin.

Arutha gave Anita’s hand afinal squeeze, then stationedhimself next to the door asLyam entered the grandthroneroomofthepalace.Asthe King moved towards thedais upon which his thronerested, courtiers bowed tohim,andtheCourtMasterofCeremonies struck the floorwiththeiron-shodbuttofhisceremonial staff. A heraldshouted, ‘Hearken to me!

Hearken tome!Let thewordgo forth: Lyam, first of thatnameandbythegraceof thegods rightwise ruler, isreturned to us and again sitsuponhisthrone.LonglivetheKing!’‘LonglivetheKing!’came

the response of thosegatheredinthegreathall.When he was seated, his

simple gold circlet of officeuponhisbrowandhispurple

mantle upon his shoulders,Lyam said, ‘We are pleasedtobehome.’TheMaster ofCeremonies

strucktheflooragainandtheherald shouted out Arutha’sname. Arutha entered thehall,CarlineandAnitabehindhim,andMartinbehindthem,as protocol dictated. Eachwas announced in order.When all were in place atLyam’s side, the King

motionedtoArutha.Arutha came to his side

andleanedover.‘Didyouaskher?’saidtheking.With a lopsided smile

Arutha responded, ‘Ask herwhat?’Lyam grinned. ‘To marry,

jackanapes. Of course youdid, and from that sloppysmile, she said yes,’ hewhispered. ‘Go get back inplace and I’ll make the

announcement in amoment.’Arutha went back to Anita’sside and Lyam motionedDuke Caldric over. ‘We areweary, my lord Chancellor.Wewouldbepleasedtokeeptheday’sbusinessbrief.’‘There are two matters I

judgerequireYourMajesty’sattention this day. Thebalancemaywait.’Lyam indicated that

Caldric should proceed.

‘First, from the BorderBaronsandDukeVandrosofYabon, we have reports ofunusualgoblinactivity in theWesternRealm.’Arutha’s attention was

drawnfromAnitaatthis.TheWestern Realm was his togovern. Lyam looked overtowards him, then Martin,indicatingtheyshouldattend.Martin said, ‘What of

Crydee,mylord?’

Caldric said, ‘No wordfrom the Far Coast, YourGrace. At this time we’veonly reports from the areabetween Highcastle to theeast and theLakeof theSkytothewest–steadysightingsof goblin bands movingnorthward, and occasionalraidsastheypassvillages.’‘Northward?’ Martin

glancedatArutha.Arutha said, ‘With Your

Majesty’spermission?’Lyamnodded.‘Martin,doyouthinkthe goblins move to join theBrotherhood of the DarkPath?’Martin considered. ‘I

would not dismiss such apossibility. The goblins havelong served the moredhel.ThoughIwouldhavethoughtit more likely the DarkBrothers would be movingsouth, returning to their

homes in the Grey TowerMountains.’Thedarkcousinsto the elves had been drivennorthward from the GreyTowers by the Tsuraniinvasion during the Riftwar.Martin said to Caldric, ‘Mylord, have there beenreportings of the DarkBrotherhood?’Caldric shook his head.

‘There have been the usualsightings along the foothills

of the Teeth of the World,Duke Martin, but nothingextraordinary. Lords North-warden, Ironpass, andHighcastle send their usualreports, nothing more,regardingtheBrotherhood.’Lyam said, ‘Arutha, we

shall leave it to you andMartintoreviewthesereportsand determine what may berequired in the West.’ HelookedatCaldric.‘Whatelse,

mylord?’‘A message from the

EmpressofGreatKesh,YourMajesty.’‘AndwhathasKeshtosay

toIsles?’‘The Empress has ordered

her ambassador, one AbdurRachman Memo Hazara-Khan,toIslesforthepurposeof discussing endingwhatever contention mayexist between Kesh and

Isles.’Lyam said, ‘That news

pleasesus,mylord.Overlonghas the issue of the Vale ofDreams prevented ourKingdom and Great Keshfrom treating fairly with oneanother in other matters. Itwould prove doublybeneficial to our two nationsifwe could settle thismatterfor all time.’ Lyam stood.‘But send word that His

Excellency will have toattend us inKrondor, forwehaveaweddingtocelebrate.‘Mylordsandladiesofthe

court, it is with profoundpleasurethatweannouncetheforthcoming wedding of ourbrotherAruthatothePrincessAnita.’ The King turned toArutha and Anita, takingthem each by the hand andpresenting them to theassembled court, who

applaudedtheannouncement.Fromwhereshestoodnext

toherbrothers,CarlinethrewLaurie a dark frown, andwent to kiss Anita’s cheek.While good cheer reigned inthe hall, Lyam said, ‘Thisday’sbusinessisatanend.’

•ChapterTwo•Krondor

Thecityslumbered.Amantleofheavyfoghad

rolled in off the Bitter Sea,enshrouding Krondor indense whiteness. The capitalof theWestern Realm of theKingdom never rested, butnormal night sounds weremuffled by the nearly

impenetrable haze cloakingthe movements of those stilltravelling the streets.Everything seemed moresubdued, less strident thanusual, almost as if the citywereatpeacewithitself.For one inhabitant of the

city the night’s conditionswere nearly ideal. The foghadturnedeverystreet intoanarrow, dark passageway,each block of buildings into

an isolated island. Theunending gloom waspunctuated slightly bystreetlamps at the corners,smallwaystationsofwarmthand brightness for passersbybefore they once moreplunged into the damp andmurky night. But betweenthose small havens ofillumination one given toworking in darkness wasgranted additional protection,

as small noises weredeadened and movementswere masked from chanceobservation.JimmytheHandwentabouthisbusiness.About fifteenyearsofage,

Jimmy was already countedamong the most giftedmembersof theMockers, theGuildofThieves.Jimmyhadbeen a thief nearly all hisshort life, a street boy whohad graduated from stealing

fruit from peddlers’ carts tofull membership in theMockers.Jimmy’sfatherwasunknown to him, and hismother had been a prostitutein the Poor Quarter until herdeath at the hands of adrunkensailor.Sincethentheboy had been aMocker, andhis rise had been rapid. Themost astonishing thing aboutJimmy’srisewasnothisage,for the Mockers were of the

opinionthatassoonasaboywas ready to try thieving, heshould be turned loose.Failure had its own rewards.A poor thief was quickly adeadthief.AslongasanotherMocker was not put at risk,there was little loss in thedeath of a thief of limitedtalents. No, the mostastonishing fact of Jimmy’srapid rise was that he wasnearly as good as he thought

hewas.With stealth bordering on

the preternatural he movedabout the room. The night’squietwasbrokenonlyby thedeep snores of hisunsuspecting host andhostess. The faint glow fromadistantstreet-lamp,enteringthe open window, was hisonly illumination. Jimmypeered around, his othersenses aiding his search. A

sudden change in the soundof the floorboards underJimmy’s light tread, and thethief found what he waslooking for. He laughedinwardly at the merchant’slackoforiginalityinhoardinghis wealth. With economicalmovement the boy thief hadthe false floorboard up andhishandintoTrigtheFuller’shideaway.Trig snorted and rolled

over, bringing a respondingsnore from his fat wife.Jimmy froze in place, barelybreathing, until the twosleeping figures werequiescentforseveralminutes.He then extracted a heavypouch and gently placed thebootyinhistunic,securedbyhis wide belt. He put theboard back and returned tothe window. With luck itmightbedaysbeforethetheft

wasdiscovered.He stepped through the

window and. turningbackwards,reacheduptogripthe eaves. A quick pull, andhe was sitting on the roof.Overhanging the edge, heclosed the window shutterswithagentlepushandjiggledthe hook and twine so theinside latch fell back intoplace. He quickly retrievedhistwine,silentlylaughingat

the perplexity sure to resultwhenthefullertriedtofigureout how the gold had beentaken.Jimmylayquietlyforamoment, listening for soundsofwakinginside.Whennonecame,herelaxed.Heroseandbeganmaking

his way along the Thieves’Highway, as the rooftops ofthecitywereknown.HeleaptfromtheroofofTrig’shouseto the next, then sat down

upon the tiles to inspect hishaul.Thepouchwasevidencethe fuller had been a thriftyman, holding back a fairshare of his steady profits. ItwouldkeepJimmyincomfortfor months if he didn’tgambleitallaway.A slight noise caused

Jimmy to drop to the roof,hugging the tiles in silence.He heard another sound, ascuffle of movement coming

fromtheothersideofagablehalfway down the roof fromwherehelay.Theboycursedhis luck and ran a handthrough his fog-damp curlybrownhair.Foranothertobeupon the rooftops nearbycould only spell trouble.Jimmy was working withoutwrit from theNightmaster ofMockers, a habit of his thathad earned him reprimandsandbeatingsthefewtimeshe

hadbeenfoundout,but ifhewasnowjeopardizinganotherMocker’s nightwork, he wasin line for more than harshwordsoracuffingaroundtheroom. Jimmy was treated asan adult by others in theguild, his position hard wonby skill and wit. In turn hewas expected to be aresponsible member, his agebeing of no account. By hisrisking the life of another

Mocker, his own could beforfeit.Theotheralternativecould

proveasbad.Ifafreebootingthief was working the citywithout permission from theMockers,itwasJimmy’sdutyto identify and report him.That would somewhatmitigateJimmy’sownbreachof Mocker etiquette,especiallyifhegavetheguildits normal two thirds of the

fuller’sgold.Jimmy slipped over the

peakof the roof andcrawledalong until he was oppositethe source of the noise. Heneed only glimpse theindependent thief and reporthim. The Nightmaster wouldcirculate the man’sdescription and sooner orlaterhewouldbepaidavisitby some guild bashers whowould educate him in the

proper courtesies due theMockers by visiting thieves.Jimmy edged upwards andpeered over the rooftop. Hesaw nothing. Looking about,he glimpsed a faintmovementfromthecornerofhis eye and turned.Again hesawnothing.JimmytheHandsettled down to wait. Therewas something here thatprovoked his sensitivecuriosity.

That acute curiosity wasone of Jimmy’s onlyweaknesses when it came towork–thatandanoccasionalirritation with the need todividehislootwiththeguild,whichtookadimviewofthisreluctance.Hisupbringingbythe Mockers had given himan appreciation of life – ascepticism bordering oncynicism – far beyond hisyears.Hewasuneducatedbut

canny. One thing he knew:sound does not issue fromthinair–exceptwhenmagicisinplay.Jimmy settled down a

momenttopuzzleoutwhathedidn’t see before him. Eithersome invisible spirit wassquirming aboutuncomfortably on the rooftiles, which while possiblewas highly unlikely, orsomething more corporeal

was hidden deep within theshadows of the other side ofthegable.Jimmy crawled along until

hewasoppositethegableandraisedhimselfslightlytolookover thepeakof theroof.Hepeered into the darkness andwhen he heard another faintscufflingwasrewardedwithaglimpse of movement.Someonewasdeepwithinthegloom,wearingadarkcloak.

Jimmycould locatehimonlywhen he moved. Jimmyinched along below the peakto gain a better angle towatch, until he was directlybehind the figure. Again herearedup.The lurkermoved,adjustinghiscloakaroundhisshoulders. The hair on theback of Jimmy’s neck stoodup. The figure before himwas dressed all in black andcarried a heavy crossbow.

This was no thief but aNighthawk!Jimmy lay rock still. To

stumble across a member ofthe Guild of Death at workwas not likely to enhanceone’s prospects of old age.But there was a standingorderamongtheMockersthatany news of the brotherhoodof assassins was to bereported at once, and theorder had come down from

theUprightManhimself, thehighest authority in theMockers. Jimmy chose towait, trusting in his skillsshould he be discovered. Hemight not possess the nearlylegendary attributes of aNighthawk, but he had thesupreme confidence of afifteen-year-old boywho hadbecome the youngest MasterThief in the history of theMockers. If he was

discovered, it would not behis first chase across theThieves’Highway.Time passed and Jimmy

waited, with a disciplineunusual for one his age. Athiefwho cannot remain stillforhoursifneedsbedoesnotremain a living thief long.Occasionally Jimmy heardand glimpsed the assassinmoving about. Jimmy’s aweof the legendary Nighthawks

steadilylessened,forthisonedisplayedlittleskillinstayingmotionless. Jimmy had longbefore mastered the trick ofquietly tensing and relaxingmuscles to prevent crampingand stiffening. Then, heconsidered,mostlegendstendto be overstated, and in theNighthawks’ line of work itwasonlytotheiradvantagetokeeppeopleinaweofthem.Abruptly the assassin

moved, letting his cloak fallawaycompletelyasheraisedhis crossbow. Jimmy couldhear hoofbeats approaching.Riderspassedbelow,and theassassin slowly lowered theweapon. Obviously thosebelow had not included hisintendedprey.Jimmy elbowed himself a

little higher to gain a betterviewoftheman,nowthathiscloak didn’t mask him. The

assassin turned slightly,retrievinghiscloak,exposinghis face to Jimmy. The thiefgathered his legs under him,ready to spring away shouldtheneedarise,andstudiedtheman. Jimmy could make outlittle,exceptthatthemanhaddark hair and was light-complexioned. Then theassassinseemedtobelookingdirectlyattheboy.Jimmy’s heart pounded

loudly in his ears and hewondered how the assassincould fail to hear such aracket. But the man turnedback to his vigil, and Jimmydropped silently below theroof peak. He breathedslowly, fighting back asudden giddy urge to giggle.After it passed, he relaxedslightly and chanced anotherlook.Again the assassin waited.

Jimmy settled in. Hewonderedat theNighthawk’sweapon.Theheavycrossbowwas a poor choice for amarksman, being lessaccurate than any good bow.Itwoulddoforsomeonewithlittle training, for itdeliveredaboltwiththunderingforce–awound less than fatal froman arrowcouldkill if fromabolt, because of the addedshockoftheblow.Jimmyhad

once seen a steel cuirass ondisplayinatavern.ThemetalbreastplatehadaholeinitthesizeofJimmy’sfist,punchedthrough by a bolt from aheavy crossbow. It had beenhung up not because of thesize of the hole, which wasusual for the weapon, butbecause the wearer hadsomehow survived. But theweapon had itsdisadvantages. Besides being

inaccuratepastadozenyards,ithadashortrange.Jimmy craned his neck to

watchtheNighthawkandfelta tic in his right arm. Heshifted his weight slightly tohis left. Suddenly a tile gaveway beneath his hand andwitha loudcrack it broke. Itfell away, clattering over theroof to crash down on thecobbles below. To Jimmy itwas a thunder peal sounding

hisdoom.Moving with inhuman

speed,theassassinturnedandfired.Jimmy’sslippingsavedhislife,forhecouldnothavedodged fast enough to avoidthe bolt, but gravity hadprovidedthenecessaryspeed.He struck the roof and heardthe quarrel pass over hishead. For a brief instant heimagined his head explodinglike a ripe pumpkin and

silently thanked Banath,patrongodofthieves.Jimmy’s reflexes saved

him next, for rather thanstanding, he rolled to hisright. Where he had lain amomentbefore,aswordcamecrashing down. Knowing hecouldn’t gain enough of alead to outrun the assassin,Jimmyleaptupintoacrouch,pullinghisdirkfromhisrightboot top in a single motion.

Hehadlittleloveforfighting,but he had realized early inhis career that his life mightdepend upon his use of theblade. He had practiseddiligently whenever theopportunity had presenteditself.Jimmyonlywishedhisrooftop foray had notprecluded his bringing alonghisrapier.Theassassinturnedtoface

theboy, and Jimmysawhim

teeter for a brief instant.TheNighthawkmight have quickreflexes,buthewasnotusedto the precarious footing therooftops offered. Jimmygrinned, asmuch to hide hisfear as from any amusementattheassassin’sunease.In a hissing whisper the

assassin said, ‘Pray towhatever gods brought youhere,boy.’Jimmy thought such a

remark odd, considering itdistracted only the speaker.The assassin lashed out, theblade slicing the air whereJimmyhadbeen,andtheboythiefwasoff.He dashed along the roof

andleaptbacktothebuildingwhereinlivedTrigtheFuller.Amomentlaterhecouldhearthe assassin landing also.Jimmy ran nimbly until hewasconfrontedbyayawning

gap. In his hurry he hadforgotten there was a widealley at this end of thebuildingandthenextbuildingwas impossibly distant. Hespunabout.The assassin was slowly

approaching, his sword pointlevelled at Jimmy. Jimmywas struck by a thought andsuddenly began a madstomping dance upon theroof. In a moment the noise

was answered by an angryvoice from below. ‘Thief! Iam undone!’ Jimmy couldpictureTrigtheFullerleaningout of his window, rousingthecitywatch,andhopedtheassassinhadthesamepicturein mind. The racket belowwould surely have thebuilding surrounded in shortorder.Heprayed theassassinwouldfleeratherthanpunishtheauthorofhisfailure.

The assassin ignored thefuller’s cries and advancedupon Jimmy. Again heslashed and Jimmy ducked,bringing himself inside theassassin’s reach. Jimmystabbedwithhisdirkandfeltthe point dig into theNighthawk’s swordarm.Theassassin’s blade wentclattering to the streetbelow.A howl of pain echoedthrough the night, silencing

the fuller’s shouts. JimmyheardtheshuttersslamclosedandwonderedwhatpoorTrigmustbethinking,hearingthatshriekrightoverhishead.The assassin dodged

another thrust by Jimmy andpulledadaggerfromhisbelt.He advanced again, notspeaking, hisweaponheld inhis left hand. Jimmy heardshouts from the street belowand resisted the urge to cry

for aid. He felt littleconfidence about besting theNighthawk, even if theassassinwasfightingwithhisoff hand, but he was alsoreluctant to explain hispresence upon the fuller’sroof.Besides,evenshouldheshoutforaid,bythetimethewatch arrived, gainedentrance to the house, andreached the roof the issuewouldbedecided.

Jimmybackedtotheendofthe roof, until his heels hunginspace.Theassassinclosed,saying, ‘You have nowherelefttorun,boy.’Jimmywaited, preparing a

desperate gamble. Theassassin tensed, the signJimmy had watched for.Jimmy crouched and steppedbackwardsallatonce, lettinghimselffall.Theassassinhadbegun a lunge, andwhen his

blade did not meet theexpected resistance, heoverbalanced and fellforward. Jimmy caught theedge of the roof, nearlydislocating his shouldersockets with the jolt. He feltmore than saw the assassinfall past, silently speedingthroughthedarknesstocrashonthecobblesbelow.Jimmyhungforamoment,

his hands, arms, and

shoulders afire with pain. Itwouldbesosimplejusttoletgoandfallintosoftdarkness.Shaking off the fatigue andpain, he urged protestingmuscles to pull himself backontotheroof.Helaygaspingfor a moment, then rolledoverandlookeddown.Theassassinlaystillonthe

cobbles, his crooked neckoffering clear evidence hewas no longer alive. Jimmy

breathed deeply, the chill offear finally acknowledged.Hesuppresseda shudderandducked down as two menrushed into the alley below.They grabbed the corpse androlled it over, then picked itup and hurried off. Jimmyconsidered. For the assassinto have confederates aboutwas a certain sign this hadbeen a Guild of Deathundertaking. But who was

expected down this street atthis hour of the night?Casting about for amoment,heweighedtheriskofstayinga little longer to satisfy hiscuriosity against the certainarrival of the city watchwithin a few more minutes.Curiositywon.The sound of hoofbeats

echoed through the fog, andsoontworiderscameintothelight that burned from the

lanternbeforeTrig’shome.Itwas at thismoment thatTrigdecided to open his shuttersagainandresumehishueandcry.Jimmy’seyeswidenedasthe riders looked up towardsthe fuller’s window. Jimmyhad not seen one of themenin over a year, but he waswell known to the thief.Shaking his head at theimplications ofwhat he saw,theboythiefjudgeditagood

timetodepart.Butseeingthatman below made itimpossible for Jimmy toconsider thisnight’sbusinessat an end. It would mostlikelybealongnight.Heroseand began his trek along theThieves’ Highway, backtowardsMockers’Rest.

Aruthareinedinhishorseandlookeduptowhereamaninanightshirt shouted from a

window.‘Laurie,whatisthatallabout?’‘FromwhatIcanmakeout

between the wails andscreams, I judge thatburgherto have recently been thevictimofsomefelony.’Arutha laughed. ‘Iguessed

thatmuchmyself.’Hedidnotknow Laurie well, but heenjoyed the singer’s wit andsense of fun. He knew therewas now some trouble

between Laurie and Carline,which was why Laurie hadasked to accompany Aruthaon his journey to Krondor.Carlinewouldbearrivinginaweek with Anita and Lyam.But Arutha had long agodecided that what Carlinedidn’t confide in him wasn’this business.Besides,Aruthawas sympathetic to Laurie’splightifhehadfallenintoherbad graces. After Anita,

Carline was the last personArutha would wish angrywithhim.Aruthastudiedtheareaasa

few sleepy souls inneighbouringbuildingsbeganshouting inquiries. ‘Well,there’s bound to be someinvestigationheresoon.We’dbestbealong.’As if his words had been

prophecy, Arutha and Lauriewere startled to hear a voice

comingout of the fog. ‘Herenow!’ Emerging from themurkwerethreemenwearingthegrey felt capsandyellowtabardsofthecitywatch.Theleftmost watchman, a beefy,heavy-browed fellow, carrieda lantern in one hand and alarge nightstick in the other.The centre man was ofadvancing years, close toretirement age fromappearances, and the third

wasayounglad,butbothhadan air of street experienceabout them, evidenced in theway they casually had theirhands resting on large beltknives. ‘What passes thisnight?’ the older watchmansaid, his voice a mixture ofgood-natured humour andauthority.‘Some disturbance in that

house, watchman.’ Aruthapointed towards the fuller.

‘Weweresimplypassingby.’‘Wereyounow, sir?Well,

I don’t suppose you’d objectto remaining for a fewmoments longer until wediscover what this is allabout.’ He signalled to theyoung watchman to lookaround.Arutha nodded, saying

nothing. At that point a red-faced puffball of a manemerged from the house,

waving his arms while heshouted,‘Thieves!Theystoleintomyroom,myveryroom,andtookmytreasure!What’sto be done when a law-abiding citizen isn’t safe inhis bed, his own bed, I askyou?’ Catching sight ofArutha and Laurie, he said,‘Are these then the thieves,the vicious thieves?’Mustering what dignity hecould while wearing a

voluminous nightshirt, heexclaimed, ‘What have youdone with my gold, mypreciousgold?’The beefy watchman

jerkedon the shoutingman’sarm, nearly spinning thefuller completely around.‘Here now, watch yourshouting,churl.’‘Churl!’shoutedTrig.‘Just

what, I ask, gives you theright to call a citizen, a law-

abiding citizen, a –’ Hestopped, and his expressionchangedtooneofdisbeliefasacompanyofridersappearedout of the fog. At their headrodeatall,black-skinnedmanwearing the tabard of thecaptainof thePrince’sRoyalHouseholdGuard.Seeing thegathering in the streets, hesignalled for his men to reinin.With a shake of his head,

Arutha said to Laurie, ‘Somuch for a quiet return toKrondor.’The captain said,

‘Watchman,whatisallthis?’The watchman saluted.

‘That is what I was justundertaking to discover thisvery minute, Captain. Weapprehended these two …’He indicated Arutha andLaurie.Thecaptainrodecloserand

laughed. The watchmanlooked sideways at this tallcaptain,notknowingwhat tosay. Riding up to Arutha,Gardan, former sergeant ofthe garrison at Crydee,saluted. ‘Welcome to yourcity, Highness.’ At thesewordstheotherguardsbracedintheirsaddles,salutingtheirPrince.Arutha returned the salute

oftheguardsmen,thenshook

handswithGardanwhile thewatchmen and the fullerstood speechless. ‘Singer,’saidGardan,‘itisgoodtoseeyou again, as well.’ Laurieacknowledged the greetingwith a smile and wave. HehadknownGardanforonlyabriefwhilebeforeAruthahaddispatchedhimtoKrondortoassume command of the cityand palace guards, but helikedthegrey-hairedsoldier.

Aruthalookedtowherethewatchmen and the fullerwaited. The watchmen hadtheir capsoff and the senior-most said, ‘Beggin’ YourHighness’s pardon, old Bertdidn’t know. Any offencewasunintended,Sire.’Arutha shook his head,

amused despite the late hourand the cold weather. ‘Nooffence, Bert theWatchman.You were but doing your

duty, and rightly so.’ HeturnedtoGardan.‘Now,howin heaven’s name did youmanagetofindme?’‘Duke Caldric sent a full

itineraryalongwith thenewsthat youwere returning fromRillanon. You were due intomorrow, but I said to EarlVolneyyou’dmost likely tryto slip in tonight. As youwere riding from Salador,therewasonlyonegateyou’d

enter’–hepointeddown thestreet towards the easterngate, unseen in the fog-shrouded night – ‘and herewe are. Your HighnessarrivedevenearlierthanIhadexpected.Whereistherestofyourparty?’‘Half the guards are

escorting the Princess Anitatowards hermother’s estates.Therestarecampedaboutsixhours’ ride from the city. I

couldn’tabideonemorenightontheroad.Besides,there’sagreat deal to be done.’Gardan looked quizzically atthe Prince, but all Aruthawouldsaywas‘MorewhenIspeak to Volney. Now’ – helookedat thefuller–‘whoisthisloudfellow?’‘This is Trig the Fuller,

Highness,’ answered theseniorwatchman. ‘He claimssomeonebroke intohis room

and stole from him. He sayshe was awakened by thesounds of struggle on hisroof.’Trig interrupted. ‘They

were fighting over my head,overmy…very…head…’His voice trailed off as herealizedwhohewasspeakingto. ‘… Your Highness,’ hefinished, suddenlyembarrassed.The heavy-browed

watchman threw him a sternlook.‘Hesaysheheardsomesort of scream and, like aturtle,pulledhisheadbackinfromthewindow.’Trig nodded vigorously.

‘Like someone was doingmurder,doingbloodymurder,Your Highness. It washorrible.’ The beefywatchman visited Trig withan elbow to the ribs at theinterruption.

Theyoungwatchmancamefromthesidealley.‘Thiswaslying atop some rubbish onthestreettheothersideofthehouse,Bert.’Heheldout theassassin’s sword. ‘Therewassome blood on the grip, butnone on the blade. There’salsoa smallpoolofblood inthe alley, but no body,anywhere.’Arutha motioned for

Gardan to take the sword.

The young watchman,observing the guards and theobviouspositionofcommandassumed by the newcomers,handed up the sword, thendoffedhisowncap.Arutha received the sword

from Gardan, saw nothingsignificant in it, and returnedit to the watchman. ‘Turnyour guards around, Gardan.It is late and there’s littlesleepleftthisnight.’

‘But what of the theft?’cried the fuller, shaken loosefrom his silence. ‘It was mysavings,my life savings! I’mruined!WhatshallIdo?’ThePrinceturnedhishorse

and came alongside thewatchmen.ToTrighesaid,‘Ioffer my sympathies, goodfuller, but rest assured thewatchwilldo theirutmost toretrieveyourgoods.’‘Now,’saidBerttoTrig,‘I

suggestyouturninforwhat’sleft of the night, sir. In themorning you may enter acomplaint with the dutysergeant of the watch. He’llwant a description of whatwastaken.’‘What was taken? Gold,

man, that’s what they took!Myhoard,myentirehoard!’‘Gold, is it? Then,’ said

Bert, with the voice ofexperience, ‘I suggest you

turninandtomorrowbegintorebuild your treasure, for assure as there’s fog inKrondor, you’ll not see onecoinagain.Butdonotbetoodisconsolate, good sir. Youareamanofmeans,andgoldquickly accrues to those ofyour station, resources, andenterprise.’Arutha stifled a laugh, for

despite the man’s personaltragedy, he stood a comic

figure in his nightshirt oflinen, his nightcap tippingforward to almost touch hisnose. ‘Good fuller, I willmakeamends.’Hepulledhisdagger from his belt andhanded it down to Bert thewatchman. ‘This weaponbears my family crest. Theonlyotherslikeitarewornbymybrothers,theKingandtheDukeofCrydee.Return it tothe palace tomorrow and a

bagofgoldwillbeplaced initsstead.I’llhavenounhappyfullers inKrondoronthedayof my homecoming. Now Ibid you all good night.’Arutha spurred his horse andled his companions towardsthepalace.When Arutha and his

guards had vanished into thegloom, Bert turned to Trig.‘Well then, sir, there’s ahappy end to it,’ he said,

passing the Prince’s daggerover to the fuller. ‘And youmay take some addedpleasure in knowing you areone of the few of commonbirthwhomayclaim tohavespoken with the Prince ofKrondor, albeit undersomewhat strange anddifficult circumstances.’ Tohismenhesaid,‘Letusbackto our rounds. There’ll bemorethanthisonelittlebitof

funinKrondoronanightlikethis.’ He signalled for hismen to follow and led themoffintothewhitemurk.Trig stood alone. After a

moment his expressionbrightenedandheshoutedupto his wife and any otherswho still looked out of theirwindows, ‘I’ve spoken to thePrince! I, Trig the Fuller!’Feeling emotions somewhatakin to elation, the fuller

trudgedbackintothewarmthof his home, clutchingArutha’sdagger.

Jimmymadehiswaythroughthenarrowestof tunnels.Thepassagewaspartof themazeof sewers and otherunderground constructionscommon to that part of thecity, and every foot of thoseunderground passages wascontrolled by the Mockers.

Jimmy passed a tofsman –one who made his livinggatheringupwhateverofusecouldbefoundinthesewers.He used a stick to halt ajumbleofdebriscarriedalongon the waters of the sewer.The floatingmasswascalledatof,thatwhichtofleets,inacorruption of language. Hepickedatit,lookingforacoinoranythingelseofvalue.Hewas in fact a sentry. Jimmy

signalled to him, duckedunder a low-hanging timber,apparentlyafallenbraceinanabandonedcellar,andenteredalargehallcarvedoutamongthe tunnels. Here was theheart of the guild of thieves,Mockers’Rest.Jimmy retrieved his rapier

from theweapons locker.Hesought out a quiet corner inwhich to sit, for he felttroubled by the conflict he

faced. By rights he shouldown up to his unauthorizedpilferingofthefuller’shouse,split the gold, and takewhatever punishment theNightmaster meted out. Bytomorrowafternoon theguildwould know the fuller hadbeen boosted, anyway. Onceit was clear that nofreebootingthiefwasatwork,suspicion would fall uponJimmyand theothers known

to occasionally go for anight’s foray without leave.Anypunishment forthcomingthen would be doubly harshfor his not having confessednow. Still, Jimmy couldn’tconsider only his owninterests, since he knew theassassin’s target had beennoneother than thePrinceofKrondorhimself.AndJimmyhad spent enough time withArutha when the Mockers

had hidden the Prince andPrincess Anita from du Bas-Tyra’s men to havedeveloped a liking for thePrince. Arutha had givenJimmytheveryrapiertheboythief wore at his side. No,Jimmy couldn’t ignore theassassin’s presence, but hewas not clear where his bestcourselay.After long moments of

quiet consideration, Jimmy

decided. He would firstattempt togetwarning to thePrince, then pass along theinformation about theassassin to Alvarny theQuick, the Daymaster.Alvarny was a friend andallowed Jimmy a little morelatitude than Gaspar da Vey,the Nightmaster. Alvarnywould make no mention tothe UprightMan of Jimmy’stardiness in reporting, if the

boy didn’t take too long tocome forth. Which meantJimmy would have to reachAruthaquickly,thenreturnatonce to speak with theDaymaster-before sundowntomorrow at the latest. Anylater than that, and Jimmywould be compromisedbeyond even Alvarny’sability to look theotherway.Alvarnymightbeagenerousman, now that hewas in his

twilight, but he was still aMocker. Disloyalty to theguild was something hewouldnotpermit.‘Jimmy!’Jimmy looked up and saw

Golden Dase approaching.While young, the dashingthiefwasalreadyexperiencedin parting rich older womenfrom their wealth. He reliedmoreonhisblondgoodlooksand charm than on stealth.

Dase made a display of thevaluable clothing he wore.‘Whatthinkyou?’Jimmynoddedinapproval.

‘Takentorobbingtailors?’Golden aimed a playful,

halfhearted cuff at Jimmy,who ducked easily, then satnext to the boy. ‘No, youmisbegotten son of an alleycat, I have not. My current“benefactor” is thewidowofthe famous Masterbrewer

Fallon.’ Jimmy had heard ofthe man; his ales and beershad been so highly prizedthey had even graced thetable of the late PrinceErland. ‘And given her latehusband’s and now her far-reaching business concerns,shehasreceivedaninvitationtothereception.’‘Reception?’ Jimmy knew

Golden had some tidbit ofgossiphewishedtounfoldin

hisowngoodtime.‘Ah,’ said Golden, ‘did I

fail to mention the fact of awedding?’Jimmy rolled his eyes

upwards but played along.‘Whatwedding,Golden?’‘Why,theroyalweddingof

course. Though we shall beseated away from theKing’stable, it will not be at thetablemostremote.’Jimmy sat bolt upright.

‘TheKing?InKrondor!’‘Ofcourse.’Jimmy gripped Golden by

the arm. ‘Start at thebeginning.’Grinning, the handsome

but not terribly perceptiveconfidence man said, ‘Thewidow Fallon was informedby no less a source than thepurchasing agent at thepalace,amanshehasknownforseventeenyears,thatextra

storeswere requiredwithinamonth’stimefor,andIquote,“the royal wedding”. One issafe in assuming a kingwouldbeinattendanceathisownwedding.’Jimmy shook his head.

‘No, you simpleton, not theKing’s.AnitaandArutha’s.’Golden seemed ready to

take umbrage at the remark,butthenasuddenglimmerofinterest showed in his eyes.

‘Whatmakesyousaythat?’‘The King weds in

Rillanon.ThePrinceweds inKrondor.’ Golden nodded,indicating thismadesense. ‘Ihid out with Anita andArutha; it was only a matterof time before they wed.That’s why he’s back.’Seeing a reaction at that,Jimmyquicklyadded,‘…Orwillbebacksoon.’Jimmy’s mind raced. Not

only would Lyam be inKrondorforthewedding,butso would every noble ofimportance in the West, andno small number from theEast.AndifDaseknewofthewedding, then half ofKrondor did as well and theother half would know of itbeforethenextsundown.Jimmy’s reverie was

interrupted by the approachof Laughing Jack, the

Nightwarden, seniorlieutenanttotheNightmaster.The thin-lippedman came tostandbeforeJimmyandDaseand, with hands upon hips,said, ‘You look like you’vesomething on your mind,boy?’Jimmyhadnoaffectionfor

Jack. He was a dour, tight-jawed man given to violenttempers and unnecessarycruelty. The only reason for

his high place in the guildwashisabilityatkeepingtheguild’s bashers and otherhotheads in line. Jimmy’sdislike was returned in kindby Jack, for it had beenJimmy who had appended‘Laughing’toJack’sname.IntheyearsJackhadbeenintheguild,noonecouldrememberhearing him laugh. ‘Nothing,really,’saidJimmy.Jack’seyesnarrowedashe

studiedJimmy,thenDase,fora long minute. ‘I hear therewas some fuss over near theeast gate; you weren’tthereabouts this night, wereyou?’Jimmy maintained an

indifferent expression andregardedDase,asifJackhadasked both the question.Goldenshookhisheadinthenegative. Jimmywondered ifJack already knew about the

Nighthawk. If he did, and ifsomeone else had caughtsight of Jimmy nearby,Jimmycouldexpectnomercyfrom Jack’s bashers. Still,Jimmy suspected that if Jackhad proof, he would havecome accusing, notquestioning.SubtletywasnotJack’s hallmark. Jimmyfeigned indifference as hesaid, ‘Another drunkenargument? No, I was asleep

mostofthenight.’‘Good, then you’ll be

fresh,’ said Jack.With a jerkofhisheadheindicatedDaseshould absent himself.Golden rose and left withoutcommentandJackplacedhisboot upon the bench next toJimmy.‘We’vegotajobthisnight.’‘Tonight?’ said Jimmy,

already counting the nighthalf done. Therewere barely

fivehoursleftuntilsunrise.‘It’s special. From

himself,’hesaid,meaningtheUprightMan.‘There’saroyaldo on at the palace and theKeshian ambassador’scoming. A load of giftsarrivedlatetonight,giftsforawedding. They’ll be straightoff for the palace bymiddaynextatlatest,sotonight’souronly chance to boost them.It’s a rare chance.’ His tone

left no doubt in Jimmy’smind that his presence wasnot requested but required.Jimmyhadhopedtogetsomesleep tonight before headingfor the palace, but now therewasnochanceofthat.Withanote of resignation in hisvoice, he said, ‘When andwhere?’‘An hour from now at the

bigwarehouseonestreetoverfrom the Fiddler Crab Inn,

neardockside.’Jimmyknew theplace.He

nodded and without anotherword left Laughing Jack. Heheaded up the stairs towardsthe street. The question ofassassins and plots wouldhave to wait a few hoursmore.

Fog still overwhelmedKrondor. The warehousedistrict near the docks was

usually quiet in the earlymorninghours,but thisnightthe scene was otherworldly.Jimmy wended his wayamong large bales of goods,of too little value to warrantthe additional expense ofstorage inside, and thereforesafe from the threat ofthievery.Bulk cotton, animalfodder to be shipped, andstacked lumber created amaze of maddening

complexity through whichJimmymovedquietly.Hehadspiedseveraldockwatchmen,but thenight’sdampnessanda generous bribe kept themclose to their shed, where afire burned brightly in abrazier, relieving the gloom.Nothingshortofariotwouldget them away from thewarmth. TheMockerswouldbe long removed from thisarea before those indifferent

guardiansstirred.Reaching the designated

meetingplace,Jimmylookedabout and, seeing no one insight, settled in to wait. Hewas early, as was his habit,for he liked to compose hismindbeforetheactionbegan.Additionally, there wassomethinginLaughingJack’sorders to him thatmade himwary. A job this importantwas rarely a last-minute

affair,andevenrarerwastheUpright Man’s allowinganythingtotemptthePrince’swrath – and purloining royalwedding gifts would bringArutha’s wrath. But Jimmywasnotplacedhighlyenoughin the guild to know ifeverythingwasontheupandup.Hewouldsimplyhave toremainalert.The soft hint of someone

approachingcausedJimmyto

tense. Whoever was comingwas moving cautiously, aswas to be expected, butwiththe faint footfalls he hadheardastrangesound.Itwastheslightclickingofmetalonwood and, as soon asrecognitionregistered,Jimmyleaptaway.Witha loud thudand an eruption of woodsplinters, a crossbow boltripped through the side of acrate,whereJimmyhadstood

amomentbefore.An instant later, two

figures,darksilhouettesinthegreynight,appearedfromoutof the gloom, runningtowardshim.Sword in hand, Laughing

JackrushedJimmywithoutaword, while his companionfuriously cranked up hiscrossbow for another shot.Jimmy drew weapons andexecuted a parry of an

overhand slash by Jack,diverting the blade with hisdirk, then lunging with hisrapier in return. Jack skippedto one side, and the twofiguressquaredoff.‘Now we’ll see how well

youcanusethat toadsticker,you snotty little bastard,’snarled Jack. ‘Watching youbleed just might give mesomethingtolaughabout.’Jimmy said nothing,

refusing to engage indistracting conversation. Hisonly reply was a high-lineattack that drove Jack back.He had no illusions aboutbeing a better swordsmanthan Jack; he simply wantedto keep alive long enough togainachancetoflee.Back and forth they

moved, exchanging blowsand parries, each looking foran opening to finish the

contest. Jimmy tried for acounterthrust and misjudgedhisposition,andsuddenlyfireerupted in his side. Jack hadmanaged to cut Jimmy withthe edge of his sword, apainful and potentiallyweakening wound, but notfatal, at least not yet. Jimmylooked for more room tomove, feeling sick to hisstomachfromthepain,whileJack pressed his advantage.

Jimmy backed off from afurious overhand slashingattack as Jack used theadvantage of his heavierblade to beat down Jimmy’sguard.AsuddenshouttellingJack

togetoutof thewaywarnedJimmy the other man hadreloaded his crossbow.Jimmy circled away fromJack, trying to keep movingandputJackbetweenhimself

and Jack’s accomplice. JackslashedatJimmy,turninghimbackrapidly,andthenhackeddownwards. The force of theblow dropped Jimmy to hisknees.Abruptly Jack leapt

backwards,as ifagianthandhad seized him by the collarand yanked. He slammedagainst a large crate and foran instant his eyes registeredshockeddisbelief, thenrolled

upinhisheadaslimpfingerslost their grip on his sword.Jimmysawthat,whereJack’schest had been, a bloody,pulped mass was left by thepassage of another crossbowbolt.But for the sudden furyof Jack’s attack, Jimmywouldhavereceived it in theback. Without a sound Jackslumped, and Jimmy realizedhe was pinned to the crate.Jimmy rose from his crouch,

spinning to confront thenameless man, who hadtossed away the crossbowwith a curse. He pulled hisswordandrushedJimmy.ThemanaimedablowatJimmy’shead and the boy ducked,catching his heel. He fellheavily backwards into asitting position while theman’s swing took him offbalance slightly. Jimmytossed his dirk at the man.

Themantookthepointofthelong dagger in the side andlooked down at the wound,more an inconvenience thanan injury. But the briefdistraction was all Jimmyneeded. An expression ofuncomprehending surprisecrossed the nameless man’sface as Jimmy got to onekneeandranhimthrough.Jimmy yanked away his

blade as the man fell. He

pulledhisdirkfromthedeadman’s side, then wiped offand resheathed his blades.Slowlyexamininghimself,hefound he was bleeding butwouldlive.Fighting off nausea, he

walked to where Jack hungagainst the crate. Looking attheNightwarden,Jimmytriedtogatherhisthoughts.HeandJack had never cared a whitfor each other, but why this

elaborate trap? Jimmywondered if this wassomehow tied up with thematteroftheassassinandthePrince. It was something hecoulddwellonafterhespoketothePrince,foriftherewasadirect relationship, itbodedill for the Mockers. Thepossibility of a betrayal byone as highly placed asLaughing Jack would shaketheguildtoitsfoundation.

Never losing hisperspective, Jimmy relievedJack and his companion oftheir purses, finding themboth satisfactorily full.Ashefinished looting Jack’scompanion, he noticedsomething around the man’sneck.Reaching down, Jimmy

cameawaywithagoldchain,upon which hung an ebonyhawk. He studied the charm

for a few moments, thenstuck it away in his tunic.Looking around, he spied alikely-looking place todeposit the bodies. Heplucked Jack from off thebolt, dragged him and theother man over to a nookformed by crates, and tippedsome heavy sacks down ontop of them. He turned twodamaged crates so the intactsideswere revealed. Itmight

be days before someoneuncoveredthecorpses.Ignoringhisangrysideand

fatigue,Jimmylookedaroundto make sure he was stillunobserved, then vanishedintothefoggygloom.

•ChapterThree•Plots

Aruthaattackedfuriously.Laurie exhorted Gardan to

better efforts as the Princeforced his duellingcompanionintoaretreat.Thesinger had willinglysurrenderedthehonourofthefirst bout to Gardan, for hehad been Arutha’s partner

every morning upon thejourney from Salador toKrondor. While the practicehad sharpened sword skillsgrown rusty in the King’spalace,hehadtiredofalwayslosing to the lightning-quickPrince.At least thismorninghewouldhavesomeonewithwhom to share his defeat.Still, the old campaignerwasn’twithouta trickor twoand suddenly Gardan had

Arutha backing up. Lauriewhooped when he realizedthe captain had been lullingthe Prince into a false senseofcontrol.Butafterafuriousexchange the Prince wasagain on the offensive, andGardanwascrying,‘Hold!’The chuckling Gardan

backedaway.‘Inallmyyearsthere have been only threemenwhocouldbestmewiththe blade, Highness:

Swordmaster Fannon, yourfather,andnowyourself.’Laurie said, ‘A worthy

trio.’ Arutha was about tooffer a bout to Laurie whensomethingcaughthiseye.Alargetreewassituatedin

the corner of the palaceexercise yard, where itoverhung a wall separatingthe palace grounds from analley and the city beyond.Somethingwasmovingalong

the branches of the tree.Arutha pointed. One of thepalace guardsmen wasalready moving towards thetree,hisattentiondrawntherebythePrince’sstare.Suddenly someone

dropped from the branches,landing lightly on his feet.Arutha, Laurie, and Gardanall stood with swords heldready. The guardsman tooktheyouth,astheynowclearly

sawhimtobe,bythearmandledhimtowardsthePrince.As they approached, a

flickerof recognitioncrossedArutha’sface.‘Jimmy?’Jimmy executed a bow,

wincingslightlyatthepaininhis side, poorly bandaged byhimselfthatmorning.Gardansaid, ‘Highness, you knowthislad?’With a nod, Arutha said,

‘Yes.Hemaybealittleolder

and a bit taller, but I knowthisyoungrogue.He’sJimmythe Hand, already a legendamong brigands andcutpurses in the city. This isthe boy thief who helpedAnitaandmefleethecity.’Laurie studied the boy,

then laughed. ‘I never sawhim clearly, for thewarehouse was dark whenKasumi and I were takenfrom Krondor by the

Mockers,butbymyteeth,it’sthesamelad.“There’sapartyatMother’s.”’Jimmy grinned. ‘“And a

good time will be had byall.”’Aruthasaid,‘Soyouknow

eachotheraswell?’‘I toldyouonce thatwhen

Kasumi and I were carryingthe peace message from theTsurani Emperor to KingRodric, therewas a boywho

had guided us from thewarehouse to the city gateand led away the guardswhile we escaped Krondor.Thiswasthatboy,andInevercouldrememberhisname.’Aruthaputuphissword,as

did the others. ‘Well then,Jimmy,whileIamgladtoseeyouagain,thereisthismatterof climbing walls into mypalace.’Jimmy shrugged. ‘I

thought it possible you’d bewilling to see an oldacquaintance,Highness,but Idoubted I couldconvince thecaptain’s guards to sendword.’Gardansmiledat thebrash

answer and signalled theguardtoreleasehisholduponthe boy’s arm. ‘Probablyyou’reright,Jack-a-rags.’Jimmy suddenly became

awarehe lookedapoor sight

to these men, used to thewell-dressed and-groomedinhabitants of the palace.From his raggedly cut hairdowntohisdirtybarefeethelookedevery inch thebeggarboy. Then Jimmy saw thehumourinGardan’seyes.‘Don’t let his appearance

misleadyou,Gardan.He’sfarmore capable than his yearsindicate.’ To Jimmy, Aruthasaid, ‘You throw some

discredit upon Gardan’sguards by entering in thisfashion. I expect you’vereasontoseekmeout?’‘Yes, Highness. Business

mostseriousandurgent.’Aruthanodded.‘Wellthen,

what is thismost seriousandurgentbusiness?’‘Someone has placed a

priceonyourhead.’Gardan’s face registered

shock. Laurie said, ‘What-

how?’‘What leads you to think

so?’askedArutha.‘Because someone has

alreadytriedtocollect.”

Besides Arutha, Laurie, andGardan,twootherslistenedtotheboy’sstoryinthePrince’scouncil chambers. EarlVolney of Landreth hadformerlybeentheassistanttothe Principate Chancellor,

Lord Dulanic, the Duke ofKrondor who disappearedduringtheviceroyaltyofGuydu Bas-Tyra. At Volney’sside sat Father Nathan, apriest of Sung the White,Goddess of the One Path,once one of Prince Erland’schief advisers and there atGardan’s request. Arutha didnotknowthese twomen,butduring the months of hisabsenceGardan had come to

trusttheirjudgement,andthatopinion counted for muchwithArutha.Gardanhadbeenvirtually acting Knight-Marshal of Krondor, just asVolney had been actingChancellor,whileAruthahadbeengone.Bothmenwerestocky,but

while Volney seemed onewhohadneverknownlabour,simply a man always stout,Nathanlookedlikeawrestler

now going to fat. Under thatsoft appearance strength stillwaited. Neither spoke untilJimmy had finishedrecounting his two fights ofthenightbefore.Volney studied the boy

thiefforamoment,lookingathim from under carefullycombed, bushy eyebrows.‘Utterly fantastic. I simplydon’t wish to believe such aplotcanexist.’

Arutha had sat with hishands forming a tent beforehisface,thefingersrestlesslyflexing. ‘I’d not be the firstprince targeted for anassassin’s blade, EarlVolney.’ He said to Gardan,‘Double the guard at once,but quietly, with noexplanation given. I do notwant rumours flying aboutthepalace.Withintwoweekswe’llhaveeverynoblein the

Kingdom worth mention inthese halls, as well as mybrother.’Volney said, ‘Perhaps you

shouldwarnHisMajesty?’‘No,’ said Arutha flatly.

‘Lyamwillbetravellingwitha full company of his RoyalHousehold Guard. Have adetachment of KrondorianLancersmeetthematMalac’sCross, but no word that it isother than a formal honour

company. If a hundredsoldiers can’t protect himwhile he rides, he can’t beprotected.‘No, our problem lies here

in Krondor. We have nochoiceinouroptions.’‘I’m not sure I follow,

Highness,’ said FatherNathan.Laurie threw his eyes

heavenward while Jimmygrinned. Arutha smiled

grimly. ‘I think our twostreetwisecompanionshaveaclear understanding of whatmust be done.’ Turning toface Jimmy and Laurie,Arutha said, ‘Wemust catchaNighthawk.’

Arutha sat quietly whileVolneypacedthedininghall.Laurie, who had seen yearsenoughofhungertotakefoodwhen it was available, ate

while the stout Earl ofLandreth stalked the hall.AfterwatchingVolneymakeanother circuit before thetable,Arutha,inwearytones,said,‘MylordEarl,mustyoupaceso?’The Earl, whowas caught

up in his own thoughts,stopped abruptly. He bowedtowards Arutha slightly, buthis expression was one ofirritation. ‘Highness, I’m

sorrytohavedisturbedyou’–his toneshowedhewasn’t intheleastbitsorry,andLauriesmiledbehinda joint ofbeef– ‘but to trust that thief issheeridiocy.’Arutha’seyeswidenedand

he looked at Laurie, whoreturned his amazedexpression. Laurie said, ‘Mydear Earl, you should ceasebeing so circumspect. Come,just speak your mind to the

Prince.Bedirect,man!’Volney flushed as he

realizedhisgaffe.‘Ibegyourpardon, I …’ He seemedgenuinelyembarrassed.Arutha smiled his crooked

half-smile. ‘Pardon granted,Volney, but only for therudeness.’HestudiedVolneyfor a quiet moment, thenadded, ‘I find the candourratherrefreshing.Sayon.’‘Highness,’ Volney said

firmly, ‘forallweknow, thisboy is but a part of someconfidence game designed tocapture you, or to destroyyou, as he claims othersintend.’‘Andwhatwouldyouhave

medo?’Volney paused and shook

his head slowly. ‘I don’tknow, Highness, but sendingthe boy alone to gatherintelligence is … I don’t

know.’Arutha said, ‘Laurie, tell

my friend and counsellor theEarlthatalliswell.’Gulping down a mouthful

offinewine,Lauriesaid,‘Allis well, Earl.’ When Aruthathrew the minstrel a blacklook,Laurie added, ‘In truth,sir,allpossibleisbeingdone.Iknowthewaysofthecityaswell as any man can who isnotoneoftheUprightMan’s

own. Jimmy’s aMocker. Hemay discover a lead to theNighthawks where a dozenspieswillfindnone.’‘Remember,’ said Arutha,

‘ImetGuy’scaptainofsecretpolice, Jocko Radburn, andhe was a cunning, ruthlessman who stopped at nothingtotrytorecaptureAnita.TheMockersprovedhismatch.’Volney seemed to sag a

little, then indicated he

required the Prince’spermission to sit. Aruthawavedhim toachair, andashe sat he said, ‘Perhaps youareright,singer.ItisjustthatI have no means to answerthis threat. The thought ofassassins running loose givesmelittleease.’Arutha leaned across the

table. ‘Less than myself?Remember, Volney, itappeared I was the intended

target.’Laurienodded.‘Itcouldn’t

have been me they wereafter.’‘Perhaps a music lover?’

counteredAruthadryly.Volneysighed.‘Iamsorry

if I am acting poorly in allthis.Ihavewisheduponmorethanoneoccasion tobedonewith this business ofadministering thePrincipality.’

‘Nonsense, Volney,’ saidArutha. ‘You’ve done acapital jobhere.WhenLyaminsisted I make the easterntour with him, I objected onthe grounds that theWesternRealm would suffer underany hand but my own –which was because of theeffectsofBas-Tyra’sruleandno comment upon yourabilities.But I ampleased tosee this was not the case. I

doubt that any could havedone better in running thedailyaffairsoftherealmthanyouhave,Earl.’‘I thank His Highness,’

said Volney, somewhat lessagitatedforthecompliment.‘Infact,Iwasgoingtoask

you to stayon.WithDulanicmysteriously gone, we’ve noDuke of Krondor to act onbehalf of the city. Lyamcannot announce the office

vacant – withoutdishonouring Dulanic’smemory by stripping him ofthe title – for another twoyears, butwe can all assumehe is dead at Guy’s orRadburn’s hands. So for thetimebeing,Ithinkwe’llplanon your acting the part ofChancellor.’Volney seemed less than

pleased with this news, buttook thepronouncementwith

goodgrace.Hesimplysaid,‘Ithank His Highness for thetrust.’Further conversation was

interruptedbytheappearanceofGardan,FatherNathanandJimmy. Nathan’s bull neckbulged as he half carriedJimmy to a chair. The boy’sface was drained of colourand he was sweating.Ignoring formality, Aruthapointed to a chair and the

priestdepositedJimmythere.‘What is this?’ asked

Arutha.Gardan half smiled, half

looked disapproving. ‘Thisyoung bravo has beenrunning around since lastnight with a nasty cut in hisside. He bandaged it himselfandbotchedthejob.’‘It had begun to fester,’

added Nathan, ‘so I wasforcedtocleananddressit.I

insisted on treating it beforewe came to see you, as theboy was turning feverish. Ittakes no magic to keep awoundfromputrefaction,buteverystreetboythinksheisachirurgeon. So the woundsours.’ He looked down atJimmy. ‘He’s a little palefromthelancing,buthe’llbefineinafewhours-aslongashe doesn’t reopen thewound,’ he added pointedly

toJimmy.Jimmy looked abashed.

‘Sorry to put you to thetrouble, father, but underother circumstances, I wouldhavehadthewoundtended.’Arutha looked at the boy

thief. ‘What have youdiscovered?’‘This business of catching

assassins may be even moredifficult than we thought,Highness. There is a way to

makecontact,but it isvariedand roundabout.’ Aruthanoddedforhimtocontinue.‘Ihad to cadge a lot with thestreetpeople,buthereiswhatI have gleaned. Should youwish to employ the servicesof the Guild of Death, youmust take yourself away totheTempleofLims-Kragma.’Nathan made a sign ofprotection at mention of theDeath Goddess. ‘A devotion

is said and a votive offeringplaced in the urnmarked forsuch, butwith the gold sewnintoaparchment,givingyourname.Youwill be contactedat their convenience withinoneday’stime.Younamethevictim; they name the price.Youpayoryoudon’t. Ifyoudo, they tell you when andwheretodropthegold.Ifyoudon’t, they vanish and youcan’treachthemagain.’

‘Simple,’ said Laurie.‘They dictate when andwhere, so laying a trap willnotbeeasy.’‘Impossible, I should

think,’saidGardan.‘Nothing is impossible,’

said Arutha, his expressionshowing he was deep inthought.After a long moment

Lauriesaid,‘Ihaveit!’Arutha and the others

lookedat thesinger. ‘Jimmy,you said they will contactwhoever leaves the goldwithin the day.’ Jimmynodded. ‘Thenwhatweneedtodo ishavewhoever leavesthegoldstay inoneplace.Aplacewecontrol.’Arutha said, ‘A simple

enoughidea,onceit’sthoughtof,Laurie.Butwhere?’Jimmy said, ‘There are a

few places we might take

overforatime,Highness,butthose who own them areunreliable.’‘I know a place,’ said

Laurie, ‘if friend Jimmy theHand is willing to saydevotions,sotheNighthawkswillbelesslikelytothinkitatrap.’‘I don’t know,’ said

Jimmy. ‘Things are funny inKrondor. If I’m undersuspicion,wemightneverget

another opportunity.’ Hereminded them of Jack’sattack, and of his unknowncompanion with thecrossbow. ‘Itmay have beena grudge thing; I’ve knownmen to get crazy oversomething even more trivialthan a nickname, but if itwasn’t … If Jack wassomehow involved with thatassassin…’‘Then,’ said Laurie, ‘the

Nighthawks have turned anofficeroftheMockerstotheircause.’Jimmy lookedupset, as he

suddenlydroppedhismaskofbravado. ‘That thought hastroubled me as much as thethought of someone stickinghisHighnesswithacrossbowbolt.I’vebeenneglectingmyoathtotheMockers.Ishouldhave told all last night, andcertainly I must now.’ He

seemedreadytorise.Volneyplaceda firmhand

upon Jimmy’s shoulder.‘Presumptuous boy! Are yousaying some league ofcutthroats merits even amoment’s consideration inlight of the danger to yourPrince and possibly yourKing?’Jimmy seemed on the

vergeofaretortwhenAruthasaid, ‘I think that’s exactly

what the boy said, Volney.Hehasgivenoath.’Laurie quickly stepped

over to where the boy sat.Moving Volney to one side,he leaned down so his facewaslevelwithJimmy’s.‘Youhave your concerns, weknow,lad,butthingsseemtobe moving rapidly. If theMockers have beeninfiltrated, then speaking toosoon could make those who

havebeenplaced therecovertracks. If we can get one oftheseNighthawks…’Heleftthethoughtunfinished.Jimmy nodded, if the

UprightManwillonlyfollowyour logic, I may survive,singer. I come close to pastthe time when I may covermyactionswithafacilestory.Soon I will be at anaccounting. Very well, I’lltake a note to theDrawer of

Nets’temple.AndIwillplaynomummerywhen I askhertomakeaplaceformeshoulditbemytime.’‘And,’saidLaurie,‘Imust

be off to see an old friendabouttheloanofaninn.’‘Good,’ said Arutha. ‘We

will spring the snaretomorrow.’WhileVolney,Nathan,and

Gardan watched, Laurie andJimmy departed, deep in

conversation as they madeplans. Arutha followed theirdeparture as well, his darkeyes masking the quietlyburningragehefelt.Aftersomany years of strife duringtheRiftwarhehadreturnedtoKrondor hoping for a long,peacefullifewithAnita.Nowsomeone dared to threatenthat peaceful life. And thatsomeonewouldpaydearly.

TheRainbow Parrot Innwasquiet. The storm windowshad been closed against asudden squall off the BitterSea, so the taproom layblanketedinhaze,bluesmokefrom the fireplace and adozenpatron’s pipes.To anycasual observer the innlookedmuchasitwouldhaveon other rainy nights. Theowner, Lucas, and his twosons stood behind the long

bar,oneofthemoccasionallymoving through the door tothe kitchen to get meals andcarry them to the tables. Inthe corner near the fireplace,opposite the stairs to thesecondfloor,ablondminstrelsangsoftlyofasailorwho isfarfromhome.Close inspection would

haverevealedthatthemenatthetablesbarelytouchedtheirale. While rough in

appearance, they didn’t havethe air of workers from thedocks and sailors fresh infrom sea voyages. They allpossessedacertainhard-eyedlook, and their scars wereearned in past battles ratherthan tavern brawls. All weremembers of Gardan’scompany of HouseholdGuard, some of the mostseasoned veterans of theArmies of the West during

the Riftwar. In the kitchenfive new cooks andapprenticesworked.Upstairs,in the room closest to theheadof the stairway,Arutha,Gardan, and five soldierswaited patiently. In total,Arutha had placed twenty-fourmenintheinn.Arutha’smen were the only onespresent, as the last local hadleft when the stormcommenced.

In the corner farthest fromthe door, Jimmy the Handwaited. Something hadtroubled him all day, thoughhe couldn’t put his finger onit. But he knew one thing: ifhe himself had entered thisroom this night, hisexperience-bred cautionwould have warned himaway. He hoped theNighthawks’ agent wasn’t asperceptive. Something here

justwasn’tright.Jimmy sat back and

absently nibbled at thecheese, pondering what wasaskew. It was an hour aftersundown,andstillnosignofanyone who might be fromthe Nighthawks. Jimmy hadcome straight from thetemple, making sure he hadbeenseenby severalbeggarswhoknewhimwell.IfanyinKrondor wished to find him,

word of his whereaboutscouldbepurchasedeasilyandcheaply.Thefrontdooropenedand

two men came in from therain,shakingwaterfromtheircloaks. Both appeared to befightingmen, perhaps bravoswho had earned a fair purseof silver protecting somemerchant’s caravans. Theywore similar attire: leatherarmour, calf-length boots,

broadswords at their sides,and shields slung over theirbacks under the protectivecloaks.The taller fellow, with a

grey streak through his darkhair, ordered ales. The other,a thin blond man, lookedabouttheroom.Somethinginthe way his eyes narrowedalarmed Jimmy: he alsosensedsomethingdifferent intheinn.Hespokesoftlytohis

companion.Themanwiththegrey lock nodded, then tookthe ales presented by thebarman.Payingwithcoppers,the two men moved to theonly available table, the onenexttoJimmy’s.Themanwiththegreylock

turned towards Jimmy andsaid, ‘Lad, is this inn alwaysso sombre?’ Jimmy thenrealized what the problemhad been all day. In their

waiting,theguardshadfalleninto the soldier’s habit ofspeaking softly. The roomwas free of the usualcommon-roomdin.Jimmy held his forefinger

beforehislipsandwhispered,it is the singer.’ The manturned his head and listenedto Laurie for a moment.Lauriewasagiftedperformerandwasingoodvoicedespitehislongday’swork.Whenhe

finished, Jimmy banged hisale jack hard upon the tableand shouted, ‘Ha! Minstrel,more, more!’ as he tossed asilver coin towards the daisupon which Laurie sat. Hisoutburst was followed amoment later by similarshouting and cheering as theothers realized the need ofsome display. Several othercoins were tossed. WhenLauriestruckupanothertune,

livelyandbawdy,asoundnotunlike the normal buzz ofconversation returned to thetaproom.The two strangers settled

back into their chairs andlistened, occasionallyspeaking to each other. Theyvisiblyrelaxedasthemoodinthe room shifted to resemblewhat they had expected.Jimmy sat for a while,watching the twomen at the

next table. Something aboutthese two was out of place,somethingthatnaggedathimas had the false note in thecommonroomonlymomentsbefore.Thedooropenedagainand

another man entered. Helookedaroundtheroomasheshookwater fromhishoodedgreat cloak, but he didn’tremove the voluminouscovering or lower the cowl.

He spied Jimmy and crossedto his table.Without waitingforinvitation,hepulledoutachairandsat.Inhushedtoneshesaid,‘Haveyouaname?’Jimmy nodded and leaned

forwardas if tospeak.Ashedid so, four facts suddenlystruck him. The men at thenexttable,despitetheircasualappearance, had swords andshieldscloseathand,needingonlyan instant tobring them

to the ready. They didn’tdrink like mercenaries freshinto town after a longcaravan; in fact, their drinkswere nearly untouched. ThemanoppositeJimmyhadonehand hidden under his cloak,ashehad since entering.Butmostrevealingofall,allthreemen wore large black ringson their left hands, with ahawk device carved in them,one similar to the talisman

taken from Laughing Jack’scompanion. Jimmy’s mindworked furiously, for he hadseen such rings before andunderstoodtheiruse.Improvising,Jimmypulled

a parchment out of his boot.He placed it on the table, tothe far right of the man,making him stretchawkwardly across himself toreach for itwhilehekepthisright hand hidden. As the

man’s hand touched theparchment, Jimmy pulled hisdirk out and struck, pinningthe man’s hand to the table.Theman froze at the suddenattack, then his other handcame from within his cloak,holding a dagger.He slashedatJimmyastheboythieffellbackwards. Then pain struckthe man and he howled inagony.Jimmy,tumblingoverhis chair, shouted,

‘Nighthawks!’ as he struckthefloor.The room exploded with

activity. Lucas’s sons, bothveteransof theArmiesof theWest, came leaping over thebar, landing on theswordsmen at the table nexttoJimmyastheyattemptedtorise. Jimmy found himselfhanging backwards atop theoverturned chair andawkwardly tried to pull

himself upright. From hisposition he could see thebarmen grappling with thegrey-lock man. The otherfalse mercenary had his lefthandbeforehisface,hisringto his lips. Jimmy shouted,‘Poison rings! They havepoisonrings!’Other guards had the

hooded man in their grip ashefrantically tried to removehisringfromhispinnedhand.

Afteranothermomenthewasheld tightlyby the threemenaroundhim,unabletomove.The grey-lock man kicked

out at the barmen, rolledaway, leapt up, and dashedtowards the door, knockingaside two men surprised bythe sudden move. For amoment a clear path to thedoorappearedascursesfilledthe room from soldiersattempting to navigate the

jumble of tables and chairs.The Nighthawk was nearingthedoorandfreedomwhenaslender fighter interposedhimself. The assassin leapttowards the door.With near-inhuman speed Aruthastepped forward and struckthe grey-locked man a blowto the head with his rapier’shilt. The stunned manteetered for a moment, thencollapsed to the floor,

unconscious.Arutha stood erect and

looked about the room. Theblond assassin lay with eyesstaring blankly upwards,obviously dead. The hoodedman’scloakwasthrownbackandhewaswhitewithpainasthe dagger pinning his handtothetablewaspulledloose.Three soldiers held himdown, though he looked tooweak to stand upon his own

feet. When the dirk waspulled from the table, hescreamedandpassedout.Jimmy stepped gingerly

around the dead man andcameuptoArutha.Helookeddown to where Gardan wasremovingtheotherblackringfromthemanonthefloorandthen the boy grinned atArutha.Holdinguphishand,hecountedtwoonhisfingers.The Prince, still flushed

fromthestruggle,smiledandnodded. None of his menappeared wounded and hehad twoassassins in tow.Hesaid to Gardan, ‘Guard themcloselyandletnoonewhoisnot known to us see themwhen you take them into thepalace. I’ll have no rumoursflying around. Lucas andothers may be in dangerenoughwhenthesethreeturnup missing, should others

from the Guild of Death beabout. Leave enough of thiscompany to keep up theappearance of normalbusiness until closing, andpay Lucas double thedamages, with our thanks.’Even as he spoke, Gardan’scompany was restoring theinn to order, removing thebroken table andmoving theothers about so it would notbe noticed missing. ‘Take

thesetwototheroomsIhavechosenandbequickaboutit.We shall begin questioningtonight.’

Guards blocked a doorleading to a remote wing ofthe palace. The rooms wereused only occasionally byguests of minor importance.The wing was a recentconstruction,beingaccessiblefrom the main buildings of

the palace by a single shorthall and a single outsidedoorway. The outside doorwas bolted from within andwas posted with two guardswithout,who had orders thatabsolutely no one, no matterwho,wastoenterorleavebythatdoor.Inside the wing all the

outer rooms had beensecured. In the centre of thelargest room of the suite

Arutha studied his twoprisoners. Both were tied tostout wooden beds by heavyropes. Arutha was taking nochances on their attemptingsuicide. Father Nathansupervised his acolytes, whotended the two assassins’wounds.Abruptly one of the

acolytes moved away fromthe bedside of the man withthe grey lock. He looked at

Nathan, his face betrayingconfusion. ‘Father, comesee.’JimmyandLauriefollowed

behind thepriest andArutha.Nathansteppedupbehindtheacolyte and all heard hissharp intakeof breath. ‘Sungshowus theway!’Thegrey-locked man’s leather armourhadbeencutaway, revealinga black tunic beneathembroidered with a silver

fisher’s net. Nathan pulledaway the other prisoner’srobe. Beneath that robe wasanother, of night’s blackcolour, alsowith a silver netoverhisheart.Theprisoner’shand had been bandaged andhe had regainedconsciousness. He glareddefiantly at the priest ofSung, naked hatred in hiseyes.Nathan motioned the

Prince aside. ‘These menwear the mark of Lims-Kragma in her guise as theDrawer of Nets, she whogathersalltoherintheend.’Arutha nodded, ‘it fits in.

WeknowtheNighthawksarecontactedthroughthetemple.Even should the hierarchy ofthetemplebeignorantofthisbusiness, someonewithin thetemplemustbeaconfederateof the Nighthawks. Come,

Nathan,wemustquestionthisother one.’ They returned tothe bed where the consciousmanlay.Lookingdownuponhim,Aruthasaid,‘Whooffersthepriceformydeath?’Nathanwascalledtoattend

the unconscious man. ‘Whoare you?’ demanded thePrince of the other. ‘Answernow, or the pain you’veenduredwillbemerelyahintof what will be visited upon

you.’ Arutha did not enjoytheprospectoftorture,buthewould not stop at anymeansto discover who wasresponsible for the attackupon him. The question andthe threat were answered bysilence.After a moment Nathan

returned to Arutha’s side.‘The other is dead,’ he saidsoftly. ‘We must treat thisone cautiously. That man

should not have died fromyour blow to the head. Theymayhavemeanstocommandthe body not to fight againstdeath,buttowelcomeit.Itissaid even a hardy man maywill himself to death, givenenoughtime.’Arutha noticed sweat

beadinguponthebrowofthewounded man as Nathanexamined him.With concernon his face, the priest said,

‘He is fevered, and it risesapace.Iwillhavetotendhimbefore there can be anaccounting.’ The priestquickly fetched his potionand forced some fluid downthe man’s throat as soldiersheldhis jawsapart.Then thepriest began to intone hisclerical magic. The man onthe bed began to writhefrantically, his face acontorted mask of

concentration. Tendons stoodoutonhisarms,andhisneckwas amass of ropy cords ashe struggled against hisconfinement.Suddenlyhe letforth a hollow-soundinglaugh and fell back, eyesclosed.Nathanexamined theman.

‘He is unconscious,Highness.’ The priest added,‘I have slowed the fever’srise, but I don’t think I can

halt it. Some magic agencyworks here. He fails beforeour eyes. Itwill take time tocounterwhatevermagic is atwork upon him… if I havethetime.’TherewasdoubtinNathan’s voice. ‘And if myartsareequaltothetask.’Arutha turned to Gardan.

‘Captain, take ten of yourmost trusted men and makestraight for the Temple ofLims-Kragma. Inform the

HighPriestessIcommandherattendanceatonce.Bringherbyforceifneedsbe,butbringher.’Gardan saluted, but there

was a flicker in his eyes.Laurie and Jimmy knew hedisliked the thought ofbearding the priestess in herown halls. Still, the staunchcaptainturnedandobeyedhisPrincewithoutcomment.Arutha returned to the

stricken man, who lay infeveredtorment.Nathansaid,‘Highness, the fever rises,slowly,butitrises.’‘Howlongwillhelive?’‘If we can do nothing,

through the balance of thenight,nolonger.’Aruthastruckhis lefthand

with his balled right fist infrustration. There was lessthan six hours before dawn.Less than six hours to

discover the cause for theattackuponhim.And shouldthis man die, they would bebackwhere they started, andworse, for his unknownenemy would not likely fallintoanothersnare.‘Is thereanythingelseyou

cando?’askedLauriesoftly.Nathan considered.

‘Perhaps…’Hemovedawayfrom the ill man andmotioned his acolytes away

from the bedside. With agesture he indicated that oneof them should bring him alarge volume of priestlyspells.Nathan instructed the

acolytesandtheyquicklydidhis bidding, knowing theritual and their parts in it. Apentagramwas chalked uponthe floor, and many runicsymbols laid within itsboundary,withthebedatthe

centre. When they werefinished,everyonewhostoodwithin the room wasencompassed by the chalkmarks upon the floor. Alighted candle was placed ateverypointofthedesign,anda sixthgiven toNathan,whostood studying the book.Nathan began waving thelight in an intricate patternwhile he read aloud in alanguage unknown to the

nonclerics in the room. Hisacolytes stood quietly to oneside, responding in unison atseveral points during theincantation. The others felt astrangestillingoftheair,andas the final syllables wereuttered, the dying mangroaned, a low and piteoussound.Nathan snapped shut the

book. ‘Nothing lesspowerfulthan an agent of the gods

themselvesmaypass throughthe boundaries of thepentagramwithoutmy leave.No spirit, demon, or beingsent by any dark agency cantroubleusnow.’Nathan then directed

everyone tostandoutside thepentagram, opened the bookagain, and began readinganother chant. Quickly thewords tumbled from thestockypriest.Hefinished the

spell and pointed at the manupon the bed. Arutha lookedat the ill man but could seenothing amiss, then, as heturned to speak to Laurie,noticed a change. Seeing theman from the corner of hiseye, Arutha could discern animbus of faint light aroundhim, filling the pentagram,not visible when vieweddirectly. Itwasa light,milkyquartz in colour. Arutha

asked,‘Whatisthis?’Nathan faced Arutha. ‘I

have slowed his passagethrough time, Highness. Tohim an hour is now amoment. The spell will lastonly until dawn, but to himlessthanaquarterofanhourwill have passed. Thus wegain time.With luck,hewillnowlingeruntilmidday.’‘Canwespeaktohim?’‘No, for we would sound

likebuzzingbeestohim.Butifweneed, I can remove thespell.’Arutharegardedtheslowly

writhing, fevered man. Hishand seemed poised a scantinch above the bed, hangingin space. ‘Then,’ said thePrince impatiently, ‘we mustwaitupon thepleasureof theHigh Priestess of Lims-Kragma.’Thewaitwasnotlong,nor

was there much pleasureevident in the manner of theHigh Priestess. There was acommotion outside, andArutha hurried to the door.Beyond it he found Gardanwaiting with a woman inblack robes. Her face washidden behind a thick, gauzyblack veil, but her headturnedtowardsthePrince.A finger shot out towards

Arutha,andadeep,pleasant-

soundingfemininevoicesaid,‘Why have I beencommanded here, Prince oftheKingdom?’Arutha ignored the

question as he took in thescene.BehindGardanstoodaquartetofGuards,spearsheldacross their chests, barringthe way to a group ofdetermined-looking templeguardswearingtheblackandsilver tabards of Lims-

Kragma. ‘What passes,Captain?’Gardan said, ‘The lady

wishes to bring her guardswithin, and I have forbiddenit.’In tones of icy fury the

priestess said, ‘I have comeasyoubid,thoughneverhavethe clergy acknowledgedtemporalauthority.ButIwillnot come as a prisoner, noteven for you, Prince of

Krondor.’Arutha said, ‘Two guards

mayenter,buttheywillstandaway from the prisoner.Madam, you will cooperateand enter, now.’ Arutha’stone left little doubt of hismood. The High Priestessmight be commander of apowerful sect, but before herstood the ruler of theKingdom absolute, save theKing, a man who would

brooknointerferenceinsomematter of paramountimportance. She nodded tothe two foremostguards, andthey entered. The door wasclosed behind them, and thetwoguardswere takenoff toone sidebyGardan.Outside,the palace guards keptwatchful eyes upon theremaining temple guards andthe wicked curved swordscarriedattheirbelts.

Father Nathan greeted theHigh Priestess with a stifflyformal bow, their two ordershavinglittleaffectionforeachother. The High Priestesschose to ignore the priest’spresence.Her first remark upon

seeing the pentagram uponthe floor was ‘Do you fearotherworldinterference?’Hertone was suddenly analyticalandeven.

It was Nathan whoanswered. ‘Lady, we are notsure of many things, but wedo seek to preventcomplications from whateversource,physicalorspiritual.’She did not acknowledge

hiswordsbutsteppedasclosetothetwomen,onedeadandthe other wounded, as shecould. Seeing the blacktunics, she faltered a step,then turned to face Arutha.

Through the veil he couldalmost feel her malevolentgaze upon him. ‘These menareofmyorder.Howdotheycometoliehere?’Arutha’s face was a mask

of controlledanger. ‘Madam,it is to answer that questionthat you have been fetched.Doyouknowthesetwo?’She studied their faces. ‘I

do not know this one,’ shesaid,pointingtothedeadman

withthegreylockinhishair.‘But the other is a priest ofmy temple, named Morgan,newly come to us from ourtempleinYabon.’Shepausedfor a moment as sheconsidered something. ‘Hewears the mark of a brotherof the Order of the SilverNet.’Her head came around,facing Arutha once more.‘They are themartial arm ofour faith, supervised by their

Grand Master in Rillanon.AndheanswerstononesaveourMotherMatriarch for hisorder’spractices.’Shepausedagain. ‘And then onlysometimes.’ Before anyonecould comment, shecontinued. ‘What I do notunderstand ishowoneofmytemple priests came to weartheirmark.Isheamemberoftheorder,passinghimselfoffas a priest? Is he a priest

playingthepartofawarrior?Or is he neither priest norbrother of the order, but animpostor on both counts?Any of those threepossibilities is forbidden, atriskofLims-Kragma’swrath.Whyishehere?’Arutha said, ‘Madam, if

what you say is true’ – sheseemed to tense at theimplication of a possiblefalsehood – ‘then what is

occurring concerns yourtempleasmuchasitconcernsme. Jimmy, speak what youknowoftheNighthawks.’Jimmy, obviously

uncomfortable under thescrutiny of the DeathGoddess’s High Priestess,spokequicklyandforwenthisusual embellishments. Whenhe finished, the HighPriestess said, ‘Highness,whatyousayisadeedfoulin

the nostrils of our goddess.’Her voicewas cold rage. ‘Intimes past, certain of thefaithful sought sacrifices, butthose practices are longabandoned.Deathisapatientgoddess; all will come toknowherintime.Weneednoblackmurders.Iwouldspeakto this man.’ She indicatedtheprisoner.Arutha hesitated and

noticed Father Nathan

shakinghisheadslightly.‘Heis close to death, less thanhours without any additionalstress upon him. Should thequestioning prove rigorous,he might die before we canplumb the depths of thesedarkwaters.’The High Priestess said,

‘What cause for concern,priest? Even dead, he is stillmy subject. I am Lims-Kragma’sephemeralhand.In

her manor I will find truthsnolivingmancanobtain.’Father Nathan bowed, in

therealmofdeath,soyouaresupreme.’ToAruthahesaid,‘May my brothers and Iwithdraw, Highness? Myorder finds these practicesoffensive.’ThePrincenodded,andthe

High Priestess said, ‘Beforeyougo,removetheprayerofslowness you have called

downuponhim.Itwillcauseless difficulty than should Idoit.’Nathan quickly complied

andthemanonthebedbegantogroanfeverishly.Thepriestand acolytes of Sunghurriedly left the room, andwhen they were gone, theHigh Priestess said, ‘Thispentagramwillaidinkeepingoutside forces frominterfering with this act. I

would ask all to remainoutside, forwithin itsboundseachpersoncreatesripplesinthefabricofmagic.This isamost holy rite, for whateverthe outcome, our lady willmostsurelyclaimthisman.’Arutha and the others

waitedoutside thepentagramandthepriestesssaid,‘Speakonly when I have givenpermission, and ensure thecandles do not burn out, or

forces may be loosed thatwould prove… troublesometo recall.’TheHighPriestessdrewbackherblackveil,andAruthawasalmostshockedather appearance. She lookedbarelymorethanagirl,andalovely one at that, with blueeyes and skin the colour ofdawn’s blush. Her eyebrowspromised her hair would bethepalestgold.Sheraisedherhandsoverheadandbegan to

pray. Her voice was soft,musical, but the words werestrangeandfearfultohear.The man on the bed

squirmed as she continuedher incantation. Suddenly hiseyes opened and he staredupwards. He seemed toconvulse, straining at thebondsthatrestrainedhim.Herelaxed, then turned to facethe High Priestess. A distantlook crossed his face, as his

eyes seemed to focus andunfocus in turn. After amoment a strange, sinistersmile formed on his lips, anexpression of mockingcruelty. His mouth openedandthevoicethatissuedforthwas deep and hollow. ‘Whatservice,mistress?’The High Priestess’s brow

furrowed slightly as if therewas something askew in hismanner, but she maintained

her poise and said incommanding tones, ‘Youwear themantleof theOrderof the Silver Net, yet youpractise in the temple.Explainthisfalsehood.’The man laughed, a high

shrieking cackle that trailedoff.‘Iamhewhoserves.’Shestopped,fortheanswer

was not to her liking.‘Answer then, who do youserve?’

There came another laughand the man’s body tensedoncemore,pullingagainsttherestraining ropes. Beads ofsweat popped out upon hisbrow, and themuscles of hisarms corded as he drewhimself against the ropes.Then he relaxed and laughedagain. ‘I am he who iscaught.’‘Whodoyouserve?’‘Iamhewhoisafish.Iam

inanet.’Againcamethemadlaughter and the near-convulsive straining at theropes. As the man strained,sweat poured off his face inrivulets. Shrieking, he pulledagain and again at therestraints. As it seemed hewould break his own boneswith exertion, the manscreamed, ‘Murmandamus!Aidyourservant!’Abruptly one of the

candles blew out as a windfrom some unknown placeswept across the room. Theman reacted with a singleconvulsivespasm,bowinghisbodyinahigharch,withonlyhisfeetandheadtouchingthebed,pullingagainst theropeswith such force that his skintore and bled. Suddenly hecollapsed upon the bed. TheHigh Priestess fell back astep, then crossed to look

downon theman.Softly shesaid, ‘He isdead.Relight thecandle.’Arutha motioned and a

guardlitataperfromanothercandle and relit theextinguished one. Thepriestess began anotherincantation. While the firsthad been mildlydiscomforting, this onecarried a feeling of dread, achill from the farthest corner

of some lost and frozen landofwretchedness.Itcarriedtheecho of the cries of thosewithoutcomfortorhope.Yetwithin itwasanotherquality,powerful and attractive, analmost seductive feeling thatit would somehow bewonderful to lay aside allburdensandrest.Asthespellcontinued, the feelings offoreboding increased, andthose who waited fought

against the desire to run farfrom the sound of the HighPriestess’sspellcasting.Suddenly the spell was

over, and the room lay asquiet as a tomb. The HighPriestess spoke in theKing’sTongue. ‘You who are withus in body but are nowsubject to the will of ourmistress, Lims-Kragma,hearken to me. As our LadyofDeathcommandsallthings

in the end, so do I nowcommand you in her name.Return!’Theformonthebedstirred

butlaysilentoncemore.TheHigh Priestess shouted,‘Return!’ and the figuremoved again.With a suddenmovement the dead man’shead came up and his eyesopened. He seemed to belookingaround theroom,butwhile his eyes were open,

theyremainedrolledbackupin his head, only the whitesshowing.Stilltherewassomefeeling that the corpse couldyet see, for his head stoppedmoving as if hewas lookingat the High Priestess. Hismouth opened and a distant,hollowlaughissuedfromit.TheHighPriestessstepped

forward.‘Silence!’Thedeadmanquieted,but

then the face grinned, a

slowly broadening, terrible,and evil expression. Thefeatures began to twitch,moving as if the man’s facewere subject to some strangepalsy. The very fleshshivered, then sagged, as ifturned to heated wax. Theskin colour subtly shifted,becoming fairer, almost palewhite. The forehead becamehigher and the chin moredelicate, the nose more

arched and the ears pointed.The hair darkened to black.Within moments the mantheyhadquestionedwasgoneandinhisplacelayaformnolongerhuman.Softly Laurie spoke. ‘By

the gods! A Brother of theDarkPath!’Jimmy shifted his weight

uncomfortably.‘YourBrotherMorgan is from a lot farthernorth thanYabon city, lady,’

he whispered. There was nohumourinhistone,onlyfear.Again came the chillwind

from some unknown quarter,andtheHighPriestessturnedtowards Arutha. Her eyeswere wide with fear and sheseemed to speak, but nonecouldhearherwords.The creature on the bed,

oneofthehateddarkcousinsto the elves, shrieked inmaniacal glee. With a

shocking and sudden displayof strength, the moredhelripped one arm free of itsbond, then the other. Beforetheguardscouldreact,ittorefree the bonds holding itslegs. Instantly the dead thingwas on its feet, leapingtowardstheHighPriestess.Thewomanstoodresolute,

a feeling of power radiatingfrom her. She pointed herhand at the creature. ‘Halt!’

The moredhel obeyed. ‘Bymy mistress’s power, Icommand obedience fromyou who are called. In herdomain do you dwell andsubject you are to her lawsand ministers. By her powerdoIorderyouback!’The moredhel faltered a

moment, then with startlingquickness reached out andwith one hand seized theHigh Priestess by the throat.

Inthathollow,distantvoiceitscreamed, ‘Trouble not myservant,lady.Ifyouloveyourmistresssodearly,thentohergo!’TheHighPriestessgripped

itswrist,andbluefiresprangto life along the creature’sarm. With a howl of pain itpicked her up as if sheweighed nothing and hurledher against the wall nearArutha, where she crashed

andslidtothefloor.All stood motionless. The

transformation of thiscreature and its unexpectedattack upon the HighPriestess robbed all in theroomof volition.The templeguards were rooted by thesight of their priestesshumbled by some dark,otherworld power. Gardanand his men were equallystunned.

With another boominghowl of laughter the creatureturnedtowardsArutha.‘Now,LordoftheWest,wearemet,anditisyourhour!’Themoredhelswayedupon

its feet a moment, thenstepped towards Arutha. Thetemple guards recovered aninstant beforeGardan’smen.Thetwoblack-and-silver-cladsoldiers leapt forward, oneinterposing himself between

the advancing moredhel andthe stunned priestess, theother attacking the creature.Arutha’ssoldierswereonlyastepbehind inpreventing thecreature from reachingArutha.Lauriesprangfor thedoor, shouting for theguardswithout.The temple guard thrust

withhisscimitarandimpaledthe moredhel. Sightless eyeswidened, showing red rims,

as the creature grinned, ahorrid expression of glee. Inan instant its hands shotforward andwere around theguard’s throat. With atwisting motion it broke theguard’sneck,thentossedhimaside. The first of Arutha’sguards to reach the creaturestruck from the side, a blowthat gouged a bloody furrowalong its back. With abackhandslap itknocked the

guarddown. It reacheddownandpulledthescimitaroutofitsownchestandwithasnarltossed it aside. As it turnedaway, Gardan hit it low andfrom behind. The hugecaptainencircled thecreaturewith his powerful arms,liftingitfromtheground.Thecreature’s claws rakedGardan’s arms, but still heheld it high, preventing itsprogress towards Arutha.

Then the creature kickedbackwards, its heel strikingGardan in the leg, causingbothtofall.Thecreaturerose.As Gardan tried to reach itagain, he stumbled over thebody of the fallen templeguard.The door flew open as

Laurie tossed aside the innerbar, and palace and templeguards raced past the singer.The creature was within a

sword’s thrust of Aruthawhenthefirstguardtackleditfrom behind, followed aninstantlaterbytwomore.Thetemple guards joined theirlone fellow in forming adefence around theunconscious High Priestess.Arutha’sguards joined in theassault upon the moredhel.Gardan recovered from hisfall and rushed to Arutha’sside. ‘Leave, Highness. We

canhold itherebyweightofnumbers.’Arutha, with sword ready,

said, ‘How long, Gardan?Howcan you stop a creaturealreadydead?’Jimmy the Hand backed

away from Arutha’s side,edging towards the door. Hecouldn’t take his eyes fromthe knot of writhing bodies.Guards hammered at thecreature with hilts and fists,

seeking to bludgeon it intosubmission. Hands and faceswere sticky red as thecreature’s claws raked outagainandagain.Laurie circled around the

mêlée, looking for anopening, his sword pointedlike a dagger. Catching sightof Jimmy as the thief boltedtowards the door, Laurieshouted, ‘Arutha! Jimmyshows uncommon good

sense.Leave!’Thenhethrustwith his sword and a low,chilling moan came fromwithinthejumbleofbodies.Arutha was gripped by

indecision.Themass seemedtobeinchingtowardshim,asif the weight of the guardsserved only to slow thecreature’s progress. Thecreature’s voice rang out.‘Flee,ifyouwill,LordoftheWest,butyoushallneverfind

refugefrommyservants.’Asif gifted by some additionalsurgeofpower, themoredhelheaved mightily and theguardswere cast aside. Theycrashed into those standingbeforetheHighPriestess,andfor a moment the creaturewas free to stand upright.Nowitwascoveredinblood,its face a mask of bleedingwounds. Torn flesh hungfromonecheek,transforming

the moredhel’s face into apermanent, baleful grin. Oneguard managed to rise andshatter the creature’s rightarm with a sword blow. Itspun and tore the man’sthroat out with a single rakeofitshand.Withitsrightarmdanglinguselesslyat its side,the moredhel spoke throughloose,rubberylips,itsvoiceabubbling,wetnoise,Ifeedondeath!Come! I shall feed on

yours!’Two soldiers jumped upon

the moredhel from behind,driving it to the floor oncemore,beforeArutha.Ignoringthe guards, the creatureclawedtowardsthePrince,itsgood arm outstretched,fingers hooked like a claw.More guards leapt upon it,and Arutha darted forward,drivinghisswordthroughthecreature’sshoulder,deepinto

its back. The monstrousfigureshudderedbriefly,thenresumeditsforwardmotion.Like some giant, obscene

crab, the mass of bodiesinched slowly towards thePrince. The activities of theguards increased, as if theywould protect Arutha byliterallytearingthecreaturetoshreds. Arutha took a stepback, his reluctance to fleeslowly overbalanced by the

refusalof themoredhel tobestopped.Withacry,asoldierwas tossed away, to landhard, his head striking thestone floor with an audiblecrack. Another shouted,‘Highness, it grows instrength!’ A third screamedas he had an eye clawed outbythefranticcreature.Withatitanic heave, it tossed theremaining soldiers away androse, with no one between

itselfandArutha.Laurie tugged at Arutha’s

leftsleeve,leadingthePrinceslowly towards the door.Theywalkedsideways,nevertaking their eyes from theloathsome creature, while itstood swaying upon its feet.Itssightlesseyesfollowedthetwomen,glaringfromaskullrendered a pulpy red maskdevoid of recognizablefeatures. One of the High

Priestess’sguardschargedthecreature from behind, andwithout looking, themoredhel lashed backwardswith its right hand andcrushed theman’s skullwithasingleblow.Lauriecried,‘Ithastheuse

of its arm once more! It’shealing itself!’ The creaturewas upon them in a leap.SuddenlyArutha felt himselfgoing down as someone

shovedhimaside.Inablurofimages, Arutha saw Laurieducking away from the blowthatwouldhavetornArutha’shead from his shoulders.Arutharolledawayandcameto his feet beside Jimmy theHand. The boy had knockedhim out of harm’s way.BeyondJimmy,AruthacouldseeFatherNathan.The bull-necked priest

approached the monster, his

left hand held upright, palmforward. The creaturesomehow sensed the priest’sapproach, for it turned itsattention from Arutha andspuntofaceNathan.The centre of Nathan’s

hand began to glow, thenshinewithafiercewhitelightthatcastavisiblebeamuponthe moredhel, which stoodtransfixed. From its torn lipsa low moan was emitted.

ThenNathanbegantochant.Ahighshriekeruptedfrom

themoredhel,anditcowered,covering sightless eyes fromthe glare of Nathan’s mysticlight. Its voice could beheard, low and bubbling. ‘Itburns…itburns!’Thestockycleric took a step forward,forcing the creature toshamble backwards. Thething looked nothing mortal,bleeding thick, nearly

coagulated blood from ahundredwounds,largepiecesoffleshandclothingdanglingfrom its form. It hunkeredlowerandcriedout,‘Iburn!’Then a cold wind blew in

the room and the creatureshrieked, loud enough tostartle even seasoned, battle-readysoldiers.Guardslookedfuriously about, seeking thesource of some namelesshorror that could be felt on

everyside.Thecreaturesuddenlyrose

up,asifnewpowerhadcomeintoit.Itsrighthandshotout,grabbing at the source of theburning light, Nathan’s lefthand. Fingers and talon-likefingers interlaced, andwithasearing sound the creature’shand began to smoke. Themoredhel drew back its lefthand to strike a blow at thecleric, but as it uncoiled to

strike,Nathanshoutedawordunknown to the others in theroom, and the creaturefaltered and groaned.Nathan’s voice rang out,filling the room with thesounds of mystic prayer andholy magic. The creaturefroze for an instant, thentrembled in place. Nathansteppeduptheurgencyofhisincantation and the creaturereeled as if being struck a

mightyblow,andsmokerosefrom its body. Nathan calleddown the power of hisgoddess,Sung theWhite, thedeity of purity, his voicehoarse and strained. A loudmoaning, seeming to comefromagreatdistance,escapedfrom the moredhel’s mouthand it shuddered again.Locked in this mystic battle,Nathanliftedhisshouldersasifhewerestrugglingtomove

away a greatweight, and themoredhelfell to itsknees.ItsrighthandbentbackwardsasNathan’s voice droned on.Beads of sweat rolled downthe priest’s forehead and thecords on his neck stood out.Blistersroseonthecreature’sragged flesh and exposedmuscle and it began anululating cry. A sizzlingsound and the smell ofcookingmeatfilledtheroom.

Thick oily smoke poured offits body, and one guardturnedhis head andvomited.Nathan’s eyes grew wide ashe exerted the force of hiswill upon this creature.Slowly they swayed, thecreature’sfleshcrackingasitblackened and crisped fromNathan’s magic. Themoredhel bent backwardsundertheforceofthepriest’sgrip, and suddenly blue

energy coursed over itsblackening body. Nathanreleased his hold and thecreature toppled sideways,flameseruptingfromitseyes,mouth,andears.Soonflamesengulfed the body andreduced it quickly to ashes,chokingtheroomwithafoul,greasyodour.Nathan slowly turned to

face Arutha, and the Princesaw a man suddenly aged.

The cleric’s eyes were wideand sweat poured down hisface. In a dry croak he said,‘Highness,itisdone.’Takingone slow step, then another,towards the Prince, Nathansmiled weakly. Then he fellforward, to be caught byArutha before he struck thefloor.

•ChapterFour•Revelations

Birds sang to welcome thenewdawn.Arutha, Laurie, Jimmy,

Volney,andGardansatinthePrince’s private audiencechamber awaiting word ofNathan and the HighPriestess. The temple guardshad carried the priestess to a

guest chamber and stoodguard while healerssummoned from her templeattended her. They had beenwith her all night, whilemembers of Nathan’s ordertendedhiminhisquarters.Everyone in the room had

been rendered silent by thehorrors of the night, and allwere reluctant to speak of it.Laurie stirred first from thenumbness, leaving his chair

tomovetoawindow.Arutha’s eyes followed

Laurie’s movement, but hismind was wrestling with adozen unanswerablequestions. Who or what wasseekinghisdeath?Andwhy?But more important to himthan his own safety was thequestion of what threat thisposedforLyam,Carline,andtheothersduetoarrivesoon.And most of all, was there

any risk to Anita? A dozentimesover the last fewhoursArutha had consideredpostponingthewedding.Lauriesatdownonacouch

next to the half-dozingJimmy. Quietly he asked,‘Jimmy,howdidyouknowtofetchFatherNathanwhentheHigh Priestess herself washelpless?’Jimmy stretched and

yawned. ‘It was something I

rememberedfrommyyouth.’At this, Gardan laughed andthe tension in the roomlessened. Even Aruthaventured a half-smile asJimmy continued. ‘I wasgivenintothetutelageofoneFather Timothy, a cleric ofAstalon, for a time.Occasionally one boy oranother isallowed todo this.It’s a sign theMockers havegreat expectations for the

boy,’ he said proudly. ‘Istayedonlytolearnmylettersand numbers, but along theway I chanced to pick up afewotherbitsofknowledge.‘I remembered a discourse

on the nature of the godsFather Timothy had givenonce – though it had almostputmetosleep.Accordingtothat worthy, there is anopposition of forces, positiveand negative forces that are

sometimes called good andevil. Good cannot cancelgood,norevilcancelevil.Tobalk an agent of evil, youneedanagencyofgood.TheHigh Priestess is counted aservant of dark powers bymost people and could nothold the creature at bay. Ihopedthefathercouldopposethecreature,asSungandherservants are seen as being of“good” demeanour. I really

didn’t know if it waspossible, but I couldn’t seestanding around while thatthing chewed up the palaceguardsonebyone.’Arutha said, ‘It proved a

good guess.’ His tonerevealedapprovalofJimmy’squickthinking.A guard came into the

roomandsaid,‘Highness,thepriest is recovered and sendswordforyou.Hebegsyouto

cometohisquarters.’Aruthanearly leapt from his chairandstrodeoutofthechamberwiththeothersclosebehind.For over a century custom

had provided that the palaceof the Prince of Krondorcontainatemplewithashrineto each of the gods, so thatwhoever was a guest, nomatter which of the majordeitiesheworshipped,wouldfind a place of spiritual

comfort close by. The orderseeing to the temple’s carewould change from time totime as different advisers tothe Prince came andwent. Itwas Nathan and his acolyteswho cared for the templeunder Arutha’sadministration, as they hadduring Erland’s. The priest’squarters lay behind thetemple, and Arutha enteredthrough the large, vaulted

hall. At the opposite end ofthe nave a door could beglimpsed behind the bemathat contained the shrine tothe four greater gods.Aruthastrode towards the door, hisbootsclackinguponthestonefloor as he walked past theshrines to the lesser gods oneither side of the temple. Ashe approached the door toNathan’s quarters, Aruthacould see it was open and

glimpsedmovementinside.He entered the priest’s

quarters and Nathan’sacolytes stepped aside.Arutha was struck by theaustere look of the room,nearlyacellwithoutpersonalproperty or decoration. Theonly nonutilitarian itemvisible was a personalstatuetteofSung,representedasalovelyyoungwomaninalongwhite robe, resting on a

small table next to Nathan’sbed.The priest looked haggard

and weak but alert. He laypropped up on cushions.Nathan’s assistant priesthovered close by, ready toanswer any need Nathanmight have. The royalchirurgeon waited beside thebed. He bowed and said,‘There is nothing physicallywrong, Highness, save he is

exhausted. Please be brief.’Arutha nodded as thechirurgeon, followed by alltheacolytes,withdrew.Asheleft, hemotioned for Gardanand the others to remainoutside.Arutha came to Nathan’s

side.‘Howdoyoufare?’‘I will live, Highness,’ he

answeredweakly.Aruthacast aquickglance

at the door and saw the

alarmed expression onGardan’s face. It confirmedArutha’s impression thatNathan’s ordeal had left himchanged. Softly Arutha said,‘You will do more than justlive, Nathan. You’ll be backtoyouroldselfsoon.’‘I have lived through a

horrornomanshouldhavetoface, Highness. So you mayunderstand, I must share aconfidence with you.’ He

noddedtowardsthedoor.The assistant priest closed

the door and returned toNathan’s bedside. Nathansaid, ‘I must now tell yousomething not commonlyknown outside the temple,Highness. I take greatresponsibility uponmyself todo this, but I judge itimperative.’Arutha leaned forward the

bettertohearthetiredpriest’s

faint words. Nathan said,‘There is an order to things,Arutha,abalanceimposedbyIshap, the One Above All.Thegreatergodsrulethroughthe lesser gods, who areserved by the priesthoods.Each order has its mission.An ordermay seem to be inoppositiontoanother,butthehigher truth is that all ordershaveaplaceintheschemeofthings. Even those in the

temples who are of lowerrankarekept ignorantof thishigher order. It is the reasonfor occasional conflictserupting between temples.My discomfort at the HighPriestess’sriteslastnightwasasmuchforthebenefitofmyacolytes as from any truedistaste.Whatanindividualiscapable of understandingdetermines howmuch of thetruthisrevealedtohimbythe

temples. Many need thesimple concepts of good andevil,lightanddark,togoverntheir daily lives.You are notsuchaone.‘I have trained in the

FollowingoftheSinglePath,theorder Iambestsuitedforby my nature. But as do allothers who have reachedmyrank, I knowwell the natureand manifestations of theother gods and goddesses.

What appeared in that roomlastnightwasnothing Ihaveeverknown.’Arutha seemed lost. ‘What

doyoumean?’‘As I battled against the

forcethatdrovethemoredhelIcouldsensesomethingofitsnature. It is something alien,dark and dread, somethingwithoutmercy.Itragesanditseeks todominateordestroy.Even those gods called dark,

Lims-Kragma and Guis-wa,are not truly evil when thetruth is understood. But thisthing is a blotting out of thelight of hope. It is despairincarnate.’The assistant priest

indicated it was time forAruthatoleave.Ashemovedtowards the door, Nathancalled out. ‘Wait, you mustunderstand something more.It left, not because I had

bested it, but because I hadrobbed it of the servant itinhabited. It had no physicalmeans of continuing theattack. I only defeated itsagent. It … revealedsomething of itself in thatmoment.Itisnotreadyyettoface my Lady of the OnePath,but itholdsherand theother gods in contempt.’ Hisface revealed his alarm.‘Arutha, it feelscontempt for

the gods!’Nathan sat up, hishandoutstretched,andAruthareturned and took it.Highness, it is a force thatdeemsitselfsupreme.Ithatesand it rails and it means todestroyanywhoopposeit.If–’Arutha said, ‘Softly,

Nathan.’The priest nodded and lay

back. ‘Seek greater wisdomthan mine, Arutha. For one

other thing did I sense. Thisfoe, this encompassingdarkness, is growing instrength.’Arutha said, ‘Sleep,

Nathan. Let this all becomejust another bad dream.’ Henodded to the assistant priestand left the room. As hepassed the royal chirurgeon,he said, ‘Aid him,’ a pleamorethanacommand.

Hours went by as Aruthaawaited word of the HighPriestess of Lims-Kragma.He sat alone, while Jimmysleptona lowsettee.Gardanwas off seeing to thedeployment of his guards.Volney was busy withrunning the Principality, asAruthawaspreoccupiedwiththemysteries of the previousnight.Hehaddecidedagainstinforming Lyam of exactly

what had occurred until theKingwas in Krondor. As hehad observed before, withLyam’s retinue numbering inexcess of a hundred soldiers,it would take something inthe order of a small army toimperilhim.Arutha paused for a

momentinhisdeliberationtostudy Jimmy.He looked stillachildashebreathedslowly.He had laughed off the

severity of his wound, butonce things had finallyquieted down, he had fallenasleep almost instantly.Gardan had gently lifted himontothecouch.Aruthashookhis head slightly. The youthwas a common criminal, aparasite upon society whohad not worked an honestday’slabourinhisyounglife.Not much past fourteen orfifteen, he was a braggart, a

liar,anda thief,butwhilehemightbemanythings,hewasstill a friend. Arutha sighedand wondered what to doabouttheboy.Acourtpagearrivedwitha

message from the HighPriestess,requestingArutha’spresence at once. The Princerose quietly, so as not toawakenJimmy,andfollowedthe page to where the HighPriestesswasbeingcared for

by her healers. Arutha’sguards waited outside thesuiteandtempleguardsstoodinside the door, a concessionArutha had granted whenrequested by the priest whohad come from the temple.The priest greeted Aruthacoolly,asifAruthasomehowboretheresponsibilityforhismistress’s injury. He ledArutha into the sleepingchamber, where a priestess

attended the leader of theirtemple.Aruthawasshockedbythe

appearance of the HighPriestess.Shelayproppedupbyapileofbolsters,herpaleblond hair framing a facedrainedofcolour,asiftheicyblue of winter had suffusedherfeatures.Shelookedas ifshehadaged twentyyears ina day. But as she fixed hergaze uponArutha, there was

still an aura of power abouther.‘Have you recovered,

madam?’ Arutha’s toneshowed concern as heinclinedhisheadtowardsher.‘Mymistress haswork for

me yet, Highness. I will notjoinherforsometime.’‘I am pleased to hear that

news. I have come as yourequired.’The woman drew herself

upright,untilshesatwithherback against the pillows.Without conscious thoughtshe brushed back her nearlywhitehair,and‘Aruthacouldsee that despite the grimdemeanourtheHighPriestesswas a woman of unusualbeauty, albeit a beautywithout a hint of softness. Ina voice still strained, thepriestess said, ‘AruthaconDoin, there isperil toour

Kingdom, and more. In therealm of the Mistress ofDeath,onlyonestandshigherthan I; she is our MotherMatriarch in Rillanon. Otherthan herself, none shouldchallenge my power in thedomain of death. But nowthere comes something thatchallenges the very goddessherself, something thatwhilestillweak,whilestilllearningitspowers,canovercomemy

control over one in mymistress’srealm.‘Have you any

understanding of theimportanceofmywords?Itisas if a baby fresh from hermother’s teat has come toyour palace, nay, the palaceofyourbrothertheKing,andturnedhisretinue,hisguards,even the very people againsthim, rendering him helplessintheveryseatofhispower.

That iswhatwe face.And itgrows.Aswestandspeaking,itgrowsinstrengthandrage.Anditisancient.…’Hereyesgrew wide, and suddenlyArutha saw a hint ofmadness. ‘It is both new andold…Idon’tunderstand.’Aruthanoddedtowardsthe

healer and turned to thepriest. The priest indicatedthedoorandAruthastartedtoleave.Ashereachedthedoor,

the High Priestess’s voicebrokeintosobbing.When they reached the

outer room, the priest said,‘Highness,IamJulian,ChiefPriestoftheInnerCircle.I’vesent word to our mothertemple in Rillanon of whathas happened here. I…’ Heappearedtroubledbywhathewasabouttosay.‘MostlikelyIwillbeHighPriestofLims-Kragmawithinafewmonths’

time.We shall care for her,’he said, facing the closeddoor, ‘but she will neveragain be able to guide us inour mistress’s service.’ Hereturned his attention toArutha. ‘I have heard fromthe temple guards of whatoccurred last night, and Ihave just heard the HighPriestess’s words. If thetemplecanhelp,wewill.’Arutha considered the

man’swords.Itwasusualforapriestofoneoftheorderstobe numbered among thecouncillors of the nobility.Thereweretoomanymattersof mystic importance to befaced for the nobility to bewithout spiritual guidance.ThatwaswhyArutha’sfatherhadbeenthefirsttoincludeamagician in his company ofadvisers. But activecooperation between temple

and temporal authority,between ruling bodiesthemselves,was rare. FinallyArutha said, ‘My thanks,Julian.Whenwehaveabettersenseofwhatwearedealingwith, we shall seek out yourwisdom. I have just come tounderstand that my view ofthe world is somewhatnarrow. I expect you willprovidevaluedassistance.’Thepriestbowedhishead.

AsAruthamade to leave, hesaid,‘Highness?’Arutha looked back to see

aconcernedexpressiononthepriest’sface.‘Yes?’‘Find whatever this thing

is,Highness.Seekitout,anddestroyitutterly.’Aruthacouldonlynod.He

made his way back to hischamber. Entering, he satquietly, lest he disturbJimmy,whostill laysleeping

upon the settee. Aruthanoticed that a plate of fruitandcheese andadecanterofchilledwinehadbeenplacedupon the table for him.Realizinghehadhadnothingto eat all day, he pouredhimself a glass of wine andcut a wedge of cheese. thensat down again. He put hisbootsonthetableandleanedback, letting his mindwander. The fatigue of two

nights with little sleepwashed over him, but hismindwastoocaughtupintheeventsofthelasttwodaystolet sleep be considered foreven a moment. Somesupernatural agent was loosein his realm, some magicthing that threw fear intopriests of two of the mostpowerful temples in theKingdom.Lyamwouldarrivein less than a week. Nearly

every noble in the Kingdomwould be in Krondor for thewedding. In his city!Andhecould think of nothing hecould do to guarantee theirsafety.Arutha sat for anhour, his

mind miles away as heabsently ate and drank. Hewas a man who oftendescendedintodarkbroodingwhen left alone, but whengiven a problem he never

ceasedtoworkonit,toattackitfromeverypossibleside,toworryit,tossingitabout,asaterrierdoesarat.Heconjuredup dozens of possibleapproaches to the problemand constantly re-examinedeveryshredofinformationhehad. Finally, after discardingadozenplans. heknewwhathemust do.He took his feetoff the table and grabbed aripeappleoff thedishbefore

him.‘Jimmy!’ he shouted, and

the boy thief was instantlyawake, ‘years of dangerousliving having bred the habitof light sleeping. Aruthathrewtheappleattheboyandwithastonishingspeedhesatup and caught the fruit scantinches from his face. Aruthacouldunderstandhowhehadcome to be known as ‘theHand’.

‘What?’ inquired the boyashebitintothefruit.‘I need you to carry a

message to your master.’Jimmystoppedinmid-bite.‘Ineedyoutoarrangeameetingbetween myself and theUpright Man.’ Jimmy’s eyeswidenedinutterdisbelief.

Again thickfoghadrolled inoff the Bitter Sea to blanketKrondor in a deepmantle of

haze. Two figures movedquickly past the few tavernsstillopenforbusiness.Aruthafollowed as Jimmy led himthrough the city, passing outof the Merchants’ Quarterinto rougher environs, untilthey were deep within theheart of the Poor Quarter.Then a quick turn down analleyand theystoodbeforeadeadend.Emergingfromtheshadows, threemenappeared

asifbymagic.Aruthahadhisrapier out in an instant, butJimmy only said, ‘We arepilgrimswhoseekguidance.’‘Pilgrims, I am the guide,’

came the answer from theforemost man. ‘Now, tellyourfriendtoputuphistoadsticker or we’ll deliver himupinasack.’If the men knew Arutha’s

identity, theywere giving nosign.Aruthaslowlyputaway

hissword.Theothertwomencame forward, holding outblindfolds. Arutha said,‘Whatbusinessisthis?’‘This is the way you will

travel,’ answered thespokesman. ‘If you refuse,you will go not one stepfarther.’Arutha fought down

irritation and nodded, once.The men came forward andArutha saw Jimmy

blindfolded an instant beforehe was roughly denied lighthimself. Struggling againsttheurge topull theblindfoldaway, Arutha heard the manspeak. ‘Youwill both be ledfrom here to another place,where others will come toguide you. You may bepassed along through manyhands before you reach yourdestination,sodonotbecomealarmed should you hear

unexpected voices in thedark. I do not know whatyour ultimate destination is,for I do not need to know. Ialso do not know who youare, man, but orders havecome down from one mosthighlyplaced that you are tobe led quickly and deliveredunharmed. But be warned:removeyourblindfoldonlyatgrave risk. You may notknowwhereyouarefromthis

moment henceforth.’ Aruthafelt a rope being tied aroundhis waist and heard thespeaker say, ‘Hold tightly totheropeandkeepasurefoot;wetravelatgoodpace.’Without further word,

Aruthawasjerkedaroundandledoffintothenight.

Formore thananhour,or soit seemed to the Prince, hehadbeenledaboutthestreets

of Krondor. He had twicestumbled and had bruises toshow for the casual caregiven by his guides.At leastthree times he had changedguides, so he had no ideawhomhewouldseewhentheblindfold was removed. Butat last he climbed a flight ofstairs.Heheardseveraldoorsopen and shut before stronghands forced him to sit. Atlast the blindfold was

removed and Arutha blinkedas he was dazzled by thelight.Arrayed along a table was

a series of lanterns, with apolished reflector behindeach, all turned to face him.Each cast a brilliantillumination into thePrince’seyes, preventing him fromseeing anyone who stoodbehindthattable.Arutha looked to his right

and saw Jimmy sitting uponanother stool. After a longmoment a deep voicerumbled from behind thelights. ‘Greetings, Prince ofKrondor.’Aruthasquintedagainstthe

light, but could catch noglimpse of who spoke frombehind the glare. ‘Am Ispeaking to the UprightMan?’A longpausepreceded the

answer. ‘Be satisfied that Iam empowered to reach anyunderstanding you maydesire. I speak with hisvoice.’Arutha considered for a

moment. ‘Very well. I seekanalliance.’From behind the glare

came a deep chuckle. ‘Whatwould the Prince ofKrondorneed of the Upright Man’said?’

‘I seek to learn the secretsoftheGuildofDeath.’Alongsilencefollowedon

the heels of this statement.Arutha couldn’t decide if thespeaker was consultinganother person or simplythinking. Then the voicebehind the lanterns said,‘Remove the boy and holdhimoutside.’Two men appeared from

out of the dark and roughly

grabbed Jimmy, hauling himfromtheroom.Whenhewasgone, the voice said, ‘TheNighthawks are a source ofconcernfortheUprightMan,Prince of Krondor. Theytrespass upon the Thieves’Highway and their blackmurders stirup thepopulace,castingunwelcomelightupontheMockers’manyactivities.In short, they are bad forbusiness.Itwouldserveusto

see them ended, but whatcause have you beyond thatwhich normally occupies aruler when his subjects arebeing wantonly murdered intheirsleep?’‘They pose a threat to my

brotherandmyself.’Again there was a long

silence. ‘Then they set theirsights high. Still, royaltyoftenneedskillingasmuchasthe commons, and a man

mustearnalivinghowsoeverhemay,eventhoughhebeanassassin.’‘It should be apparent to

you,’saidAruthadryly, ‘thatmurdering Princes would beespecially bad for business.The Mockers would findthings a little crampedworking in a city undermartiallaw.’‘This is true. Name your

bargain.’

‘Iasknobargain.Idemandcooperation. I needinformation. I wish to knowwhere lies the heart of theNighthawks.’‘Altruism accrues little

benefit to those lying cold inthe gutter. The arm of theGuildofDeathislong.’‘Nolongerthanmine,’said

Arutha in a voice devoid ofhumour. ‘I can see that theactivities of the Mockers

suffer greatly. You know aswell as Iwhatwouldhappento the Mockers should thePrince of Krondor declarewaruponyourguild.’‘There is little profit in

such contention between theguildandYourHighness.’Arutha leaned forward,his

dark eyes gleaming from thebrilliant lights.Slowly,bitingoff each word, he said, ‘Ihavenoneedofprofit.’

A moment of silence wasfollowed by a deep sigh.‘Yes, there is that,’ said thevoice thoughtfully. Then itchuckled. ‘That is one of theadvantagestoinheritingone’sposition. It would provetroublesometogovernaguildof starving thieves. Verywell, Arutha ofKrondor, butfor this risk the guild needsindemnity.You’veshownthestick, now what of the

carrot?’‘Nameyour price.’Arutha

satback.‘Understand this: the

Upright Man is sympatheticto Your Highness regardingthe problems posed by theGuild of Death. TheNighthawks are not to beendured. They must beeliminated root and branch.Butmany risks are involved,and great expense will be

incurred; thiswillbeacostlyventure.’‘Your price?’ Arutha

repeatedflatly.‘Fortheriskinvolvedtoall

should we fail, ten thousandgoldensovereigns.’‘That would put a large

holeintheroyaltreasury.’‘True, but consider the

alternatives.’‘Wehaveabargain.’‘IshallprovidetheUpright

Man’s instructions as to themeans of payment later,’ thevoice said with a hint ofhumour in it. ‘Now there isanothermatter.’‘Whatisthat?’saidArutha.‘Young Jimmy the Hand

has broken oath with theMockers and his life isforfeit.Heshalldiewithinthehour.’Without thinking, Arutha

began to rise. Strong hands

pushed him down frombehind as a large thiefstepped out of the darkness.He simply shook his head inthenegative.‘We would never think of

returningyoutothepalaceinlesssalubriousconditionthanthat in which you arrived,’said the voice behind thelights,‘butdrawaweaponinthis room and you will bedeliveredtothepalacegatein

a box and we will deal thenwiththeconsequences.’‘ButJimmy–’‘Broke oath!’ interrupted

the voice. ‘He was honour-bound to report thewhereabouts of theNighthawkwhenhesawhim.As he was honour-bound totell of Laughing Jack’streachery.Yes,Highness,weknowof these things. Jimmybetrayed the guild to carry

word to you first. There arecertain matters that can beforgiven because of age, buttheseactionscannot.’‘I’llnotstandbyandallow

Jimmytobemurdered.’‘Then listen, Prince of

Krondor,forIhaveastorytotell. Once the Upright Manlay with a woman of thestreets, as he had withhundreds of others, but thiswhoreborehimason.Thisis

a certainty: Jimmy the Handis the Upright Man’s son,though he is ignorant of hispaternity. This presents theUprightManwith somethingofaquandary.Ifheistoobeythe laws he has made, hemust order the death of hisown son. But should he not,he will lose credibility withthose who serve him. Anunpleasant choice. Alreadythe Guild of Thieves is in

turmoil from Jack’s beingshown as an agent of theNighthawks. Trust is a thinenough commodity at mosttimes;itisnearlynonexistentnow. Can you think ofanotherway?’Aruthasmiled,forheknew

anotherway.‘Intimesnotfarpast,itwasnotunheardoftobuy pardon. Name yourprice.’‘For treason?No less than

another ten thousand goldsovereigns.’Aruthashookhishead.His

treasury would be gutted.Still, Jimmy must haveknown the risks of betrayingthe Mockers to bring himwarning, and that was worthmuch. ‘Done,’ said Aruthasourly.‘Then you must keep the

boy with you, Prince ofKrondor, for he’ll never be

one with theMockers again,thoughwewillnotattempttoharmhim…unlesshe againtransgresses against us. Thenweshalldealwithhimaswewould any freebooter.Harshly.’Arutha rose. ‘Is our

businessthendone?’‘Exceptforonelastthing.’‘Yes?’‘Alsointimesnotfarpast,

itwasnotunheardoftobuya

patent of nobility for a pricein gold. What price wouldyouaskofafathertohavehisson named Squire of thePrince’scourt?’Arutha laughed, suddenly

understanding the course ofnegotiations. ‘Twentythousandgoldensovereigns.’‘Done!TheUprightManis

fondofJimmy;thoughhehasotherbastardsaround,Jimmyis special. The Upright Man

wishes Jimmy to remainignorant of the relationship,buthewillbepleasedtothinkhis son shall have a brighterfuture for this night’snegotiations.’‘He will be placed within

my service,without knowingwho his father is. Shall wemeetagain?’‘I think not, Prince of

Krondor. The Upright Manguards his identity jealously,

andeventocomeclosetoonewho speaks with his voicebrings him dangers. But wewill carry clear messages toyou when we know wherehidetheNighthawks.Andwewill welcome news of theirobliteration.’

Jimmy sat nervously. Forover three hours Arutha hadbeen closeted with Gardan,Volney, and Laurie, as well

asothermembersofhisprivystaff.Jimmyhadbeeninvitedtoremaininaroomsetasidefor his use. The presence oftwo guards at the door andtwo more below the balconyoutside his window gaveample support to the notionthat he was, for whateverreason,aprisoner.Jimmyhadlittle doubt he could leaveundetectedduringthenightifhe had been in fit condition,

butaftertheeventsofthelastfewdayshefeltabused.Also,hewasatsomethingofalossto understand being returnedtothepalacewiththePrince.The boy thief was uneasy.Something in his life hadchanged and he wasn’t surewhat,orwhy.The door to the room

opened and a guard sergeantstuck his head in, waving toJimmy to come. ‘His

Highness wants you, boy.’Jimmy quickly followed thesoldier down the hall to thelong passage to the councilchambers.Arutha looked up from

readingsomething.Aboutthetable satGardan,Laurie, andsomeothermenJimmydidn’tknow, while Earl Volneystoodnearthedoor.‘Jimmy,Ihavesomethingforyouhere.’Jimmy simply looked around

the room, not knowing whattosay.Aruthasaid,‘Thisisaroyal patent naming youSquiretothePrince’scourt.’Jimmywas speechless, his

eyeswide.Lauriechuckledathis reaction, while Gardangrinned.FinallyJimmyfoundhis voice. ‘This is a jest,right?’ When Arutha shookhis head, the boy said, ‘But…me,asquire?’Arutha replied, ‘You have

savedmy life andyou are toberewarded.’Jimmy said, ‘But,

Highness,I…thankyou,but… there’s the matter of myoathtotheMockers.’Arutha leaned forward.

‘That matter has beendisposed of, Squire. You areno longer a member of theGuild of Thieves. TheUprightManhasagreed.Itisdone.’

Jimmyfelttrapped.Hehadnevertakenmuchpleasureinbeingathief,buthehadtakengreatpleasureinbeingaverygood thief.What appealed tohimwas the chance to provehimselfateveryturn,toshowall that Jimmy theHandwasthe best thief in the guild…oratleastwouldbesomeday.Butnowhewas tobeboundtothePrince’shousehold,andwith the office came duties.

And if the UprightMan hadagreed, Jimmy was foreverdenied access to the societyofthestreets.Seeing the boy’s lack of

enthusiasm, Laurie said,‘MayI,Highness?’Arutha permitted, and the

singer came over to place ahand on the boy’s shoulder.‘Jimmy, His Highness issimply keeping your headabovewater,literally.Hehad

tobargainforyour life. Ifhehad not, you’d be floating inthe harbour this hour. TheUpright Man knew you’dbrokenoathwiththeguild.’Jimmy visibly sagged and

Laurie squeezed his shoulderreassuringly. The boy hadalways thought himselfsomehow above the rules,free of the responsibilitiesthatboundothers.Jimmyhadnever known why he had

been granted specialconsideration somany times,while others were forced topay their way, but now heknew that he had stretchedprivilege too far once toooften.Therewasnodoubt intheboy’smindthatthesingertold the truth,andconflictingemotions surged up withinhim as he considered howclose to being murdered hehadcome.

Laurie said, ‘Palace lifeisn’t so bad. The building’swarm, your clothing’ll beclean,andthere’samplefood.Besides, there’ll be plenty toholdyourinterest.’Helookedat Arutha and added dryly,‘Especiallyoflate.’Jimmy nodded and Laurie

led him around the table.Jimmy was instructed tokneel. The Earl quickly readthepatent. ‘Toallwithinour

demesne: whereas the youthJimmy, anorphanof the cityof Krondor, has renderedworthy service in preventinginjury to the royal person ofthe Prince of Krondor; and:Whereas the youth Jimmy isconsidered toholdus foreverinhisdebt;Itismywishthathe be known to all in therealm as our beloved andloyal servant, and it isfurthermorewishedthathebe

given a place in the court ofKrondor, with the rank ofSquire, with all rights andprivileges pertainingthereunto. Furthermore let itbeknown that the title to theestate of Haverford on theRiver Welandel is conferreduponhimandhisprogenyaslong as they shall live, tohave and to hold, withservants and propertiesthereupon.Title to thisestate

shall be held by the crownuntil the day of hismajority.Set this daybymyhand andseal, Arutha conDoin, Princeof Krondor; Knight-Marshalof theWesternRealmandofthe King’s Armies of theWest; Heir Apparent to thethrone of Rillanon.’ Volneylooked at Jimmy. ‘Do youacceptthischarge?’Jimmysaid, ‘Yes.’Volney

rolled up the parchment and

handed it to the boy. That,apparently, was all that wasneeded to turn a thief into asquire.The boy didn’t know

whereHaverfordontheRiverWelandelwas,butlandmeantincome, and immediately hebrightened. As he steppedaway,hestudiedArutha,whowas obviously preoccupied.Chance had twice thrownthem together, and twice

Arutha had proved the onlyperson who hadn’t wantedanything from him. Even hisfew friends among theMockers had tried to gainadvantage over the boy atleastonceuntilhehadshownthat to be a difficult task.Jimmy found his relationshipwith Arutha a novel one. AsArutha read some paperssilently, Jimmy decided thatif fate was again taking a

hand, he’d just as soon staywiththePrinceandhislivelybunchasgoanywhereelsehecould think of. Besides, hewould have income andcomfort as long as Aruthalived, thoughthis,hethoughtsombrely, might prove a bitofaproblem.While Jimmy glanced at

his patent, Arutha in turnstudied him. Hewas a streetboy: tough, resilient,

resourceful, and occasionallyruthless. Arutha smiled tohimself. He’d get along justfineincourt.Jimmy rolled up the paper

asArutha said, ‘Your formermaster works with alacrity.’To the entire group he said.‘HereIhavehiswordthathehasnearlyuncoveredthenestof theNighthawks.He stateshewillsendamessageatanymoment, and he regrets he

must withhold any direct aidinstampingthemout.Jimmy,whatdoyouthinkofthis?’Jimmy grinned. ‘The

Upright Man knows how toplay. Should you destroy theNighthawks, business returnsto normal. Should you fail,there is no suspicion he tooka hand in your attempt. Hecannot lose.’ Inmore serioustones he added, ‘He alsoworries about additional

infiltration of the Mockers.Should that be the case, anyMocker participation placestheraidinjeopardy.’Arutha took the boy’s

meaning. ‘It is come to thatseriousapass?’‘Most likely, Highness.

Therearenomore than threeorfourmenwithaccesstotheUpright Man himself. Thesearetheonlyoneshecanfullytrust. Iwouldguess hehas a

fewagentsofhisownoutsidetheguild,unknowntoanybuthis most trusted aides,perhapsnoteventothem.Hemust be using these to ferretout the Nighthawks. Thereare over two hundredMockers and twice thatnumber of beggars andurchins, any of whom couldbeeyesandearsfortheGuildofDeath.’Arutha smiled his crooked

smile. Volney said, ‘Youhavewits,SquireJames.Youshould prove a boon to HisHighness’scourt.’Jimmy looked as if

something tasted bad as hemuttered,‘SquireJames?’Arutha seemedunawareof

Jimmy’ssourtone.‘Wecouldall do with some rest. Untilwe hear from the UprightMan, the best we can do isrecover from the rigours of

thelastfewdays.’Herose.‘Ibidyouallgoodnight.’Arutha quickly left the

chamberandVolneygatheredup the papers from theconference table and hurriedalong on his own errands.Laurie said to Jimmy, ‘Well,I’d better take you in tow,youngster. Someone shouldteach you a thing or twoaboutqualityfolk.’Gardancameovertothem.

‘Then the boy is as good asdamned forever to be anembarrassmenttothePrince.’Laurie sighed, ‘It just

shows you,’ he rejoined toJimmy, ‘youcanputabadgeof rankon theman,butonceabarracks sweeper, always abarrackssweeper.’‘Barracks sweeper!’

snapped Gardan, mockoutrage on his dark face.‘Singer,I’llhaveyouknowI

come from a long line ofheroes…’Jimmy sighed in

resignationashefollowedthetwo bickering men from thehall. On the whole, life hadbeensimpleraweekago.Hetried to put on a brighterexpression, but at best heresembled a cat who hadfallen into a barrel of cream,unsureofwhethertolapituporswimforhislife.

•ChapterFive•Obliteration

Aruthastudiedtheoldthief.The Upright Man’s

messenger had waited whilethe Prince read the missive.Now the Prince’s eyes wereupon him. ‘Know you thecontentsofthis?’‘To the specifics, no. He

who gave it to me was

explicit in instructions.’ Theold thief, now robbed of hisagility by age, rubbedabsentlyathisbaldpateashestoodbeforeArutha.‘Hesaidto tell you the boy couldbring you easily to the placenamed within, YourHighness.Healsosaidtotellyou that word has beenpassedregardingtheboy,andthe Mockers consider thematter at a close.’ The man

cast a brief glance at Jimmyandwinked.Jimmy,whowasstanding off to one side,breathedasilentsighofreliefathearingthat.Thewinktoldhim thatwhile Jimmywouldnever be aMocker again, heat least was not denied thestreetsofthecityandthatoldAlvarnytheQuickwasstillafriend.Aruthasaid,‘TellyourmasterIampleasedwiththisswift resolution.Tell himwe

shall have an end to thismatter tonight. He willunderstand.’Arutha waved for a guard

to escort Alvarny from thehall and turned to Gardan.‘Select a company of yourmost trusted men and anyPathfinders still in thegarrison.Anywhoarenewtoour service shall be passedover.Byword ofmouth, telleach tomuster at thepostern

gate, beginning at sundown.By ones and twos I wantthemsent into thecity,usingvaried routes and with sharpeyes for signs they are beingfollowed. Let them wanderand dine, as if theywere offduty, though any drinkingshould be only sham. Bymidnighttheyarealltogatherat the Rainbow Parrot.’Gardansalutedandleft.When Arutha and the boy

were alone, the Prince said,‘You must think I’ve dealtharshlywithyou.’Jimmy’s face showed his

surprise. ‘No, Highness. Ithoughtitabitstrange,isall.If anything, I owe you mylife.’‘I worried you’d resent

being taken from the onlyfamily you knew.’ Jimmyshrugged off the remark.‘And as for owing a life…’

He leaned back, fingeragainst his cheek as hesmiled. ‘Weareeven,SquireJames, for had younot actedquicklytheothernightI’dbeshorterbyahead.’They both smiled at that.

Jimmy said, if we’re even,whytheoffice?’Arutha remembered his

pledge to the Upright Man.‘Count itameansofkeepinganeyeuponyou.Youarefree

to come and go, as long asyoudischargeyourdutiesasasquire, but should I find thegold cups missing from thepantry, I’ll personally dragyou down to the dungeon.’Jimmy again laughed, butArutha’s voice took on amore sombre tone. ‘Also,there’s the matter ofsomeone’sfoilinganassassinupon the roof of a certainfuller’s house earlier this

week.Andyou’veneversaidwhyyouchosetocometomewithnewsof thatNighthawkrather than report it as youwerewarrantedtodo.’Jimmy looked at Arutha,

his gaze older by years thanhis boyish face. Finally hesaid, ‘The night you escapedfrom Krondor with thePrincess, I got caughtwith afullcompanyofBlackGuy’shorsemen on the docks

between me and freedom.You threw me your swordbefore you knew you’d besafely away. And when wewere closeted in the safehouse, you taught meswordplay.Youwere alwaysasfairlyspokentomeasyouweretoanyother.’Hepausedfor a moment. ‘You treatedmelikeafriend.I’ve…I’vehadfewfriends,Highness.’Arutha indicated

understanding. ‘I also countfew as true friends – myfamily, the magicians PugandKulgan,FatherTully,andGardan.’ His expressionturned wry. ‘Laurie hasshown himself more than asimplecourtierandIthinkhemayprove a friend. I’ll evengo so far as to name thatpirate Amos Trask a truefriend.Now, ifAmos can bethe friend of the Prince of

Krondor,whynot Jimmy theHand?’Jimmy grinned and there

was a hint ofmoisture in hiseyes. ‘Why not indeed?’ Heswallowedhardandraisedhismask again. ‘WhateverhappenedtoAmos?’Aruthasatback.‘ThelastI

saw of him, he was stealingthe King’s ship.’ Jimmyguffawed. ‘We’ve not hadword of him since. I’d give

much to have that cut-throatbymysidethisnight.’Jimmy lost his smile. ‘I

hatetobringthisup,butwhatif we run into another ofthosedamn things thatwon’tdie?’‘Nathan thinks it unlikely.

He thinks it happened onlybecause the priestess calledthat thing back. Besides, Ican’t wait upon the temples’pleasure to act. Only that

death priest, Julian, hasofferedtohelp.’‘And we’ve seen how

much help those who serveLims-Kragma can provide,’Jimmy added dryly. ‘Let’shopeFatherNathanknowsofwhathespeaks.’Arutha rose. ‘Come, let’s

getwhatrestwemay,forthenight should provide bloodywork.’

Throughout the night bandsof soldiers, dressed in thecommongarbofmercenaries,had been wending their waythrough the streets ofKrondor,passingoneanotherwithout a flicker ofacknowledgment, until atthree hours after midnightover a hundred men were inthe Rainbow Parrot. Severalwere dispensing uniformtabards from large sacks, so

thesoldierswouldagainbeinthe Prince’s colours duringtheraid.Jimmy entered in the

companyoftwomendressedin simple foresters’ garb,members of Arutha’s elitecompany of army scouts, theRoyalPathfinders.TheseniorPathfinder saluted. ‘Thisyoungster has the eyes of acat,Highness.Hespottedourmenbeingfollowedtotheinn

threetimes.’When Arutha looked at

them questioningly, Jimmysaid, ‘Two of them werebeggars known to me, andthey were easy to interceptandchaseoff,butthethird…It may have been he simplyfollowed to see if somethingwas up. Anyway, when weblockedhiswaydownastreet– subtly, you may be sure –he simply moved off in

another direction. It couldhavebeennothing.’‘It also could have been

something,’ Arutha said.‘Still, there is nothing morewe can do. Even if theNighthawks know we aredoing something, they willnot know what. Look youhere,’ he said to Jimmy,pointing to amap on a tablebefore him. ‘This was giventomebytheroyalarchitect.It

is old, but he thinks it a fairaccountingofthesewers.’Jimmy studied it for a

moment. ‘Perhaps a score ofyearsagoitwas.’Hepointedto one spot on the map andanother. ‘Here there’s been acollapse of awall, andwhilethe sewage still flows, thepassage is too narrow for aman.Andherethereisanewtunnel, dug by a tannerrequiring a more rapid

disposalofhiswaste.’Jimmystudied themap a bit longer,thensaid,‘Isthereaquillandink, or charcoal?’Apiece ofcharcoalwasforthcomingandJimmymademarks upon themap. ‘Friend Lucas has aslip-me-out to the sewers inhisbasement.’Behind the bar the old

owner’s mouth dropped athearing that piece of news.‘What?How’dyouknow?’

Jimmy grinned. ‘Therooftops aren’t the onlyThieves’ Highway. Fromhere’–hepointedatthemap– ‘companies of men canmovetothesetwopoints.Theexits from the basement ofthe Nighthawks’ strongholdare cleverly located. Eachcomes out in a tunnel notdirectly connected with theothers. The doors may beonlyscantyardsapart,butit’s

yards of solid walls of brickand stone, with miles oftwisting sewers to travel, togain one from the next. Itwould take an hour to findyour way from one exit toanother. It’s this third onethat’stheproblem.Itemptiesoutnear a large landingwithadozentunnelstofleedown,toomanytoblock.’Gardan, who was looking

overtheboy’sshoulder,said,

‘Which means a coordinatedassault. Jimmy, can you hearifsomeoneisbreakinginoneofthedoorsandyou’reattheother?’Jimmy said, ‘I should

think. If you slip someone tothe top of the stairs, forcertain. Especially this timeof night. You’d be surprisedhow many little noises filterdown the streets during theday,butatnight…’

Arutha said to the twoPathfinders, ‘Can you findthese locations from thismap?’ Each nodded. ‘Good.Eachofyouwillguideathirdof the men to one of thesetwoentrances.Theotherthirdwill come with Gardan andmyself. Jimmywillguideus.Youwillpositionmenbutnotenter the basement of thatbuilding unless you arediscovered first or you hear

our party assaulting thosewithin. Then come with allspeed. Gardan, those on thestreets should be in position.Theyhavetheirorders?’Gardan said, ‘Each has

been instructed. At first hintof trouble, no one is allowedto leave that building unlesshe wears your tabard and isknownbysight. Ihave thirtyarchers in place on therooftops on all sides to

discourageanyseekingquickexit.Aheraldwitha trumpetwill sound alarm and twocompanies of horsemen willexit the palace at the bugle.Theywillreachuswithinfiveminutes. Any in the streetsnot of our company will beridden down, that is theorder.’Arutha quickly put on a

tabardandtossedoneeachtoJimmy and Laurie.When all

were wearing the Prince’spurpleandblack,Aruthasaid,‘It is time.’ The Pathfindersled the first two groups intothecellarbelowtheinn.ThenitwastimeforJimmytoleadthe Prince’s group. He tookthem to the slip-me-outbehindafalsecaskinthewalland led them down thenarrow stairs to the sewers.The stench caused a fewsoldierstogaspanduttersoft

oaths,butasinglewordfromGardan restored order to theranks. Several shutteredlanterns were lit. Jimmymotioned for a single line tobe formed, and led thePrince’s raiders off towardstheMerchants’Quarterofthecity.After nearly a half hour

walking, past slowlymovingchannels carrying waste andgarbage towards the harbour,

they found themselvesapproaching the largelanding. Arutha ordered thelanterns shuttered. Jimmywentforward.Aruthatriedtofollow his movements butwas astonished as thedarkness seemed to swallowhim up. Arutha strained tohear him, but Jimmy wasnoiseless. For the waitingsoldiers, the strangest thingabout the sewers was the

stillness, broken only by thesoundof slowwater lapping.Eachsoldierhadtakencaretomuffle all armour andweapons,soshouldtherebeaNighthawk lookout hewouldn’tbealerted.Jimmy returned after a

moment and signalled that asingle guard stood at thebottom of the stairs to thebuilding.WithhismouthnearArutha’s ear he whispered.

‘You’llnevergetoneofyourmen close enough before theguard gives alarm. I’m theonly one who stands achance. Just come runningwhen you hear the scufflebegin.’Jimmy pulled his dirk out

ofhisbootandslippedaway.Suddenly therewasapainfulgruntandAruthaandhismenwere off, all thoughts ofsilencediscarded.ThePrince

wasthefirsttoreachtheboy,who struggled with apowerful guard. The youthhadcomeupbehind themanand had leapt and grabbedhim around the throat, buthad only wounded him withthedirk,whichnowlayuponthe stones. The man wasnearly blue from beingchoked, but had tried tosmash Jimmy against thewall. Arutha ended the

struggle with a single thrustof his blade and the manslipped silently to the stones.Jimmy let go and smiledweakly. He had taken aterrible battering. Aruthawhispered, ‘Stay here,’ tohim,thensignalledhismentofollow.Ignoring his promise to

Volney to wait behind whileGardan led the assault,Aruthasilentlyhurriedupthe

stairs. He halted before awooden door with a singlesliding latch, placed his earnext to it, and listened.Muffledvoicesfromtheotherside caused him to raise hishand inwarning.Gardanandthe others slowed theirapproach.Arutha quietly moved the

door’s latch and pushedgently. He peeked into alarge, well-lit basement.

Sitting around three tableswere about a dozen armedmen. Several were tendingweapons and armour. Thescene was more reminiscentofasoldiers’commonsthanabasement.WhatAruthafoundmore incrediblewas that thisbasement was located belowthemostrichlyappointedandsuccessfulbrothel in thecity,the House of Willows, onefrequentedbymostoftherich

merchants and no smallportion of theminor nobilityof Krondor. Arutha couldwell understand how theNighthawkscouldgainaccesstosomuchinformationaboutthe palace and his owncomings and goings.Many acourtier would boast of hisknowledge of some ‘secret’orothertoimpresshiswhore.Itwouldnothavetakenmorethan a chance mention from

someone in the palace thatGardan had planned to rideout to the east gate to meetthePrince for the assassin toknow Arutha’s route thatnightearlierintheweek.Abruptly a figure entered

Arutha’s view that made thePrince catch his breath. Amoredhelwarrior approacheda man who sat oiling abroadswordandspokequietlyto him. The man nodded

while the Dark Brothercontinuedhisdiscourse.Thensuddenlyhespun.Hepointeddirectlytowardsthedoorandopened his mouth to speak.Arutha didn’t hesitate. Heshouted, ‘Now!’ and chargedintotheroom.The basement erupted into

a riot of action. Those whohad moments before beensitting idly by now grabbedupweaponsandansweredthe

assault. Others bolted outdoors leading up to thebrothelordowntootherpartsof the sewers. From above,screams and shouts told ofcustomers alarmed by thefleeing assassins. Those whoattempted to leave via theexits to the sewers werequickly pushed back up thestairs into the cellar by theother units of Arutha’sinvadingforce.

Arutha ducked a blow bythe moredhel warrior andleapt to the left as soldiersfought their way into thecentreoftheroom,separatingthe Prince from the DarkBrother. The few assassinswho stood their groundcharged into Arutha’s menwith complete disregard fortheir own lives, forcing thesoldierstokillthem.Thesoleexception was the moredhel,

whoseemedtobeinafrenzytrying to reach Arutha.Arutha shouted, ‘Take himalive!’Themoredhelwassoonthe

only Nighthawk standing inthe room, and hewas forcedback to the wall and held.Arutha came up to him. ThedarkelflockedgazeswiththePrince,nakedhatreduponhisface. He allowed himself tobedisarmedasAruthaputup

his own sword. Arutha hadnever been this close to alivingmoredhelbefore.Therewasnodoubttheywereelvenkin,thoughelvestendedtobefairer of hair and eyes. AsMartin had remarked morethanonce,themoredhelwereahandsome race, if onedarkof soul. Then, as one soldierbent to examine themoredhel’s boot top forweapons, the creature kneed

theguard in the face, pushedaway the other, and leapt atArutha.Aruthahadbarelyaninstant to duck away fromhands outstretched for hisface.Hemovedtohisleftandsaw the moredhel stiffen asLaurie’sbladetookhiminthechest. The moredhelcollapsed to the floor, butwith a final spasm tried toreach out and claw atArutha’s leg. Laurie kicked

the creature’s hands,deflecting the weak clawingmotion. ‘Look well at thenails.Isawthemgleamashelethimselfbedisarmed,’saidthesinger.Aruthagrabbedawristand

inspected the moredhel’shand closely. ‘Careful howyou handle it,’ warnedLaurie. Arutha saw tinyneedles embedded in theDark Brother’s nails, each

with a dark stain at the end.Laurie said, it’s an oldwhore’s trick, though onlythose with some gold and afriendlychirurgeoncanget itdone. If aman tries to leavewithoutpayingor isgiven tobeating his whores, a simplescratch and the man is nolongeraproblem.’Arutha looked at the

singer.‘Youhavemydebt.’‘Banathpreserveus!’

Arutha and Gardan turnedtoseethatJimmyhadcrossedtoafallenman,fairandwelldressed.Hewasstaringatthedead assassin. ‘Golden,’ hesaidsoftly.‘You knew this man?’

askedArutha.‘He was a Mocker,’ said

Jimmy, ‘In my life I wouldnothavesuspectedhim.’‘Is there not a one left

alive?’ demanded the Prince.

He was in a fury, for hisordershadbeentocaptureasmanyaspossible.Gardan, who had been

taking reports from his men,said, ‘Highness, there werefull thirty and five assassinsin this basement and therooms above. All eitherfought so our men had nochoice but to kill or turnedand slew one another, thenthrew themselves upon their

own weapons.’ Gardan heldout something to the Prince.‘They all wore these,Highness.’Inhishandwasanebonyhawkonagoldchain.Then there was an abrupt

silence,notasifthemenhadstoppedtheirmovements,butrather as if something hadbeen heard and all hadinstantly halted to listen, yetthere was no sound. An odddampening of sound

occurred, as if a heavy,oppressive presence hadentered the room, and aneerieness descended uponArutha and his men for abrief moment. Then a chillfellovertheroom.Aruthafelthis neck hair rise, as someprimordial dread filled him.Something alien had enteredthe room, an unseen butpalpable evil. As Aruthaturned to say something to

Gardan and the others, asoldier shouted, ‘Highness, Ithink this one is alive. Hemoved!’Hesoundedeagertoplease his Prince. Then asecond soldier said, ‘Thisone,too!’Aruthasawthetwosoldiers lean over the fallenassassins.Allinthebasementgasped

in horror as one of thecorpses moved, his handshootingupwardstoseizethe

kneelingsoldierbythethroat.Thecorpsesatup,forcingthesoldier upwards. The terriblewet cracking sound of thesoldier’sthroatbeingcrushedechoedintheroom.Theothercorpse sprang upwards,sinking his teeth in the neckof the second guard, rippingopen his throat while Aruthaand his men were rooted inshocked silence. The firstdeadassassintossedawaythe

choking soldier and turned.Fixing milk-white eyes uponthe Prince, the dead mansmiled. As if from a greatdistance, a voice soundedfrom the grinning maw.‘Againwemeet, Lord of theWest.Nowshallmyservantshave you, for you have notbrought your meddlingpriests. Rise! Rise, O mychildren!Rise,andkill!’Around the room the

corpses began to twitch andmoveandsoldiersgaspedandoffered prayers to Tith, thesoldiers’ god. One, thinkingquickly, hacked the head offthesecondcorpseasitstartedto rise. The headless corpseshudderedandfell,butbeganto rise once more while therolling head mouthed silentcurses. Like grotesquemarionettesmanipulatedbyademented puppeteer, the

bodies rose, in jerks andspasms. Jimmy, his voicealmost quavering, said, ‘Ithink we should have waitedonthetemples’pleasure.’Gardan shouted, ‘Protect

thePrince!’andmen leaptatthe animated corpses. Likecrazed butchers in a cattlepen, soldiers began madlychopping in all directions.Gore spattered the walls andallwhostoodintheroom,but

thebodiescontinuedtorise.Soldiers slipped in the

blood and found themselvesoverwhelmed by cold, slimyhands that gripped arms andlegs.Somemanagedthrottledcries as dead fingers closedaround their throats or teethbithardintotheirflesh.Soldiers of the Prince of

Krondor hacked and slashed,sending limbs flying throughthe air, but the hands and

arms only flopped madlyabout the floor like bleedingfish out ofwater.Arutha felta tugging at his leg andlookeddowntoseeaseveredhandgrippingathisankle.Afrantic kick sent the handflying across the room tostriketheoppositewall.Arutha shouted, ‘Get out

andholdclosedthosedoors!’Soldiers swore as they cutandkickedtheirwaythrough

the blood and pulped fleshbefore them. Many of thesoldiers, hardened veterans,were coming close to panic.Nothing in their experiencehad prepared them for thehorror they faced in thatbasement. Each time a bodywas knocked down, it wouldbuttrytoriseoncemore.Andeach time a comrade fell, hestayeddown.Aruthaledthewaytowards

the door leadingupstairs, theclosest exit. Jimmy andLaurie followed. Aruthapaused to cut apart anotherrising corpse and Jimmydashed past the Prince.Jimmy reached the door firstand swore as he looked up.Stumbling down the stairstowards them came thecorpseofabeautifulwoman,wearing a diaphanous gown,torn half away, with a

spreading bloodstain at thewaist. Her blank white eyesfastened on Arutha at thebottom of the stairs and sheshrieked in delight. Jimmyducked under a clumsy slashand drove his shoulder intoherbloodystomach,shouting,‘’Ware thestairs!’Theybothwentdownandhewasfirsttohisfeet,scramblingpasther.Arutha looked back into

the basement and saw his

men being pulled down.Gardan and several othersoldiers had reached thesafety of the far doors andwere attempting to closethem, while stragglers whowerefranticallyattemptingtoreachthemwerebeingpulleddown. A few valiant menwere pushing closed thedoors from inside, ignoringasure sentence of death. Thefloor was a sea of gore, wet

and treacherous, and manysoldiers slipped and fell,never to riseagain.Detachedbody parts seemed somehowtogathertogetherandcorpseswould stand once more.Remembering the creature inthe palace and how it hadgained in strength as timepassed, Arutha shouted, ‘Barthedoors!’Laurie leapt up the stairs

and struck at the grinning

whore,oncemoreonherfeet.Her blonde head rolled pastArutha as he raced up thestairs after Jimmy and thesinger.Reaching the ground floor

of the House of Willows,Arutha and his companionsweregreetedwiththesightofsoldiers strugglingwithmoreanimated corpses. The horsecompanies had arrived,cleared the streets, and

entered the building. Butthey, like those below, wereunprepared to fight deadopponents. Outside the maindoor several bodies, impaledwith dozens of arrows, weretrying to rise. Each time onewouldgainitsfeet,aflightofbowshafts would strike itfrom the dark, knocking itoveragain.Jimmy glanced around the

roomandmadea leapatopa

table. With an acrobat’sspring,hejumpedhighoveraguard being strangled by adeadNighthawkandgrabbedat a wall covering. Thetapestryheldhisweightforamoment, then theroomfilledwithaloudtearingsoundasitripped free of its fasteningshigh overhead.Yards of finecloth fell about Jimmy, andhe quickly disentangledhimself. He grabbed up as

much cloth as he could anddragged the tapestry to thelarge fireplace in the mainroom of the brothel. Hedumpeditinthefireplaceandthen started overturninganything that would burnonto it. Within minutesflames were spreading outintotheroom.Arutha shoved away a

corpse and yanked downanother tapestry, which he

tossed to Laurie. The singerducked as a dead assassinlunged at him, and tangledthe corpse in the fabric.Quickly spinning the deadcreature,Lauriewrappeditincloth and with a kick sent itstumbling towards Jimmy.Jimmyleaptasideandlet thecloth-bound thing stumbleinto the rapidly spreadingflames, tripping it as it wentpast. The dead man fell into

the flames and beganshriekinginrage.The heat in the room was

becomingunbearable, aswasthe choking smoke. Laurierantothedoorandhaltedjustbefore the threshold. ‘ThePrince!’ he shouted to thebowmenatopthesurroundingbuildings. ‘The Prince iscomingthrough!’‘Hurry!’ came the

answering shout as an arrow

knockeddownarisingcorpseafewfeetawayfromLaurie.Arutha and Jimmy came

out of the firelit door,followed by a few coughingsoldiers.Arutha shouted, ‘Tome!’At once a dozen guards

were dashing across thestreet, past grooms broughtalong to hold the cavalrymounts. The stench of bloodand burning bodies and the

heat from the fire werecausing the horses to nickerand tug at their reins as thegroomsledthemaway.When the guards reached

Arutha, several picked uparrow-studded bodies andtossed them through thewindows into the fire. Theshrieksoftheburningcorpsesfilledthenight.A dead Nighthawk

stumbled out of the door, its

left side ablaze, its armsoutstretched as if to embraceArutha. Two soldiers caughtat it and hurled it backthroughthedoorintothefire,disregarding the burns theysuffered as a consequence.Aruthamoved from the doorwhile soldiers denied exit tothose corpses seeking to fleethe inferno. He crossed thestreet as the most exclusivebrothel in thecitywentupin

flames. To a soldier he said,‘Send word to those in thesewers to make sure nothinggets out of the basement.’The soldier saluted and ranoff.In short order the house

was a tower of fire, thesurrounding area lit like day.Neighbouring buildingsspilled their inhabitants intothe street as the heatthreatenedtoignitetheblock.

Aruthacalledfor thesoldiersto form bucket lines anddousebuildingsonbothsidesoftheHouseofWillows.Less than ahalf hour after

theblazebegan,therecamealoud crash and a billowingexplosion of smoke as themain floor caved in and thebuilding collapsed. Lauriesaid, ‘So much for thosethingsinthebasement.’Arutha’s face was set in a

grim expression as he said,‘Some good men remaineddownthere.’Jimmyhadstoodtransfixed

by the sight, his facesmudgedwithsootandblood.Arutha placed his hand uponthe boy’s shoulder. ‘Again,youdidwell.’Jimmy could only nod.

Laurie said, ‘I need strongdrink. Gods, I’ll never getthatstenchoutofmynose.’

Arutha said, ‘Let’s returnto the palace. This night’sworkisdone.’

•ChapterSix•Reception

Jimmytuggedathiscollar.Master of Ceremonies

BriandeLacystruckthefloorof the audience hall with hisstaff and the boy snappedeyes forward. Ranging fromfourteen to eighteen years ofage, the squires of Arutha’scourt were being instructed

uponthedutiestheywouldbeperforming during theforthcoming celebration ofAnita andArutha’swedding.The old Master, a slow-speaking, impeccably attiredman, said, ‘Squire James, ifyou can’t remain still, weshall have to find somethingofanactivedutyforyou,say,running messages betweenthe. palace and the outerbillets?’ There was a barely

audiblegroan,forthevisitingnobles were forever sendinginconsequential notes backand forth, and the outerbillets, where many of themwere to be housed, were asfar away as three-quarters ofamilefromthepalaceproper.Such duty was mainlynonstoprunningtoandfroforten hours a day. MasterdeLacy turned to the authorofthegroanandsaid,‘Squire

Paul,perhapsyouwouldcaretojoinSquireJames?’When no answer was

forthcoming, he continued.‘Verywell.Thoseofyouwhoare expecting relatives toattendshouldknowthatallofyouwill be required to servesuchdutiesinturn.’Withthatannouncement, all the boysgroaned,swore,andshuffled.Again the staff struck thewoodenfloorloudly.‘You’re

not dukes, earls, and baronsyet! One or two days’ dutywill not cause your death.There will simply be toomany in the palace for theservants,porters,andpagestomeeteverydemand.’Another of the new boys,

SquireLocklear,theyoungestson of the Baron of Land’sEnd, said, ‘Sir, which of uswillbeatthewedding?’‘In time, boy, in time. All

of you will be escortingguests to their places in thegreat hall and in the banquethall. During the ceremonyyou’llallstandrespectfullyatthe rear of the great hall, soyou’ll all get to see thewedding.’A page ran into the room

andhandedtheMasteranote,then dashed off withoutawaiting a reply. MasterdeLacy read the note, then

said, ‘I mustmake ready forthe reception for the King.All of you know where youmust be today. Meet hereagain once theKing andHisHighness are closeted incouncil this afternoon. Andanyonewho is latewill havean extra day of runningmessages to the outer billets.That is all for now.’ As hewalkedoff,hecouldbeheardtomutter,‘Somuchtodoand

solittletime.’The boys began to move

off, but as Jimmy started toleave, a voice from behindshouted,‘Hey,newboy!’Jimmy turned, as did two

othersnearby,butthespeakerhad his eyes locked onJimmy. Jimmy waited,knowing full well what wascoming. His place in theorderofsquireswasabout tobeestablished.

WhenJimmydidn’tmove,Locklear, who had alsohalted,pointedtohimselfandtook a hesitant step towardsthe speaker. The speaker, atall, rawbonedboyof sixteenor seventeen years, snapped,‘Not you, boy. I mean thatfellow.’HepointedatJimmy.Thespeakerworethesame

brown and green uniform ofthe house squires, but it wasof better cut than those of

most of the other boys; heobviously had the funds forpersonal tailoring.Athisbeltwas a jewelled-hilt dagger,and his boots were sopolished they shone likebright metal. His hair wasstraw-coloured and cutcleanly.Knowingtheboyhadto be the resident bully,Jimmy rolled his eyesheavenward and sighed. Hisuniform fit poorly and his

boots hurt and his healingside itched constantly. Hewas in an ill-temperedmoodtobeginwith.Besttogetthisoverwithquickly,hethought.Jimmy walked slowly

towards the older boy, whowas called Jerome. He knewJerome’s father was theSquireofLudland,atownupthe coast from Krondor, aminor title, but one thatgarnered wealth for whoever

held it. When Jimmy stoodbeforehim,hesaid,‘Yes?’With a sneer Jerome said,

‘Idon’tlikemuchaboutyou,fellow.’Jimmyslowlysmiled, then

suddenly drove his fist intoJerome’s stomach. The tallerboy doubled over andcollapsed onto the floor. Hethrashed about for amomentbefore,with agrunt, he rose.‘Why …’ he began, but

stopped, confronted by thesight of Jimmy standingbefore him, a dagger in hishand. Jerome reached to hisbelt for his own dagger andfeltnothing.Helookeddown,thenfranticallyabout.‘Ithinkthisiswhatyouare

missing,’ Jimmy saidcheerfully, holding out thedagger to reveal the jewelledhilt. Jerome’s eyes widened.Jimmytossedthedaggerwith

a flick of his wrist and theblade stood quivering in thefloorbetweenJerome’sboots.‘Andthenameisn’t“fellow”.It’s Squire James, PrinceArutha’sSquire.’Jimmy quickly exited the

hall. After a few yards theboy called Locklear caughtup and fell into step besidehim. ‘That was something,Squire James,’ said the othernew boy. ‘Jerome’s been

makingithardonallthenewboys.’Jimmy stopped, in no

mood for this. ‘That’sbecause you let him, boy.’Locklear stepped away andbegan to stammer anapologetic reply. Jimmyhelduphishand.‘Waitamoment.Idon’tmeantobeshortwithyou. I have things on mymind. Look, Locklear, isn’tit?’

‘My friends call meLocky.’Jimmystudiedtheboy.He

was a small lad, still lookingmore the baby he was thanthe man he would be. Hiseyeswerewideandblueinaface of deep tan, his brownhair shot through withsungold.Jimmyknewthatnomore than a few weeks agohe was playing in the sandwith thecommonboysat the

beach near his father’s ruralcastle. ‘Locky,’ said Jimmy,‘when that fool begins totrouble you, kick him wherehe lives. That’ll sort him outquick enough. Look, I can’ttalk now. I’ve got to go andmeet the King.’ Jimmywalkedquicklyaway,leavinganastonishedboystandinginthehall.

Jimmy fidgeted, hating the

too tight collar of his newtunic. One thing Jerome hadbeen good for was to showhimhedidn’t have to put upwith poor tailoring. As soonas he could, he’d slip out ofthepalaceforafewhoursandvisit the three caches he hadaround the city. He hadenoughgoldsecretedtheretotailor himself a dozen newoutfits.Thisbusinessofbeinga noble had drawbacks he

hadn’timagined.‘What’s the matter with

you,boy?’Jimmy looked up and saw

the narrow gaze of a tall oldmanwith dark grey hair. Hestudied Jimmy with apractised eye, and Jimmyrecognized him asSwordmaster Fannon, one ofArutha’s old companionsfromCrydee.He’darrivedbyship on the evening tide the

nightbefore,‘It’sthisdeucedcollar, Swordmaster. Andthesenewbootshurtmy feetaswell.’Fannonnodded.‘Well,one

must keep up appearances,discomfort or no. Now, herecomesthePrince.’Arutha walked out of the

great doors to the palace, tostand at the centre of thethrongassembledtomeettheKing. Broad steps led down

totheparadeground.Beyondtheground,pastthelargeirongates, the great square of thecity had been cleared ofhawkers’ stalls. Krondoriansoldiers formed long linesalong the route through thecitytothepalace,andbehindthemstood thecitizenseagerto catch a glimpse of theirKing. Lyam’s column hadbeen reported approachingthe city only an hour before,

but the citizens had beengatheringsincebeforedawn.Wildcheeringheraldedthe

King’s approach and Lyamwasthefirsttorideintoview,sittingastridealargechestnutwar-horse, Gardan, as citycommander, riding at hisside. Behind them rodeMartin and the attendingnobles from the EasternRealm,acompanyofLyam’sRoyalHouseholdGuard, and

two richly appointedcarriages. Arutha’s lancersfollowed, with the baggagetrainbringinguptherear.As Lyam reined in his

mount before the steps,trumpets sounded flourishes.Grooms rushed to take theKing’s horse while Aruthahurried down the steps tomeet his brother. TraditionheldthePrinceofKrondortobesecondonlytotheKingin

rank, and therefore the leastdeferential noble in theKingdom, but all protocolwas forgotten as the twobrothers embraced ingreeting. The first todismount after Lyam wasMartin, and in a moment allthreestoodreunited.Jimmy watched as Lyam

introduced his ridingcompanions while the twocarriages rolled up to the

steps. The doors to the firstcarriage opened and Jimmycraned his neck to see. Astunning young womanalighted and Jimmy gave asilent nod of approval. FromthegreetingshegaveArutha,Jimmy guessed her to be thePrincessCarline.Jimmystoleaquick look towhereLauriestood and saw the singerwaitingwithopenworshiponhis face. Jimmy nodded to

himself: yes, that wasCarline. Behind her came anold noble, who Jimmyexpected would be LordCaldric,DukeofRillanon.Thesecondcarriage’sdoor

opened and an older womandescended. Immediately afterhercameafamiliarfigureandJimmysmiled.Hefeltaslightflush at sight of PrincessAnita, for he had onceharboured a terrible

infatuation forher.Theolderwoman would be PrincessAlicia, her mother. WhiletheyweregreetedbyArutha,Jimmy thoughtback towhenAnita,Arutha,andhehadallhidden together and the boygrinnedunselfconsciously.‘What’s gotten into you,

Squire?’Jimmy looked up at

Swordmaster Fannon again.Covering his agitation, he

said,‘Boots,sir.’Fannonsaid,‘Wellenough,

boy, but you should learn tobear up under a littlediscomfort. I mean nodisrespect to your teachers,butyou’repoorlypreparedassquiresgo.’Jimmy nodded, his eyes

back on Anita. ‘New to thetrade,sir.LastmonthIwasathief.’Fannon’s mouth popped

open.AfteramomentJimmytook great delight in gentlyelbowinghim in the ribs andsaying,‘TheKing’scoming.’Fannon’s gaze snapped

forward, years of militarytraining overcoming anyother distractions. Lyamapproachedfirst,withAruthaat his side. Martin andCarline and the othersfollowed as befitted theirrank. Brian deLacy was

presenting members ofArutha’s court to the King,and Lyam ignored protocolseveral times to shake handsvigorously, even embraceseveral of the peoplewaitingto be presented.Manyof thewestern lordsweremenwhohad served with Lyam undercommandofhisfatherduringthe Riftwar, and he hadn’tseen them since hiscoronation. Earl Volney

seemed embarrassed whenLyam placed his hand uponhis shoulder and said, ‘Welldone, Volney. You’ve keptthe Western Realm in goodorder this last year.’ Thesefamiliaritiesdistressedseveralof the nobles, but the crowdloved them, cheering wildlyeach time Lyam acted like aman greeting old friendsratherthantheKing.WhentheKingcameupto

Fannon, he caught the oldfighterbytheshouldersashebegan to bow. ‘No,’ saidLyam softly enough so thatonly Fannon, Jimmy, andAruthacouldhear.‘Notfromyou, my old teacher.’ Lyamengulfed the Swordmaster ofCrydeeinabearhugandthenwithalaughsaid,‘Wellnow,Master Fannon, how standsmy home? How standsCrydee?’

‘Well,Majesty, she standswell.’ Jimmy noticed a faintmoisture in the old man’seyes.Then Arutha was saying,

‘This young scoundrel is thenewestmember ofmy court,Majesty. May I presentSquire James of Krondor?’Master deLacy lookedheavenward as Aruthausurpedhisoffice.Jimmy bowed as he had

been instructed. Lyam giftedthe boy with a broad grin.‘You I’ve heard of, JimmytheHand,’hesaidashetooka step away. Then Lyamsuddenly stopped. ‘I’d bestcheck to see I’ve all mybelongings.’HemadeashowofpattinghimselfdownwhileJimmyblushedfuriously.Justashewasreachingtheheightof embarrassment, Jimmysaw Lyam cast a glance his

wayandwinkathim.Jimmylaughedwiththeothers.Then Jimmy turned and

found himself looking intothe bluest eyes he had everseenasasoft,femininevoicesaid, ‘Don’t let Lyam upsetyou, Jimmy. He’s alwaysbeenatease.’Jimmybegantostammer, being caught bysurprise after theKing’s jest,thenexecutedaraggedbow.Martin said, ‘I’m glad to

see you again, Jimmy,’ andgripped his hand. ‘We’veoften spoken of you andwondered if you were faringwell.’Hepresentedtheboytohis

sister. Princess Carlinenodded to Jimmy and said,‘MybrothersandthePrincessAnita have spoken well ofyou. I am pleased to finallymeet you.’ Then theymovedoff.

Jimmy stared after,overwhelmed at the remarks.‘She’s had that effect on meforayear,’cameavoicefrombehind, and Jimmy turned tosee Laurie hurrying to keepabreastoftheroyalpartyasitmoved towards the palaceentrance. The singer touchedhis forehead in salute to theboy as he hurried to thecrowd, having mistakenJimmy’s astonishment at

Carline’s and Martin’sremarks for his beingthunderstruck by thePrincess’sbeauty.Jimmy returned his

attention to the passingnobles and his face split intoabroadgrin. ‘Hello,Jimmy,’said Anita, now standingdirectlybeforehim.Jimmy bowed. ‘Hello,

Princess.’Anita returned Jimmy’s

smile and said, ‘Mother, mylordCaldric,mayIpresentanoldfriend,Jimmy.’Shenotedhis tunic. ‘Now a squire, Isee.’Jimmybowedagainbefore

the Princess Alicia and theDuke of Rillanon. Anita’smother presented her hand,and Jimmy awkwardly tookit. ‘I’vewished to thankyou,young Jimmy, since I heardhowyouaidedmydaughter,’

saidAlicia.Jimmy felt eyes upon him

andblushed.Hefoundwithinhimself no hint of thebraggadocio that hadshelteredhimformostofhisshort life. He could onlystandawkwardlywhileAnitasaid, ‘We shall visit later.’Anita, her mother, andCaldric moved forwards.Jimmystoodsilentlyamazed.No further introductions

weremadeastheothernoblesof the Kingdom passed ontowardsthegreathall.Afterashort ceremony, Lyam wasduetobeshowntohisprivatequarters.Suddenly the square

erupted with the sound ofdrums and shouts as peoplepointed off to one of themajor side streets to thepalace.Theroyalpartyhaltedtheir entrance and waited,

thenLyamandAruthabeganwalkingbacktowardsthetopof the steps, the other noblesquickly scurrying around asall order to the processioncrumbled. The King andPrince moved to whereJimmyandFannonstood,andinto their view rode a fulldozenmountedwarriors,eachwearing a leopard skin overhead and shoulders.Perspiration glinted on their

dark skin as these fierce-looking men pounded upondrumsmountedoneithersideof their saddles, whilecarefully guiding theirmounts with their knees.Behind came another dozenleopard-skin-covered riders,eachblowingonalargebrasstrumpet that curved over hisshoulder.Bothdrummersandtrumpeters moved theirhorses into two lines and

allowed a procession of footsoldiers to come into view.Each soldier wore a metalhelmendinginaspike,withachain neck covering, and ametal cuirass. Ballooningtrousers were tucked intoknee-high black boots andeach carried a round shieldwith a metal boss and had alongscimitarinhisbeltsash.SomeonebehindJimmysaid,‘Dogsoldiers.’

Jimmy said to Fannon,‘Why are they called that,Swordmaster?’‘Because in the ancient

days in Kesh they weretreated like dogs, pennedaway from the rest of thepeople until it was time toturn them loose on someone.Now it’s said it’s becausethey’llswarmoveryoulikeapackofdogsifyougivethemthe chance. They’re a rough

lot,boy,butwe’vetakentheirmeasurebefore.’The dog soldiers marched

into place and opened apassage for others to movethrough.Theydrewscimitarsandsalutedas thefirst figurecame into view. He was onfoot, a giant of aman, tallerthan theKingandbroaderofshoulder. His ebony skinreflected the bright sunlight,for he wore only a metal-

studdedvestabove thewaist.Likethesoldiers,heworetheoddtrousersandboots,butathis belt he wore a flasher, acurved sword half again thesize of a scimitar. His headwas uncovered, and in placeof a shield he carried anornamental staff of office.Four men rode behind him,mounted on the small, fasthorses of the desert men ofthe Jal-Pur. They wore the

dress of desert men, notunseenbut rare inKrondor–flowing knee-length robes ofindigo silk, open in front toreveal white tunics andtrousers, the calf-high bootsof horsemen, and headcoverings of blue clothwrapped in such a mannerthat only their eyes could beseen.Eachworeaceremonialdaggerofconsiderablelengthin his waist sash, the handle

andsheathexquisitelycarvedfromivory.Asthelargedarkman climbed the steps,Jimmy could hear his deepvoice:‘…beforehim,andthemountains tremble. The verystarspauseintheircourseandthesunbegshisleavetorise.HeisthemightoftheEmpireand in his nostrils the fourwindsblow.HeistheDragonof theValley of theSun, theEagle of the Peaks of

Tranquillity, the Lion of theJal-Pur …’ The speakerapproached where the Kingstood, with Jimmy behind,andmovedoff toonesideasthefourmendismountedandfollowed him up the steps.Onewalkedbeforetheothersandwasobviouslythesubjectofthegiantman’sdiscourse.Jimmy gave Fannon a

questioning look and theSwordmaster said, ‘Keshian

courtetiquette.’Lyam had a sudden

coughing fit and turned hishead towards Jimmy behindhis hand, and the boy couldsee theKingwas laughingatFannon’s remark. Regaininghis composure, Lyam lookedforwards while the KeshianMaster of Ceremoniesfinished his introduction. ‘…Heisanoasis tohispeople.’HefacedtheKingandbowed

low. ‘Your Royal Majesty, Ihave the signal honour topresentHisExcellencyAbdurRachman Memo Hazara-Khan, Bey of the Benni-Sherin, Lord of the Jal-Pur,and Prince of the Empire,AmbassadorofGreatKeshtotheKingdomoftheIsles.’Thefourdignitariesbowed

inKeshian fashion, the threebehind the Ambassadorfalling to their knees, briefly

touching foreheads to thestone floor. TheAmbassadorplacedhisrighthandoverhisheart and bowed from thewaist, his left hand extendedout and back. As all stooderect, they perfunctorilytouchedindexfingertoheart,lips, and forehead, a gestureindicatingagenerousheart,atruthful tongue, and a mindharbouringnodeceit.Lyam said, ‘We welcome

theLordoftheJal-Purtoourcourt.’The Ambassador removed

hisfacecovering,revealingagaunt, bearded visage ofadvancing years, his mouthset in a half-smile. ‘YourRoyal Majesty, Her MostImperial Majesty, blessingsupon her name, sendsgreetings to her brother, theIsles.’Droppinghisvoicetoawhisper, he added. ‘I would

have chosen to make a lessformal entrance, Majesty,but…’ He shrugged, with afainttossofhisheadtowardsthe Keshian Master ofCeremonies, indicating hehad no control over suchmatters.‘Theman’satyrant.’Lyam grinned. ‘We return

warm greetings to GreatKesh. May she alwaysprosper and her bountyincrease.’

The Ambassador inclinedhis head in thanks. ‘If itpleasesYourMajesty,may Ipresent my companions?’Lyam nodded slightly, andthe Keshian indicated theleftmostman.‘Thisworthyismy senior aide and adviser,Lord KamalMishwa Daoud-Khan, Shereef of the Benni-Tular.Andtheseotheraremysons,ShandonandJehan-suz,Shereefs of the Benni-Sherin

and also my personalbodyguards.’‘Wearepleasedyoucould

joinus,mylords,’saidLyam.As Master deLacy

attempted to restore someorder to the milling nobles,anothercommotionbrokeoutalong a different streetleading to themarket square.The King and Prince turnedaway from the Master ofCeremonies and deLacy’s

hand went up. ‘What now?’the oldman said aloud, thenquickly regained his nearlyvanishedpoise.A drumming more furious

than the Keshians’ could beheard as brightly colouredfigures came into view.Prancing horses led a paradeofsoldiersingreen.Buteachwore a shield of vivid hueupon his arm with strangeblazons depicted.Loud pipes

played a poly tonal melody,alienbutbrightandinfectiousin rhythm.Soonmanyof thecitizensofKrondorhadtakenup the beat with handclapping or impromptudancing around the edge ofthesquare.Thefirstridercamebefore

the palace and his bannerblewout in thewind.Aruthalaughed and slapped Lyamupon the shoulder, it’s

Vandros of Yabon, andKasumi’s Tsurani garrisonfromLaMut.’Thenmarchingfoot soldiers came intoview,and they could be heardsingingloudly.When theTsurani garrison

of LaMut had come to standbefore the Keshians, theyhalted. Martin observed,‘Look at them, eyeing oneanother like tomcats. Iwarranteachsidewouldlove

anexcusetotesttheother.’‘Not in my city,’ said

Arutha,obviouslynotfindingthenotionamusing.Lyam laughed. ‘Well, it

would be a show. Ho!Vandros!’The Duke of Yabon rode

up and dismounted. Hehurried up the stairs andbowed.‘Ibegforgivenessforbeing tardy, Majesty. Wewere inconvenienced on the

road. We chanced upon abandofgoblinsraidingsouthofZun.’‘How many in the band?’

askedLyam.‘No more than two

hundred.’Arutha said,

‘“Inconvenienced”hecallsit.Vandros, you’ve been withtheTsuranitoolong.’Lyam laughed. ‘Where is

theEarlKasumi?’

‘He comes now,Majesty.’Carriages could be seenentering the square as hespoke.AruthatookasidetheDuke

ofYabonandsaid,‘Tellyourmen to billet with the citygarrison, Vandros. I wantthem close. When you havethem bedded down, come tomy quarters and bring alongBrucalandKasumi.’Vandroscaughttheserious

toneandsaid,‘Assoonasthemenarebilleted,Highness.’The carriages from Yabon

were halted before the stairsand Lord Brucal, DuchessFelinah, Countess Megan,andtheirladies-in-waitinggotout. EarlKasumi, formerly aForce Commander in theTsurani army during theRiftwar,dismountedhishorseand walked quickly up thestairs.HebowedbeforeLyam

andArutha.Vandros quicklypresentedhisparty,andLyamsaid, ‘Unless that pirate theKing of Queg is going toarrive in a war galley pulledby a thousand little seahorses,we shall retire.’Witha laugh he swept past thenear-distraught Master ofCeremoniesdeLacy,whowasvainly trying to restore orderintheKing’sprocession.Jimmy hung back, for

while he had seen anoccasionalKeshianmerchant,he’dneverseenadogsoldieror a Tsurani. For all hisworldly ways, outside theusualmatters of the city anditslifehewasstillafourteen-year-oldboy.Kasumi’sundercommander

was giving orders for thebilleting of his men, and theKeshian captain was doingthe same. Jimmy sat quietly

on the stairs, wiggling histoes to stretch his boots. Hestared at the colourfulKeshians for a few minutes,then watched the Tsurani asthey mustered to depart thesquare. Both were certainlycolourful,andifJimmycouldjudge, both looked equallyfierce.Jimmy was about to leave

when something strangebehind the Keshians caught

his eye. He tried to decidewhat it was, but couldn’t.Some odd itch made himwalkdown the stairsuntilhewas near the Keshians, allstill at parade rest. Then hesawwhat had caused him tofeelsomethingwasoutoftheordinary. Retreating into thecrowd behind the Keshianswas a man Jimmy hadthought to be dead. Jimmywas rocked to thesoulofhis

being,unabletomove,forhehad seen Laughing Jackvanishintothepress.

Arutha paced. Around hiscouncil table sat Laurie,Brucal, Vandros, andKasumi. Arutha had finishedhis recounting of the assaultupon the Nighthawks. Heheld out a message. ‘This isfrom Baron Highcastle, inresponse to my query. He

says there is some unusualmovement northwards in hisarea.’ Arutha put down thepaper. ‘He goes on to givenumbers of sightings, where,andtherest.’‘Highness,’ said Vandros,

‘we had some movement inour region, but nothing ofgreat note. In Yabon cleverDark Brothers and goblinscan avoid the garrisons byturning westwards once

they’re past the northernlimitsoftheelvenforests.Byskirting to the west of theLake of the Sky they avoidour patrols. We send fewcompanies into that sector.Theelvesand thedwarvesatStone Mountain keep thatareaquiet.’‘Or so we like to think,’

snorted Brucal. The oldformer Duke of Yabon hadresigned his office in favour

of Vandros when the latterhad married Brucal’sdaughter. But he was still afine military mind and hadbeenbattlingthemoredhelallhis life. ‘No, if theymove insmallbands, theBrotherhoodcan come and go almost atwill through the smallerpasses. We’ve few enoughmen to keep the tradingroutesclearandahellofalotmore ground to cover than

that.Alltheymustdoismoveat night and stay clear of theHadati clan villages and themajorroads.Let’snotdeludeourselves by thinkingotherwise.’Aruthasmiled.‘That’swhy

Iwantedyouhere.’Kasumi said, ‘Highness,

perhaps it is as Lord Brucalstates. We’ve had littlecontact with them in recenttimes.Theymayhavetiredof

our steel and now move insmall,stealthybands.’Laurie shrugged. Yabon-

born and -raised, the singerfromTyr-Sog knew asmuchabout themoredhelasany inthe room. ‘It is something toconsider, that we have allthese strange reports ofgoings on to the north at atime when moredhel handscanbeseeninvolvedwiththeattemptstokillArutha.’

‘Iwould be less troubled,’said Arutha, ‘if I knew thatcrushing them in Krondorwould prove sufficient. Untilwe’veuncovered themysteryof who is behind all this, Ithinkwearenotthroughwiththe Nighthawks. They maytakemonthstore-formandbeamenace, but I think they’llreturn.AndasIsithere,Iamcertain there’s someconnection between the

Nighthawks and what isoccurringinthenorth.’A knock at the door

preceded Gardan’s entrance.‘Ihave searchedeverywhere,Highness, and can find nosignofSquireJames.’Laurie said, ‘Last I saw

him, he was standing uponthestepsnexttoSwordmasterFannon while the Tsuraniweremakingtheirentrance.’Gardan said. ‘He was

sitting on the steps after Idismissedthetroops.’From a high window a

voice said, ‘He’s now sittingaboveyou.’All eyes turned to see the

boy sitting in a high-archedwindowoverlookingArutha’schamber. Before anyonecould speak, he nimbly leaptdown.Arutha’s expression

showed mixed disbelief and

amusement.‘Whenyouaskedtoexploretheroofs,Ithoughtyouwouldbeneedingladdersand…help…’Jimmy’s manner was

serious. ‘I saw little sense inwaiting, Highness, andbesides, what sort of thiefneedsladdersorhelptoclimbwalls?’ He came up toArutha. ‘This place is awarrenofnooksandnichesamancouldsecretehimselfin.’

‘But firsthemustgetontothe grounds,’ said Gardan.Jimmy gave the captain alook indicating that that featpresented no difficulty.Gardanlapsedintosilence.Laurie picked up the

dropped thread ofconversation.‘Well,whilewedon’tknowwhat’sbehindtheNighthawks, at least they’vebeen destroyed here inKrondor.’

‘SoI thoughtmyself,’saidJimmy, looking about theroom. ‘But this afternoon, asthecrowdbegantobreakup,I saw an old friend in thesquare.LaughingJack.’Arutha looked hard at

Jimmy, it was myunderstanding you left thattraitortotheMockersdead.’‘Asdeadasanymanwitha

six-inch hole in his chestfrom a steel bolt is likely to

be. It’s difficult getting outand about with half yourlungsmissing, but afterwhatwesawat thewhorehouse, ifmyowndeardeadmumcameto tuck me in bed tonight Iwouldn’t be surprised.’Jimmy spoke in a distractedfashionasheprowledaroundthe room. With a slightlytheatrical show he said,‘Aha!’ and pressed down onsomething behind a

decorativeshieldonthewall.With a groan a section ofwall, twofeetwideandthreehigh, swung open. Aruthawentovertotheopeningandpeeredin.‘What is this?’ he asked

Jimmy.‘One of many secret

passages throughout thepalace. Back when we werehidingouttogether,Highness,I remember the Princess

Anitatalkingofhowshefledthe palace with the aid of aserving girl. She oncementioned “taking apassage,” and I’d thoughtnothingofituntiltoday.’Brucal looked about the

room. ‘This may have beenpart of the original keep, orone of the first additions.Back home we had a bolt-hole out of the keep to thewoods. I don’t know of a

keepthatdoesn’t.’Helookedthoughtful. ‘There may bemoresuchpassages.’Jimmysmiled.‘Adozenor

more. You walk around theroof a little and you’ll seesome very wide walls andoddbendsinpassages.’Arutha said, ‘Gardan, I

want every foot of thesepassages mapped. Take adozen men and uncoverwhere this one leads and

whereelseitmayempty.Andseeiftheroyalarchitecthasaclue if any of these passagesareshowninoldplans.’Gardan saluted and left.

Vandros appeared deeplytroubled.‘Arutha,inallthisIhave had little time to adjustto thoughts of assassins andDark Brothers secretlyworkingwiththem.’‘That’s why I wanted this

talk before the festivities get

underway.’Aruthasatdown.‘The palace is overrun withstrangers. Every noble inattendance will have dozensof people in his retinue.Kasumi, Iwant yourTsuraniin every key location. Theywould be impossible toinfiltrate and are abovereproach. Coordinate withGardan,andifneedsbewe’llhave only Tsurani, men Iknow from Crydee, and my

personal guards inside thecentralpalace.’ToJimmyhesaid,‘ByrightsIshouldhaveyou strapped for this littleescapade.’ Jimmy stiffeneduntil he saw Arutha smile.‘But I warrant anyone whotried would end up with adaggerintheribstoshowforhis efforts. I heard of yourconfrontation with SquireJerome.’‘That snot thinks himself

bosscockyoftheyard.’‘Well, his father’s very

upset, and while he’s not averyimportantmemberofmyvassalage,heiscertainlyveryloud.Look,youleaveJerometo play head rooster all hewants.Fromnowon,youstayclose to me. I’ll tell MasterdeLacy you’re relieved offurther duty until I sayotherwise. But keep yourprowling under control until

you tell Gardan or myselfyou’re going up on the roof.One of my more excitableguards might put an arrowintoyoubeforeherecognizedyou. Things have beensomewhat tense around hereof late, in case you failed tonotice.’Jimmy ignored the

sarcasm. ‘The fellow wouldhave to see me first,Highness.’

Brucal slapped the table.‘Gotatongueinhishead,thatone,’ he said with a guffawandapprovingnod.Arutha smiled as well. He

found it difficult to stay outofsortswiththeyoungrogue.‘Enough. We’ve receptionsand banquets for the nextweek. Perhaps our concernsare for naught and theNighthawksarenomore.’Lauriesaid,‘Letushope.’

Withoutfurtherdiscussion,Arutha and his guestsdispersedtotheirownrooms.

‘Jimmy!’Jimmy turned and saw the

Princess Anita coming downthe corridor in his direction,accompanied by two ofGardan’s guards and twoladies-in-waiting. When shecaught up with him hebowed. She presented her

handandhekissed it lightly,as he had been shown byLaurie.‘What a young courtier

you’ve become,’ sheobserved as they resumedwalking.‘Itseemsfatehas takenan

interest in me, Princess. Ihave never had ambitionsabove becoming a power inthe Mockers, perhaps eventhe next Upright Man, but

now I findmy life hasmuchbroaderhorizons.’Shesmiledwhileherladies

whisperedbehindtheirhands.Jimmy hadn’t seen thePrincess since her arrival theprevious day, and again feltthe faint tugging inside hehad known the year before.He had put his boyhoodinfatuationbehind,buthestilllikedherverymuch.‘Have you developed

ambitions, then, Jimmy theHand?’In feigned scolding tones

he said, ‘Squire James ofKrondor, Your Highness,’and they shared a laugh.‘Look,then,Princess:thisisatime of change in theKingdom.The longwarwiththeTsuranirobbedusofquitea few men with titles. EarlVolney is acting the part ofChancellor, and there are no

Dukesyet inSaladororBas-Tyra. Three dukedomswithout masters! It seemspossibleforamanofwitandtalent to rise high in such anenvironment.’‘Have you a plan?’ Anita

asked,herdelightattheboy’simpudence showing in herbright green eyes and hersmile.‘Not as yet, not fully at

least, but I can see the

possibility someday of a titlebeyondSquire.Perhaps,even…DukeofKrondor.’‘FirstAdvisertothePrince

of Krondor?’ Anita said inmockastonishment.Jimmywinked. ‘I amwell

connected. I am a closepersonal friend of hisbetrothed.’ They bothlaughed.Anita touched his arm. ‘It

willbegoodtohaveyouhere

with us. I’m pleased Aruthafound you so quickly. Hedidn’t think itwouldbe easylocatingyou.’Jimmy falteredahalf-step.

It had never occurred to himthat Arutha wouldn’t tellAnitaoftheassassin,butnowhe realized he hadn’t. Ofcourse, Jimmy thought tohimself, he wouldn’tneedlessly throw a pall overthe wedding. Quickly he

recovered his poise, it wasmore an accident thananything.HisHighnessneversaid anything about lookingforme.’‘You’ll not know how

Arutha and I worried aboutyou all the time afterwe leftKrondor. Last we saw you,you were fleeing across thedocks from Guy’s men. Wehad no word of you. Wepassed through Krondor so

quicklyonourwaytoLyam’scoronation,wehadnowaytodiscover what had happenedto you. Lyam sent warrantspardoning Trevor Hull andhis men and giving them acommission for helping us,but no one knew whatbecame of Jimmy. I madeArutha promise he wouldstraightawaybegininquiries.Ididn’t thinkhewouldmakeyou a squire just yet, but I

knewhehadplansforyou.’Jimmy felt genuinely

moved.Thisrevelationaddeddouble meaning to Arutha’sremarkbeforethathelikedtothink they were alreadyfriends.Anita halted their walk,

indicating a door. ‘I am tostand for a fitting. Mywedding gown arrived fromRillanonthismorning.’Sheleanedoverandkissed

him lightly upon the cheek.‘NowImustgo.’Jimmy fought down

strange, and frighteninglystrong, emotions. ‘Highness…Iamalsoglad tobehere.Weshallhaveagrandtime.’She laughed and passed

through the door with herladies, the guards taking upposition outside. Jimmywaited until the door wasclosed, then walked away

whistling a light tune. Hereflected upon the last fewweeks of his life and judgedhimself happy, despiteassassinsandtightboots.Rounding a corner into a

less frequented hallway,Jimmyhalted.Hisdaggerwasinstantly in his hand as hestood regarding a gleamingpair of eyes in the half-shadows before him. Thenwith a snuffling sound the

owner of those nearlyglowingredeyesambledout.Covered in green scales, thecreaturebulkedaboutthesizeof a small hound. His headresembledanalligator’s,witha rounded snout, and largewingswere folded across hisback. A long, sinuous neckallowed the creature to lookbackwards past an equallylong tail as a young voiceshouted from behind,

‘Fantus!’Asmallboy,nomorethan

six years old, came dashingforward to throw his armsaround the creature’s neck.He looked up at Jimmywithserious dark eyes and said,‘Hewon’thurtyou,sir.’Jimmy suddenly felt

awkward holding his daggerandquickly put it away.Thecreaturewasobviouslyapet,albeit an unusual sort. ‘What

didyoucallit…?’‘Him? Fantus. He’s my

friend and he’s very smart.Heknowslotsofthings.’‘I guess he does,’ agreed

Jimmy, still uncomfortableunder the creature’s gaze.‘Whatishe?’The boy looked at Jimmy

as if he were the livingincarnation of ignorance, butsaid, ‘A firedrake. We justgot here, and he followed

from home. He can fly, youknow.’ Jimmy only nodded.‘We have to get back.Momma will be angry ifwe’re not in our room.’Pulling the creature around,theboyledhimawaywithoutanotherword.Jimmy didn’t move for a

full minute, then lookedaroundasifseekingsomeoneto validate the vision he hadwitnessed. Shrugging off his

astonishment, the boy thiefcontinued walking along.After a little while he couldhear thesoundof lutestringsbeingplucked.Jimmyleftthehallwayand

enteredalargegarden,whereLaurie was tuning his lute.Theboysatupontheedgeofa planter, crossing his feetunder him, and said, ‘For aminstrel, you’re a sorrysight.’

‘I’m a sorry sort ofminstrel.’Lauriedidlooklessthan his usual spirited self.He fiddled with his lutestrings and began a solemntune.AfterafewminutesJimmy

said, ‘Enough of this dirge,singer.Thisissupposedtobeatimeofcheer.What’smadeyousolongintheface?’Laurie sighed, his head

cockedtooneside.‘You’rea

bityoungtounderstand–’‘Ha! Try me,’ interrupted

Jimmy.Laurie put up his lute, it’s

thePrincessCarline.’‘Still wants to marry you,

huh?’Laurie’s jaw dropped.

‘How…?’Jimmy laughed. ‘You’ve

been aroundnobles too long,singer. I’m new to all this. Istill know how to talk to

servants. More important, Iknow how to listen. Thosemaids fromRillanonwere fitto bust to tell themaidshereall about you and PrincessCarline. You’re quite anitem.’Laurie seemed unamused

byJimmy’smirth.‘Isupposeyou’veheardthewholetale?’Jimmy took on an

indifferent manner. ‘ThePrincessisaprize,butIgrew

up in a whorehouse, so myviews on women are less…idealized.’ As he thought ofAnita, his voice dropped alittle. ‘Still, I must admitprincesses seem differentfromtherest.’‘Nice that you noticed,’

Lauriecommenteddryly.‘Well, I’ll say this: your

Princess is the finest-lookingwoman I’ve seen and I’veseen a lot of them, including

your better-paid courtesans,and some of them are prettyspecial. Most men I knowwould sell their darlingmothers to get her attention.So then, what’s yourproblem?’Laurie looked at the boy

foraminute.‘Myproblemisthis business of being anoble.’Jimmy laughed, a genuine

sound of amusement. ‘What

problem? You just get toorder people around andblame mistakes on someoneelse.’Laurie laughed. ‘I doubt

Arutha and Lyam wouldagree.’‘Well, kings and princes

are a different sort, butmostof the nobles around hereshowmenothing.OldVolneyhas some wits, but he’s nottoo anxious to be here

anyway.Therestjustwanttobe important.Hell,musician,you should marry her. Youmightimprovethebreed.’Laurie swung playfully at

Jimmy, laughingas thebrashyoungster easily duckedaway, also laughing. A thirdlaughcausedLaurietoturn.A short, slender, dark-

hairedmaninfineclothingofsimple cut stood observingthe proceedings. ‘Pug!’

Laurieexclaimed,jumpingupto embrace the man. ‘Whendidyouarrive?’‘Abouttwohoursago.I’ve

had a brief meeting withAruthaandtheKing.They’reoff with Earl Volney now,discussing preparations fortonight’swelcomingbanquet.But Arutha hinted there wassomething strange going onandsuggestedIlookforyou.’Laurie indicated Pug

shouldtakeaseat,andhesatbeside Jimmy. Laurie madethe introduction, then said,‘I’ve much to tell, but first:howareKatalaandtheboy?’‘Fine. She’s in our suite

now,gossipingwithCarline.’Laurie again lookeddepressed at mention of thePrincess. ‘William ran offsomewhereafterFantus.’‘That thing is yours?’

exclaimedJimmy.

‘Fantus?’ Pug laughed.‘You’ve seen him, then. No,Fantusbelongstonoone.Hecomesandgoesashepleases,which is why he’s herewithoutanyone’sleave.’Laurie said, ‘I doubt he’s

ondeLacy’sguest list.Look,I’d best catch you up onmatters of importance.’ PugglancedatJimmy,andLauriesaid, ‘This fount of troubleherehasbeenatthecentreof

things since the first. He’llhear nothing he doesn’talreadyknow.’Laurie told of what

happened,withJimmyaddinga fewbits of information thesinger missed. When theywere done, Pug said, ‘Thisbusinessofnecromancyisanevilthing.Ifnothingelseyousaidspeaksofdarkpowersatwork, thatdoes.This ismorethe province of priests than

magicians, but Kulgan and Iwill aid in whatever waywecan.’‘Then Kulgan came from

Stardockaswell?’‘Therewouldhavebeenno

stoppinghim.Aruthawashisstudent, remember? Besides,thoughhe’dneveradmittoit,I think he misses hisargumentswithFatherTully.AndtherewasnodoubtTullywould officiate at Arutha’s

wedding.I thinkthat’swhereKulgan is now, arguing withTully.’Laurie said, ‘I’ve not seen

Tully, but he was due toarrivethismorningwiththosefrom Rillanon travelling at amore sedate pace than theKing’s party. At his age hetendstopreferthingsquiet.’‘He must be past eighty

now.’‘Closer to ninety, but he

hasn’tlostastep.YoushouldhearhimaroundthepalaceinRillanon.Letasquireorpagefail at his lessons and he’lltalk blisters on the boy’sback.’Pug laughed. Then as an

afterthought,hesaid,‘Laurie,howfarethingswithyouandCarline?’Lauriegroanedand Jimmy

hid a chuckle. ‘That is whatwe were speaking of when

you appeared. Good, bad, Idon’tknow.’SympathyshowedinPug’s

dark eyes. ‘I know thefeeling, friend. When wewerechildren,backatCrydee… Just remember, you werethe one who held me to mypromise to introduce you ifwe ever returned toMidkemia from Kelewan.’Heshookhisheadandwithalaugh added, it’s good to

know some things neverchange.’Jimmyleaptoff thebench.

‘Well, Imustbeoff.Pleasedto make your acquaintance,magician. Cheer up, singer.You’ll either marry thePrincess or you won’t.’ Hedashed off, leaving Lauriestruggling with the logic ofthat statement while Puglaughedaloud.

•ChapterSeven•Wedding

Jimmyprowledthegreathall.The Prince’s throne room

was being readied, and theother squires weresupervising the activities ofthe pages and porters as allthe last-minute touches werebeing applied. Everyone hadtheir minds upon the

ceremony, due to get underway in less than an hour’stime. Jimmy found that theprice of his being excusedduty was having nothing todo at the last, and as Aruthacertainly didn’t want himunderfoot right now, he wasleft to find his owndistraction.Jimmy couldn’t shake the

feeling that in the rush ofexcitement fewweremindful

of the past dangers to thePrince. The horrors found atthe House of Willows hadbeenhiddenbehindmassesofbridal flowers and festivebunting.Jimmy noticed a black,

sidelong glance from SquireJerome and, irritated, took amenacing step in the olderboy’s direction. Jeromeimmediatelyhadaneedtobesomewhere else and hurried

off.A laugh sounded from

behind.JimmysawagrinningSquire Locklear carrying ahuge bridal wreath past aTsurani guard,who carefullychecked it. Of all the othersquires, only Locky showedJimmy the slightest hint offriendship. The others wereeither indifferent or outrighthostile. Jimmy liked theyounger boy, though he

tendedtoprattleonaboutthemost insignificant things.He’s the youngest child,thought Jimmy, his mother’sdarling. He’d last a fast fiveminutes on the streets. Still,he was a cut above the rest,whomJimmyjudgedaboringlot. The only amusementJimmygainedfromthemwastheir woeful imitations ofworldly knowledge. No,Arutha and his friends were

farmoreinterestingfolkthanthe squires with their lewdjokes and salaciousspeculations about thisserving girl or that, and theirlittle games of intrigue.Jimmy threw Locky a waveand headed towards anotherdoor.Jimmy waited to pass

throughthedoorasoneoftheporters came through. Asmall bunch of flowers fell

from the man’s load. Jimmybent to pick it up. As hehandedittotheporter,Jimmywas struck by a suddenrealization. The blooms,whitechrysanthemums,shonewithafaintambertint.Jimmy looked back over

his shoulder and upwards. Afull four storeys above, thehigh vaulted ceiling of thechamber was punctuated bylarge stained-glass windows,

the colours barely noticeableunless the sun was directlybehind the panes. Jimmystudied the windows, as his‘somethingisnotasitshouldbe’ bump was itching. Thenhe understood. Eachwindowwas recessed into a cupola,no less than five or six feetdeep,plentyofroomtohideaquiet assassin. But howwouldsomeonegetupthere?The design of the hall was

such that scaffolding wouldbe needed to clean thewindows, and the room hadbeen almost constantlyoccupied for the last fewdays.Jimmyquicklyleftthehail,

walked down a connectingcorridor, and went throughintoaterracedgardenthatranthe length of the Prince’sgreathall.A pair of guards

approached, walking postbetween the distant wall andthemainpalacecomplex,andJimmyhaltedthem.‘Passtheword. I’m going to snoopaboutabitontopofthegreathall.’They exchanged glances,

but Captain Gardan hadordered that the strangesquire wasn’t to be detainedshouldhebeseenscamperingabout the rooftops. One

saluted. ‘Right you are,Squire. We’ll pass the wordso the archers on the wallsdon’t use you for targetpractice.’Jimmypacedoffalongside

thewallofthegreathall.Thegardenwas off to the left ofthe hall as you entered themain doors, assuming youcould see through the walls,Jimmy thought to himself.Now, if I were an assassin,

wherewouldIwanttoclimb?Jimmycastaboutquicklyandspotted a trellis that ran upthe connecting hall’s outerwall. From there to the roofof the connecting hall wouldbenodifficulty,then…Jimmyleftoffthinkingand

acted. He studied theconfiguration of the walls ashe kicked off his hated dressboots. He scampered up thetrellis and ran along the roof

of the connecting hall. Fromtherehe leaptnimblyup toalow cornice that ran thelength of the great hall.Moving with astonishingagility, he crawled along, hisface pressed to the stones,towards the far end of thegreat hall. When he reachedhalfway to the corner, helooked up.One storey aboveawaited the bottoms of thewindows, tantalizingly close.

ButJimmyknewheneededabetter climbing position andcontinuedonuntilhereachedthelastthirdofthehall.Here,outsidetheportionofthehallgiven over to the Prince’sdais, the building flared,giving Jimmy an extra twofeetofwallatarightangletothewallhehugged.Leveringup in the angle was nowpossible. Jimmy felt aboutuntil his fingers discovered a

crack between stones. Heused his experience to goodadvantage,shiftinghisweightas his toes began searchingfor another hold. Slowly heinched upwards, seeming toclimb in theangleof the twowallsindefianceofgravity.Itwas a demanding task,requiring total concentration,but after what seemed aneternityhereachedupandhisfingers touched the ledge

below the windows. Only afootwide, the ledgewas stilla potentially fatal barrier, forany slip could send Jimmyfalling to his death fourstoreys below. Jimmyreached up, took a firm gripon the ledge, and letgowithhisotherhand.Foraninstanthedangledbyonehand,thenhe reached upwards with theother and with a singlesmooth pull had a leg over

theledge.Standing upon the narrow

ledge, Jimmy turned thecorner above the rear of thedais, faced the window, andpeered through. He wipedaway some dust and wasmomentarily blinded by thesun,seenthroughthewindowand another on the wall hehad just left. He waited forhiseyestoadjustagaintotheinteriordarknessasheshaded

his eyes from the sun. Thiswould prove difficult, hethought,untiltheangleofthesunchanged.ThenJimmyfeltthe glass move beneath hisfingers, and suddenlypowerful hands clampedaroundhismouthandthroat.Shocked by the sudden

attack, Jimmy froze amoment and was too tightlyheld when he began tostruggle.Aheavyblowtothe

sideof thehead stunnedhimandtheworldseemedtospin.When his vision finally

cleared, Jimmycould see thesnarling face of LaughingJack before him. The falseMocker was not only alive,but in the palace and, fromhis expression and thecrossbow nearby, ready andwilling to kill. ‘So, you littlebastard,’ he whispered as headjusted a gag in Jimmy’s

mouth, ‘you’ve turned upwhere you didn’t belong onetime too many. I’d gut youhere, right now, but I can’trisk anyone’s noticing blooddripping below.” He movedaround in the scant areabetween glass and the openspace above the hall that thecupola provided. ‘But oncethedeedisdone,overyougo,boy.’ He pointed to the hallfloor. He tightened some

cords around Jimmy’s handsand ankles, pulling thempainfullytight.Jimmytriedtomakeasound,butitwaslostin the buzz of conversationamongtheguestsbelow.Jackgave Jimmy another blow tothe head, which sent theboy’s senses reeling again.Jimmy saw Jack turn tosurvey the hall below justbefore darkness overcamehim.

Jimmy lay stunned for someunknown time, for when herecovered his wits, he couldhear the chanting of thepriests entering the hall. Heknew the King and Aruthaandtheothermembersofthecourt would be enteringimmediately once FatherTully and the other priestswereinposition.Jimmy felt panic building

inside. Since he’d been

dismissed from duty, hisabsencewouldbeoverlookedin the excitement of themoment. Jimmy struggled,but Jack, being a Mocker,knewhowtomakeitdifficultto slip those bonds. Giventimeandawillingnesstolosesome skin and blood, Jimmywould eventually rid himselfof the ropes, but time was aprecious commodity atpresent. With his struggling,

he only managed to changehispositionsohewasabletoseethewindow.Henoticedithad been tampered with tocause a single large panel ofglass to swing aside.Someone had prepared thiswindowdaysbefore.A change in the song

belowtoldJimmythatAruthaand the others were in placeandAnitawas beginning herlongwalkdowntheaisle.The

boy looked about franticallyfor away either to break hisbonds or to make enoughnoise to alert those below.The singing filled the hallwithachorusloudenoughtocover a brawl, so Jimmyknew anything as feeble askicking at the glass wouldonlybringablowtotheheadfromJack. Jimmycouldhearmovement closeby, during alull in the singing, and knew

Jackwasplacingaboltinthecrossbow.The singing stopped, and

Jimmy heard Tully’s voicebegin the instructions to thebride and groom. He sawJack taking aim upon thedais. Jimmy was half foldedin the narrowwindow space,forced back against the glassby the kneeling Jack. Jackthrew theboyaquickglanceashebegantosquirm.Jimmy

was unable even to kick outat Jack, who paused for amoment,evidentlyundecidedwhethertofireathistargetorsilence Jimmy first. For allthepomp,theceremonyitselfwas brief, so Jack seemedwillingtochancehewouldbeuntroubled by the boy a fewmomentslonger.Jimmy was young, in fit

condition, and an expertacrobat from his years of

scamperingabouttheroofsofKrondor. He acted withoutthoughtandsimplyflexedhisentire body so it bowedupwards, head and feetagainst the sides of thecupola. He half rolled, halfflippedhimself,andsuddenlyhe sat with his back to thewindow. Jack spun to lookagain at the boy and sworesilently. He could not affordto lose this single shot. A

quick glance downwardsreassuredhimtheboyhadnotalerted anyone. Jack raisedhis crossbow again and tookaim.Jimmy’s vision seemed to

contract,asifallhecouldseewas Jack’s finger on thetrigger of the crossbow. Hesaw the fingerbegin to closeand kicked out wildly. Hisbare feet glanced off theassassin and the crossbow

fired. Jack turned in shockand Jimmy kicked out againwithbothfeet.ForamomentJack looked to be calmlysitting at the edge of thewindow cupola. Then hebegan to fall outwards, hishandsgraspingwildlyforthesill.Jack’s hands pressed out

againstthesidesofthecupolaandhaltedhisfall.Hehunginmidair, not moving for an

instant, thenhis palmsbeganto slip on the stone. Jimmyrecognized something elsewasstrange,thenrealizedthesinging, almost constant incounterpointtotheceremony,had stopped. As Jack beganhisbackwardslideintospace,Jimmy heard shouts andscreamsfrombelow.Then Jimmy felt a shock

andhisheadstruckstone.Hislegsfeltasiftheywerebeing

torn from his hips, and theboy knew Jack had grabbedtheonlythinghecouldreach,Jimmy’s ankles. Jimmy wasdragged outwards as Jack’sweight moved them bothtowards death. Jimmystruggled,pressingbackwardswithallhismight,bowinghisbodytoslowhisslide,buthemight as well have had ironheaped upon his feet for thegood it did him. Bones and

muscles protested, but hecouldnotmoveaninchtoridhimself of Jack. He wasdraggedoutwards slowly,hislegs, hips, and back scrapingon the stone, the cloth of histrousers and tunic keepingskin intact. Then he wassuddenly upright, as Jack’sweight tippedhisbalance foran instant, teeteringupon thelipofthecupola.Then they fell. Jack

released his hold upon theboy,butJimmydidn’tnotice.Thestonesrusheduptomeetthem,tocrushtheminahardembrace. Jimmy thought hismind must be going at thelast, for the stones seemed toslow in their approach, as ifsomeagencyhadordered theboy’s last seconds of life tobe prolonged. Then Jimmyrealized some force hadcontrol of him and was

slowing his descent. With alessthangentlebumphewasupon the floor of the greathall, stunned slightly, butdecidedly alive. Guards andpriests surrounded him andhandsquicklyliftedhimashewondered at thismiracle.HesawthemagicianPugmovinghis hands in incantation, andfelt the strange slownessvanish.Guardscuthisbonds,andJimmydoubledinpainas

the returning blood flowburned like hot irons in hisfeet and hands. He nearlyfainted. Two soldiers seizedhis arms and kept him fromfalling.Ashissensescleared,he saw a half-dozen ormoreholding Jack down, whileothers searched for the blackpoisonringorothermeansofsuicide.Jimmy looked about, his

headclearing.Allaroundhim

the room seemed frozen inhorrified tableau. FatherTully stood at Arutha’s side,while Tsurani guardssurrounded the King, theireyes peering into everycorneroftheroom.EveryoneelselookedatAnita,whowascradled in Arutha’s arms ashekneltuponthestones.Herveils and gown were spreadout around her and sheseemedtosleepwhileheheld

her. She was a vision inpristine white in the lateafternoonlight,exceptfortherapidly expanding crimsonstainuponherback.Arutha sat in shock. He

leant forward, elbows onknees, as his eyes stared outinto space, unfocused, notseeinganyof thosewithhimin the antechamber. He sawonly the last minutes of theceremony,againandagainin

hismind’seye.Anita had just pledged her

vows, and Arutha waslistening to Tully’s finalblessing. Suddenly she had astrange expression andseemed to stumble, as ifshovedhardfrombehind.Hecaught her, finding it strangesheshouldfall,forshewassogracefulbynature.Hetriedtothink of a witticism thatwould break the tension, for

he knew she would feelembarrassed at stumbling.And she looked so serious,with her eyes wide and hermouth half open as if shewantedtoasksomeimportantquestion.When he heard thefirstscream,helookedupandsaw the man hangingbackwards out of the cupolahighabovethedais.Instantlyeverything seemed to runtogether. People were

shouting and pointing andPug was rushing forward,incanting a spell. And Anitacouldn’t seem to stand, nomatter how he tried to helpher.Thenhesawtheblood.Arutha buried his face in

hishandsandwept.Inhislifehe had never before beenunable to control hisemotions. Carline placed herarms about him, holdinghimtight, and her tears fell with

his. She had been with himsince Lyam and three guardshad pulled him from Anita’sside, leaving the priests andchirurgeons to their work.Princess Alicia was in herquarters, near-prostrate fromgrief. Gardan was off withMartin, Kasumi, andVandros, supervising theguards who were searchingthe grounds for any otherintruders. By Lyam’s order,

the palace had been sealedwithin minutes of theassassination attempt. Nowthe King paced the roomsilently,whileVolneywasoffin a corner, in quietconversation with Laurie,Brucal,andFannon.Theyallawaitedword.The door to the outer hall

opened and a Tsurani guardadmitted Jimmy. He walkedforwardgingerly, forhis legs

hadbeenstrainedandscrapedbadly. Lyam and the otherswatchedastheboythiefcametostandbeforeArutha.Jimmy tried to speak, but

no words were forthcoming.Like Arutha, he had relivedevery moment of the attackover and over in his mindwhile an acolyte ofNathan’sorder had bandaged his legs.His memory had constantlyplayed tricks on him, as he

would see Arutha’s face ofdays ago when he had toldJimmy his feelings offriendship, then suddenly hewouldseethePrince’sfaceashe had knelt holding Anita,uncomprehending shock onhis features. Then Jimmywould remember Anitastanding in the hall beforegoingforadressfitting.Thatimage would fade and hewould oncemore seeArutha

slowly lower her to the flooraspriestsrushedtoherside.Jimmyagaintriedtospeak

as Arutha looked up. ThePrince’s eyes focused upontheboy,andhesaid,‘Why…Jimmy, I … didn’t see youthere.’Jimmy saw the grief and

paininthosedarkbrowneyesand felt something breakinside himself. Unbiddentears came to his eyes as the

boyspokesoftly.‘I…Itried…’ He swallowed hard;something seemed to bechoking off his breath.Jimmy’s mouth worked, butno sound came. Finally hewhispered, ‘I’m sorry.’ ThensuddenlyhewasonhiskneesbeforeArutha.‘I’msorry.’Arutha looked on

uncomprehendingly for amoment,thenshookhishead.He put his hand upon

Jimmy’s shoulder and said,‘It’s all right. It wasn’t yourfault.’Jimmy kneltwith his head

cradled in his arms uponArutha’s knees, sobbingloudly while Aruthaawkwardly tried to comforthim.Laurie knelt beside himand said, ‘You couldn’t havedoneanythingmore.’Jimmy raisedhisheadand

looked at Arutha. ‘But I

shouldhave.’Carline leaned over and

gentlyranherhanddownthesideofhisface,wipingawaythe tears. ‘You went toinvestigate,whichnooneelsedid.Who knowswhatwouldhavehappenedifyouhadn’t.’Sheleftunspokenthethoughtthat Arutha might be lyingdeadhadJimmynotkickedatLaughingJackwhenhefired.Jimmy was disconsolate.

He said, ‘I should have donemore.’Lyam crossed to where

Laurie, Carline, and AruthawereclusteredaroundJimmy.He also knelt beside the boyas Laurie made room. ‘Son,I’ve seen men who wouldfight goblins go pale at thethought of climbing outwhereyoudid.Eachofushasfears,’ he said softly. ‘Butwhen something terrible

happens, each of us alwaysthinks, I should have donemore.’ He placed his handover Arutha’s, which stillrested upon Jimmy’sshoulder. ‘I’ve just had toorder the Tsurani guardsresponsible for searching thehallnottokillthemselves.Atleast you don’t have thattwistedasenseofhonour.’SeriouslyJimmysaid, ‘If I

could trade places with the

Princess,Iwould.’Lyam spoke solemnly. ‘I

knowyouwould,son;Iknowyouwould.’Arutha, as if slowly

returning from some distantplace,said,‘Jimmy…justsoyou know … you did well.Thankyou.’Hetriedtosmile.Jimmy, with tears still on

his cheeks, hugged Arutha’sknees hard, then sat back,wiping at his face, returning

Arutha’s smile. ‘I’ve notcriedsincethenightIsawmymum murdered.’ Carline’shand went to her mouth andherfaceturnedwhite.The door to the

antechamber opened andNathan came through. Hewore only his white knee-length undertunic, havingstripped off his ceremonialrobestosupervisethecareofthe Princess. He was wiping

hishandsuponaclothandhelooked haggard. Aruthaslowly rose, Lyam holdinghis arm.Nathan looked grimashesaid,‘Shelives.Thoughthewound is severe, the boltstruckataglancinganglethatsavedherspine.Hadthebolthit full on,deathwouldhavebeen instantaneous. She isyoungandhealthy,but…’‘Butwhat?’askedLyam.‘The bolt was poisoned,

Your Majesty. And it is apoison fashioned with foularts, a concoction using evilspells.We have been able todo nothing to counter it.Alchemy or magic, nothingworks.’Arutha blinked.

Comprehension seemed toeludehim.Nathan looked at Arutha,

hiseyesreflectinghissorrow.‘I’m sorry, Highness. She’s

dying.’

Thedungeon laybeneath sealevel, damp and dark, the airmustywiththesoursmellsofmoulds and algae. A guardmoved aside while anotherpulledopenaprotestingdooras Lyam and Arutha passedthrough the portal. Martinwaited off to one side in thetorture chamber, speakingsoftly with Vandros and

Kasumi. This room had notbeenusedsincebeforePrinceErland’s time, except for ashort period when JockoRadburn’s secret police hadused it to interrogateprisoners during du Bas-Tyra’sreign.Theroomhadbeencleared

of the usual instruments oftorture,butabrazierhadbeenreturned to its former placeand irons were heating

within. One of Gardan’ssoldiers tended the burningcoals. Laughing Jack stoodchained to a pillar of stone,his hands above his head.Standinginfullcirclearoundhim were six Tsurani, closeenough that the groaningprisoner touched them as hemoved.Eachfacedoutwards,maintaining a level ofvigilance unmatched by eventhe most loyal of Arutha’s

HouseholdGuard.From another part of the

chamber,FatherTullylefttheside of several other priests,allofwhomhadbeenpresentat the wedding. He said toLyam, ‘We have establishedprotective spells of the mostpowerful sort.’Hepointed atJack.‘Butsomethingseekstogainaccesstohim.HowfaresAnita?’Lyam shook his head

slowly. ‘The bolt waspoisoned in some arcanefashion.Nathansayshertimegrowsshort.’‘Then we must question

theprisonerquickly,’saidtheold priest. ‘We have no ideawhatwearecombating.’Jack groaned aloud.

Arutha’s rage roseupandhenearly choked with fury.Lyampushedpasthisbrother,motioned for a guard to step

aside,and looked the thief inthe eyes. Laughing Jacklooked back with eyes widewith fear. His body gleamedand sweat dripped off hishooked nose. Each time hemoved, he groaned. TheTsurani had obviously notbeen gentle when theysearched him. Jack tried tospeak,wettedhislipswithhistongue,thensaid,‘Please…’Hisvoicewashoarse. ‘Don’t

lethimtakeme.’Lyam stepped up beside

him and grabbed Jack, hishand closing on the man’sface like a vice. ShakingJack’s head, he said, ‘Whatpoisondidyouuse?’Jack was near tears when

he spoke. ‘I don’t know. Iswearit!’‘We shall have the truth

out of you, man. You hadbetter answer, for we can

make it hard on you.’ Lyamindicatedtheburningirons.Jack tried to laugh, but it

became a bubbling sound.‘Hard? You think I fearirons?Listenyou,Kingofthebloody damn Kingdom, I’llgladly let you burn out myliver if you promise youwon’t let him take me.’ Thelaststatementhadahystericalnoteinit.Lyamthrewaquickglance

around the room. ‘Let whotakehim?’Tully said, ‘He’s been

yelling for an hour not to let“him”takehim.’Thepriest’sexpression betrayed athought. ‘He’s made acompact with dark powers.Nowhefearstopay!’hesaidwithsuddencertainty.Jack nodded his head

emphatically, eyes wide.With a half-laugh, half-sob,

he said, ‘Aye, priest, aswouldyouifyou’deverbeentouchedbythatdarkness.’Lyam grabbed Jack by his

stringy hair and jerked hishead back. ‘What are youspeakingof?’Jack’s eyes grew round.

‘Murmandamus,’ hewhispered.Suddenly therewas a cold

chill in the room and thecoals in the brazier and the

torchesonthewallseemedtoflickerand fade. ‘He’shere!’shrieked Jack,outofcontrol.One of the priests began tochantandafteramoment thelightbrightened.Tully looked towards

Lyam. ‘That was …frightening.’ His face wasdrawn and his eyes wide. ‘Ithas tremendous power.Hurry,Majesty,butspeaknotthat name. It only serves to

drawittoitsminionhere.’‘What was the poison?’

Lyamdemanded.Jack sobbed, ‘I don’t

know. In truth. It wassomething the goblin kissergaveme, theDarkBrother. Iswearit.’The door opened and Pug

entered,followedbythestoutfigure of another magician,thisonewearingabushygreybeard. Pug’s dark eyes

mirrored the sombre tone ofhis voice when he said,‘Kulgan and I haveestablishedwardsaround thispart of the palace, butsomething batters them evenaswespeak.’Kulgan, his facewan as if

he had just finished sometaxing labour, added,‘Whateverisseekingtoenteris determined. Given time, Ithink we could unravel

something of its nature, but…’Tully finished the thought.

‘…itwillwinpastusbeforewecan.Sotimeissomethingwe lack.’ To Lyam he said,‘Hurry.’Lyamsaid,‘Thisthingyou

serve, or this person,whatever it is, tell us whatyou know.Why does it seekmybrother’sdeath?’‘A bargain!’ shouted Jack,

I’ll tell you what I know,everything, justdon’t lethimtakeme.’Lyam nodded curtly. ‘We

shallkeephimfromyou.’‘You don’t know,’ Jack

screamed, then his voice fellofftoahalf-sob.‘Iwasdead.Do you understand? Thatbastard shot me instead ofJimmy and I was dead.’ Helooked at those around theroom. ‘None of you can

know. I could feel life slipaway, and then he came.When I was almost dead, hetook me to this cold, darkplace and he…hurtme.Heshowedme…things.HesaidI could live and serve himandhe’dgivemebacklife,orhe’d… he’d let me die andleave me there. He couldn’tsavemethen,forIwasn’this.ButnowIam.He’s…evil.’Julian, the priest of Lims-

Kragma, came up behind theKing. ‘He lied to you, man.That cold place was of hisfashioning. Our mistress’slove brings comfort to allwho embrace her at the end.Youwereshownalie.’‘He’sthefatherofallliars!

But now I’m his creature,’Jacksobbed.‘HesaidIhadtogo to the palace and kill thePrince.HesaidIwastheonlyonehehadleftandtheothers

would arrive too late,wouldn’t be here for days. Ithadtobeme.IsaidIwould,but… I botched it and nowhe wants my soul!’ The lastwas a piteous cry, a plea formercy beyond the power oftheKingtogrant.Lyam turned to Julian.

‘Canwedoanything?’Juliansaid,‘Thereisarite,

but…’HelookedatJackandsaid,‘Youwilldie,man,you

know that. You died alreadyand you are here because ofanunholycompact.Whatwillbe will be. You will diewithin the hour. Do youunderstand?’Through tears and spittle

Jacksobbed,‘Yes.’‘Thenyouwill answerour

questionsandtelluswhatyouknow, and die willingly tofree your soul?’ Jack’s eyesscrewedshutandhecriedlike

a child, but he nodded hishead.‘So tell uswhatyouknow

of the Nighthawks and thisplot to kill my brother,’demandedLyam.Jacksniffedandgaspedfor

air. ‘Six, seven months ago,Golden Dase tells me he’stumbled to something thatcould make us wealthy.’ Ashe spoke, Jack’s voice lostthehystericalquality.‘Iasked

himifhe’dcleareditwiththeNightmaster, but he says it’snotMockerbusiness.I’mnotsure it’s a good idea playingfastand loosewith theguild,but I’d not mind an extrasovereignontheside,soIsay“Why not?” and I go withhim. We met this fellowHavram, who’d worked withus before, and who asks abunch of questions but isn’tgivingwith answers, so I get

ready to chuck the wholedeal, before I even knowwhat’s going on, but then helays this bag of gold on thetable and tells me there’smoretobehad.’Jack closed his eyes and a

half-choked sob came fromhis throat. ‘I came withGolden and Havram to theWillows,throughthesewer.InearlymessedmyselfwhenIsawthegoblinkissers,twoof

them, in the cellar.Theyhadgold, though, and I will putupwithalotforgold.SotheytellmeI’vegottodothisandthat and listen up to what’scoming along from theUprightManandNightmasterandDaymasterandtell them.I tell them that’s a deathwarrant, then they pull outtheirswordsandtellmeit’sadeath warrant if I don’t. Ithought I’d go along, then

turn my bashers loose onthem,but theytookmeuptoanotherroomintheWillows,and this fellow, all in robes,was there. I couldn’t see hisface but he sounded funny,and he stank. I smelled thatstinkoncewhen Iwasakid,andI’llneverforgetit.’‘What?’saidLyam.‘InacaveonceIsmelledit.

Snake.’LyamturnedtoTully,who

gasped.‘APantathianserpentpriest!’ The other priests inthe room looked aghast andbegan speaking quietly withone another. Tully said,‘Continue;timegrowsshort.’‘Then they start doing

things like I never seenbefore. I’m no misty-eyedvirgin, thinking the world’spure and lovely, but theseblokes were something I’venever dreamt of. They

broughtinakid!Alittlegirl,nomore thaneightornine. Ithought I’d seen it all. Theone in the robes pulls adagger and …’ Jack gulped,obviously fighting down thecontents of his stomach.‘They drew these diagramswithherbloodandtooksomesort of oath. I’m not one forthe gods, but I’ve alwaystossed a coin to Ruthia andBanath on the high holidays.

But now I’m praying toBanath like I’m robbing thecity treasury in broaddaylight. Idon’tknow if thathadanythingtodowithit,buttheydidn’tmakemetaketheoath…’Hisvoicebrokeintoa sob. ‘Man, they weredrinking her blood!’He tooka deep breath. ‘I agreed towork with them. Everythingwent all right until they toldmetoambushJimmy.’

‘Who are these men andwhat do they want?’demandedLyam.‘Thisgoblinkissertellsme

one night that there’s somesort of prophecy about theLord of the West. The Lordof the West must die, thensomething’s going tohappen.’Lyam shot a glance at

Arutha.‘YousaidtheycalledyouLordoftheWest.’

Arutha had regained somemeasure of self-control andsaid,‘Yes,theyhave,twice.’Lyam returned to the

questioning.‘Whatelse?’‘I don’t know,’ said Jack,

nearly exhausted. ‘Theywould talk amongthemselves.Iwasn’tproperlyoneofthem.’Againtheroomshuddered and the coals andtorchesflickered.‘He’shere!’Jackshrieked.

Arutha came to stand atLyam’s shoulder. ‘Whatabout the poison?’ hedemanded.‘I don’t know,’ Jack

sobbed, itwas something thegoblin kisser gave me. It’ –he nodded – ‘one of theothers called it“Silverthorn”.’Arutha looked rapidly

around the room but couldsee no one who recognized

that name. Suddenly one ofthe priests said, ‘It hasreturned.’Severalofthepriestsbegan

incantations, then stopped,andonesaid,‘Ithaswonpastourwards.’Lyam said to Tully, ‘Are

weindanger?’Tully replied, ‘The dark

powers may directly controlonly those who havewillingly given themselves

over to them. We are safefromdirectattackhere.’Theroombegantochillas

the torches flickered madly,andshadowsdeepenedonallsides. ‘Don’t let him takeme!’ Jack shrieked. ‘Youpromised!’TullylookedtoLyam,who

nodded and indicated thatFather Julian should takecharge.TheKingmotionedforthe

Tsurani guards to give thepriestofLims-Kragmaroom.The priest stood before Jackand asked, ‘Do you find inyour heart the earnest desireto receive our mistress’smercy?’Jack couldn’t speak for

terror. Through tear-filledeyesheblinked,thennodded.Julian began a low, quietchant and the other priestsmade quick gestures. Tully

cameovertoAruthaandsaid,‘Stay calm. Death is nowamongus.’It was over quickly. One

moment Jack was sobbinguncontrollably, then abruptlyhe slumped down, preventedfrom falling only by thechains. Julian turned to theothers. ‘He is safe with theMistress of Death. No harmcancometohimnow.’Suddenlytheverywallsof

thechamberseemedtoshake.A black presence could befelt in the room and a high-pitched keening began, assomething inhuman shriekedinoutrageatbeingrobbedofitsminion.All thepriests, aswell as Pug and Kulgan,mounted a magic defenceagainst the invading spirit,thensuddenlyeverythingwasdeathlyquiet.Tully, looking shaken,

said,‘Ithasfled.’

Arutha knelt beside the bed,his face a stonymask. Anitalaywithherhairfallinguponthe white pillow like a darkred crown. ‘She seems sotiny,’ he said softly. Helooked at those in the room.CarlineclungtoLaurie’sarm,whileMartinwaitedwithPugand Kulgan next to thewindow. In silence Arutha’s

eyes beseeched them all. Alllookeddownon theprincess,except Kulgan, who seemedlost in thoughts of his own.They stood the deathwatch,forNathanhadsaidtheyoungPrincess wouldn’t last thehour. Lyam was in anotherroom attempting to comfortAnita’smother.Suddenly Kulgan moved

aroundthebedand,inavoicemade loud by the hushed

tones of the others, askedTully, ‘If you had a questionand you could ask it onlyonce,wherewouldyougotoaskit?’Tully blinked. ‘Riddles?’

Kulgan’s expression, hisbushygreyeyebrowsmeetingover his prominent nose,showed he was notattempting some tastelessjest. ‘I’m sorry,’ said Tully.‘Let me think …’ Tully’s

aged face furrowed inconcentration. Then helooked as if some obvioustruthhadstruck.‘Sarth!’Kulgan tapped the old

cleric in the chest with aforefinger.‘Right.Sarth.’Arutha, who had been

following the conversation,said,‘WhySarth?Itisoneofthe least important ports inthePrincipality.’‘Because,’answeredTully,

‘there is an Ishapian abbeynear there that is said tohouse more knowledge thanany other place in theKingdom.’‘And,’ added Kulgan, ‘if

there was any place in thisKingdom where we coulddiscover the nature ofSilverthorn, and what wouldcounter it, that would be theplace.’Arutha looked helplessly

downatAnita. ‘ButSarth…No rider could reach thereandreturninlessthanaweekand…’Pug stepped forward. ‘I

may be able to help.’ Withsudden authority he said,‘Leave the room.All ofyou,exceptFathersNathan,Tully,andJulian.’HesaidtoLaurie,‘Run to my rooms. Katalawill give you a large red-leather-bound book. Bring it

atonce.’Without question Laurie

dashed off, while the othersvacated the room. Pug spokesoftlytothepriests.‘Canyouslow her passage throughtimewithoutharm?’Nathan said, ‘I can work

suchaspell.IdidsowiththewoundedDarkBrotherbeforehe died. But it will gain usonlyafewhours.’Helookeddown at Anita, whose face

had already taken on a coldblue appearance. Nathantouched her forehead. ‘Shegrows clammy to the touch.She fails fast. We musthurry.’The three priests quickly

fashioned the pentagram andlit the candles. Withinminutestheyhadpreparedtheroom and soon the rite wasdone. The Princess lay,apparently asleep, in a bed

engulfedbyarosyglowseenwhen viewed askance. Pugled thepriests fromtheroomand asked for sealingwax tobebrought.Martinordered itand a page ran off. Pug tookthebookhehadaskedLaurieto fetch. He re-entered theroom and paced around it,readingfromhistome.Whenhe was finished, he steppedoutside and began a longstringofincantations.

He finished by placing aseal of wax upon the wallnearthedoor.Hethenclosedthebook,‘Itisdone.’Tully moved towards the

door, and Pug’s handrestrainedhim. ‘Donotcrossthe threshold.’TheoldpriestlookedatPugquestioningly.Kulgan shook his head in

appreciation. ‘Don’t you seewhat the boy’s done, Tully?’Pugwas forced to smile, for

even after he’d grown longwhitewhiskers,he’dstillbeaboy to Kulgan. ‘Look at thecandles!’The others looked in, and

in a moment all could seewhat the stout magicianmeant. The candles at thecorners of the pentagramwerealight,althoughthiswasdifficulttoseeinthedaylight.Butwhen theywerewatchedclosely, it was clear the

flamesdidn’tflicker.Pugsaidtotheothers,‘Timemovessoslowly in that room it isnearlyimpossibletodetectitspassage. The wall of thispalacewouldcrumbletodustbefore the candles burn atenth part of their length.Should anyone cross thethreshold, he will be caughtlike a fly in amber. It wouldmean death, but FatherNathan’s spell slows time’s

ravageswithin thepentagramand prevents harm to thePrincess.’‘How long will it last?’

said Kulgan, obviously inaweofhisformerstudent.‘Untilthesealisbroken.’Arutha’s face betrayed the

firstflickeringsofhope.‘Shewilllive?’‘She lives now,’ said Pug.

‘Arutha, she exists betweenmoments, and will stay that

way, foreveryoung,until thespell is removed. But thentimewillonceagainflowforherandshewillneedacure,ifoneexists.’Kulgan gave out with an

audible sigh. ‘Then we havegained thatwhichweneededmost.Time.’‘Yes, but how much?’

askedTully.Arutha’s voice was firm.

‘Enough.Ishallfindacure.’

Martin said, ‘What doyouintend?’Arutha looked at his

brother,andfor thefirst timethat day was free of thecrippling grief, the madnessof despair.Coldly, evenly hesaid,‘IwillgotoSarth.’

•ChapterEight•Vow

Lyamsatunmoving.He studied Arutha for a

long moment and shook hishead.‘No.Iforbidit.’Arutha registered no

reactionashesaid,‘Why?’Lyamsighed.‘Becauseit’s

too dangerous, and you’veother responsibilities here.’

Lyam rose from behind thetable in Arutha’s privatequarters and crossed over tohis brother. Gently placinghishandonArutha’sarm,hesaid, ‘I know your nature,Arutha.You hate sitting idlybywhilematters aremovingto conclusion without you. Iknow you cannot abide thethoughtofAnita’sfaterestinginhandsotherthanyourown,but in good conscience I

cannot allowyou to travel toSarth.’Arutha’s expression

remained clouded, as it hadbeen since the assassinationattempt the day before. Butwith the death of LaughingJack,Arutha’s rage had fled,seeming to turn inwards,becoming cold detachment.KulganandTully’srevelationof a possible source ofknowledge existing in Sarth

had cleansed hismind of theinitial madness. Now he hadsomething to do, somethingthat required clarity ofjudgement,theabilitytothinkrationally, coolly,dispassionately. Fixing hisbrother with a penetratinglook,hesaid,‘I’vebeenawayformonths, travelling abroadwith you, so the business ofthe Western Realm canendure my absence for

anotherfewweeks.Asformysafety,’ he added, his voicerisingininflection,‘we’veallseenjusthowsafeIaminmyown palace!’ He fell intosilence for a moment, thensaid,‘IwillgotoSarth.’Martin had been quietly

sitting in the corner,observing the debate,listening closely to both hishalf brothers. He leanedforwardinhischair.‘Arutha,

I’ve known you since youwereababeandIknowyourmoods as well as my own.You think it impossible toleavevitalmatterstothecareofothers.Youhaveacertainarrogance to your nature,little brother. It is a trait, aflawof character if youwill,weallshare.’Lyam blinked as if

surprisedtobeincludedintheindictment.‘All…?’

The corner of Arutha’smouth turned up in a half-smile as he let out a deepsigh. ‘All, Lyam,’ Martinsaid.‘We’reallthreeBorric’ssons, and for his goodqualities, Father could bearrogant. Arutha, in temperyouandIareasone;Isimplymask myself better. I canthink of little to make mechafemore thansittingwhileothers are about tasks I feel

betterabletoaccomplish,butat the last, there isno reasonfor you to go. There areothers better suited. Tully,Kulgan, and Pug can set pento parchment with all thequestions required for theAbbotatSarth.Andtherearethose better suited to carrysuch messages quickly andwithout notice through thewoods between here andSarth.’

Lyam scowled. ‘Such as acertaindukefromtheWest,Iexpect.’Martin smiled his crooked

smile, a reflection ofArutha’s. ‘Not evenArutha’sPathfinders are as adept attravelling through the woodsas one elven-taught. If thisMurmandamus has agentsalong the woodland trails,there is no one south ofElvandar more likely to win

pastthemthanI.’Lyam cast his eyes

heavenward in disgust. ‘Youare no better than he.’ Hecrossed to the doors andpulledthemopen.AruthaandMartin followed behind.Gardan waited without, andhis company of guardssnapped to attention as theirmonarchleftthechamber.ToGardan,Lyamsaid,‘Captain,should either of our half-

witted brothers attempt toleave the palace, arrest himand lock himup.That is ourroyalwill.Understood?’Gardansaluted.‘Yes,Your

Majesty.’Without another word,

Lyam strode down the halltowardshisownquarters,hisface a mask of worry andpreoccupation. Behind himGardan’s guards exchangedastonished glances, then

watched Arutha and Martinleave in another direction.Arutha’sfacewasflushed,hisanger only partially hidden,while Martin’s expressionrevealed nothing of hisfeelings. When the twobrothers were out of sight,questioning glances passedfrom soldier to soldier, forthey had heard every wordexchanged between the Kingandhisbrothers,untilGardan

spoke in soft butcommanding tones. ‘Steadyon.You’reatpost.’

‘Arutha!’Arutha and Martin, who

had been speaking softly asthey walked, halted as theKeshian Ambassador hurriedto overtake them, his retinuefollowingbehind.Hereachedthem, bowed slightly, andsaid, ‘Your Highness, Your

Grace.’‘Good day, Your

Excellency,’ Arutharesponded somewhat curtly.ThepresenceofLordHazara-Khan reminded him therewere obligations of officegoingunmet.Soonerorlater,Arutha knew, hewould haveto return his attention to themundane concerns ofgovernance. That thoughtrankledhim.

The Ambassador said, ‘Ihave been informed, YourHighness,thatIandmypartywill require permission toquitthepalace.Isthisso?’Arutha’s irritation

intensified,thoughnowitwasdirected at himself. He hadsecuredthepalaceasamatterof course, but had done sowithout considering theoftensticky question of diplomaticimmunity, that necessary oil

in the usually squeakymachinery of internationalrelations. With a note ofapology he said, ‘My lordHazara-Khan, I am sorry. Intheheatofthemoment…’‘I fully understand,

Highness.’ Looking quicklyabout, he said, ‘May I alsohave a brief moment? Wecould speak as we walk.’Arutha indicated he might,and Martin dropped back to

walk with Hazara-Khan’ssons and bodyguard. TheAmbassador said, ‘It wouldbe a poor time to pester theKingovertreaties.IthinkitapropertimetovisitmypeopleintheJal-Pur.Iwillstaythereawhile. I’ll return to yourcity, or to Rillanon, asneeded, to discuss treaties,after…thingshavesettled.’Arutha studied the

Ambassador. Volney’s

intelligence on him hadrevealedthattheEmpresshaddispatched one of her finestminds to negotiate with theKingdom. ‘My lord Hazara-Khan, I thank you forconsideringmy own feelingsandthoseofmyfamilyatthistime.’The Ambassador waved

awaytheremark.‘Thereisnohonour in besting thoseafflicted by sorrow andwoe.

When this evil business isover, I desire you and yourbrother to come to thenegotiating table with clearminds, when we discuss theValeofDreams.Iwishtowinconcessionsfromthebestyouhavetooffer,Highness.Nowitwouldbetoosimpletogainadvantage. You need Kesh’sapprobation in the matter ofthe King’s forthcomingwedding to the Princess

Magda ofRoldem.As she isthe only daughter of KingCarole, and if anythinghappens to her brother,Crown Prince Dravos, anychild of hers would sit thethrones of both the Isles andRoldem, and as Roldem haslong been seen as lyingwithin Kesh’s traditionalsphere of influence … well,you can see how we areconcerned.’

‘My compliments to theImperial Intelligence Corps,Excellency,’ said Arutha inrueful appreciation. Only heandMartinhadknown.‘Officially, no such group

exists, though we do havecertain sources – thosewishingtomaintainthestatusquo.’‘Iappreciateyourcandour,

Excellency. We also mustconcern our discussions with

thequestionofanewKeshianwarfleetbeingconstructedinDurbin in violation of theTreatyofShamata.’Lord Hazara-Khan shook

his head and said withaffection,‘Oh,Arutha,I lookforward to bargaining withyou.’‘And Iwithyou. I’ll order

theguardstoallowyourpartyto leave at will. I only askthat you ensure that no one

not of your retinue slips outindisguise.’‘I shall stand at the gate

and name every soldier andservant as they pass,Highness.’Arutha had no doubts he

wouldbeabletodojustthat.‘No matter what fate brings,Abdur Rachman MemoHazara-Khan,evenshouldwesomeday face each otheracross a battlefield, I will

count you a generous,honourable friend.’ Heextendedhishand.Abdurtookit.‘Youdome

honour,Highness.AslongasI speak with Kesh’s voice,she will negotiate only ingood faith, towardshonourableends.’The Ambassador signalled

for his companions to joinhim, and after askingArutha’s leave theydeparted.

MartincametoArutha’ssideand said, ‘At least we nowhave one fewer problem forthemoment.’Arutha nodded in

agreement. ‘For themoment.That wily old fox willprobably end up with thispalace for his embassy andI’ll be left with someflophouse near the docks toholdcourtin.’‘Then we shall need to

have Jimmy recommend oneof the better ones to us.’Suddenlystruckbyathought,Martin said, ‘Where is he?I’ve not seen him since wequestionedLaughingJack.’‘Outandabout.Ihadafew

things forhim todo.’Martinindicated understanding andthe two brothers continueddownthehall.

Laurie spun at the sound of

someone entering his room.Carline closed the doorbehind her, then stopped asshe observed the singer’stravel bundle resting next tohisluteuponhisbed.Hehadjust finished tying it and hewore his old travel clothing.Her eyes narrowed and shenodded once, knowingly.‘Going somewhere?’Carline’s tone was icy. ‘Justthought you’d take a quick

runuptoSarthandaskafewquestions,right?’Laurie raised his hands in

supplication. ‘Just for awhile,beloved.I’llbequicklyback.’Sitting down on the bed,

she said, ‘Oh!You’re as badas Arutha or Martin. You’dthink everyone in the palacedidn’t possess the brains toblow their noseswithout oneof you telling them how. So

you’ll get your head loppedoff by some bandit, or …something. Laurie, I get soangry sometimes.’ He satnexttoherandplacedhisarmaround her shoulders. Sheleaned her head against hisshoulder.‘We’vehadsolittletime together since wearrived, and everything is so… terrible.’ Her voice brokeas she began to cry. ‘PoorAnita,’shesaidafterawhile.

Defiantly wiping away hertears, she went on, ‘I hate itwhenIcry.‘And I’m still angry with

you. You were going to runoff and leave without agoodbye. I knew it. Well, ifyougo,don’tcomeback.Justsend a message about whatyoufindout–ifyoulivethatlong – but don’t set foot inthispalace.Idon’teverwanttoseeyouagain.’Sheroseto

her feet and made for thedoor.Laurie was after her in an

instant. He took her by thearm and turned her to facehim. ‘Beloved, please …don’t…’With tears in her eyes she

said,‘Ifyoulovedme,you’dask Lyam for my hand. I’mdone with sweet words,Laurie. I’m done with vagueunease.I’mdonewithyou.’

Laurie felt panic overtakehim. He had been ignoringCarline’s earlier threat to bethrough with him or marriedto him by the time shereturnedtoRillanon,asmuchfrom choice as from thepressure of events. ‘I wasn’tgoing to say anything untilthis business with Anita wasresolved,but–I’vedecided.Ican’t letyou leavemeoutofyour life. I dowant tomarry

you.’Suddenly her eyes were

wide.‘What?’‘IsaidIwanttomarry–’She covered his mouth

with her hand. Then shekissed him. For a long silentmoment no words werenecessary. She pushed away,adangeroushalf-smileonherface.Shakingherheadinthenegative, she spoke softly.‘No. Say nothing more. I’ll

not have you fog my mindagain with honeyed words.’She slowly walked to thedoorandopenedit.‘Guards!’shecalledand inan instantapair appeared. Pointing at anastonished Laurie, she said,‘Don’t let him move! If hetriestoleave,sitonhim!’Carline vanished from

sight down the hall, and theguards turned amusedexpressions on Laurie. He

sighed and sat down quietlyuponhisbed.A few minutes later the

Princess was back, anirritated Father Tully in tow.Theoldprelatehadhisnightrobe hastily gathered abouthim, as he had been almostready for sleep. Lyam,looking equallyinconvenienced, followed hissister. Laurie fell backwardsonto the bedwith an audible

groanasCarlinemarchedintothe roomandpointedathim.‘He told me he wants tomarryme!’Laurie sat up. Lyam

regarded his sister with anastonished expression.‘ShouldIcongratulatehimorhave him hung? From yourtoneit’sdifficulttotell.’Laurie bolted upright as if

stuckbyaneedleandmovedtowards the King. ‘Your

Majesty–’‘Don’t let him say

anything,’ interruptedCarline, pointing anaccusatoryfingeratLaurie.Inamenacingwhisper,shesaid,‘Heisthekingofallliarsanda seducer of the innocent.He’lltalkhiswayoutofit.’Lyamshookhisheadashe

muttered, ‘Innocent?’Suddenly his face clouded.‘Seducer?’He fixed his gaze

uponLaurie.‘Your Majesty, please,’

beganLaurie.Carline crossed her arms

and impatiently tapped herfootonthefloor.‘He’sdoingit,’ she muttered. ‘He’stalking his way out ofmarryingme.’Tully interposed himself

between Carline and Laurie.‘Majesty,ifImay?’Looking confused, Lyam

said,‘Iwishyouwould.’TullylookedfirstatLaurie,

then at Carline. ‘Am I tounderstand, Highness, thatyouwishtowedthisman?’‘Yes!’‘Andyou,sir?’Carline began to say

something, butLyam cut heroff.‘Lethimspeak!’Lauriestoodblinkingatthe

sudden silence. He shruggedas if to say he didn’t

understand the commotion.‘OfcourseIdo,father.’Lyam looked close to the

end of his patience. ‘Thenwhat is the difficulty?’ HesaidtoTully,‘Postbanns,oh,next week sometime. Afterthe last few days we shouldwait a bit. We’ll have theweddingafter…thingssettlea bit. If you have noobjections, Carline?’ Sheshook her head, her eyes

moist. Lyam continued,‘Someday, when you’re anoldmarried ladywithdozensof grandchildren, you’ll havetoexplainall this tome.’ToLaurie he said, ‘You’re abraverman thanmost,’ then,with a glance at his sister,added, ‘and luckier thanmost.’ He kissed her on thecheek. ‘Now, if there’snothingelse,I’llretire.’Carline threw her arms

aroundhisneckandgavehimafiercehug.‘Thankyou.’Still shaking his head,

Lyam left the room. Tullysaid,‘Theremustbeareasonfor this urgent need ofbetrothalatthislatehour.’Heheldhishandspalmsoutandquickly added, ‘But I’ll waitto hear it some other time.Now, if you’ll excuse me –’He gave Carline noopportunity to say anything

ashealmostdashedfromtheroom. The guards followedafter,closingthedoorbehindthem. Carline smiled atLaurie after theywere alone.‘Well,itisdone.Finally!’Lauriegrinneddownather

as he put his arms about herwaist. ‘Yes, and with littlepain.’‘Little pain!’ she said,

punchinghim in the stomachwith not inconsiderable

effect. Laurie doubled over,thewindknockedoutofhim.He fell backwards, landinguponhisbed.Carlinecametotheedgeof thebedandkneltnexttohim.Ashetriedtositup, she pushed him back onthebedwithher handonhischest. ‘What am I, somedowdy drudge you mustendure for the sake ofpolitical ambitions?’ Sheplayfullypulledattheleather

thongsofhis tunic. ‘I shouldhave you thrown in thedungeon. Little pain, youmonster.’Gripping a handful of her

dress,heyankedherforward,bringing her face closeenough to be kissed. With agrin, he said, ‘Hello, mylove.’Thentheywereineachother’sarms.Later,Carline roused from

ahalf-dozetosay,‘Happy?’

Laurie laughed, causingherheadtojiggleonhischestwhere it lay. ‘Of course.’Stroking her hair, he said,‘WhatwasallthataboutwithyourbrotherandTully?’She chuckled. ‘After

almostayearof tryingtogetyou to marry me, I wasn’tabout to let you forget youproposed.ForallIknew,youwere simply trying to get ridof me so you could sneak

awaytoSarth.’‘Sweet good night!’ said

Laurie, jumping out of bed.‘Arutha!’Carline turned and settled

back into the just-vacatedpillow. ‘So you and mybrother are both sneakingoff.’‘Yes – no, I mean – oh

hell.’ Laurie pulled on histrousers and stood lookingabout. ‘Where is my other

boot? I’m at least an houroverdue.’ When he wasdressed,hecametositnexttoher on the bed. ‘I must go.Arutha won’t let anythingstophim.Youknewthat.’Sheheldtightlytohisarm.

‘I knew you’d both go.Howdoyouplan togetoutof thepalace?’‘Jimmy.’She nodded. ‘There’s an

exit he forgot to mention to

theroyalarchitect,Iexpect.’‘Something like that. I

mustgo.’She clung to his arm for a

moment. ‘You didn’t takeyourvowslightly,didyou?’‘Never.’ He bent over to

kiss her. ‘Without you, I amnothing.’Silently she cried, feeling

at once filled and empty,knowing for certain she hadfound her life’s mate and

fearing to lose him. As ifreadingherthoughts,hesaid,‘I’llbeback,Carline;nothingcouldkeepmefromyou.’‘If you don’t, I’ll come

afteryou.’With a quick kiss he was

gone,thedoorclosingquietlybehindhim.Carlineburroweddeeply into the bed, holdingon to the last remainingwarmthofhimaslongasshecould.

Laurie slipped through thedoorintoArutha’ssuitewhiletheguardsin thehallwereatthe far end of their walkingtour.In thedarkheheardhisname whispered. ‘Yes,’ hereplied.Arutha unshuttered a

lantern, lighting the room.The single light sourcemadethe antechamber of Arutha’ssuite appear cavernous.Aruthasaid,‘You’relate.’To

Laurie he and Jimmyappearedalienfiguresastheystood lit from below by theyellow lantern glow. Aruthaworesimplemercenary garb:knee-high cavalier boots,heavy woollen trousers, aheavy leather jerkin over ablue tunic, and his rapierbeltedathisside.Overallhewore aheavygrey cloak, thedeep hood thrown back overhis shoulders, but what

caused Laurie to stare for amoment was the light thatseemed to come fromArutha’s eyes. About toembark upon the journey toSarthatlast,hewasafirewithimpatience.‘Leadtheway.’Jimmy showed them to a

low hidden door in the wall,andtheyentered.Throughtheancient tunnels of the palaceJimmymoved quickly, downto a level deeper than even

the damp dungeon. AruthaandLauriekeptquiet,thoughthe singer was given to anoccasional silent oath whensomething he stepped onscamperedawayor squished.Hewaspleasedatthelackofgoodlight.Suddenly they were

movinguproughstonesteps.At the top landing, Jimmypushed upwards against aprotesting section of

seemingly blank stoneceiling.ItmovedslightlyandJimmy said, ‘It’s a tightsqueeze.’Hewiggledthroughand took their belongings asthey passed them along. Thebase of an outer stone wallhad been cleverlycounterweighted to swingfrom one side, but age anddisuse hadmade it stubborn.Arutha and Laurie managedto wriggle through. Arutha

said,‘Wherearewe?’‘Behind a hedge in the

royal park. The postern gateto the palace is about ahundred and fifty yards offthat way,’ answered Jimmy.He indicated a direction.‘Follow me.’ He led themthrough thick shrubbery andintoastandoftrees,inwhichthreehorseswaited.Arutha said, ‘I didn’t ask

you to purchase three

mounts.’With an insolent grin,

visible in the moonlit night,Jimmy said, ‘But you alsodidn’t tell me not to,Highness.’Laurie decided it was best

not to get involved, so hebusied himself tying hisbundle to the nearest mount.Arutha said, ‘We movequickly, and I’venopatiencefor this. Youmay not come,

Jimmy.’Jimmymovedtowardsone

of the mounts and nimblyjumpedup into the saddle. ‘Idon’t take orders fromnameless adventurers andunemployed bravos. I’m thePrince of Krondor’s Squire.’He patted his bundle behindthe saddle and removed hisrapier – the very oneAruthahad given him. ‘I’m ready.I’ve stolen enough horses to

beafairrider.Besides,thingsseemtohappenwhereveryouare. It may get very dullaroundherewithoutyou.’Arutha looked at Laurie,

who said, ‘Better bring himalong where we can watchhim.He’llonlyfollowbehindif we don’t.’ Arutha seemedabout to protestwhen Lauriesaid,‘Wecan’tcallthepalaceguardstohavehimarrested.’Aruthamounted,obviously

not pleased. Without furtherconversation, they turnedtheir horses and rode awayfrom the park. Downdarkened alleys and narrowstreetstheymoved,ridingatamoderate pace so as not toattract undue attention.Jimmy said, ‘This way liesthe eastern gate. I assumedwewouldleavebythenorth.’Arutha said, ‘We’ll be

heading north soon enough.

Should anyone see me leavethecity,I’djustassoonhavewordpassedI’vegoneeast.’‘Who’s going to see us?’

said Jimmy lightly, knowingfull well that anyone seenridingthroughthegateatthishourwouldbenoticed.At the eastern gate two

soldiers watched from thegatehouse toseewhopassed,but as there was neithercurfew in effect nor alarm

being sounded they barelystirred to watch the threeriderspass.Beyond the walls they

wereintheoutercity,erectedwhen theancientwalls couldno longer contain thepopulation.Leaving themaineastern roadway, theymovedbetween darkened buildingstowardsthenorth.ThenArutha pulled up his

horseandorderedJimmyand

Laurie to do likewise.Coming around the cornerwere four riders dressed inheavy black cloaks. Jimmy’ssword was out instantly, thechance of two groups oftravellers innocentlyhappeningacrossoneanotheron this minor street at thishourbeingveryslight.Lauriebegan to draw his also, butArutha simply said, ‘Putawayyourweapons.’

When the riders closed,JimmyandLaurieexchangedquestioning looks. ‘Wellmet,’ said Gardan as heturned his horse to comealongside Arutha. ‘All isready.’‘Good,’ said Arutha.

Studying the riders withGardan,hesaid,‘Three?’Gardan’s good-natured

chucklecouldbeheardinthegloom.‘AsIhadn’tseenhim

about for some time, Ithought Squire Jimmy mighthave decided to come along,with or without yourpermission, so I tookprecautions.AmIincorrect?’‘You are not, Captain,’

said Arutha, taking no painstohidehisdispleasure.‘In any event, David here

is your shortest guardsman,and should any attemptpursuit, from a distance he

will resemble the boy.’ Hewaved the three riders alongand they headed back downthe street towards theeasternroad.Jimmychuckledastheyrode away, for one of theguards had been a slender,dark-haired fellow and theother a blond, bearded manwithaluteoverhisback.‘The guards at the gate

seemed to pay scantattention,’saidArutha.

‘Have no fears on thataccount, Highness. They’rethetwobiggestgossipsinthecity watch. Should word ofyour departure leak from thepalace,withinhourstheentirecitywillknowyouwereseenridingeast.Thosethreeriderswill continue on until theyreach Darkmoor, if they arenot troubled before then. If Imay suggest, we’d best beleavingatonce.’

‘We?’saidArutha.‘Orders, Sire. Princess

Carline instructed me thatshouldanyharmbefalleitherofyou’–heindicatedLaurieandArutha–‘Ineedn’treturntoKrondor.’Sounding a note of mock

injury,Jimmysaid, ‘Shesaidnothingaboutme?’The others ignored the

remark. Arutha looked atLaurie, who sighed deeply.

‘Shehad it figuredouthoursbefore we left.’ Gardanindicated that this was so.Besides, she can becircumspect when theoccasion warrants.Sometimes.’Gardan added, ‘The

Princess wouldn’t betray herbrotherorfiancé.’‘Fiancé?’ said Arutha.

‘This has been a busy night.Well, you would end up

either driven from the palaceor married to her. But I’llnever understand her taste inmen.Verywell,itlooksasifthere’s no getting rid of anyofyou.Let’sbeoff.’The three men and a boy

spurred their mounts andresumedtheirrideandwithinminutes were through theouter city, heading northtowardsSarth.

Near midday, the travellersrounded a bend in the coastroad to find a lone travellersitting by the edge of theKing’s Highway. He wore ahunter’s outfit of green-dyedleather. His dappled horsecroppedgrassashortwayoffand hewhittled at a piece ofwoodwith his hunting knife.Seeingthebandapproach,heputawayhisknife,tossedthewood aside, and gathered up

his belongings. He wascloakedandhadhis longbowover his shoulder whenAruthareinedin.‘Martin,’ said Arutha in

greeting.The Duke of Crydee

mounted. ‘Took you a lotlonger to get here than Ithoughtitwould.’Jimmy said, ‘Is there

anyone in Krondor whodoesn’t know the Prince has

left?’‘Not so as you would

notice,’answeredMartinwitha smile. They commencedriding, and Martin said toArutha, ‘Lyam said to tellyouhewilllayasmanyfalsetrailsaspossible.’Laurie said, ‘The King

knows?’‘Of course,’ said Arutha.

He indicated Martin. ‘Thethreeofusplanned this from

the start. Gardan had anunusually large number ofguardspostednearthedoortomystudywhenLyamforbademygoing.’Martin added, ‘Lyam has

some of his personal guardsimpersonating each of us.There’s a long-faced fellowand a blond, bearded loutimpersonating Arutha andLaurie.’With one of his raregrins he said, ‘There’s this

handsome brute of a manstaying in my suite. Lyam’sevenmanaged toborrowthattall, loud-voiced Master ofCeremoniesfromtheKeshianAmbassador. He’s to sneakback into thepalaceafter theKeshians leave today. Fittedwithafalsebeard,he’safairlikeness for the captain here.Atleasthe’stherightcolour.He’llbeseenpoppinguphereand there in the palace.’

Gardanlaughed.‘Then you’ve not

attempted to leaveunnoticed,in truth,’ said Laurie inadmiration.‘No,’ said Arutha. ‘I seek

to leave under a cloud ofconfusion.Weknowwhoeverisbehindthisissendingmoreassassins this way, or soLaughingJackbelieved.Soifthere are spies in Krondor,they’ll not know for days

what is happening.Whenweare discovered out of thepalace, they’ll be unsure ofthe direction taken. Onlythose few with us when Pugensorcelled Anita’s suiteknow we need to travel toSarth.’Jimmy laughed. ‘A

masterstroke of misdirection.Should someone hear you’vegone one way, then another,they’ll not know what to

believe.’Martin said, ‘Lyam was

thorough. He has anotherband dressed like you threeheading down south towardsStardock with Kulgan andPug’s family today. They’llbe just clumsy enough inhiding to be noticed.’ ToArutha he added, ‘Pug sayshe will search for a cure forAnitainMacros’slibrary.’Arutha reined in his horse

andtheothershalted.‘Wearea half day’s ride from thecity. If we’re not overtakenby sundown, we can countourselves free of pursuit.Weneed then only worry aboutwhat may lie ahead.’ Hepaused, as if what he wasabout to say was difficult.‘Behind all the banteringwords,you’vechosendanger,all of you.’ He looked fromface to face. ‘I count myself

fortunateforsuchfriendship.’Jimmy seemed the most

embarrassed by the Prince’swords,buthefoughtbacktheurgetogulp.‘Wehave–hada vow in the Mockers. It’sfrom an old proverb: “Youcan’t be sure the cat is deaduntil the cat is skinned.”When a difficult task layaheadandamanwishedtoletothersknowhewaswillingtostick it out to the last, he’d

say, “Until the cat isskinned.”’ He looked at theothersandsaid,‘Untilthecatisskinned.’Laurie said, ‘Until the cat

isskinned,’andthestatementwas quickly echoed byGardanandMartin.At the last, Arutha said,

‘Thank you all.’ He spurredhis horse forward and theothersfollowed.Martin fell in beside

Laurie. ‘What took you solong?’‘I was held up,’ said

Laurie, it’s somewhatcomplicated. We’re going tobemarried.’‘Iknowthat.GardanandI

werewaiting forLyamwhenhe came back from yourroom. She could, I think, dobetter.’Laurie’sfacebetrayedhis discomfort. Then Martinsmiled slightly as he added,

‘But then, maybe shecouldn’t.’ Leaning over, heextendedhishand. ‘Mayyoualwaysbehappy.’After theyshook, he said, ‘That stilldoesn’t account for thedelay.’‘It’s a bit delicate,’ Laurie

said, hoping his futurebrother-in-law would let thematterdrop.Martin studied Laurie a

longmoment, thennoddedin

understanding. ‘A propergoodbyecantakeawhile.’

•ChapterNine•Forest

Abandofhorsemenappearedonthehorizon.Black figures stood

outlined against the reddishsky of late afternoon.Martinsightedthemfirst,andAruthaorderedahalt.SincetheyhadleftKrondor,thiswasthefirstband of travellers they had

encountered obviously nottraders. Martin squinted. ‘Ican’t see much at thisdistance, but I think themarmed.Mercenariesperhaps?’‘Oroutlaws,’Gardansaid.‘Or something else,’

Aruthaadded.‘Laurie,you’rethemost travelled among us.Isthereanotherway?’Laurie looked about,

gettinghisbearings.Pointingtowards the forest on the

othersideofanarrowstripoffarmland, he said, ‘To theeast, about an hour’s ridefromhere, isanold trail thatleads up into the CalastiusMountains. It was used byminers once, but it’s littletravelled now. Itwill lead ustotheinlandroad.’Jimmy said, ‘Then we

should make for that trail atonce. It seems those othershavetiredofwaitingforusto

cometothem.’Arutha saw the riders on

the horizon start in theirdirection. ‘Lead the way,Laurie.’Theylefttheroad,heading

foraseriesoflowstonewallsthat marked the farms’boundaries. ‘Look!’ shoutedJimmy.Arutha’s companions saw

theotherbandhadreactedbyspurring their mounts into a

gallop.Intheorangeglowofthe late afternoon, they wereblackfiguresoutlinedagainstagrey-greenhillside.Aruthaand theothers took

the first low stone wall in asmoothjump,butJimmywasnearly thrown. He managedto right himself withoutlosing too much ground onthe others. He said nothingbut wished fervently thereweren’t three more walls

between himself and theforest.SomehowhemanagedtokeepseatedandstillnotbetoofarbehindwhenArutha’spartyenteredthewoods.The others were waiting

for him and he reined in.Laurie pointed. ‘They can’tovertake us, so they parallelus, hoping to intercept usnorth of here.’ Then helaughed. ‘This trail is north-east bound, so our nameless

friendswill have to travel anadditional mile of brush-cloggedwoodlandstocutourtrail.We’llbelongpastthemwhentheydo.Iftheycanfindthetrail.’Aruthasaid,‘Westillmust

hurry.We’ve little light, andthewoodsarenot safe at thebest of times. How long tothisroad?’‘We should be there two

hours after sunset, maybe a

littlesooner.’Aruthamotionedforhimto

lead the way. Laurie turnedhishorse and they allmoveddeeper into the rapidlydarkeningforest.

Dark holes bulked on bothsides. In the gloom, withscant illumination frommiddle and large moonsfiltering down through highbranches,thewoodsseemeda

surrounding solid.Throughout the night theyhad been picking their wayalong what Laurie insistedwas a trail, some etherealthing that suddenly appeareda few feet before Laurie’shorse and just as quicklyvanished a few feet behindJimmy’s. To Jimmy onepatchofgroundlookedmuchlike another, except that themeanderingwayLauriechose

seemed to have slightly lessdebris cluttering it. The boyconstantly looked back overhisshoulder,seekingsignsofpursuit.Arutha ordered a halt.

‘We’ve seen no signs ofbeing followed. Perhapswe’veshakenthem.’Martin dismounted. ‘Not

likely. If they have a skilledtracker among them, they’vefound our spoor. They’ll be

moving as slowly as we are,butthey’llbekeepingpace.’Dismounting, Arutha said,

‘We’ll rest here for a while.Jimmy, break out the oatsbehindLaurie’ssaddle.’Jimmy grumbled slightly

as he began caring for thehorses. He had learned afterhisfirstnightontheroadthat,asSquire,hewasexpectedtocare for his liege’s horse –andeveryoneelse’saswell.

Martin shoulderedhisbowand said, ‘I think I’llbacktrack a ways and see ifthere’s anyone close. I’ll bebackwithin thehour.Shouldanything happen, don’t waitfor me. I’ll find you at theIshapian abbey tomorrownight.’Heslippedoffintothegloom.Arutha sat on his saddle,

whileJimmysetaboutcaringforthehorses,withassistance

from Laurie. Gardan kept avigil, scanning the murk oftheforest.Time passed and Arutha

became lost in thought.Jimmywatchedhimfromthecorner of his eye. Lauriecaught Jimmy studyingArutha in the dim light andmoved alongside the boy,helping him brush downGardan’s horse. The singerwhispered, ‘Youworryabout

him.’Jimmy only nodded, a

gesture almost lost in thedark. Then he said, ‘I don’thaveafamily,singer,oralotoffriends.He’s…important.Yes,Iworry.’When he was finished,

Jimmy crossed to whereAruthasatstaringoffintotheblackness.‘Thehorsesarefedandgroomed.’Aruthaseemedpulledfrom

hisbrooding.‘Good.Nowgetsome rest.We’llmoveoutatfirstlight.’Heglancedabout.‘Where’sMartin?’Jimmy looked back along

thetrail.‘He’sstillbacktheresomewhere.’Aruthafollowedhisgaze.Jimmy settled in, his head

on his saddle, a blanketpulled about him. He staredoff into the darkness for alongtimebeforesleepcame.

SomethingwokeJimmy.Twofigures approached andJimmymadeready to leap tohis feet when he saw theywere Martin and Gardan.Then Jimmy rememberedGardan had remained onwatch. They reached thesmall campsite,bothwalkingquietly.Jimmy roused the others.

Aruthawasted no timewhenhe saw his brother had

returned. ‘Did you find anysignofpursuit?’Martin nodded. ‘A few

miles back along the trail. Aband of…men,moredhel, Idon’t knowwhich.Their firewas low. One at least is amoredhel.Savethatone, toaman they were dressed inblackarmour,withlongblackcapes. Each wore a strangehelm that covered the entirehead. I didn’t need anymore

todecidetheywerenotlikelytoprovefriendly.Icutafalsetrail across ours. It shouldlead them away for a while,butweshouldbeoffatonce.’‘What of this one

moredhel?Yousayhewasn’tattiredliketheothers?’‘No, and he was the

biggest damn moredhel I’veeverseen,barechestedexceptfor a leather jerkin.His headwas shaved save for a long

scalp lock thatwas tied so ithung behind like a horse’stail.Icouldseehimclearlyinthe firelight. I’ve never seenhis like, thoughI’veheardofhissort.’Laurie said, ‘Yabon

mountainclan.’Arutha looked at the

singer. Laurie explained,‘WhenIwasgrowingupnearTyr-Sog, we’d hear of raidsby the northern mountain

clans. They’re different fromthe forest dwellers. Thetopknotofhairsayshe’salsoachieftain,animportantone.’Gardansaid, ‘He’scomea

longway.’‘Yes, and it means some

new order has beenestablishedsince theRiftwar.Weknew thatmanyof thosedriven north by the Tsuraniwereseekingtojointheirkinin theNorthlands, but now it

seems they’ve brought someof their cousins back withthem.’‘Or,’saidArutha,‘itmeans

they’reunderhiscommand.’Martin said, ‘For that to

havehappened…’‘Alliance, a moredhel

alliance. Something we’vealways feared,’ said Arutha.‘Come, it’s almost light, andwewon’tpuzzle thisoutanybetterforstandingstill.’

They readied their horses,and soon they were back onthe Forest Road, the majorinland roadbetweenKrondorand the north. Few caravansused it; while it was a time-saver,mosttravellerschosetotravel through Krondor andup the coast, as that was thesafer route. Laurie claimedthey were now riding evenwiththeBayofShips,aboutaday’s ride from the Ishapian

abbey at Sarth. The town ofSarthrestedonapeninsulaatthenorthendofthebay.Theabbeywas in the hills to thenortheast of the town, sothey’d intercept the roadbetween the abbey and thetown. If they pushed, theywould reach the abbey justaftersundown.Out in theforest therewas

nohintofdanger,butMartinjudgeditlikelythemoredhel-

led band was coming. Hecould hear subtle changes inthe early morning sounds oftheforestbehindthattoldhimsomethingnottoodistantwasdisturbingthenaturalorderofthingsinitspassing.MartinrodebesideArutha,

behind Laurie. ‘I think Imight drop back and see ifourfriendsstillfollow.’Jimmy hazarded a glance

over his shoulder, and

through the trees behind hecould see black-clad figuresfollowing.‘Toolate!They’veseenus!’heshouted.Arutha’s party spurred

their mounts forward, thethunder of hooves echoingthrough the trees. All bentlow over the necks of theirmounts, and Jimmy keptglancing back. They wereputting distance betweenthemselves and the black

riders,forwhichJimmygavesilentthanks.Afterafewminutesofhard

riding, they came to a deepdefile, impossible for horsesto jump. Across it stood asturdy wooden bridge. Theysped over it, then Aruthareined it. ‘Stand here!’ Theyturned their horses, for thesound of pursuit could beheard.Arutha was about to order

them to readyachargewhenJimmyleaptoffhishorse.Hepulledhisbundlefrombehindhis saddle. Running to theend of the bridge, he knelt.Arutha shouted, ‘What areyoudoing?’Jimmy’s only answer was

‘Keepback!’Inthedistancethesoundof

approaching horses grewlouder. Martin leapt downfrom his mount and

unshouldered his longbow.Hehaditstrungandanarrownocked when the first of theblack riders came into view.Without hesitation he loosedthe clothyard shaft, andwithouterror it flew, strikingtheblack-armouredfigurefullin the chest with thethundering force only alongbowcoulddeliveratsucha distance. The rider waspropelled backwards out of

his saddle. The secondhorseman avoided the fallenman, but a third was thrownas his mount stumbled overthebody.Aruthamoved forwards to

intercept the second rider,who was about to cross thebridge.‘No!’shoutedJimmy.‘Keep back!’ Suddenly theboy was dashing away fromthe bridge as the black ridercrossed. The horseman was

almost upon the spot whereJimmyhadkneltwhenaloudwhooshing noise sounded,accompaniedbyalargecloudofsmoke.Hishorseshiedandspun on the narrow bridge,then reared up. The animalstumbled back a step, itsrump striking the rails of thebridge. The black-cladwarriorwastossedbackwardsover the rail while his horsepawed the air, then he fell,

hitting the rocks below thebridge with an audible thud.The horse turned and fledbackthewayithadcome.Arutha’s and the others’

horseswerefarenoughawayfrom the explosion of smokenot to panic, though Lauriehad to ride forward andquickly grab the reins ofJimmy’smountwhileGardanheld Martin’s. The bowmanwas busy shooting at the

approaching riders, whoseanimals bucked and shied astheir masters fought to bringthembackundercontrol.Jimmy was now racing

back towards the bridge, asmall flask in his hands. Hepulled a stopper from its endand tossed it at the smoke.Suddenly thenear endof thebridgeeruptedinflames.Theblack riders pulled up, theirhorses nickering at sight of

the flames. The balkinganimals rode in circles astheir riders sought to forcethemacrossthebridge.Jimmy stumbled away

from the blaze. Gardanswore. ‘Look, thefallenonesrise!’Through the smoke and

flametheycouldseetheriderwith the arrow in his cheststaggering towards thebridge, while another that

Martinhadfelledwasslowlyrisingtohisfeet.Jimmy reached his horse

and mounted. Arutha said,‘Whatwasallthat?’‘The smoke bomb I carry

out of habit. Many of theMockers use them to coverescape and create confusion.Theymake a little fire and agreatdealofsmoke.’‘What was in the flask?’

askedLaurie.

‘Distillation of naphtha. Iknow an alchemist inKrondor who sells it tofarmers to start fires whentheyslashandburn.’‘That’s damned dangerous

stuff to be toting around,’saidGardan. ‘Doyoualwayscarryit?’‘No,’ said Jimmy as he

mounted. ‘But then I usuallydon’t travelwhere I’m likelyto run into things you can

only stop by roasting. Afterthat business at thewhorehouse I thought itmight come in handy. I haveonemoreinmybundle.’‘Then toss it!’ shouted

Laurie. ‘The bridge’s notcaughtyet.’Jimmypulledouttheother

flask and nudged his horseforward.Withcareful aimhetossedtheflaskintothefire.Flamesroseup,ten,twelve

feet inheight, as thewoodenbridge became engulfed. Onbothsidesofthedefilehorseswhinnied and tried to run asthefirerosehigherandhigherinthesky.Arutha looked across the

bridge at the enemyhorsemen, who now satpatiently waiting for theflames to burn out. Frombehind them another figurerode into view, the

unarmoured moredhel withthe scalp lock. He satwatching Arutha and theothers, no expression evidentonhisface.Aruthacouldfeelblueeyesboringintohissoul.And he felt hate.Here, then,for the first time he saw hisenemy,sawoneofthosewhohad harmed Anita. Martinbegan shooting at the blackriders,andwithasilentsignaltheunarmouredmoredhel led

hiscompanionsback into thetrees.Martin mounted and came

to his brother’s side. Aruthawatched as the moredhelvanished into the trees.Arutha said, ‘He knows me.Wewere so clever, and theyknewwhereIwasallalong.’‘But how?’ asked Jimmy.

‘There were so manydiversions.’‘Some black art,’ said

Martin. ‘There are powers atplayhere,Jimmy.’‘Come,’ said Arutha.

‘They’ll be back. This willnot stop them.We’ve gainedonlyalittletime.’Laurieledthewaytowards

thenorthboundroadtoSarth.Theydidnotlookbackasthefirecrackledloudly.

For the rest of that day theyrode nearly continuously. Of

their pursuers they sawnothing, but Arutha knewtheywereclosebehind.Nearsundown, light fog filled theair as they neared the coastagain,wheretheBayofShipsturned the road eastwards.According to Laurie, theywould reach the abbey aftersundown.Martin moved up to ride

next to Gardan and Arutha,who stared out into the

shadows, absently directinghis horse. ‘Remembering thepast?’Arutha looked at his

brotherthoughtfully.‘Simplertimes, Martin. Justrememberingsimplertimes.Irage to be done with thismystery of Silverthorn andhaveAnita returned tome. Iburn for it!’ He spoke withsudden passion.With a sigh,hisvoicesoftenedashesaid,

‘IwaswonderingwhatFatherwould have done in myplace.’Martin glanced at Gardan.

The captain said, ‘Exactlywhat you’re doing now,Arutha.ManandboyIknewLord Borric, and I’ll saythere’s not anothermore likehim in temper than you. Allofyouarelikehim:Martininthe way he watches thingsclosely.Lyamremindsmeof

him when the lighter moodswereuponhim,beforehelosthisladyCatherine.’Aruthaasked,‘AndI?’It was Martin who

answered. ‘Why, you thinklike him, little brother, morethanLyam or I do. I’m youreldest brother. I don’t takeordersfromyouonlybecauseyou wear the title Prince tomyDuke. I follow your leadbecause, more than any man

I’veknownsinceFather,youmaketherightchoices.’Arutha’s gaze was distant

as he said, ‘Thank you. Thatishighpraise.’A sound came from the

trailbehind, just loudenoughto be heard without beingidentified.Laurietriedtoleadasquicklyashecould,butthedark and fog confounded hissense of direction. The sunwas close to setting, so little

light penetrated the deepwoods. He could see only asmallpartofthetrailinfrontof him; twice he was forcedto slowdown to separate thetrue trail from false ones.Arutha rode up beside andsaid, ‘Keep it steady. Betterto continue at a crawl thanhalt.’Gardan fell back next to

Jimmy. The boy peered intothewoods,seekingaglimpse

of whatever might be hidingjust behind the boles of thetrees, but onlywisps of greyfog in the last light of thesettingsuncouldbeseen.Then a horse came

crashing from out of thebrush,onemomentnotthere,the next nearly knockingJimmy from the saddle. Theboy’s horse spun in a fullcircle as the black-armouredwarrior pushed past. Gardan

swung a late blow at thehorsemanandmissed.Arutha shouted, ‘This

way!’ and tried to force hisway past another horsemancutting across the trail. Hefaced the rider, theunarmoured moredhel. Forthe first time Arutha couldsee the three scars cut intoeach of the Dark Brother’scheeks. Time froze for aninstant as the two confronted

one another. There was astrangerecognitioninArutha,forherewashisenemymadeflesh. No longer did hestruggle with unseenassassins’ hands in the darkor mystic powers withoutsubstance;herewas someonehe could vent his rage upon.Without sound the moredhelswung a vicious blow atArutha’shead,andthePrinceavoided being decapitated

only by ducking over theneck of his horse. Aruthalashedoutwithhisrapierandfelt itspointdig in.Hecameup and sawhe had taken themoredhel in the face, cuttingdeeply across the scarredcheek. But the creature onlymoaned, a strange torturedsound, half gurgle, halfstrangled cry. Then Arutharealized the moredhelpossessed no tongue. The

creature lookedatArutha forabriefmomentandturnedhishorseaway.‘Try to break free!’

shouted Arutha, spurring hisownhorseforward.SuddenlyArutha was away, the othersbehind.Foraninstantitseemedthe

moredhel-led company wastoo shocked to react to thebreak, but then the pursuitbegan.Ofallthemadridesin

Arutha’s life, this one stoodout as the maddest. Throughthe forest, shroudedwith fogand night’s black cloak, theydashed among trees,following a road little widerthan a path. Laurie passedArutha,takingthelead.For long minutes they

raced through the woods,somehow avoiding thecertainlyfatalerrorofleavingthe roadway. Then Laurie

was shouting, ‘The road totheabbey!’Slow to react, Arutha and

the others behind Lauriebarely made the turn onto alarger road. As they steeredtheir mounts onto the newpath, they could see the faintlargemoonrising.Then theywere out of the

woods, racing down a well-travelled road passingthrough farmlands. Their

horses were lathered andpanting, and they spurredthem on to more heroicefforts, for while the blackriders were not gaining onthem, they were not fallingbehindeither.They sped through the

dark, climbing upwards, astheroadroseoutofthegentlehills around a plateau thatdominated the valleyfarmlandsnearthecoast.The

road narrowed and theystrung out along it in singlefile, Martin pulling in untiltheotherswerepast.The trail became

treacherous and they wereforced to slow, but so werethose behind.Arutha dug hisheels into his horse’s sides,buttheanimalhadgivenallithadlefttoclimbthisroad.Theeveningairwasheavy

with haze and unseasonable

cold. The hills were widelyspaced, lazy rolling ridgesthatgently rose and fell.Thehighest could be climbed inless than an hour. All werecovered in wild grasses andbrush, but they were freefrom trees, for this had beenfarmland.TheabbeyatSarthsatatop

a high, craggy place, a smallmountainratherthanahill,anupthrust thing of rock and

granite facings, flat on toplikeatable.Gardan looked downwards

astheyhurriedupthesideofthe mount and said, ‘I’d notwant to storm this place,Highness. You could holdthis road with sixgrandmothers wieldingbrooms…forever.’Jimmy looked back but

couldn’t see theirpursuers inthe gloom. ‘So tell those

granniestogetbackthereandslow down the black riders,’heshouted.Arutha looked behind,

expecting to be overtaken byblack riders at any second.They rounded a curve andfollowedtheroadupwardstothe summit. Suddenly theystood before the archedentrancetotheabbey.Beyondthewallatowerof

somesortcouldbeseeninthe

moonlight. Arutha poundedon the gates and shouted,Hello!Weseekaid!’Thenallheard what they had waitedfor, the pounding of horses’hooves upon the hard road.Drawing weapons, Arutha’sparty turned to face thosewhofollowed.The black riders rounded

the curve before the abbeygates, and the battle wasagain joined. Arutha ducked

and parried as he tried toprotecthimself.Theattackersseemed possessed of unusualfrenzy,asiftherewasaneedto quickly dispatch Aruthaandhis party.The scar-facedmoredhel nearly rode overJimmy’s mount to reachArutha, his disregard for theboy being the only reasonJimmy survived. The DarkBrother headed straight forArutha. Gardan, Laurie, and

Martin all strove to keep theblack riders at bay, but theywere on the verge of beingoverwhelmedatlast.Suddenly it was light on

the road. As if full daylightmultiplied ten-fold had burstforthinthegloom,adazzlingbrilliance surrounded thecombatants. Arutha and theothers were forced to covertheir eyes, which wateredfrom theblinding light.They

could hear muffled moansfrom the black-clad figuresaround them, then the soundof bodies hitting the ground.Arutha peeked throughnarrowed lids behind hisupraisedhandandsawenemyhorsemen falling stiffly fromtheir saddles. The exceptionswere the unarmouredmoredhel, who shielded hiseyesagainst thesudden light,and three of the armoured

riders. With a single motionthe mute rider waved histhree companions away andtheyturnedandfleddowntheroad. As soon as the blackriders were out of sight, thebrilliant light began todiminish.Arutha wiped tears from

hiseyesandbegantopursue,but Martin shouted, ‘Stop!Should you overtake them,it’syourdeath!Herewehave

allies!’Aruthareinedin,loathto lose his opponent. Hereturned to where the othersstood rubbing their eyes.Martin dismounted and kneltover a fallen black rider. Hepulledoffahelmandquicklystood away, it’s a moredhel,and it smells as if it’s beendead for some time.’ Hepointed at its chest. ‘This isoneIkilledatthebridge.Mybroken arrow is still in its

chest.’Arutha looked at the

building. ‘That light is gone.Whoever our unseenbenefactoris,hemustfeelweno longer need it.’The gatesin the wall before themslowlybegantoopen.Martinhanded the helm up forArutha’s inspection. It was astrange thing, fashionedwitha dragon carved in bas-reliefon top, its downswept wings

covering the sides. Twonarrow slits provided visionforthewearer,andfoursmallholesallowedhimtobreathe.Arutha tossed the helm backto Martin. ‘That’s an ill-aspected piece ofironmongery. Bring it along.Nowlet’svisitthisabbey.’‘Abbey!’ Gardan observed

astheyentered,itlooksmorelike a fortress!’ Tall, iron-banded heavy wooden gates

straddledtheroadway.Totherightastonewalladozenfeethigh stretched away,appearing to run to the otheredge of the mountaintop. Tothe left the wall receded,facing upon a vertical dropover a hundred feet to aswitchback in the roadwaybelow. Behind the wall theycould see a single tower,several floors high, if thatisn’t anold-stylekeep tower,

I’veneverseenone,’saidthecaptain. ‘I’d not want tostorm this abbey, Highness.It’s the most defensibleposition I’ve seen. Look,there’s not five feet ofclearingbetweenthewallandcliff anywhere.’ He sat backin the saddle, in obviousappreciation of the militaryaspectsoftheabbey’sdesign.Arutha spurred his horse

forward.Thegateswerenow

open, and, seeing no reasonnot to, Arutha led hiscompanionsontothegroundsof the Ishapian abbey atSarth.

•ChapterTen•Sarth

Theabbeyappeareddeserted.The courtyard reflected

what they had seen from theroad.Thishadoncebeenasafortress. Around the ancienttower a larger single-storeykeep building had beenadded, as well as twooutbuildings that could be

seen peeking from behind it.One appeared to be a stable.But before them no sign ofmovementcouldbeseen.‘Welcome to Ishap’s

AbbeyatSarth,’cameavoicefrombehindoneofthegates.Arutha had his sword

halfway from its scabbardbefore the speaker added,‘Youhavenothingtofear.’The speaker stepped from

behind the gate. Arutha put

away his weapon. As theothersdismounted,thePrincestudied the man. He wasstocky,ofmiddleyears,short,with a youthful smile. Hisbrownhairwascutcloseandragged and his face wasclean-shaven. He wore asimple brown robe gatheredaroundthewaistwithasingleleather thong. A pouch andsomemannerofholysymbolhung at his waist. He was

unarmed, but Arutha got theimpression that the manmovedlikeonewhohadbeentrained in arms. FinallyArutha said, ‘I am Arutha,PrinceofKrondor.’The man looked amused,

thoughhedidn’tsmile.‘Thenwelcometo Ishap’sAbbeyatSarth,Highness.’‘Youmockme?’‘No, Highness. We of the

Orderof Ishapmaintain little

contact with the outsideworld, and fewvisitwith us,let alone royalty. Pleaseforgive any insult, if yourhonourpermits,fornonewasintended.’Arutha dismounted and,

fatigue in his voice, said, ‘ItisIwhoasksforgiveness…?’‘Brother Dominic, but

please, no apologies. It isclear from the circumstancesofyourarrivalyouwerehard-

pressed.’Martin said, ‘Do we have

you to thank for that mysticlight?’Themonk nodded. Arutha

said, ‘There seems a greatdeal to speak of, BrotherDominic.’‘Therearemanyquestions.

You’ll have towait upon theFather Abbot’s pleasure formost answers, Highness.Come, I’ll show you to the

stable.’Arutha’s impatience

wouldn’t let him wait amoment longer. ‘I cameonamatteroftheutmosturgency.I need to speak with yourAbbot.Now.’Themonkspreadhishands

in agesture indicating itwasoutside his authority todecide. ‘The FatherAbbot isunavailable for another twohours. He is meditating and

praying in the chapel, withtheothersofourorder,whichis why I alone am here togreet you. Please, comewithme.’Arutha seemed ready to

protest, but Martin’s handuponhisshouldersettledhim.‘Again, I am sorry, BrotherDominic. We are, of course,guests.’Dominic’s expression

indicated that Arutha’s

temper was a matter of noconsequence.He led them tothe second of the smallerbuildings behind what wasonce a central keep. It wasindeed a stable. The soleoccupants at the momentwere another horse and astoutlittledonkey,whichcastan indifferent eye upon thenewcomers. As they tendedtheir animals, Arutha spokeoftheirtrialsoverthelastfew

weeks.When he finished, hesaid,‘Howdidyoumanagetoconfoundtheblackriders?’‘My title is Keeper of the

Gates,Highness.Imayadmitany to the abbey, but noonewith evil intent can cross theportals without my leave.Onceuponthegroundsofthisabbey,thosewhosoughtyourlife became subject to mypower. They took a riskattacking you so close to the

abbey. It was a risk thatproved deadly to their cause.But further conversation onthis and other subjects mustwaitupontheFatherAbbot.’Martin said, ‘If everyone

else is at chapel, you’ll needsomehelpdisposingof thosecorpses. They have anirritating habit of comingbacktolife.’‘I thank you for the offer,

but I can manage. And they

will remain dead. Themagicemployed to topple themcleansed them of thecontrolling evil. Now youmustrest.’Theyleftthestableandthe

monk led them to whatappeared to be a barracks.Gardansaid,Thisplacehasamartiallooktoit,brother.’Entering a long roomwith

a single row of beds, themonk said, ‘In ancient times

this fortress was home to arobber baron. The Kingdomand Kesh lay far enoughawayforhimtobealawuntohimself,pillaging,raping,androbbing without fear ofretribution. After some timehe was turned out by thepeople of the surroundingtowns, made bold by histyranny.Thelandsbelowthisescarpment were given overto farming, but so deep was

their hatred of the baron thatthis keep stood abandoned.When a mendicant friar ofour Order of Wanderersdiscovered thisplace,hesentword back to the temple inthe city of Kesh. When wesoughttheuseofthisplaceasan abbey, the descendants ofthosewhohad turnedout theBaron had no objection.Today only those of us whoserve here remember the

historyofthisplace.Tothosein the towns and villagesalong the Bay of Ships thishasalwaysbeentheAbbeyofIshapatSarth.’Aruthasaid, ‘Iassume this

wasonceabarracks.’Dominic said, ‘Yes,

Highness. We now use it asan infirmary and a place foroccasional guests. Makeyourselves comfortable, for Imustbeaboutmyowntasks.

The Father Abbot will seeyoushortly.’Dominic left and Jimmy

fellontooneofthebedswithan audible sigh. Martininspectedasmallstoveatoneendof the roomand found itlit, with the makings for teanexttoit.Heimmediatelysetapottoboil.Underaclothhefound bread, cheese, andfruit,whichhepassedaround.Laurie sat examininghis lute

for possible travel damageand began tuning it. GardansatdownoppositethePrince.Arutha sighed long and

deeply. ‘I am on a raggededge. I fear thesemonkswillhave no knowledge of thisSilverthorn.’ For an instanthiseyesbetrayedhisanguish,thenheagainshowedonlyanimpassiveexpression.Martin cocked his head to

onesideashethoughtaloud.

‘Tully seems to think theyknowagreatdeal.’Laurie put up his lute.

‘WheneverI’vefoundmyselfclose to magic, priestly orotherwise, there also I’vefoundtrouble.’Jimmy spoke to Laurie.

‘That Pug seemed a friendlyenoughfellowforamagician.I wanted to speak to himmore, but…’He left unsaidtheevents thathadprevented

it. ‘There’s little about himthat seems remarkable, buttheTsuraniseemtofearhim,andsomeofthecourtwhisperabouthim.’‘Thereisasagabeggingto

be sung,’ answered Laurie.He told Jimmy of Pug’scaptivity and rise among theTsurani. ‘Thosewho practisearcaneartsonKelewanarealaw unto themselves, andwhatsoever they command is

done without hesitation.Thereisnothinglikethemonthis world. That is why theTsuraniinLaMutholdhiminawe.Oldhabitsdiehard.’Jimmysaid,‘Hegaveupa

greatdealtoreturn,then.’Laurie laughed. ‘That

wasn’t entirely a matter ofchoice.’Jimmy said, ‘What’s

Kelewanlike?’Laurie spun a rich and

colourful story of hisadventures on that world,withtheeyefordetailthatlayat the heart of his craft, asmuch as did good voice andplaying skills. The otherssettled in, relaxing anddrinking their tea whilelistening. They all knew thestory of Laurie and Pug andtheir part in the Riftwar, buteach time Laurie told thestory it was again a riveting

adventure,onewith thegreatlegends.When Laurie finished,

Jimmy said, ‘It would be anadventuretogotoKelewan.’‘That is not possible,’

observedGardan,‘I’mgladtosay.’Jimmysaid,‘Ifitwasdone

once,whynotagain?’Martin said, ‘Arutha, you

were with Pug when Kulganread Macros’s letter

explainingwhyheclosed therift.’Aruthasaid,‘Riftsarewild

things, spanning someimpossible no-place betweenworlds, possibly across timeaswell.But somethingaboutthem makes it possible toknowwhere they’re going tocome out. When one isfashioned, then others seemto “follow” it, coming out inthe same general area. But

that first one is the one youcan’tcontrol.That’sasmuchas I understand. You’d haveto ask Kulgan or Pug formoredetails.’Gardan said, ‘Ask Pug. If

you askKulgan, you’ll get alecture.’‘SoPugandMacrosclosed

down the firstone toend thewar?’saidJimmy.‘Andmore,’saidArutha.Jimmy looked around the

room, sensing they all knewsomething he was not privyto.Lauriesaid,‘AccordingtoPug, there was in ancienttimes a vast evil powerknowntotheTsuranionlyasthe Enemy. Macros said itwouldfinditswaytothetwoworlds if the rift was leftopen,drawntoitassteeltoalodestone. It was a being ofawesome strength that haddestroyed armies and

humbled mighty magicians.Or at least that is what Pugexplained.’Jimmy cocked his head to

one side. ‘This Pug is thatimportantamagician,then?’Laurie laughed. ‘To hear

Kulgantellit,Pugisthemostpowerful practicer of themagic arts there is sinceMacros’s death. And he’scousin to the Duke and thePrince,andtheKing.’

Jimmy’s eyes widened,‘It’s true,’ said Martin. ‘Ourfather adopted Pug into ourfamily.’Martin said, ‘Jimmy, you

speak of magicians as ifyou’ve never had dealingswithone.’‘Iknowbetter.Therearea

few spellcasters in Krondor,and they tend to be aquestionable lot. There wasonce among the Mockers a

thiefknownas theGreyCat,for his stealth wasunmatched. He was given tobold theft and filched somebauble from amagician whoviewed the deed withconsiderabledisfavour.’‘What became of him?’

askedLaurie.‘He’snowthegreycat.’The four listeners sat

quietly for a moment, thencomprehension dawned and

Gardan, Laurie, and Martinburst into laughter. EvenAruthasmiledatthejokeandshookhisheadinamusement.Conversationcontinuedon,

easyandrelaxed,asthebandoftravellersfeltsecureforthefirst time since leavingKrondor.Thebellssoundedfromthe

main building and a monkentered.Silentlyhemotionedfor them to come. Arutha

said, ‘We’re to follow you?’The monk nodded. ‘To seethe Abbot?’ Again themonknodded.Aruthawasoffhisbed,all

fatigue forgotten.Hewas thefirst out of the door behindthemonk.The Abbot’s chamber

befittedonegiventoalifeofspiritual contemplation. Itwas austere in every aspect.But what was surprising

about it was the bookshelvesupon the walls, dozens ofvolumes at every hand. TheAbbot,FatherJohn,seemedakindly man of advancingyears, slender and ascetic inappearance.Hisgreyhairandbeard showed in starkcontrasttodarkskinthatwaslined and wrinkled likecarefully carved mahogany.Behind him stood two men,Brother Dominic and one

Brother Anthony, a tinystooped-shouldered fellow ofindeterminate age, whoconstantly squinted at thePrince.TheAbbotsmiled,hiseyes

crinkly at the corners, andArutha was suddenly put inmind of paintings of OldFather Winter, a mythicalfigure who gave sweets tochildren at the Midwinter’sFestival. In a deep, youthful

voice the Abbot said,‘Welcome to Ishap’s Abbey,Highness.Howmaywe helpyou?’Aruthaquicklyoutlinedthe

historyofthelastfewweeks.The Abbot’s smile

vanished as Arutha’s storyunfolded. When the Princewas finished, theAbbot said,‘Highness, we are gravelytroubled to hear of thisnecromancyatthepalace.But

as to the tragedy that hasbefallen your Princess, howmayweaidyou?’Arutha found himself

reluctanttospeak,asifatthelasthisfearoftherebeingnoaid overwhelmed him.Sensing his brother’sreticence, Martin said, ‘Aconspirator to theassassinationattemptclaimsamoredhel gave him thepoison used, one prepared

with arcane skills. He calledthesubstanceSilverthorn.’The Abbot sat back,

sympathy evident in hisexpression. ‘BrotherAnthony?’The little man said,

‘Silverthorn? I’ll beginlooking in the archives atonce, father.’ With ashuffling step, he quicklydeparted the Abbot’schambers.

Arutha and the otherswatchedthebentfigureleavethe room. Arutha asked,‘Howlongwillittake?’The Abbot said, ‘That

depends. Brother Anthonyhas a remarkable ability topullfactsseeminglyfromoutof the air, rememberingthings readonce inpassingadecadebefore.Thatiswhyhehasrisen to therankofHeadArchivist, our Keeper of

Knowledge. But the searchcouldtakedays.’Arutha clearly didn’t

understand what the Abbotwas speaking about, and theold priest said, ‘BrotherDominic, why don’t youshow the Prince and hiscompanions a little of whatwe do here at Sarth?’ TheAbbot rose and bowedslightly to the Prince asDominic moved towards the

door. ‘Then bring him to thebaseof the tower.’Headdedto Arutha, ‘I will meet withyoushortly,Highness.’They followed the monk

out into themain hall of theabbey. Dominic said, ‘Thisway.’He led them through adoor, then down a flight ofstairstoalandingfromwhichfour passages branched off.Hetookthempastaseriesofdoors. As they walked, he

said,‘Thishillisunlikethosearound, as you must havenoticed when you rode here.It ismostlysolidrock.WhenthefirstmonkscametoSarth,theydiscovered these tunnelsand chambers underneath thekeep.’‘What are they?’ asked

Jimmy.They came to a door and

Dominic produced a largeringofkeys,whichheusedto

open the heavy lock. Thedoor swung openponderously, and after theyhad stepped through, hecloseditbehind.‘Theoriginalrobber baron used theseexcavationsasstoragerooms,against siege, and to hoardbooty. He must have grownlax in his defence for thevillagers to have laidsuccessful siege. There isenough room here for stores

to last years.Wehave addedtothemuntiltheentirehillishoneycombedwithvaultsandpassages.’‘To what end?’ asked

Arutha.Dominic indicated they

should follow him throughanother door, this oneunlocked. They entered alarge vaulted chamber, withshelving along the walls andfreestanding shelves in the

centreoftheroom.Eachshelfwaspackedsolidwithbooks.Dominic crossed to one andtookdownabook.HehandedittoArutha.Arutha studied the old

volume. It had faded giltlettering burned into thebinding. There was a faintresistance when Aruthacarefully opened it, as if ithad not been handled inyears. On the first page he

saw alien letters of anunknown language,painstakingly lettered in astiffscript.Heliftedthebookbeforehis faceandsniffedatit.Therewasafaint,pungentodouronthepages.AsAruthahandedthebook

back, Dominic said,‘Preservative. Every bookhere has been treated toprevent deterioration.’ HegavethebooktoLaurie.

Thewidelytravelledsingersaid, ‘I don’t speak thistongue,butIthinkitKeshian,though it is unlikely anyscribing of the Empire’s Iknow.’Dominicsmiled.‘Thebook

is from the south part ofGreat Kesh, near the borderof the Keshian Confederacy.It is the diary of a slightlymad but otherwiseinsignificant noble from a

minor dynasty, written in alanguagecalledLowDelkian.HighDelkian,asbestwecanascertain, was a secretlanguage limited topriestsofsomeobscureorder.’‘Whatisthisplace?’asked

Jimmy.‘We who serve Ishap at

Sarth gather together books,tomes, manuals, scrolls, andparchments, even fragments.Inourorderthereisasaying:

“ThoseatSarthservethegodKnowledge,”whichisnotfarfromthe truth.Whereveroneof our order finds a scrap ofwriting, it or a copy iseventually sent here. In thischamber, and in every otherchamberundertheabbey,areshelves like these. All arefilled, even to the point ofbeing crowded from floor toceiling, and new vaults areconstantly being dug. From

the top of the hill to thelowest level there are over athousand chambers like thisone. Each houses severalhundred volumes or more.Someofthelargervaultsholdseveralthousand.Atlasttallywe were approaching a half-millionworks.”Arutha was stunned. His

own library, inherited withthe throne of Krondor,numbered less than a

thousand. ‘How long haveyoubeengatheringthese?’‘Over three centuries.

There aremany of our orderwhodonothingbuttravelandbuy any scrap they can find,or who pay to have copiesmade. Some are ancient,others are in languagesunknown, and three are fromanother world, having beenobtained from the Tsurani inLaMut. There are arcane

works, auguries andmanualsof power, hidden from theeyes of all but a few of themost highly placed in ourorder.’ He looked about theroom. ‘And with all this,thereisstillsomuchwedon’tunderstand.’Gardan said, ‘Howdoyou

keeptrackofitall?’Dominic said, ‘We have

brotherswhosesoletaskistocatalogue these works, all

working under BrotherAnthony’s direction. Guidesare prepared and constantlyupdated. In the buildingaboveusandinanotherroomdeep below are shelves ofnothing but guides. Shouldyouneedaworkonasubject,youcan find it in theguides.It will list thework by vaultnumber –we are standing invault seventeen – shelfnumber, and space number

upon the shelf. We areattempting to cross-indexeach work by author, whenknown, and title as well assubject. The work goesslowly and will take all ofanothercentury.’Arutha was again

overwhelmed by the sheersize of such an undertaking.‘But against what ends doyoustorealltheseworks?’Dominic said, ‘In the first,

for the sake of knowledgeitself. But there is a secondcause,which Iwill leave forthe Abbot to explain. Come,letusjoinhim.’Jimmywasthelastthrough

the door, and he cast arearward glance at the booksin the room.He leftwith thefeeling thathewas somehowgaining a glimpse of worldsand ideas heretoforeunimagined, and he regretted

he would never fullyunderstand most of what laybeneath the abbey. He feltsomehow lessened for thisrealization.Forthefirst time,Jimmy felt hisworld a smallone,withamuchlargeryettobediscovered.

Arutha and his companionswaited for the Abbot in alarge chamber. Severaltorches threw flickering

illumination upon the walls.Anotherdooropenedand theAbbot entered, followed bytwo men. Brother Dominicwas the first through,but theother was unknown toArutha. He was an old man,large and still erect in hisbearing, who despite hisrobes seemed to resemble asoldiermorethanamonk,animpression heightened by awar hammer hanging from

his belt. His grey-shot blackhair hadbeen left to grow toshoulder length but, like hisbeard, itwasneatly trimmed.TheAbbotsaid,‘Itistimeforplainspeaking.’Arutha said with a bitter

edge, ‘That would beappreciated.’The unnamed monk broke

into a broad grin. You’veyour father’s gift for bluntspeech,Arutha.’

Arutha studied the managain, surprised by his tone.Then recognition struck. Ithadbeenmorethantenyearssince he had seen this man.‘Dulanic!’‘No longer, Arutha. Now

I’m simply Brother Micah,DefenderoftheFaith…whichmeansIcrackheadsforIshapnow as I used to for yourcousinErland.’Hepatted thehammerathiswaist.

‘We thought you dead.’Duke Dulanic, formerKnight-Marshal of Krondor,had vanished when Guy duBas-Tyra had assumed theviceroyalty over Krondorduring the last year of theRiftwar.The man called Micah

seemed surprised, ‘I thoughteveryoneknew.WithGuyonthe throne of Krondor andErland near death from

coughing sickness, I fearedcivilwar.Iretiredfromofficeratherthanfaceyourfatherinthe field or betray my King,two unthinkable choices.ButI made my retirement nosecret.’Arutha said, ‘With Lord

Barry dead, it was assumedyou’d both fallen by Guy’shand.Nooneknewwhathadbecomeofyou.’‘Strange. Barry died of a

seizure of the heart and Iinformed duBas-Tyra ofmyintention to take holy vows.HismanRadburnstoodathisside when I gave myresignation.’Martin said, ‘That would

explain it, then. With JockoRadburn drowned off theKeshian coast and Guybanished from the Kingdom,who would have the truth totell?’

TheAbbotspoke. ‘BrotherMicah came to us a troubledman, called by some agencyof Ishap to our service. Wetested him and found himworthy, so that now hisformer life as a noble of theKingdom is a thing of thepast. But I asked him herebecause he is both a valuedadviserandamanofmilitaryskills who may help usunderstandwhat forcesmove

intheworldthesedays.’‘Well enough. Now, what

business have we besidesfinding a cure to Anita’sinjury?’‘The understanding of that

which brought her to injury,thatwhich seeks to end yourdays, for a start,’ answeredMicah.Arutha looked slightly

abashed. ‘Of course; forgivemy preoccupation. I would

welcome anything that madesenseoutof themadnessmylife has becomeover the lastmonth.’The Abbot said, ‘Brother

Dominic has shown yousomethingofourworkshere.Hemay havementioned thatwe countmany auguries andother works by prophets inour collection. Some are asreliable as a child’s moods,whichistosaynotatall.But

a few, a very few, are trueworks of those whom Ishaphas given the gift of futureseeing. In several of thesevolumes, among the mostancient we possess, areferenceismadetoasigninthesky.‘Thereis,wefear,apower

nowlooseintheworld.Whatitmaybeandhowitmaybecombatedareyetunknowntous.But this is certain: it is a

fell power, and at the endeither itshallbedestroyedorit shall destroy us. That isinescapable.’ Pointingupwards, the Abbot said,‘Thetoweraboveushasbeenconverted to study the stars,planets, and moons, usingcleverdevicesbuilt forusbysome of the more talentedartificersintheKingdomandKesh. With them we canchart the movements of all

the bodies in the sky. Wespoke of a sign. You maynowseeit.Come.’He led them all up a long

flightofstairs that tookthemto the topof the tower.Theyemergedupon the roof, amidstrange devices ofconfounding configuration.Aruthalookedaboutandsaid,itiswellyouunderstandthis,father,forIdonot.’‘Likemen,’saidtheAbbot,

‘the stars and planets haveboth physical and spiritualproperties. We know otherworldsspintheirorbitsaboutotherstars.Weknowthisforfact, since’ – he pointed toLaurie – ‘one who has livedfor a time on an alienworldstands with us at thismoment.’ When Laurielooked astonished, theAbbotsaid, ‘We are not so cut offfromtherestoftheworldthat

something as important asyour adventures on Kelewanwould not be heard here,Laurie of Tyr-Sog.’Returning to his originaltopic,hesaid,‘Butthatisthephysical side of the stars.They also reveal secrets tothose who watch by theirarrangement, their pattern,and their movement.Whatever the reason for thisphenomenon, this we know:

at times a clear messagecomes to us from the nightsky,andwewhoarebentongaining knowledge will notrefuse to heed such amessage; we will remainopen to every source ofknowledge, including thoseoftenheldindisrepute.‘The mysteries of these

devices, as well as readingthestars,areonlyamatteroftaking the time tomaster the

subject. Any man ofsufficientwitcanlearn.Thesedevices,’ he said with asweep of his hand, ‘are allquiteclearinuseandpurposeonce they’ve beendemonstrated. Now, if you’llplease look through thisdevice here.’ Arutha lookedthrough a strange sphere,constructed from a complexlatticeworkofmetals.‘Thisisused to chart the relative

motion of stars and visibleplanets.’‘You mean there’re

invisibleones?’askedJimmywithoutthinking.‘Correct,’ said the Abbot,

overlooking the interruption.‘Oratleasttherearethosewecan’t see, though if wewereclose enough they would bevisible.’‘Partandparcelof thearts

ofdivinationisthescienceof

knowing when the auguriesare in fruition, at best achancy business. There is afamousprophecymadebythemad monk Ferdinand de laRodez. By common account,it has come to pass on threedifferent occasions. No onecan agree which event wastheonehepredicted.’Arutha studied the sky

through the device, only halflistening to the Abbot.

Throughtheeyeholehesawaskyablazewithstars,overlaidwith a faint network of linesand notations, which heassumed were somehowinscribedon the insideof thesphere. In the centre was aconfiguration of five stars,reddish in colour, one in thecentre, with lines connectingtheminabrightredX. ‘Whatam I seeing?’ he asked. Herelinquished his place to

Martin,andtheformerhunterlookedthroughthedevice.The Abbot said, ‘Those

five stars are called theBloodstones.’Martinsaid,‘Iknowthem,

but I’ve never seen thatpatternbefore.’‘Nor shall you again for

anothereleventhousandyears– though that is a guess, andwe shall have towait until itoccurs again to be sure.’ He

seemed unperturbed by theduration, in fact he seemedquite willing to wait. ‘WhatyouseeisapatterncalledtheFieryCross orCross of Fire.There is an ancient prophecyconcerningit.’‘Whatisthisprophecy,and

what has it to do with me?’saidArutha.‘Theprophecycomesfrom

near the time of the ChaosWars. It says, “When the

CrossofFire lights thenightand the Lord of the Westdead is, shall then return thePower.” It’s quite wellconstructed poetically in theoriginal, though it loses intranslation.Whatwetakeittomean is that some agencyseeksyourdeathtocausethisprophecy’s fulfilment, or atleastseekstoconvinceothersthe prophecy’s near fruition.Another germane fact is that

the prophecy is one of thefewthingswehavethatwerecreated by the Pantathianserpent people. We knowlittle about these creatures.We know that on those rareoccasions when they appeartheyherald troubles, for theyare clearly agents of evilworking towards ends onlythey understand. We alsoknow that the prophecy saysthe Lord of theWest is also

calledBaneofDarkness.’‘SosomeonewantsArutha

dead because he is fated todefeat them if he lives?’askedMartin.‘Or so they believe,’

answeredtheAbbot.‘But who or what?’ said

Arutha. ‘That someonewishesmedeadcomes asnorevelation. What more canyoutellme?’‘Little,I’mafraid.’

Laurie said, ‘Still, it givessomesmallreasonbehindtheNighthawks’ attacks uponyou.’‘Religious fanatics,’ said

Jimmy, shaking his head,then he looked at theAbbot.‘Sorry,father.’The Abbot ignored the

remark.‘Whatisimportanttounderstand is that they willtryagainandagainandagain.You will not be done with

them until you root out theultimateauthoroftheordertokillyou.’‘Well,’ said Martin, ‘we

also know that theBrotherhoodoftheDarkPathisinvolved.’‘North,’ said Brother

Micah.Aruthaand theotherslooked at him questioningly.‘Youranswers lienorthward,Arutha. Look there,’ he said,his voice still containing a

note of command. ‘To thenorthlietheHighRanges,allbarriers against the denizensoftheNorthlands.Inthewestabove Elvandar perch theGreatNorthernMountains;inthe east, the NorthernGuardians,theHighFastness,andtheDreamingMountains.Andacrossthecentreliesthegreatest range of all, theTeeth of the World, thirteenhundred miles of nearly

impassable crags. Whoknows what lies beyond?What man, save renegade orweaponsrunner,hasventuredthere and returned to tell oftheNorthlands?‘Our ancestors created the

BorderBaronies ages ago, tobottle up the passes atHighcastle,Northwarden,andIronpass. The Duke ofYabon’s garrisons block theonly other major pass to the

west of the ThunderhellSteppes. And no goblin orDarkBrother treadsupon theThunder-hell and lives, forthe nomads do our guardingfor us. In short, we knownothing of the Northlands.But that is where themoredhel live and that iswhere you’ll find youranswers.’‘Or I’ll find nothing,’ said

Arutha. ‘You may be

concerned about prophecyand portents, but I care onlyfor finding the answer to theriddle of Silverthorn. UntilAnitaisagainsafe,Ishallputmy efforts to nothing else.’The Abbot appeareddisturbedbythis.Aruthasaid,‘That there is a prophecy Ihavenodoubt,andthatsomemadman with arcane powersis seeking my death is alsonot in doubt. But that this

spells some great danger totheKingdom isa long reach.Too long for me. I’ll needmoreproof.’The Abbot was about to

answer when Jimmy said,‘Whatisthat?’All eyes turned to look

where he pointed. Glowinglowonthehorizonwasabluelight, brightening as if a starwere growing before theireyes. Martin said, ‘It looks

likeafallingstar.’Thentheycouldseeitwas

no star. A faint sound in thedistance accompanied theapproaching object. Brighterit grew, as the sound grewlouder, more angry. Racingacross the sky towards themwas a blue fire. Suddenly itwas speeding directly overthe tower with a sizzlingsound,likeahotironpassingthroughwater.

Then Brother Dominicshouted, ‘Off the tower,quickly!’

•ChapterEleven•Clash

Theyhesitatedforamoment.Dominic’s warning was

followed by a shout fromMicah,andtheothershurrieddown the stair. Halfway tothe ground floor, Dominicfaltered, swaying a little onhis feet. ‘Somethingapproaches.’

Reaching the main floor,Aruthaandtheothershurriedtothedoorandlookedout.Inthe sky above, more of theglowing objects streakedoverhead with unbelievablespeed.First fromonequarterof thesky, thenanother, theysped, their strange, ominousdroning filling the night.Faster and faster they shotthrough the air, streaks ofblue, green, yellow, and red,

angry flashes of brilliancerippingthroughthedark.‘What are they?’ shouted

Jimmy.‘Magic sentinels of some

kind,’answeredtheAbbot.‘Ican sense they are searchingtheareatheypassover.’Slowly the pattern

changed; instead of passingdirectlyoverhead,theybeganto curve and fly off at atangent to their original

course. Those below couldsee that the objects wereslowing in their flight. Thecurving course tightened,untiltheglowingobjectsspedthroughthenightingreatarcsoverhead. Then they slowedevenmore,gainingdefinition.They were large spheres,pulsing with a bright innerlight, and inside could beseen strange dark shapes,somehow disturbing in

appearance. They continuedto slow until they hoveredandspiralled,formingacircleabove the abbey courtyard.Once the circle was formed,twelveglowingspherescouldbe seen hanging silently andmotionless over thecourtyard. Then,with a deepsnapping, buzzing soundpainful to the ears, lines ofenergy shot across the gapbetween each pair and six

linesjoinedthespheres.Thena line formed around theperiphery so that now thespheresformedadodecagon.‘What are these things?’

Gardanwonderedaloud.‘The Twelve Eyes,’ the

Abbot said in awe, ‘anancient and evil spell oflegend.Noone living is saidtohavethepowertoformthisthing. It isbothavehicle forseeingandaweapon.’

Then the spheres slowlybegan to move. Gainingspeed,theybeganweavinganintricate pattern, the linestwisting maddeningly,beyond the ability of the eyeto follow. Faster they spun,until they became a blurringsolid of light. A shaft ofenergy shot down from thecentre,strikingsomeinvisiblebarrierabovetheroofsof thebuildings.

Dominic screamed in painand had to be caught byMartin. The monk’s handspressed hard against histemples and he said, ‘Sopowerful. I can scarcelybelieve …’ He opened eyesrunning with tears and said,‘Thebarriersareholding.’Father John said, ‘Brother

Dominic’s mind is thekeystone to the mysticdefences of the abbey. He is

beingsorelytested.’Again angry energies shot

downwards, to be scatteredacross the invisible barrier,like a multicoloured showerabove their heads. Shards ofmysticrainbowlightstreakeddown the sides of the magicbarrier, defining the domeabovetheabbeyfortheeyetosee. But again the barrierheld. Then another, andanother,andsoonAruthaand

the others could see that thebarrier was being pushedlower each time. With eachassault, Dominic would cryout in pain. Then, withexplosive fury, a single shaftofblindingwhite lightstruckthebarrierandbrokethrough,searing the ground with anangryhissandacridodour.With the attack, Brother

DominicstiffenedinMartin’sarms and groaned, it is

entering,’ he whisperedbefore he passed intounconsciousness.As Martin lowered the

monk to the floor, FatherJohn said, ‘I must go to myvestry. Brother Micah, youmustholdit.’Micah told them,

‘Whatever is out there hasbreached a mystic defencesecond only to that at ourfather temple. Now I must

face it. I am armed andshielded by Ishap,’ the oldmonk said in ritual, as heunlimbered the war hammerathisbelt.A roar of impossible

volume,likeathousandlionsvoicing rage at once, shooktheabbey.Itbeganasateeth-jarring shriek and ran downthe scale until it seemed togrindattheverystonesofthebuilding. Bolts of energy

lashed out, seemingly inrandomdirections,andwherethey struck, destructionensued. Stones seemed tocrumble under the onslaught,whateverwasflammablewasset afire, and any watertouchedbytheboltsexplodedintocloudsofsteam.They watched as Micah

left the building, striding outto stand below the spinningdisk. As if anticipating, he

raised his hammer above hisheadasanotherboltofenergylashed downwards, blindingthose who watched from thedoor. When the initial blazeof white died down, theycould see Micah standingupright, hammer heldoverhead as the cracklingenergies cascaded aroundhim, scattering in brokenspectrum, so that all thecolours of the rainbow

danced within the inferno.The very ground at his feetsmoked and burned, but hewasunharmed.Thentheflowof energy halted, and in aninstantMicahhadpulledbackhis hammer and made histhrow. Almost too quick fortheeyetofollow,thehammerleft his hand and became ablur of blue-white energy asbright and blinding as itstarget. Higher than was

possible for a man to throw,the bolt of flame sped,strikingtheblazingdiskdeadcentre. It seemed to bounceoffthedisk,andtheblueboltreturned to Micah’s hand.ThethinglashedoutatMicahagain, but oncemore hewasprotected by the hammer’smysticpowers.Againhecasthis hammer as soon as therainoflightceased,strikingitat the heart. As the hammer

returned, those inside theabbeycouldseethatthethingwas beginning to wobbleslightly as it spun. A thirdtimehe cast his hammer andit struck.Suddenly therewasa rending sound, a tearing soloud that Arutha and theothers were forced to covertheir ears. The circlingspheres shattered, and fromthe centre of each plungedsmall alien shapes. With a

wet, plopping noise theystruck the ground, wiggledgrotesquely, and began tosmoke.Ahighkeeningshriekfilled the night as theyerupted into brilliant flame.Noonecoulddiscernthe trueforms of the creatures fromthe spheres, but Arutha wasfilled with a sense it wassomething best leftundiscovered, for in theinstant they ignited, the

shapes resembled nothing somuch as horribly disfiguredbabies. Then the night wassilent, as a rain of sparklingcolours, like fine motes ofglass star stuff, began to fallontheabbey.Onebyonethemotes flaredandwinkedout,until the old monk stoodsilently in the court, his warhammerheldbeforehim.Those who stood in the

shelteroftheabbeylookedat

oneanother, astonishmentontheir faces. For a longmoment they said nothing,then they began to relax.‘Thatwas…incredible,’saidLaurie, ‘I don’t know if Icould find the words todescribeit.’Aruthawasabouttospeak,

but something in the wayJimmy and Martin bothcockedtheirheadstoonesidemade him stop. Jimmy said,

‘I hear something.’ They allstood silent for a moment,then could hear a distantsound, as if some great birdorbat flappedgiantwings inthenight.Jimmy ran from the

buildingbeforeanyonecouldstop him, nearly spinning ashe scanned every quarter ofthe night sky. Looking backover the roof of the abbey,towards the north, he saw

somethingthatmadehiseyeswiden. ‘Banath!’ heexclaimed and dashed towhere the old monk stillstood, unmoving and silent.Micahseemedinsomesortoftrance, eyes closed. Jimmygripped his arm and shookhim. ‘Look!’ he shouted asthemonkopenedhiseyes.Micahlookedtowherethe

boy pointed.Blotting out thelarge moon in the night sky

was something that flewtowards the abbey, propelledon giant, powerful wings.Instantlythemonkshovedtheboyaway.‘Run!’ThepushsentJimmyaway

from the abbey, so he racedacrossthecourtyardtowherea lonewagon sat, filledwithfodder for the stables, anddivedunderit.Witharollandaturn,helaystill,watching.A thing of despair

fashioned in a shape of utterhorror descended from thesky.Wingsafullfiftyfeetinwidth flapped lazily as itdropped down to where theold monk stood. It was atwenty-foot-tall composite ofeverything loathsome to sanebeings.Blacktalonsextendedfrom grotesque parodies ofbird claws, atop which roselegs reminiscent of a goat’s.But where haunches should

havebeen,onlygreatwattlesof fat, huge ringsofblubber,shook and quivered, hangingimpossiblydown frombelowa manlike chest. Over thebody a thick wet-lookingsubstance oozed downwardsinrivulets.Inthecentreofthething’schest,ablue-colouredbutotherwisenormal-lookinghuman face stared out inwide-eyed horror, constantlytwitching and screaming in

gibbering counterpoint to thething’s own loud bellows.Each arm was powerfullyfashioned, long and apelike.It shimmered in faint light,rapidly changing, first red,then orange, yellow, andonward through the spectrumuntil it was again red. Andfrom it emitted a mixture offoul odours, as if the vilesmell of every decaying andfestering thing in the world

had been distilled down andinfused into the creature’sbeing.Most horrid of allwas the

head, for in supreme cruelty,whatever or whoever hadfashioned the misshapenmonsterhadadorneditwithawoman’shead,largetofitthebody, but otherwise normal.And the ultimate jest was inthe features of that face, for,inpreciseimitation, thething

bore the likeness of PrincessAnita.Wildtressesseemedtoblow in all directions,framing her features in acloud of red hair. But itsexpressionwasoneofastreetwhore, lewd and wanton, asthe thing salaciously lickedits lips and rolled its eyestowards Arutha. Blood-redlips split into a wide grin,showing long fangs in placeofhumaneyeteeth.

Aruthalookedonthethingwith a disgust and loathingthat rose up to banish anythought save to destroy thisobscenity. ‘No!’ he shoutedashebegantopullhissword.Gardanwas instantly upon

him, driving him to the floorof the building, bringing hisstrength to bear to hold himdown, yelling, ‘That’s whattheywant!’Martin lent his strength to

stop Arutha, and he andGardan pulled the Princeaway from the door. Thecreature turned to look atthose within the door,absently flexing its claws.Pouting like a little girl, itsuddenly leered at Arutha,then stuck out its tongue,wiggling it suggestively.Thenwithabellowinglaugh,itroseuptoitsfullheightandroared at the stars, arms

stretchedhighoverhead.Witha single step, it movedtowards the doorway wherethe Prince waited. Thensuddenly it rocked forwards,shrieked in pain, and turnedaround.Aruthaandhiscompanions

looked past it to see a blue-whiteboltofenergyreturningtoBrotherMicah’s hand.Hehad struck the first blowwhile the thing had been

distracted. Again he cast hishammer. In a blur it flashedtostrike the thing in itshugestomach, bringing anotherbellowofpainandrage,asatrickle of steaming blackbloodbegantoflow.‘My, my!’ came a voice

frombehindArutha.Laurie saw that Brother

Anthony had come up fromsome deep vault beneath theabbey and was peering

intentlyatthecreature.Lauriesaid,‘Whatisthatthing?’Showing no emotion

exceptcuriosity, thearchivistsaid, ‘I believe it to be aconjured creature, somethingfashioned by magic means,brewed up in a vat. I canshowyousome references ina dozen different works onhow to create them. Ofcourse, it couldbe some rarenaturallyoccurringbeast, but

that seems highlyimprobable.’Martin rose, leaving

GardantorestrainArutha.Heunlimbered his ever presentbow, quickly strung it, andfitted an arrow to hisbowstring. The creature wasadvancing upon BrotherMicah when Martin let fly.Thearcher’seyeswidenedasthe arrow seemed to passthrough the creature’s neck

withouteffect.Brother Anthony nodded.

‘Yes, it is a conjuration.Notice how it is impervioustomundaneweapons.’Thecreatureswungoneof

its mighty fists down atBrother Micah, but the oldfighter simply raised hishammer as if to block. Thecreature’s blow halted a fullfoot above the monk’supraisedhammer,recoilingas

ifithadhitstone.Itbellowedinfrustration.Martin turned to Brother

Anthony. ‘How do you killit?’‘I don’t know. Each of

Micah’s blows draws energyaway from the spell used tocreateit.Butitisaproductoftremendous magics, and itmight last a day or longer.ShouldMicahfalter…’Buttheoldmonkwasfirm

on his feet, answering everyblow with a parry andwounding the creature,seemingly at will. While itseemed pained by eachwound the hammer made, itgave no sign of beingweakened.‘How do you make one?’

Martin asked BrotherAnthony. Arutha was nolongerstruggling,butGardanstillkneltwithhishandupon

hisshoulder.Anthony, caught up for a

second in Martin’s question,said, ‘How do you createone? Well, it’s rathercomplex…’The creature became

increasingly enraged byMicah’sblowsandhammereduselessly at themonk.Tiringofthistactic,itdroppedtoitskneesas it levelledablowatMicah,overhandasifdriving

aspikewithahammer,butatthe last instant it shifted itsaimandslammeditsmassivefistdownon thegroundnexttothemonk.The jolt caused Micah to

stumble slightly, which wastheonlyopening thecreatureneeded.Instantlysweepingitshand sideways, it knockedMicah across the courtyard.Theoldmonkhit thegroundheavily, rolled awkwardly,

and lay stunned, his hammerbouncingawayfromhim.Then the thing was again

moving towards Arutha.Gardan leapt to his feet,pulling his sword as hedashedforwardstoprotecthisPrince. The veteran captainstoodbefore the thing,whichgrinned hideously down athim, the terrible parody ofAnita adding a sickeningelement to the confrontation.

Like a cat playing with amouse, thecreaturepawedatGardan.Fromoutofaninnerdoor,

Father John reappeared,holding a large metal stafftopped with an odd-lookingseven-sided device. Hestepped before Arutha, whowas trying to move to aidGardan, and shouted, ‘No!Youcandonothing.’Somethinginhisvoicetold

Aruthaitwasfutiletoattemptto engage the thing, and thePrince retreated a step. TheAbbot turned to confront theconjuredcreature.Jimmy crawled out from

underthewagonandcametohis feet. He knew theuselessness of drawing hisdirk.Seeingthesupinefigureof Brother Micah, he ran tosee how he fared. The oldmonkwasstill senseless,and

Jimmy pulled him backtowards the relative safetyofthe wagon. Gardan hackeduselesslyatthecreaturewhileitplayedwithhim.Jimmy cast about and saw

themystichammerofBrotherMicah lying off to one side.He dived for it and grabbedthehaftonthefly,comingtorest on his stomach, eyesupon the monster. The thinghad not noticed the boy’s

recovery of the weapon.Jimmy felt surprise when helifted it, for it was twice theweight he expected. He roseto his feet and ran to standbehind the monster,confronted by its foul, fur-coveredhindquarters,archingabove his head as it reachedforwardtograbGardan.Thecaptainwasseizedina

mammoth hand that liftedhim towards the widening

mouth.Father John raiseduphis staff and suddenlywavesof green and purple energyflowed from it,washingoverthecreature.Ithowledinpainand squeezed Gardan, whocriedoutinconcert.Martin shouted, ‘Stop! It’s

crushingGardan!’The Abbot ceased his

magic and the thing snortedas it tossed Gardan at thedoor, seeking to injure its

tormentors. The captainslammedintoMartin,BrotherAnthony, and the Abbot,knockingthemtotheground.Arutha and Laurie bothsidesteppedtheflyingbodies.The Prince turned to see theleeringparodyofAnita’sfacebending towards the door.The creature’s wingspreventeditfromenteringtheabbey, but long arms camesnaking through the door,

reachingforArutha.Martin rose, helping the

shaken Abbot and BrotherAnthony to their feet. Thearchivist said, ‘Yes! Ofcourse!The face in itschest!Killitthere!’Martin had an arrow

nocked in an instant, but thecrouchingthinghidthetarget.It reached through the doorfor Arutha, then suddenly itwas sitting back on its

haunches,howlinginpain.For an instant the face in

the chest was visible, andMartinpulledbackashesaid,‘Kilianguidemyarrow,’andlet fly. True to the aim, theshaft flew and struck theinsane face in the chestsquare in the forehead. Theeyesinthatfacerolledupandclosed as red, human bloodbillowed from the wound.The creature stopped rock-

still.As allwatched inwonder,

the creature began to quiver.It grew instantly morebrilliantincolourasthelightswithin flashed rapidly. Thenallcouldseeitwasbecomingtransparent, insubstantial, athing of coloured glowingsmokesandgases,swirlingina mad dance as they slowlydissipated on the nightwind.Their lights faded until once

again the courtyard wasemptyandsilent.AruthaandLauriecameup

to Gardan, who was stillconscious. ‘What happened?’theCaptainaskedfeebly.All eyes turned toMartin.

He indicated BrotherAnthony, who responded, ‘Itwas something the Dukeasked, how one of thosethings is made. All the foularts to make such a being

require some animal orhuman to work upon. Thatface was all that was left ofthe poor demented soul whohad been used as a focus tocreatethemonster.Itwastheonly mortal part, subject tomundane injury, andwhen itwas killed, the magic …unravelled.’Martin said, ‘I’d not have

made that shot had it notrearedbacklikethat.’

“Most fortunate,” said theAbbot.‘Fortune had little to do

with it,’ said a grinningJimmy. He held BrotherMicah’s hammer as heapproached.‘Istuckitupthearse.’ He indicated thestunned Micah. ‘He’ll do allright,’he saidashegave thehammertotheAbbot.Aruthawas still shakenby

thesightofAnita’s faceatop

that horror. Laurie, with aweaksmile,said,‘Father,ifitwouldn’t be too muchtrouble, have you somewinewemightdrink?Thatwastheworst smell I’ve everendured.”‘Ha!’ Jimmy said

indignantly. ‘You shouldhavetrieditfrommyend!’

Arutha watched the dawnbreak over the Calastius

Mountains, the rising sun anangry red orb. In the hourssincetheattacktheabbeyhadreturned to a semblance oforder and quiet, but Aruthafelt only turmoil within.Whatever lay behind theseattempts upon him waspowerfulbeyondanythinghehad anticipated, despite clearwarning from Father Nathanand the High Priestess ofLims-Kragma.Hehadgrown

incautious in his haste todiscoveracureforAnita,andsuch was not his nature. Hecould be bold when needed,and boldness had won himseveral victories, but of latehe had not been bold, onlyheadstrong and impulsive.Arutha felt something alien,somethinghehadnotenduredsince he was a boy. Aruthafelt doubt. He had been soconfidentinhisplanning,but

Murmandamus either hadanticipated every move orsomehow could react withunbelievable speedeach timeAruthamadeastep.Arutha came out of his

musing to see Jimmy besidehim.Theboyshookhishead.‘Just shows you what I’vealwayssaid.’Despite his concerns,

Aruthafoundhimselfslightlyamused by the boy’s tone.

‘Whatisthat?’‘Nomatterhowcannyyou

thinkyou are, something cancomealong,bam,andputyouonyourprat.Thenyouthink,“That’s what I forgot toconsider.” Eagle-eyehindsight, old Alvarny theQuickusedtocallit.’Aruthawonderediftheboy

had been reading histhoughts. Jimmy continued.‘The Ishapians are sitting up

here, mumbling prayers tothemselves, and convincedthey’ve got a real magicstronghold – ”nothing canbreachourmysticdefences,”’he mimicked. ‘Then alongcome thoseballsof lightandthatflyingthingandwhoops!“We didn’t consider this orthat!”They’vebeenjabberingabout what they should havedone for an hour. Well, Iguess they’ll have something

stronger around here soon.’Jimmy leaned back againstthestonewallfacingthecliff.Beyond the walls of theabbey the valley wasemerging from the shadowsas the sun reached higher inthe sky. ‘Old Anthony wastelling me that the spellsnecessary for last night’sshowtooksomedoing,sohedoesn’t think anythingmagicwill come this way for a

while. They’ll be strong intheir fortress … untilsomething comes along thatcan kick down the gatesagain,asitwere.’‘Something of a

philosopher,areyou?’Aruthasmiled slightly as Jimmyshrugged.‘Scared to pissing in my

trousers is what I am, andyou’ddowelltobescaredaswell. Those undead things in

Krondor were bad enough,but last night, well, I don’tknow how you feel about it,butifIwereyou,I’dconsidermovingtoKeshandchangingmyname.’Arutha smiled ruefully at

that,forJimmyhadmadehimseesomethinghehaddenied.‘To be honest, I am just asscaredasyou,Jimmy.’Jimmy looked surprised at

theadmission.‘Truth?’

‘In truth. Look, only amadmanwouldnotbefearfulof facingwhat we have, andwhat may come, but whatmatters isn’t whether or notyou’re frightened, but howyou behave. My father saidonce that a hero is someonewho simply got toofrightened to use his goodsense and run away, thensomehowlivedthroughitall.’Jimmy laughed, boyish

glee making him seem asyouthful as his years ratherthan the man-boy he lookedmost of the time. ‘That’s atruth, too. Me, I’d rather dowhatneedsbedone,quickly,and get on to the fun. Thissuffering for grand causes isthe stuff of sagas andlegends.’Aruthasaid.“See,there’sa

bitof thephilosopherinyou,after all.’He changed topics.

‘Youacted swiftly lastnight,and bravely. Had you notdistracted the monster soMartincouldslayit–’‘We’dbeonourwayback

to Krondor with your bones,assuming it didn’t eat them,’finished Jimmy with a wrygrin.‘Don’t look so pleased at

theprospect.’Jimmy’s grin broadened,

‘I’d not be, fact is. You’re

oneof thevery few I’vemetworth having around. Bymoststandardsthisisamerrybunch, though the times aregrim. I’m sort ofhaving fun,ifthetruthbeknown.’‘You have a strange sense

offun.’Jimmy shook his head.

‘Notreally.Ifyou’regoingtobe scared senseless,might aswell enjoy it. That’s whatthieving’s about, you know.

Breaking into someone’shomeinthedeadofnight,notknowingifthey’reawakeandwaitingwith a swordor clubto spread your brains out onthefloorwhenyoustickyourhead in the window. Beingchased through the streetsbythe city watch. It’s not fun,but it sort of is, you know?Anyway, it’s exciting. Andbesides,howmanycanboastthey saved the Prince of

Krondor by goosing ademon?’Arutha laughed hard at

that.‘Hangme,butthat’sthefirst thing I’ve had to laughaloud at since … since thewedding.’HeplacedhishanduponJimmy’sshoulder.‘Youearnedsomereward thisday,Squire James. What shall itbe?’Jimmy’s face screwed up

inadisplayofhard thinking.

‘Why not name me Duke ofKrondor?”Arutha was thunderstruck.

He started to speak, butstopped. Martin approachedfrom the infirmary and,seeing such a strangeexpression on Arutha’s facesaid,‘Whatailsyou?’Arutha pointed to Jimmy.

‘He wants to be Duke ofKrondor.’Martin laughed

uproariously. When hequieted. Jimmy said, ‘Whynot? Dulanic’s here, so youknow his retirement’s notbogus. Volney doesn’t wantthepost,sowhoelseareyougoingtogiveitto?I’veafairwit, and I’ve done you afavourortwo.’Martin continued laughing

whileAruthasaid,‘Forwhichyou have been paid.’ ThePrince was caught between

outrage and amusement.‘Look, you bandit, I mightthinkabouthavingLyamgiveyou a minor barony – veryminor – to take charge of,when you reach yourmajority, which is at leastthree years away. For nowyou’llhavetosettleforbeingnamed Senior Squire of theCourt.’Martin shook his head.

‘He’ll organize them into a

streetgang.’‘Well,’ said Jimmy, ‘at

least I’llhave thepleasureofseeing that ass Jerome’s facewhen you give deLacy theorder.’Martin stopped his

laughing and said, ‘I justthought you’d like to knowGardan will be fine, as willBrotherMicah.Dominicisupandaboutalready.’‘The Abbot and Brother

Anthony?’‘The Abbot is off

somewhere doing whateverabbots do when their abbeyshave been desecrated. AndBrother Anthony is backlooking for Silverthorn. Hesaid to tell you he’ll be inchamber sixty-seven if youwishtospeakwithhim.’Arutha said, ‘I’m going to

find him. I want to knowwhat he’s discovered.’Ashe

walked away, he said,‘Jimmy, why don’t youexplain to my brother why Ishould elevate you to thesecond most importantdukedomintheKingdom?”Arutha walked off in

search of the head archivist.Martin turned to look atJimmy, who grinned back athim.

Arutha entered the vast

chamber,mustywithageandthe faint odour ofpreservatives. By flickeringlanternlightBrotherAnthonywas reading an old volume.Without turning to see whoentered, he said, ‘Just as Ithought, I knew it would behere.’ He sat up. ‘Thatcreature was similar to onereported killed when theTemple of Tith-Onanka inElarial was invaded three

hundred years ago. It wascertain, according to thesesources, that Pantathianserpent priests were behindthedeed.’Arutha said, ‘What are

these Pantathians, brother?I’ve only heard the storiestoldtofrightenchildren.’The old monk shrugged.

‘We know little, in truth.Most of the intelligent racesonMidkemiawecan,insome

way, understand. Even themoredhel,theBrotherhoodofthe Dark Path, have sometraits in common withhumanity. You know, theyhave a rather rigid code ofhonour, though it is an oddsort by our standards. Butthesecreatures…’Heclosedthe book. ‘Where Pantathialies, no one knows. Thecopies of the maps left byMacros that Kulgan of

Stardocksentusshownosignof it. These priests havemagics unlike any other.Theyaretheavowedenemiesof humanity, though theyhavedealtwithsomehumansin the past.One thing else isclear, they are beings ofundiluted evil. For them toserve this Murmandamuswouldmark him a foe of allthat is good if nothing elsedid.And that they serve him

also marks him a power tofear.’Arutha said. ‘Then we

know little more than whatweknewbyLaughingJack’sreport.’‘True,’saidthemonk,‘but

never discount the worth ofknowing he spoke the truth.Knowingwhat thingsarenotis often as important asknowingwhattheyare.’Arutha said, in all the

confusion, have youdiscovered anything aboutSilverthorn?’‘Asamatteroffact,Ihave.

Iwas going to sendword assoonasIfinishedreadingthispassage. I have little help tooffer, I am afraid.’ Uponhearing this, Arutha’s heartsank in his chest, but heindicated the old monkshould continue. ‘The reasonI could not quickly bring to

mind this Silverthorn is thatthe name given is atranslation of the name withwhich I am more familiar.’He opened another booklying close by. ‘This is thejournal of Geoffrey, son ofCaradoc, a monk at theAbbey of Silban west ofYabon – the same one yourbrotherMartinwas rearedat,though this was severalhundred years ago. Geoffrey

was a botanist of sorts andspent his idle hours incataloguingwhathecouldofthe local flora. Here I’vefoundaclue.I’llreadit.“Theplant, which is calledElleberrybytheelves,isalsoknown to the people of thehills as Sparkle Thorn. It issupposed to have magicproperties when utilizedcorrectly, though the propermeans of distillation of the

essences of the plant is notcommonly known, beingrequired of arcane ritualbeyond the abilities ofcommonfolk.Itisrareintheextreme,havingbeenseenbyfewlivingtoday.Ihaveneverbeheld the plant, but thosewithwhomIhavespokenaremost reliable in theirknowledgeandcertainof theplant’sexistence.”’Heclosedthebook.

‘Is that all?’ askedArutha.‘Ihadhopedforacure,oratleastsomeclueastohowonemightbediscovered.’‘But there is a clue,’ said

the old monk with a wink.‘Geoffrey,whowasmoreofagossip than a botanist,attributed the nameElleberryto the plant, as an elvenname. This is obviously acorruption of aelebera, anelven word that translates to

“silverthorn”! Which meansthat should any know itsmagic properties and how toovercome them, it is theSpellweaversofElvandar.’Arutha was silent for a

while, thensaid, ‘Thankyou,Brother Anthony. I hadprayedtoendmysearchhere,butatleastyou’venotdashedallhope.’Theoldmonksaid, ‘There

is always hope, Arutha

conDoin.Isuspectthat,inallthe confusion, the Abbotnever got around to tellingyou the main reason for ourgathering all this.’ His handwaved about him, indicatingthe masses of bookseverywhere. ‘The reason wegather all theseworks in thismount is hope. Of prophecyand portents there are many,but one speaks of the end ofall we know. It states that

when all else has succumbedto the forces of darkness, allthatwill be leftwill be “thatwhich was Sarth”. Shouldthat prophecy come true, wehope to save the seeds ofknowledge that can againserve man.We work againstthat day, and pray it willnevercome.’Arutha said, ‘You’ve been

kind,BrotherAnthony.’‘A man helps when he

may.’‘Thank you.’ Arutha left

the chamber and climbed thestairs, his mind playing overwhatheknew.Heconsideredhis options until he reachedthe courtyard. Laurie hadjoined Jimmy andMartin, ashadDominic,whoseemed tohave recovered from hisordeal, though he was stillpale.Laurie greeted the Prince

and said, ‘Gardan should bewellenoughtomorrow.’‘Good, for we leave Sarth

atfirstlight.’‘What do you propose?’

saidMartin.‘I’m going to put Gardan

on the first ship bound fromSarth for Krondor, and we’llcontinueon.’‘Continue on where?’

askedLaurie.‘Elvandar.’

Martin smiled, it will begoodtovisitthereagain.’Jimmysighed;Aruthasaid,

‘Whatisit?’‘Iwasjustthinkingofyour

palace cooks and bonyhorsebacks.’Arutha said, ‘Well, don’t

think on them too long;you’re returning to KrondorwithGardan.’‘Andmissallthefun?’LauriesaidtoMartin,‘This

lad has a definitely warpedsenseoffun.’Jimmystartedtospeak,but

Dominic said, ‘Highness, if Imaytravelwithyourcaptain,IwishtojourneytoKrondor.’‘Of course, but what of

yourduties?’‘Another will take my

office.Iwillnotbefitforthatsort of duty for some time,andwecannotwait.There isno shame or dishonour; it is

simplynecessary.’‘ThenIamsureJimmyand

Gardan will welcome yourcompany.’‘Wait–’beganJimmy.Ignoring the boy, Arutha

askedthemonk,‘WhatsendsyoutoKrondor?’‘Simply that it lies on my

routetoStardock.FatherJohnthinks it vital we shouldinform Pug and the othermagicians of what we know

tobeoccurring.Theypractisemighty arts unavailable tous.’‘That is well taken. We

haveneedofalltheallieswecan muster. I should haveconsidered thatmyself. Iwillgive you some additionalintelligencetotaketothem,ifyoudon’tmind.AndI’llhaveGardan escort you down toStardock.’‘Thatwouldbekind.’

Jimmy had been trying tobeheardasheprotestedbeingsent back to Krondor.Ignoring his protests, Aruthasaid to Laurie, ‘Take ouraspiringyoungdukehereandgo down to town and find aship.We’ll follow tomorrow.Also see about some freshermounts, and don’t get intotrouble.’Arutha walked away

towards the barracks with

Dominic andMartin, leavingLaurie and Jimmy in thecourtyard. Jimmy was stilltryingtomakehimselfheard,andwassaying,‘…but…’Laurie clapped Jimmy on

theshoulderandsaid, ‘Comealong, “Your Grace”. Let’sgetdown the road. Ifwecanfinish our business early,we’ll see if we can find agameattheinn.’An evil light seemed to

come into Jimmy’s eyes atthat.‘Game?’hesaid.‘Youknow,somethinglike

pashawa, or over-under-man-in-between. Knucklebones orstones.Gambling.’‘Oh,’said theboy. ‘You’ll

havetoshowmehow.’Asheturnedforthestable,

Laurie fetched him a kick inthe rump, propelling himalong. ‘Show you how,indeed. I’mnot some rube in

from the farmlands here. IheardthatthefirsttimeIlostmypoke.’Running forward, Jimmy

laughed,itwasworthatry!’

Arutha entered the darkenedroom. Looking down at thefigure on the bed, he said,‘Yousentforme?’Micah raised himself up

and leant back against thewall. ‘Yes. I hear you’re

leaving this hour. Thank youfor coming.’ He indicatedArutha should sit upon thebed.‘Ineedalittlesleep,butI’llbefitenoughinaweekorso.‘Arutha, your father and I

were friends as youngsters.Caldric was just establishingthe practice of bringingsquires to court that’s nowtaken for granted. We werequite a bunch. Brucal of

YabonwasourSeniorSquire,andheranusragged.Inthosedays we were a fiery crew,your father,myself, andGuydu Bas-Tyra.’ Atmention ofGuy’sname,Aruthastiffenedbut said nothing. ‘I like tothink we were the backboneof the Kingdom in our day.Nowyouare.Borricdidwellwith you and Lyam, andMartinbringsnoshame.Iamnow serving Ishap, but I still

lovethisKingdom,son.Ijustwanted you to know myprayersarewithyou.’Arutha said, ‘Thank you,

mylordDulanic.’He eased himself on his

pillows. ‘No longer. I’m justa simple monk now. By theway, who rules in yourplace?’‘Lyam is in Krondor and

will remain until I return.VolneyactsasChancellor.’

At this Micah laughed,which brought a wince ofpain. ‘Volney! Ishap’s teeth!Hemusthateit.’‘Hedoes,’saidAruthawith

asmile.‘You going to have Lyam

namehimDuke?’‘Idon’tknow.Asmuchas

heprotests,he’sthemostableadministrator available. Welost some good young menduring the Riftwar.’ Arutha

smiled his crooked smile.‘Jimmy suggests I name himDukeofKrondor.’‘Don’t sell that one short,

Arutha. Train himwhile youhave him. Pile theresponsibilityonhimuntilheyells, and give him more.Educate him well, then takestock.He’sarareone.’Arutha said, ‘Why is this,

Micah?Whythisconcernformattersyou’veputbehind?’

‘Because I’m a vain oldmanandasinner,despitemyrepentance. I still admit topride in how my city fares.And because you’re yourfather’sson.’Arutha was silent for a

longtime, thenhesaid,‘Youand Father were close,weren’tyou?’‘Very. Only Guy was

closertoBorric.’‘Guy!’ Arutha couldn’t

believe his father’s mosthatedenemycouldhaveeveroncebeenhisfriend.‘Howisthatpossible?’Micah studied Arutha. ‘I

thought your father wouldhavetoldyoubeforehedied.’He was silent for a longmoment. ‘Then again, Borricwouldn’t.’ He sighed. ‘WewhowerefriendstobothyourfatherandGuy,wealltookavow. We vowed never to

speak of the shame whichcaused them to end theclosest of friendships, andwhich caused Guy to wearblackeverydayfortherestofhislife,earninghimthenameBlackGuy.’Arutha said, ‘Father once

mentioned that strangeactofpersonal courage, though hehadnoothergoodtospeakofGuy.’‘He wouldn’t. And I will

not either, for Guy wouldhave to release me from thevow, or be proved dead,before I would speak. But Ican say that before thatschismtheywereasbrothers.Whetherwenching,brawling,or in war, neither was morethan a voice’s call from theother’said.‘Butlookyou,Arutha.You

have to rise early, and youmust get rested. You’ve no

more time to idle away overmatters long buried. YoumustbeofftofindacureforAnita…’Theoldman’seyesmisted over, and Arutharealized that in his own darkconcern for her he hadignored the fact that MicahhadalwaysbeenamemberofErland’s household. He hadknown her since birth. Shewould be like agranddaughtertohim.

Micah swallowed hard.‘These damn ribs! Breathedeeply and your eyes waterlikeyou’reeatingrawonion.’Heletoutalongsigh.‘Iheldher in my arms when thepriests of Sung the Whiteblessedher,lessthananhourafterherbirth.’Hiseyestookon a far-off look; he turnedhisfaceawayandsaid,‘Saveher,Arutha.’‘Iwillfindacure.’

Whispering to control hisemotions, Micah said, ‘Thengo, Arutha. Ishap protectyou.’Arutha squeezed the old

monk’s hand for a moment,rose, and left his quarters.Walkingacross themainhalloftheabbeybuilding,hewasintercepted by a silent monkwho indicated he shouldfollow. He was led to theAbbot’s quarters and found

the Abbot and BrotherAnthonywaitingforhim.‘Itisgoodyoutooktimeto

visit with Micah, Highness,’saidtheAbbot.Suddenly Arutha became

alarmed.‘Micahwillrecover,won’the?’‘If Ishapwills it. He is an

old man to be withstandingsuchanordeal.’Brother Anthony seemed

incensed by the notion and

almost snorted. The Abbotignored the sound and said,‘Wehavegivensomethoughtto a problem that needs bedealt with.’ He pushed asmall case towards Arutha,whoreachedoverandlifteditfromthetable.The case was clearly

ancient, of delicately carvedwood, and time had worn italmost smooth.When it wasopened it revealed a velvet

cushion upon which rested asmall talisman. It was abronze hammer, a miniatureof that which Micah hadcarried, a thong passingthrough a tiny hole in thehaft.‘Whatisit?’Anthony said, ‘You must

haveconsideredhowyourfoewas able to locate youseemingly atwill. It is likelythatsomeagency,perhapstheserpent priest, had located

you with a scrying spell ofone sort or another. Thattalismanisa legacyfromourancientpast.Itwasfashionedat the oldest known enclaveof our faith, the IshapianabbeyatLeng. It is themostpowerful artifactwe possess.Itwillmaskyourmovementsfrom all scrying magic. Toanywhohavebeenfollowingyou by arcane means, youwillsimplyvanishfromsight.

We have no protection frommundaneeyes,but ifyouarecautious and mask youridentity, you should be ableto reach Elvandar withoutbeing intercepted. But neverremove it, or you will againbe subject to location bysorcery. It will also renderyou impervious to thesortofattackwe endured last night.Such a creature would beunable toharmyou– though

your enemy may still strikethrough those about you, fortheywillnotbesoprotected.’Aruthaplaced the talisman

around his neck and said,‘Thankyou.’The Abbot rose. ‘Ishap

protect you, Highness, andknow you may always findhavenhereatSarth.’Arutha said thank you

again and left the Abbot. Ashe returned to his quarters

andfinishedrollinghistravelbundle, he considered whathehadlearned.Pushingdoubtaside, he determined onceagaintosaveAnita.

•ChapterTwelve•Northward

A lone rider raced up theroad.Arutha looked back as

Martin warned of theapproaching horseman.Laurie turned his horse,drawinghissword,asMartinbegan to laugh. Arutha said,ifthat’swhoIthink,I’llhave

hisears.’Martinsaid,‘Thensharpen

your knife, brother, for lookat theway those elbows flapasherides.’Within moments Martin’s

predictionprovedcorrect, fora grinning Jimmy reined in.Arutha took no pains to hidehis displeasure. He said toLaurie, ‘I thought you toldme he was safely upon theshipforKrondorwithGardan

andDominic.’Laurie looked on with an

expression of helplessness.‘Hewas,Iswear.’Jimmy lookedat the three,

isn’t anyone going to sayhello?’Martin tried to look

serious, but even his elven-learnedcomposurewasbeingtested. Jimmy had all theingenuousness of an eagerpuppy,asfalseaposeasmost

others he assumed, andArutha was trying hard tokeep a stern demeanour.Lauriehidhislaughterbehinda quickly raised hand and acough.Arutha shook his head,

looking down at the ground.Finally he said, ‘All right,whatisthetale?’Jimmy said, ‘First of all, I

swore an oath; it might notmean much to you, but it is

still an oath, and it binds us“until the cat is skinned.”Andtherewasoneotherlittlething.’Aruthasaid,‘Whatwasit?’‘You were being watched

whileyouleftSarth.’Arutha sat back in the

saddle, as startled by theboy’s offhand tone as muchas by the revelation. ‘Howcanyoubecertain?’‘In the first, the man was

known tome. He’s a certainmerchant from Questor’sView,bynameHavram,whois in fact a smuggleremployed by the Mockers.He’s been absent since theNighthawks’ infiltration wasmade known to the UprightMan, and he was in the innwhere Gardan, Dominic, andI waited for the ship. I wentaboard ship with the goodcaptain and the monk and

slipped over the side justbefore they weighed anchor.Then, in the second, themanwas without the normalretinue he employed whenworking at his normal trade.Heisusuallyavocal,affableman, given to public displaywhenactingthemerchant,butin Sarth he lurked under aheavy cowl and hugged darkcorners. He would not be insuch a place, ignoring his

usualrole,unlessforcedtobyunusual circumstances. Andhefollowedyoufromtheinn,untilhewasclearastowhichwayyouhadridden.Butmostimportant of all, he was anofttime companion of bothLaughing Jack and GoldenDase.’Martinsaid,‘Havram!That

was the man Laughing Jacksaid recruited Golden andhimtotheNighthawks.’

‘They’llberelyingonspiesand agents now that theycan’t usemagic to findyou,’addedLaurie.‘Itmakessensethey had someone in SarthwaitingforyoutocomedownfromtheAbbey.’‘Did he see you leave?’

askedthePrince.Jimmy laughed. ‘No, but I

saw him leave.’ They alllooked at himwith questionson their faces, and the boy

said,‘Itookcareofhim.’‘Youdidwhat?’Jimmylookedpleasedwith

himself. ‘Even a town assmall as Sarth has itsunderside ifyouknowwhereto look.Usingmy reputationas a Mocker of Krondor, Imade myself known andestablished my bona fides.Certain people who wish toremain anonymous weremade to understand I knew

who they were – and wouldbe willing to neglectmentioning it to the localgarrison in exchange for aservice.AstheythoughtIstillenjoyed a favoured positionin the Mockers, they chosenot todepositme in thebay,especially when I sweetenedthedealwithasmallpouchofgold I carried. I thenmentioned there was not asingle person in theWestern

Realm who would miss acertain merchant taking hiseaseattheinn.Theytookmymeaning. The falsemerchantis most likely on his way toKesh via the Durbin slaveroute even as we speak,learning the finer points ofmeniallabour.’Laurie slowly shook his

head.‘Theboyhasadefinitehardedgetohim.’Arutha heaved a resigned

sigh, ‘It seems I am again inyourdebt,Jimmy.’Jimmy said, ‘There’s a

small caravan coming up thecoastaboutanhourbehind.Ifwe ride slowly they mayovertake us by nightfall.Wecould most likely hire on asadditional guards and ride inwithwagonsanda fewothermercenaries whenMurmandamusisoutlookingfor the three riders who left

Sarth.’Arutha laughed. ‘What am

I to do with you?’ BeforeJimmycouldanswer,hesaid,‘And don’t say anythingabout being Duke ofKrondor.’ As he turned hismount, he said, ‘And don’ttell me where you got thathorse.’

Fate, or the efficacy of theIshapian talisman, served

Arutha and his threecompanions, for theyencountered no trouble alongthe road to Ylith. Jimmy’sprediction of a caravan’sovertaking them provedaccurate. Itwasapoor thing,consisting of five wagonsserved by only two bravoshired as guards. Once themerchant in charge wassatisfied they were notbrigands, he welcomed them

as travelling companions –for he gained four additionalbodyguardsfor thepriceofafewmeals.For two weeks they

travelledwith little todisruptthemonotonyof the journey.Peddlers, traders, andcaravansofall sizes,withupto a score of mercenaryguards, passed both waysalong the coast betweenQuestor’s View and Sarth.

Arutha was satisfied thatshould some spy or agentdiscover him among thethrongofbravosridingalongtheroad, itwouldbebypurechance.Finally, near sundown,

they could see the lights ofYlith in the distance. Arutharode point with Yanov themerchant’s two guards. Heheld back until the leadwagon was even with him

and said, ‘Ylith ahead,Yanov.’The lead wagon passed,

andthestoutmerchant,asilkand fine-cloth peddler fromKrondor, waved happily.Arutha had been relieved todiscover Yanov an ebullientman, for he paid littleattention to what others hadto say and Arutha’s quicklycontrived history had stoodup to scrutiny. As far as the

Prince could tell, Yanov hadneverseenhimbefore.Martin was the first to

overtake Arutha, as the lastwagoninthetrainmovedpasthim. ‘Ylith,’ said Arutha,kicking his mount intomotion.Jimmy and Laurie crossed

theroadfromwheretheyhadridden flank as Martin said,‘Soon we’ll be rid of thistrain and can see to new

mounts.Theseneedarest.’Lauriesaid,‘I’llbepleased

to be rid of Yanov. Hecackles like a fishwife,withoutahalt.’Jimmy shook his head in

mock sympathy. ‘And hehardly ever lets anyone elsetell a story around thecampfire.’Laurieglared.Arutha said,

‘Enough. We’ll be anotherband of travellers. If Baron

Talanque discovers I’mhere,it’s a state affair.We’ll havefeasting, tourneys, hunting,receptions, and everyonebetween the Great NorthernMountains and Kesh willknow I’m in Ylith.Talanque’s a fine fellow, buthedoesenjoyhisrevels.’Jimmy laughed. ‘He’s not

the only one.’With awhoopand a shout, he spurred hishorse forward. Arutha,

Laurie, and Martin satamazed for a moment, thenthe relief of reaching Ylithstruckandtheywereoffaftertheboy.As Arutha raced past the

lead wagon, he shouted,‘Good trading, MasterYanov!’Themerchantlookedafter them as if they’dbecome bereft of reason.Etiquette required he paythematokenfortheirstintat

guard.Reaching the gates of the

city, they slowed, as acaravanofsomesizehadjustfinished passing into Ylithand several other travellerswerewaitingforittocleartheportals before they couldenter.Jimmyreinedinbehinda farmer’s hay cart and spunhis horse to face hiscompanions as they rode up,laughing at the momentary

frolic. Without words theyfell into line, watching assoldiers passed the cartthrough. In these peacefuldays, the soldiers seemed tobe giving only the mostcursory inspection to thosepassingintothecity.Jimmy looked about, for

Ylith was the first large cityencountered since they’d leftKrondor, and the busymetropolitan rhythm was

already making him feel athome.Thennearthegateshenoticed a lone figurehunkered down, watchingthose who passed through.From his tartan plaid andleather breeches, itwas clearhewasaHadatihillman.Hishair fell past his shoulders,but a warrior’s topknot wasbound high, and he wore arolled scarf tied above hiseyes.Acrosshisknees rested

a pair of wooden sheaths,protecting the sharp edges ofthelong,slenderswordandashorter half-sword commonto his people. Most strikingabout the man was his face,for around the eyes, fromforehead down tocheekbones, his face waspainted bone-white, as washis chin directly below hismouth.HeclearlystudiedthePrince as he passed, then

slowly rose as Jimmy andMartin followed Arutha andLaurieintothecity.Jimmy suddenly laughed

aloud,asifMartinhadjoked,and stretched, affordinghimself a quick glancebehind. The hillman wasslowly walking through thegatesbehindthem,puttinghissword and half-sword in hisbelt-sash.Martin said, ‘TheHadati?’

When Jimmy nodded, theDuke said, ‘You’ve a quickeye.Ishefollowing?’‘Heis.Shallwelosehim?’Martin shook his head.

‘We’lldealwithhimoncewesettle somewhere. Ifweneedto.’Astheyrodeupthenarrow

streets of the city, theyweregreetedbysignsofprosperityonallsides,forshopsburnedbrightly with lantern light as

merchantsshowedtheirwaresto those out shopping in thecooloftheevening.Even at this early hour of

the evening, revellers wereabout in numbers, as guardsfrom caravans and sailors infrommonths at seawere outin force, seeking whateverpleasures gold could buy. Aband of rowdy fightingmen,mercenaries by their look,pushed across the street,

obviously working on aheroic drunk, yelling andlaughing. One bumpedagainstLaurie’shorseand,ina display of mock anger,shouted, ‘Here now! Watchwhere you’re pointing thatbeastie. Shall I teach youmanners?’Hefeignedpullinghis sword, to the delight ofthose with him. Laurielaughed along with the manasMartin,Arutha,andJimmy

kept an eye on potentialtrouble.‘Sorry, friend,’ said the

singer.Themanmadeahalf-grimace, half-laugh as heagainmotioned as if to drawhissword.Another from the

mercenary band pushed himroughly aside and said, ‘Gohave a drink,’ to hiscompanion. Smiling up atLaurie, he said, ‘Still can’t

ride any better than you cansing,Laurie?’Laurie was off his mount

instantly and embraced theman in a bear hug. ‘Roald,yousonofawhoremonger!’They exchanged backslaps

and hugs, then Lauriepresented the man to theothers. ‘This black heart isRoald,afriendsinceboyhoodand more than once acompanion on the road. His

fatherownedthefarmnexttomyfather’s.’Themanlaughed.‘Andour

fathers threw the both of usout of home on almost thesameday.’Laurie introduced Martin

and Jimmy, but when hereached Arutha used theagreed-upon name ofArthur.‘Pleased to know yourfriends, Laurie,’ said themercenary.

Aruthacast aquickglanceabout. ‘We’re blocking thethoroughfare. Let’s findlodgings.’Roald waved a hand for

them to follow. ‘I’m stayingataplacethenextstreetover.It’salmostcivilized.’Jimmy spurred his horse

forward and kept an eye onthis boyhood friend of thesinger,studyingthemanwithapractisedeye.Hehadallthe

earmarks of a seasonedmercenary,onewhohadbeenearning a living with hissword long enough to beconsidered an expert by dintofhisstillbeingalive.Jimmyglimpsed Martin lookingrearwardandwonderediftheHadatistillstalkedthem.The inn was called the

Northerner, respectableenoughforaplacesonearthedocks. A stableboy roused

himself from a sorry-lookingmeal to take their horses.Roaldsaid, ‘Keep themwell,lad.’Theboyobviouslyknewhim.Martin tossed the boy asilvercoin.Jimmy watched the boy

catch the coin inmidair, andas he gave over his horse’sreins,heplacedthethumbofhis right hand between fore-and middle fingers, so theboy could see. A flash of

recognition passed betweenthemandtheboygaveJimmyacurtnod.When they were inside,

Roald signalled for theservinggirltobringaleashepointed to a table in thecorner, near the door to thestableyardandawayfromthenormal flow of customers.Pulling out a chair forhimself, Roald discarded hisheavy leather gauntlets as he

sat. He spoke just loudenough for those at the tableto hear. ‘Laurie, last time Isawyouwaswhat?Sixyearsago? You went riding offwith a LaMutian patrol tolook for Tsurani to writesongs about. Now here youare with’ – he indicatedJimmy – ‘this short thiefhere.’Jimmy grimaced.

‘Highsign?’

‘Highsign,’ agreed Roald.When the others lookedconfused, Roald said, ‘ThisladJimmygavethestableboyasignsothelocalthieveswillkeephandsoffhiskick.Tellsthemathieffromanothercityis in townand respecting theconventions and should havethecourtesyreturned.Right?’Jimmy nodded

appreciatively. ‘Right. It tellsthemIwon’t…workwithout

their leave. Keeps thingscivilized. The boy will passtheword.’QuietlyArutha said, ‘How

didyouknow?’‘I’mnooutlaw,butI’mno

saint either. Over the yearsI’ve kept all manner ofcompany. Mostly I’m asimple fightingman.Up to ayearagoIwasamercenaryinthe Yabonese Free Levies.Fought forKing and country

forasilverpieceadayandallfound.’Hiseyesgotadistantlook. ‘We’d been on and offthe line for seven years. Ofthe lads who signed aboardwith our captain that firstyear, one in five was left.Each winter we’d stay inLaMutandourcaptainwouldgooutrecruiting.Eachspringwe’d return to the frontwithfewermen.’Hiseyesloweredto the ale before him. ‘I’ve

fought against bandits andoutlaws, renegades of allstripe. I served marine dutyon awarshiphuntingpirates.I stoodatCutter’sGapwhenfewer than thirty of us heldbacktwohundredgoblinsforthree days until Brian, LordHighcastle, could come andfetch us out. But I neverthoughtI’dlivetoseethedaythe bloody Tsurani wouldquit.No,’hesaid,‘it’sgladI

am to be standing guard onpiddly little caravans thehungriest outlaw in the landwouldn’t bother with. Mybiggestproblemthesedaysiskeeping awake.’ Themercenarysmiled.‘Ofallmyoldfriends,youwerethebest,Laurie.I’dtrustyouwithmylife, if not my women andmoney. Let’s hoist a roundfor old times’ sake, then wecanstarttellinglies.’

Arutha liked the opennessof the fighter. The servingwoman brought anotherround, and Roald paid, overLaurie’s protest. ‘I’m in thisvery day with a greatcreaking caravan from theFree Cities. My mouth iscaked with a month’s worthof road dust, and I’ll onlywaste my gold sooner orlater. It might as well benow.’

Martin laughed and said,‘Only the first, friend Roald.Therestareourpleasure.’Jimmy said, ‘Have you

seen a Hadati hillmanaround?’Roald waved his hand.

‘They’re around. Anyone inparticular?’Martin said, ‘Green and

black tartan on his plaid,whitepaintonhisface.’Roald said, ‘Green and

black’s a far northwest clan,couldn’t say which. But thewhitepaint…’HeandLaurieexchangedglances.Martinsaid,‘What?’Laurie said, ‘He’s on a

Bloodquest.’Roald said, ‘A personal

mission.Somematterofclanhonour or another. And letmetellyou,honour’snojoketo a Hadati. They’re asintractable about it as those

damn Tsurani up in LaMut.Maybe he has to avenge awrongdoing, or pay back adebt for his tribe, butwhatever it is, only a foolwould get in the way of aHadati on Bloodquest. Theytendtobeaforwardlotwithasword.’Roald finished his drink

and Arutha said, if you willjoinus,let’sshareameal.’The fighter smiled at that.

‘Intruth,Iamhungry.’The call was given and

soonthefoodwasserved,andconversation turned to anexchangeofhistoriesbetweenLaurie andRoald.Roald hadlistened raptly while Laurierecounted his adventuresduringtheRiftwar,thoughheleft out his involvementwiththeroyalfamilyandthenewshe was to wed the King’ssister. The mercenary’s

mouthhungopen.‘I’veneverknown a singer not given tooverboasting, and you’re theworstI’veknown,Laurie,butthat tale is so outlandish Ibelievewhatyou’vesaid.It’sincredible.’Laurie looked stung.

‘Overboast?Me?’While they ate, the

innkeepercameoverandsaidto Laurie, ‘I see you to be asinger.’ Laurie had brought

along his lute, a nearlyinstinctive habit. ‘Will youhonour this house with yoursongs?’Arutha looked ready to

object, but Laurie said, ‘Ofcourse.’ To Arutha he said,‘We can leave later, Arthur.InYabon,evenwhenasingerpays for his meals, it isexpected he will sing whenasked. I build accounts. If Ipass thisway, Icansingand

eatevenifIhavenomoney.’He crossed to a dais in thecorner near the front door tothe inn and sat upon a stool.He tuned his lute until thepitch of each string wascorrect, then began his song.It was a common tune, sungin all parts of the Kingdomandknownbyallwhosanginalehouses and inns. It was afavourite of those wholistened. The melody was

pleasant, but the words weremawkish.Arutha shook his head.

That’sawful.’Theotherslaughed.‘True,’

saidRoald, ‘but they like it,’indicatingthecrowd.Jimmy said, ‘Laurie plays

what is popular, not alwayswhat is good. That way heeats.’Laurie finished to a loud

round of applause and began

anothersong.Itwasabright,ribaldchanty,sungbysailorsthroughout the Bitter Sea,tellingofadrunkenseaman’sencounterwithamermaid.Agroup of sailors fresh off aship set up a clappingaccompaniment to the song,and one took out a simplewooden pipe and played aclevercountermelody.As therowdy mood of the roomincreased,Laurieslippedinto

another bawdy chantyregarding what occupies thecaptain’s wife while herhusband is out to sea. Thesailorscheeredatthis,andtheone with the pipe dancedbefore the bar while heplayed.Asthefestivefeelinginthe

room increased, the frontdoor opened and three menentered.Jimmywatchedthemas they slowly made their

way through the room andsaid,‘Uhoh,trouble.’Martin looked to where

Jimmy was watching. ‘Youknowthem?’‘No, but I recognize the

type. It’s thebigone in frontwho’llstartit.’The man in question was

the obvious leader of thethree. He was a tall, red-bearded fighter, a barrel-chested mercenary who had

let most of his powerfulframeruntofat.Heworetwodirks but was otherwiseunarmed. His leather jerkinbarely closed over his gut.The two behind him lookedlike fighting men. One wasarmed with a variety ofknives, varying from a tinystiletto to a longdagger.Theother wore a long huntingknifeathisbelt.The red-bearded man led

his companions towardsArutha’s table, speakingrudely ashepushedall asidewho blocked his way. Hismanner wasn’t entirelyunfriendly, for he exchangedloud, coarse jokes withseveral men in the inn whoobviouslyknewhim.Soonallthree stood before Arutha’stable. Looking at the fourseated there, the red-beardedman let a grin spread slowly

acrosshisface.‘Yousitatmytable.’ His accent betrayedhimasbeingfromoneof thesouthernFreeCities.He leant forward, fists on

the table between the platesof food, and said, ‘You arestrangers. I forgive you.’Jimmy’smouthdroppedopenand he instinctively pulledaway, for the man’s breathbetrayed a day already spentdrinking and teeth long gone

to rot. ‘If you were Ylith-men, you’d know whenLongly is in town, everynight he sits at this table inthe Northerner. Leave now,and I won’t kill you dead.’With that he threw back hisheadandlaughed.Jimmywas the firstonhis

feet, saying, ‘We didn’tknow,sir.’Hesmiledweaklyas the others exchangedglances. Arutha indicated he

wished to quit the table andavoid trouble. Jimmymadeashowofbeingscaredtodeathof the fat fighter. ‘We’ll findanothertable.’The man called Longly

grabbed Jimmy’s left armabove the elbow. ‘This ispretty boy, no?’ He laughedand looked at hiscompanions. ‘Or maybe it’sgirl,dressedlikeboy,he’ssopretty.’ He laughed again,

then looked at Roald. ‘Thisboy your friend? Or is hepet?’Jimmy’s eyes rolled

heavenwards as he said, ‘Iwishyouhadn’tsaidthat.’Arutha reached across the

table and put his hand uponthe man’s arm. ‘Let the boygo.’Longly swung a

backhanded blow at Aruthawith his free hand, knocking

thePrincebackwards.Roald and Martin

exchanged resigned looks asJimmy quickly raised hisrightlegsohecouldreachthedirk in his right boot top.Before anyone could move,Jimmy had the point of thedirk placed firmly inLongly’s ribs. ‘I think you’dbetter find another table,friend.’The huge man looked

downatthethief,whobarelyreached his chin, then at thedagger.Witharoaringlaugh,hesaid,‘Littlefellow,youarevery funny.’ His free handshotoutandgrippedJimmy’swristwith unexpected speed.With slight effort, he forcedthedirkaway.Jimmy’s face became

beaded with sweat as hestruggled to escape thevicelike grip of the red-

bearded man. In the cornerLaurie sang on, ignorant ofwhat was occurring at hisfriends’ table.Others nearby,used to the activities of aseaport inn, were makingroom for impending trouble.Arutha sat on the floor, stillgroggy from the blow, thenreached down and loosenedhisrapierinhisscabbard.Roald nodded to Martin

and both slowly stood,

makingashowofnotpullingweapons. Roald said, ‘Look,friend, we mean no harm.Hadweknownthistobeyourusualtable,we’dhavestayedclear.We’ll findanother.Lettheboygo.’The man threw back his

head and laughed. ‘Ha! Ithink I keep him. I know fatQuegan trader give me ahundred gold for a boy sopretty.’With a sudden scowl

he looked about the table,then his gaze locked onRoald.‘Yougo.Theboywillsay he’s sorry for pokingLongly in ribs, thenmaybe Ilet him go. Or maybe to fatQueganhegoes.’Arutha slowly rose. Itwas

difficult to know if Longlywas seriously intendingtrouble, but after beingstruck,Aruthawas not abouttogivethemanthebenefitof

the doubt. The localsobviously knew Longly, andifhewasonlyintendingsomesimple brawling and Aruthawas first to pull steel, hecouldbringdowntheirwrath.The fat man’s twocompanions looked oncautiously.Roald exchanged another

glancewithMartinandraisedhis flagon as if to finish hisale. With a sudden jerk he

tossed the contents of themug intoLongly’s face, thenbackhanded the knife bearerin the side of the head withthe pewter ale jack. Theslender man’s eyes rolledupwardsasheslumpedtothefloor. The third man wasdistracted by Roald’s suddenmoveanddidn’tseeMartin’sfist as the Duke unloaded athundering blow, knockingLongly’s companion

backwardsoveranothertable.Withthesuddenaction,moreprudent customers began aquick exit from the inn.Laurie stopped playing andstood up on the dais to seewhattheproblemwas.One of the barmen, not

interested in who wasresponsible for trouble,sprang over the bar andlanded atop the nearestcombatant, who happened to

beMartin.LonglyheldfasttoJimmy’s wrist, wiping alefrom his own face. Lauriecarefully put down his luteandwitharunningjumpleaptfrom the dais to a tabletopand vaulted onto Longly’sback. Wrapping his armsaroundthelargeman’sthroat,hebeganchokinghim.Longly rocked forward

under the impact, thenregained his balance while

Laurieclungtohim.Ignoringthe singer, he looked atRoald, who was ready tofight. ‘You should not havethrown ale on Longly. NowI’mmad.’Jimmy’s face was turning

white from the pain of thelargeman’sgrip.Lauriesaid,‘Somebody help me! Thisgiant’s got a tree trunk for aneck!’Arutha sprang to his right

justasRoaldstruckLonglyinthe face. The large manblinked, then, with aninsolent toss, threw Jimmyinto Roald, knocking themercenary into Arutha. Allthree went down in a heap.With his other hand hereached back over hisshoulder and grabbed Laurieby the tunic. He flipped thesinger overhead, tumblinghimover the table.The table

leg nearest Jimmy collapsedand Laurie rolled off intoRoald and Arutha as theystruggledtorise.Martin had been grappling

with thebarmanandfinishedoff the encounter by tossinghim back over the bar. Hethen reached out and seizedLongly by the shoulder,turninghim.Thered-beardedman’seyesseemedtolightatfinding an opponent worthy

of his mettle. At four inchesover six feet, Martin wastaller, though giving uppounds to Longly in bulk.Longly’s voice sounded in agleeful shout as he reachedout and grabbed at Martin.Instantly they were in awrestlers’hold,eachwithhishand around the back of theother’s neck, opposite handholding theother’swrist.Fora longmoment they swayed,

then moved slightly as eachsoughtabetter advantage forathrow.Laurie sat up, shaking his

head. ‘It’s not human.’Suddenly he realized he wassitting on Roald and Aruthaand began disentanglinghimself.Jimmy got to his feet,

wobbling as he stood.Laurielooked up at the boy asArutha stoodup. ‘Whatwere

you trying to accomplish bypulling that dirk?’ Laurieasked the thief. ‘Get uskilled?’Jimmy looked angrily to

where the two big menstruggled for advantage.‘Nobody talks about me thatway.I’mnofop’sdelight.’Laurie said, ‘Don’t take

things so personally.’ Hestartedtorise.‘Hejustwantsto play.’ Laurie’s knees

buckled and he had to grabJimmy to keep his feet. ‘Ithink.’Longly was giving out a

strange assortment of gruntsas he strove against Martin,while the Duke remainedsilent.Martinleanedforward,countering Longly’s largerbulk with greater height.Whathadstartedasapossiblebloodlettinghadsettledintoapassably friendly wrestling

contest, albeit a rough one.Longlysuddenlypulledback,but Martin simply followedthe move, releasing his holdonLongly’sneckbutholdingon to his wrist. In a singlemove he was behind theheavyman,holdingLongly’sarm in a painful positionbehindhishead.Thefatmangrimaced as Martin putpressure on the hold, slowlyforcinghimtohisknees.

LauriehelpedRoald tohisfeet as the mercenary shookhis head, trying to gather hiswits. When his vision hadcleared, he studied thecontest. He said to Laurie,‘That can’t be verycomfortable.’Jimmysaid,‘Iexpectthat’s

why his face is turningpurple.’Roald started to speak to

Jimmy,butsomethingcaused

his head to turn suddenlytowards Arutha. Jimmy andLaurie followedhisgazeandtheireyeswidened.Arutha, seeing all three

staringathim,spun.Ablack-cloaked figure had managedto approach the table silentlywhile the brawl was inprogress. He stood stifflybehind Arutha, a dagger inhis right hand poised tostrike.Theman’seyes stared

forwards and his mouthmovedsilently.Arutha’s hand shot out,

knocking aside the dagger,buthiseyesstudiedthefigurebehind the black-clad man.The Hadati warrior Jimmyand Martin had seen at thegatewaspoised,swordreadyfor another blow. He hadstruck silently at the assassinfrom behind, preventing asuccessful attack on the

Prince. As the dying mancollapsed, theHadati quicklyputuphis slender sword andsaid,‘Come,thereareothers.’Jimmy quickly examined

thedeadmanandheldupanebony hawk on a chain.Arutha turned to Martin andsaid, ‘Martin! Nighthawks!Finishit!’Martin nodded to his

brother, then, with awrenching movement that

almost dislocated Longly’sshoulder, drove him to hisknees. Longly lookedupwards at Martin, thenclosedhiseyesinresignationas the Duke raised his righthand. Halting his strike,Martin said, ‘Whatuse?’andshovedLonglyforward.The large man fell face

downwards on the floor andthen sat up, rubbing at hispainful shoulder. ‘Ha!’ He

laughed loudly. ‘You comeback sometime, big hunter.You give Longly goodthrashing,bygods!’They raced out of the inn

to the stables. The stableboynearly fainted at the sight ofall these armed men runningtowards him. Arutha said,‘Where are our horses?’ Theboy pointed towards the rearofthestable.Martin said, ‘They’ll not

stand up to a long runtonight.’Seeingothermounts, fresh

and fed, Arutha said, ‘Whoownsthese?’The boy said, ‘Mymaster,

sir.Buttheyaretobesoldatauctionnextweek.’Arutha signalled for the

others to saddle the freshmounts. The boy’s eyestearedashesaid,‘Please,sir,don’tkillme.’

Aruthasaid,‘We’llnotkillyou,boy.’The boy cowered away

while the animals weresaddled. The Hadati took asaddle from what wasobviously the inn’ssupplyoftack and made a sixth horseready. Arutha mounted andtossed a pouch at the boy.‘Here,tellyourmastertosellourmounts andmake up thedifferencefromwhat’s in the

bag. Keep something foryourself.’When allwere ready, they

rode from the stable, throughthegatesoftheinncourtyard,and down a narrow street. Ifan alarm was going out, thecity gates would soon beclosed.Adeathinabarbrawlwas a chancy thing. Theycould be pursued or not,dependinguponwhichofficerofthecitywatchwasonduty

thatnight,asmuchasforanyother cause. Arutha decidedto take no chances and theyraced for the city’s westerngate.Thecityguardsbarelytook

noticewhenthesixhorsemengallopedpastanddisappeareddown the highway towardstheFreeCities.Noalarmhadbeensounded.Down the road they flew,

untilthelightsofYlithwerea

distant glow in the nightbehind them. Then Aruthagavethesignaltoreinin.He turned to the Hadati.

‘Wemustspeak.’They dismounted and

Martin led them to a smallgladesomedistancefromtheroad. As Jimmy tethered thehorses,Aruthasaid,‘Whoareyou?’‘I am Baru, called the

Serpentslayer,’ answered the

Hadati.Laurie said, ‘That is a

name of power.’ HeexplainedtoArutha,‘Toearnhis name, Baru killed awyvern.’Arutha looked at Martin,

who inclined his head inrespect. ‘To hunt dragonkindtakes courage, strength ofarm, and luck.’ Wyvernswerefirstcousinstodragons.Thedifferencewasmainlyof

size.Tofaceonewastofacerage and talons, speed andfangs, twelve feethighat theshoulder.The Hadati smiled for the

first time. ‘You are a hunter,asyourbowproclaims,DukeMartin.’At thisRoald’seyeswidened. ‘Mostly, it takesluck.’Roald stared at Martin.

‘Duke Martin …’ He thenlooked at Arutha. ‘Then

you’dbe…’The Hadati said, ‘He is

Prince Arutha, son of LordBorric and brother to ourKing.Didyounotknow?’Roald sat back silently

shaking his head in anemphatic no. He looked atLaurie. ‘This is the first timeyou’veever told onlypart ofastory.’Lauriesaid,‘It’salongone

and even stranger than the

other.’HesaidtoBaru,‘Iseeyouareanortherner,butIdonotknowyourclan.’The Hadati fingered his

plaid. ‘This signifies I am ofOrdwinson’s family of theIron Hills Clan. My peoplelive near the place you citymencallLakeoftheSky.’‘YouBloodquest?’He indicated the rolled

scarf about his forehead. ‘Iquest.IamWayfinder.’

Roald said, ‘He’s a sort ofholyman…ah,Highness.’Lauriesaid,‘Aconsecrated

warrior. The scarf containsthenamesofallhisancestors.Theycanhavenorestuntilhefinishes his mission. He’staken a vow to complete theBloodquestordie.’‘How do you know me?’

askedArutha‘Isawyouonyourway to

thepeaceconferencewiththe

Tsuraniattheendofthewar.There is little about thosedays any of my clan willforget.’ He looked into thefire. ‘When our King calledto us, we came to fight theTsurani, and for nine yearsand more we did so. Theywere strong foemen, willingto die for honour, men whounderstood theirplaceon theWheel. It was a worthystruggle.

‘Then, in the spring of thelast year of the war, theTsurani came in greatnumber. For three days andnights we fought,surrendering ground at greatcost to the Tsurani. On thethirddaywewhocame fromthe Iron Hills weresurrounded. Every fightingman of the Iron Hills Clanwas numbered among thosewho stood at bay. To a man

we should have died, savethat Lord Borric saw usimperilled. Had not yourfather sortied to save us, ournameswouldbebutwhispersuponyesterday’swind.’Arutha recalled that

Lyam’s letter about hisfather’s death hadmentionedHadati.‘Whathasmyfather’sdeathtodowithme?’Baru shrugged. ‘I don’t

know. I was seeking

knowledge at thegate.Manypass there, and I was askingquestions to aid my quest.Then I saw you pass. Ithought it would beinteresting to discover whythe Prince ofKrondorwouldenteroneofhisowncitiesasa common fighter. It wouldhelp pass the time while Isought information.Then theassassincame,andIcouldn’tstand idly by andwatch him

slaughter you. Your fathersaved the manhood of mypeople. I saved your life.Perhaps that pays a debt inpart.Whocanknowhow theWheelturns?’Arutha said, ‘At the inn

yousaidtherewereothers?’‘Themanwho tried tokill

you followed you into theinn, watched you for amoment, then returnedoutside. There he spoke to a

streetboy,givinghimmoney,and the boy ran off. He sawthethreewhofoughtwithyouandstoppedthembeforetheycould pass. I heard nothingthatwas said, but he pointedto the inn and the threeentered.’Arutha said, ‘Then the

fightwasstaged.’Jimmy, who had finished

with the horses, said, ‘Morelikely he knew Longly’s

temper and made sure heknew some strangerswere athis usual table, in case theywereheadingsomewhereelseandmightmissus.’Laurie said, ‘He might

havewanted tokeepusbusyuntilothersarrived, then sawwhathethoughtwastoogoodachancetomiss.’Arutha said, ‘Had you not

been there, Baru, it wouldhavebeen toogoodachance

tomiss.’The Hadati took this as

thanks and said, ‘There isnodebt. As I said, it may be Iwhoampayingoffadebt.’Roald said, ‘Well then, I

guess you’ve sortedeverythingout. I’llbeoff forYlith.’Arutha exchanged glances

with Laurie. The minstrelsaid, ‘Roald, old friend, Ithinkyoushouldchangeyour

plans.’‘What?’‘Well, should you have

beennoticedwith thePrince,which seems likely, as therewere thirtyor fortypeople intheinnwhenthebrawlbrokeout,thosewhoarelookingforhim may decide to ask youwherewe’rebound.’With false bravado Roald

said,‘Justletthemtry.’Martin said, ‘We’d rather

not.Theycanbedetermined.I’ve had dealings withmoredhel before, and theylacktenderness.’Roald’s eyes widened.

‘TheBrotherhoodoftheDarkPath?’Martin nodded and Laurie

said, ‘Besides, you’representlyatliberty.’‘Which is how I plan to

stay.’Arutha tried a sterner

stand. ‘You’d say no to yourPrince?’‘No disrespect intended,

Highness,butI’mafreemannot in your service and I’vebrokennolaws.Youhavenoauthorityoverme.’‘Look,’ said Laurie,

‘there’s a likelihood theseassassins are going to lookhardforanyoneseenwithus.And even though you’re astough a boot as I’ve known,

I’ve seen what they can doand I’d not risk being takenalone by them.’ Roald’sresolveseemedunshaken.Martin said, ‘We could

certainly find some rewardforservice.’Roald, visibly brightening,

said,‘Howmuch?’Arutha replied, ‘Stay until

we complete our quest andI’ll pay you … a hundredgoldensovereigns.’

Without hesitation Roaldsaid, ‘Done!’ It was easilyfourmonths’wages for evenaseasonedcaravanguard.Arutha then looked at

Baru. ‘You spokeof needinginformation.CanweaidyourBloodquest?’‘Perhaps.Iseektofindone

of those you know as theBrotherhood of the DarkPath.’Martin raised an eyebrow

atArutha.‘Whathaveyoutodowiththemoredhel?’‘Iseekalargemoredhelof

theYabonhills,whowearsatopknot,so’–hepantomimedahorsetailofhair–‘andthreescarsuponeachcheek.Ihavebeen toldhehas come to thesouthonsomeblackmission.I had hoped to hear of himfrom travellers, for one likethatwillstandoutamongthemoredhelofthesouth.’

Arutha said, ‘If he has notongue, then he attacked usonourwaytoSarth.’‘That is him,’ said Baru.

‘The tonguelessone is calledMurad. He is a chieftain ofthe Clan Raven moredhel,blood enemies of my peoplesincethedawnof time.Evenhisownpeoplefearhim.Thescars upon his face speak ofpacts with dark powers,though little beyond that is

known.Hehasnotbeenseenin years, since before theRiftwar when moredhelmoss-troopers raided acrossthehillbordersofYabon.‘He is the cause of the

Bloodquest. He was seenagain two months ago whenhe led a band of black-armouredwarriorspastoneofour villages. For no goodreasonhepausedlongenoughtodestroythevillage,burning

every building and killingeveryone there except theherdsboy who described himto me. It was my village.’Withanalmost resignedsighhesaid, ifhewasnearSarth,then there I must go next.This moredhel has lived toolong.’Arutha nodded to Laurie,

who said, ‘Actually, Baru, ifyou stay with us, he’ll mostlikelycomelookingforyou.’

BarulookedquizzicallyatthePrince, and Arutha told himof Murmandamus and hisservants and the quest forAnita’scure.When he had finished, the

Hadatigrinnedandtherewasnohumourinit.‘ThenIshalltake service with you,Highness, if you will acceptme, for fate has thrown ustogether. You are hunted bymyenemyandIwillhavehis

head before he can haveyours.’‘Good,’ said Arutha. ‘You

will be welcome, for wefollowadangerousroad.’Martin stiffened, and in

almost the same instantBaruwas coming to his feet,moving towards the treesbehind the Duke. Martinsignalled for silence, andbeforetheotherscouldmove,he vanished into the trees, a

step behind the hillman. Theothers began to move untilAruthamotioned for them tohold. As they stoodmotionless in the dark, theyheardwhathadalertedMartinand the Hadati. Echoingthrough the night was thesoundofriderscomingdowntheroadfromYlith.Longminutes passed, then

the sound of hoofbeatspassed,headingsouthwest.A

few more minutes after,Martin and Baru reappeared.Martin whispered, ‘Riders, adozenormore,movingdownthe road as if there weredemonscomingbehind.’‘Black armour?’ asked

Arutha.Martin said, ‘No, these

were human, and hard to seeinthedark,butIjudgethemaroughcrew.’‘The Nighthawks could

have hired extra bashers iftheyneeded.Ylith’s that sortoftown,’Lauriesaid.Jimmy agreed. ‘Maybe

only one or two wereNighthawks,buthiredkniveskillasquicklyasanyothers.’Baru said, ‘They head

towardstheFreeCities.’‘They’ll be back,’ said

Roald.Arutha turned to lookat the mercenary in thegloom,barelyseeinghis face

in the faintmoonlight. ‘YourBaron Talanque has a newcustomsshedfivemilesdownthe road.My caravan passedit this afternoon. Seemsthere’s been some newsmugglingfromNataloflate.They’ll find out from theguards no one passed thisnight,andthey’llbeback.’‘Then,’ said Arutha, ‘we

must be away. The questionis how we reach Elvandar. I

plannedontravellingtheroadnorth to Yabon, then goingwest.’Roald said, ‘From Ylith

north you’ll meet some whoknow you from the war,Highness. Especially aroundLaMut.Had Ianywitsaboutme, I’d have figured it outafterawhile.’‘Then which way?” asked

thePrince.Martin said, ‘We could

headstraightwest fromhere,take the South Pass, and runthe Grey Towers along thewestern face through theGreen Heart. It’s dangerous,but…’Arutha said, ‘But goblins

andtrollsareknownenemies.That is how we shall travel.Nowlet’sbeoff.’They mounted and moved

out, Martin in the lead.Slowly they wended their

way through the dark andsilent forests, heading west.Aruthahidhis anger, forcingit down within. Theuneventful trip from Sarth toYlith had lulledhim,makinghim forget for a while whatdangers existed. But theambush at the inn and thepursuingridershadturnedhisawareness back to thedangers. Murmandamus andhis agents might have been

denied their magic means offindinghim,buttheystillhadanetout,onethathadnearlycaughthim.Jimmy rode last in line,

and he watched behind for awhile,hopingnottoseesignsof followers. Soon sight ofthe road was lost in thedarkness, and the boyreturned his attention toRoald’s and Laurie’s backs,the only things he could see

beforehim.

•ChapterThirteen•Stardock

Thewindwhipped the watertowhitefoam.Gardan looked at the

distant shore of Stardock,wishing he could ride to theacademy instead of trustingfatetokeepabargerightsideup.Still, itwasonan island.He had endured sea voyages

before, but despite a lifetimeliving in a seaport he hatedtravelling overwater, thoughhewouldneveropenlyadmitasmuch.They had left Krondor by

ship, travelling down thecoast until they entered thenarrows between the BitterSea and the Sea of Dreams,which was more of a giantsaltwaterlakethanatruesea.At Shamata they had

commandeered horses andfollowed the river Dawlin toits source, the Great StarLake.Nowtheystoodwaitingforthebargetoputin.Itwaspoled by two men in simpletunics and trousers, localpeasantsbythelookofthem.InamomentGardan,BrotherDominic, Kasumi, and sixTsurani guards would stepaboard and be poled toStardock Island, almost a

mileaway.Gardan shivered in the

unseasonably cool air. Itwasspring, but the late afternoonair had none of the warmthexpectedat this timeofyear.‘I’m the fugitive from a hotland, Captain,’ said Kasumiwithachuckle.Gardan’s voice had little

humour in it as he replied,‘No, it is cold here, butthere’s something else. I’ve

felt nothing but darkforeboding since leaving thePrince.’BrotherDominicsaidnothing, but his expressionshowedhesharedthefeeling.Kasumi nodded. He had

stayed in Krondor to guardtheKing, andwhenArutha’smessages arrived he hadaccepted Lyam’s charge toaccompany Gardan and theIshapian monk to Stardock.BesideshisdesiretovisitPug

again, there had beensomething in Lyam’s ordersthat made him believe theKingcountedthemonk’ssafearrivalatStardockvital.The barge put in to shore

andoneof thetwobargemenstepped ashore. ‘We’ll havetomaketwotripstocarrythehorses,sir,’hesaid.Kasumi, who was senior,

said, ‘That will be fine.’ Heindicatedfiveofhismenand

said, ‘Thesewill go first;wewillfollow.’Gardan said nothing about

going second; he had nodesire to rush the comingordeal. The five Tsurani ledtheiranimalsaboardandtookuppositionsilently.Whateverthey might think aboutjourneying on the wallowingbarge, they maintained theirstoicdemeanour.The barge put out, and

Gardanwatchedquietly.Savefor faint signs of activity onthe far island, the southernshore of the Great Star Lakewasdeserted.Why,wonderedGardan, would anyonechoose to live in suchisolation?Legendhaditastarfellfromthesky,creatingthelake.Butwhatever the lake’sorigins, no community hadeverarisenuponitsshores.The lone remaining

Tsuraniguardsaidsomethingin his own language toKasumi, pointing to thenortheast. Kasumi lookedwherethemanpointed.Gardan and Dominic

looked as well. In thedistance, close to thehorizonand coming before theapproaching night, severalwingedfigurescouldbeseenglidingswiftly towards them.‘What are they?’ asked

Kasumi. ‘Those are thebiggest birds I’ve seen onyour world so far. Theyappear to be nearly man-sized.’Gardansquinted.Suddenly

Dominic shouted, ‘Ishap’sgrace! Everyone back toshore.’Thebargemenlookedback

fromwheretheyweremakingslow,steadyprogress.SeeingGardan and the others draw

weapons,theyquicklypushedback for land. Theapproaching figures couldnow be seen as they racedtowards the party on shore.OneoftheboatmencriedoutinfearandprayedtoDalaforprotection.The nude creatures were

grotesquely human-shaped,male, with blue skins andpowerfully muscled torsos.Shoulder and chest muscles

flexed as giant batlike wingsbeat the air. Their headsresembled those of hairlessmonkeys, and each waved along, prehensile tail. Gardancounted: there were an evendozen of them. Withimpossiblyhigh shrieks, theydived straight at thepartyonshore.As his horse bolted,

Gardan lunged to one side,barely avoiding the

outstretched claws of one ofthe creatures. A screamsounded behind, and Gardanglimpsed one of thebargemen being carried aloftby a creature. It hovered foran instant with a powerfulbeatof itswings,holdingtheman by the neck. With acontemptuous cry it rippedoutthebargeman’sthroatanddropped him. In a spray ofblood, the man fell to the

water.Gardanstruckoutatoneof

thecreatures,whichsoughttograbhiminthesamemanner.The blade struck it squarelyin the face, but the creatureonly withdrew with a backbeat of its wings. There wasno apparent mark upon itwhere the sword had struck.It grimaced, shook its head,then launchedanother attack.Gardanfellback,focusinghis

entire concentration on thecreature’soutstretchedhands.Very humanlike fingersending in long talons rakedacrossthesteelofhisbladeashe parried. The captainwished his horse had stoodlong enough for him toretrievehisshield.‘What manner of beings

are these?’ Kasumi shoutedasthebargegotcloseenoughfor the five Tsurani to leap

fortheshore.Dominic’s voice could be

heard somewhere behind.‘Theyareelementalcreatures,fashioned by black arts. Ourweaponshavenoeffect.’The Tsurani seemed

unperturbed despite that fact,attackingthecreaturesastheywould any enemy, with nohesitation. While the blowsreceiveddidnodamagetothecreatures, they obviously

inflicted pain, for theTsurani’s onslaught causedthecreaturestowithdrawandhoverforamoment.Gardan looked and found

Kasumi and Dominic closeby.Theybothhadshieldsandstood at the ready. Then thecreatureswereonthemagain.A soldier screamed, andGardancaughtaglimpseofaTsuranifallingnearby.Gardan sawKasumi avoid

the rush of two of thecreatures, using sword,shield, and agility to goodadvantage. But the captainknew there was no hope ofsurvival,foritwouldbeonlya matter of time before theytired and slowed. Thecreatures showed no sign offatigue and were attackingwith as much fury as whentheyarrived.Dominic lashed out with

his mace, and a creaturewarbled a high-pitched noteofpain.Ifweaponscouldnotcut themagically constructedhide, then at least they couldbreak bones. The creaturefluttered in a circle, tryingdesperately to stay aloft, butslowly it approached theground. From the way onewing lamely flapped, it wasobviousDominic had brokenitsshoulder.

Gardan dodged anotherattackanddancedtooneside.Behind the two creaturesattacking him he saw thewounded one touch theground. As soon as its feetmade contact with the earth,the creature emitted an ear-splitting howl of pain andburst into a shower ofsparkling energies. With aflash, near-blinding in theevening gloom, it vanished,

leavingonlyasmokingpatchon the ground. Dominicshouted,‘Theyareelementalsof theair!Theycannotabidethetouchofearth!’Gardan swung a mighty

overhandblowatthecreatureonhis right.Theforceof theblow drove the creaturedownwards. It made thebriefest contact with theearth, but that was enough.Like the other, it exploded

into sparks. In panic, itreached out a hand andgrippedthetrailingtailofthecreaturebesideit,asiftryingto pull itself away from thedestruction below. Thesparking energy travelled upthetailofthesecondcreatureandit,too,wasconsumed.Kasumi whirled about and

saw that threeofhis sixmenlay dead. The creatures nownumbered nine, and they

swarmed the remainingfighters, though there wasnowanelementofcautionintheir approach.One swoopeddown towardsDominic,whobraced for the attack. Insteadofreachingoutforthemonk,theelementalbeatbackwardsagainst the air, buffeting thecleric, seeking to knock himdown. Gardan raced upbehind the creature, duckingto avoid claws reaching for

him. He lunged forwards,barelykeepingswordinhand,and threwhisarmsabout thedangling legs of the creaturefacing Dominic. He huggedthem close, his face buriedagainstthenakedthighofthething.Hisstomachchurnedatthe stench from theelemental’s body, the odourof things long dead and bestburied. His unexpectedweight pulled the thing

downwards. It shrieked andbeatitswingsfuriously,butitwas off balance and Gardanpulled it to the ground. Liketheothers,itburstintosparks.Gardan rolled away,

feeling pain erupt along hisarmsandchest,wherehehadgripped the creature when itexploded:hehadbeenburnedin the process of destroyingit. He ignored the pain andfeltagrowinghope.Thoseon

the shore numbered seven –Gardan, Kasumi, Dominic,threesoldiers,andaboatmanwielding a pole – and thecreatures were now onlyeight.Foramomenttheattacking

elementals chose to circleoverhead,outof reachof thesurviving soldiers’ weapons.As theybegan topeeloff fora swooping attack, ashimmering began a short

distancedownthebeachfromthedefenders.GardanprayedtoTith,godofsoldiers,thatitwasn’t the arrival of anotherattacker.Onemorefoewouldsurely tip the balance andoverwhelmthem.Withaflickeringoflighta

man appeared upon thebeach, dressed in simpleblack tunic and trousers.Gardan and Kasumi at oncerecognizedPugandshouteda

warningtohim.Themagiciancalmlysurveyedthesituation.One creature, seeing anunarmed opponent, howledwithmaniacalgleeanddivedforhim.Pug stood his ground,

showing no defence. Thediving creature reached apoint less than ten feet fromhim, then crashed into aninvisible barrier. As if it hadstruck a stone wall, the

creature crumpled to theground.Itvanishedinanotherblindingflash.Shrieks of panic sounded

overhead, as the remainingcreaturesnowunderstoodthathere was a foe beyond theirpowers to harm. As one, theseven remaining creaturesturned and began a headlongflightnorthwards.Pug waved his hands and

suddenly a blue fire danced

upon his upraised palms. Hecast it after the fleeingcreatures.The sphereof bluefire sped after the elementalsand caught up with them asthey winged furiously overthe water. Like a cloud ofpulsating light, it envelopedthem. Strangled cries of paincould be heard as theelementals contorted inmidairandfell twitchingintothelake.Aseachtouchedthe

surface of the water, iterupted into green flame,consumed as it vanishedunder the rippling surface ofthelake.GardanwatchedPugashe

approached the nearlyexhaustedsoldiers.Therewassomething unusually sombrein Pug’s expression and hisgaze held a hint of powerGardan had never seenbefore. Abruptly, Pug’s

expression changed as herelaxed.His facenowlookedyoung, boyish in spite of hisnearly twenty-six years ofage.With a sudden smile hesaid, ‘Welcome to Stardock,gentlemen.’

A warm fire filled the roomwithacosyglow.GardanandDominicrestedinlargechairssetbeforethefireplace,whileKasumi sat on cushions,

Tsuranifashion.Kulgan dressed the

captain’sburns,fussinglikeamother over her idiot child.The two had known eachother for years at Crydee,well enough for Kulgan totake a rough tone with thecaptain. ‘How you could befoolish enough to grab on tooneof those things– anyoneknows that contact with anelementally dependent

creature when it returns to aprimal state involves therelease of energies, mostlyheatandlight.’Gardan, tired of being

scolded, said, ‘Well, I didn’tknow. Kasumi, did youknow?Dominic?’Kasumi sat laughing as

Dominicsaid,‘Asamatteroffact,Ididknow.’‘You are no help at all,

priest,’ muttered the captain.

‘Kulgan,ifyouaredone,canwe eat? I’ve been smellingthat hot food for nearly anhourandit’sclosetomakingmegomad.’Pug laughed, leaning

against the wall next to thehearth. ‘Captain, it’s moreliketenminutes.’Theyweresittinginaroom

in the first floor of a largebuilding under construction.Kasumi said, ‘I am glad the

King permitted me to visityouracademy,Pug.’‘And I as well,’ said

Brother Dominic. ‘While weat Sarth appreciate thosecopies of works you’veforwardedtoussofar,wearestill vague about what yourplans are. We seek to knowmore.’Pug said, ‘I am pleased to

host any who come with thelove of learning, Brother

Dominic. Perhaps somedaywe may claim repayment ofourslighthospitalityandvisityourfabledlibrary.’Kulgan’s head came

around at that. ‘I would bepleased to claim that right,friendDominic.’‘Anytime you call, you’ll

be welcomed,’ answered themonk.‘Watch this one,’ said

Gardanwithatiltofhishead

towardsKulgan.‘Losehiminthoseundergroundvaultsandyou’llneverfindhim.He’saspassionateforbooksasabearforhoney.’A striking woman with

darkhairandlarge,darkeyesenteredtheroom,followedbytwo servants. All carriedplatterswithfood,andassheplaced hers upon the longtable at the other end of theroom from where the men

were gathered, she said,‘Please,itistimeforsupper.’Pug said, ‘Brother

Dominic, this is my wife,Katala.’The monk nodded

deferentially and said, ‘Mylady.’Shesmiledathim.‘Please,

Katala. We tend to theinformalhere.’The monk again inclined

his head as he came to the

indicated chair. He turned atthe soundof a door opening,andforthefirsttimesincethecaptain had met him, themonk’s composure cracked.William came hurrying intothe room, the green-scaledformofFantusbehind.‘Ishap’s mercy! Is that a

firedrake?’William ran to where his

fatherstoodandhuggedhim,eyeing the newcomers

cautiously.Kulgansaid,‘Thisis Fantus, lord of this estate.Therestofusliveherebyhissufferance, though he suffersWilliam’s company best.’The drake’s gaze shifted toKulganforamomentasifheagreed totally.Thenhis largered eyes returned tocontemplating the table andwhatlayuponit.Pug said, ‘William, say

hellotoKasumi.’

William bowed his headslightly,smiling.Hespokeinthe Tsurani tongue, andKasumianswered,laughing.Dominic looked interested.

Pugsaid,‘Mysonisfluentinboth the King’s Tongue andthe Tsurani language. Mywife and I keep himpractising both, for many ofmy works are in the Tsuranilanguage. That is one of theproblems I have in bringing

theartof theGreaterPath toMidkemia.MuchofwhatIdois the result of how I think,and I think magic in theTsurani language. William’sgoing to be a great helpsomeday, aiding me indiscoveringwaystodomagicintheKing’sTonguesoIcanteachthosewholivehere.’Katala said, ‘Gentlemen,

thefoodgrowscold.’‘And my wife does not

permittalkingofmagicatthistable,’saidPug.Kulgansnortedat this,and

Katalasaid,ifIdid,thesetwowouldhardlygetamouthful.’Gardan moved with

alacrity, despite hisdiscomfort, saying, ‘I don’thave tobewarnedmore thanonce.’ He sat down andimmediately one of theservants began filling hisplatter.

Dinner proceededpleasantly,with talk of smallthings.Asiftheterrorsoftheday had vanished with thenight,allmentionofthegrimevents that had broughtGardan, Dominic, andKasumi to Stardock wereignored. Nothing aboutArutha’s quest, the threat ofMurmandamus,ortheportentof the abbeywas said. For ashorttimenodiscordexisted.

For a brief hour, the worldwasapleasantplacewitholdfriends, and new guests,enjoying one another’scompany.ThenWilliamwasmaking

hisgood-nights.Dominicwasstruck by the resemblancebetween boy and mother,thoughhismannerofmovingand speaking was in openimitationofhisfather.Fantushad been fed fromWilliam’s

plate and padded out of theroombehindhim.‘Istillcanhardlycreditmy

senses where that drake isconcerned,’ said Dominicaftertheyhadleft.‘He’sbeenKulgan’spetas

longasIcanremember,’saidGardan.Kulgan,whowaslightinga

pipe, said, ‘Ha! No longer.That boy and Fantus havebeen inseparable since the

daytheymet.’Katala said, ‘There is

something beyond theordinary with those two. AttimesI think theyunderstandeachother.’Dominic said, ‘Lady

Katala, there is little aboutthis place which is notbeyond the ordinary. Thisgathering together ofmagicians, this construction,thatisallextraordinary.’

Pugroseandledtheothersto the chairs near the fire.‘But understand that uponKelewan, when I studied atthe Assembly, what you seeaborning here was ancientand established. Thebrotherhoodofmagicianswasan accepted fact, as was thecommon sharing ofknowledge.’Kulgan puffed contentedly

uponhispipe.‘Whichisasit

shouldbe.’Pug said, ‘We can discuss

the rise of the academy atStardock tomorrow, when Ican show you ourcommunity. I’ll read themessages from Arutha andtheAbbot tonight.Iknowallthat led up to Arutha’sleaving Krondor, Gardan.Whatoccurredbetween thereandSarth?’Thecaptain,whohadbeen

feeling drowsy, forcedhimselfalertandquicklytoldoftheeventsfromKrondortoSarth. Brother Dominicremained silent, since thecaptain forgot nothing ofsignificance. Then it was themonk’s turn, as he explainedwhat he knew of the attackupontheabbey.Whenhehadfinished, Pug and Kulganasked several questions butwithheldcomment.

Pug said, ‘The news youcarry iscausefor thedeepestconcern.Still,thehourislate,and I think there are othersupon this island who shouldbe consulted. I suggest weshow these tired and soregentlementotheirroomsandbegin discussions in earnesttomorrow.’Gardan, who could feel a

yawnbeginning,stifleditandnodded. Kasumi, Brother

Dominic, and the captainwere escorted from the roomby Kulgan, who bade theothersgoodnight.Pug left the fireside and

crossed to a window, wherehe stood watching the littlemoon’slightreflectingoffthewaterasitpeekedthroughthecloud cover. Katala came upbehind her husband and herarmswentaroundhiswaist.‘You are troubled by this

news, husband.’ It was astatement,notaquestion.‘As always, you knowmy

mind.’ He turned within thecircle of her arms and drewher closer, smelling thesweetness of her hair as hekissed her cheek. ‘I hadhopedwewould liveoutourliveswiththebuildingofthisacademy and the raising ofchildrenouronlyconcerns.’Shesmiledupathim,dark

eyes mirroring the unendinglove she felt for her man.‘AmongtheThurilwehaveasaying: “Life is problems.Living issolvingproblems.’”He smiled at this. She said,‘Still, it is true.WhatdoyouthinkofthenewsKasumiandtheothersbrought?’‘I do not know.’ He

stroked her brown hair.‘Lately I have felt agrowinggnawingfeelinginside.Ihave

thought it simplyworry overtheprogresswemakehereinbuilding the academy, but itismore than that.My nightshave been filled withdreams.’‘I know, Pug. I have seen

you struggle in your sleep.Youhaveyet to speak tomeofthem.’Helookedather.‘Ihadno

wish to trouble you, love. Ithought themmere ghosts of

memories from the times oftrouble. But now I … I amnot sure. One returns withfrequency, coming moreoftenlately.Avoiceinadarkplacecriesouttome.Itseeksmyaid,begsforhelp.’She said nothing, for she

knewherhusbandandwouldwait until he was ready toshare his feelings. Finally hesaid, ‘I know the voice,Katala.Ihavehearditbefore,

whenthetimeoftroubleswasfull upon us at its mostdreadful moment, when theoutcome of theRiftwar hungin the balance,when the fateoftwoworldsresteduponmyshoulders. It’s Macros. It’shisvoiceIhear.’Katala shivered and

hugged her husband close.The name of Macros theBlack, whose library servedas the seed for this growing

academy of magic, was oneshe knew well. Macros wasthe mysterious sorcerer,neither of the Greater Pathlike Pug, nor of the LesserPath like Kulgan, butsomething else.Hehad livedlong enough to seem eternaland he could read the future.Hehadalwayshadahand inthe conduct of the Riftwar,playing some cosmic gamewith human lives for stakes

only he understood. He hadridMidkemia of the rift, themagic bridge between herownhomeworldandhernewone. She nestled closer toPug, her head on his chest.Most of all, she knew whyPug was troubled. Macroswasdead.

Gardan, Kasumi, andDominic stood at groundlevel admiring the work

proceeding above. Workerscontracted in Shamata werelaying course after course ofstone, building up the highwalls of the academy. Pugand Kulgan stood nearby,inspecting the newest planssubmitted by theMasterbuilder in charge ofconstruction. Kulganmotioned for the newcomerstojointhem.‘Thisisallvitalto us, so you will please

indulgeusabit, I trust,’ saidthe stout mage. ‘We havebeen at work for only a fewmonthsandweareanxioustoseetheworkuninterrupted.’Gardansaid,‘Thisbuilding

willbeimmense.’‘Twenty-five storeys tall,

withseveralhighertowersforobservingtheheavens.’Dominic said, ‘That is

incredible. Such a buildingcouldhousethousands.’

Kulgan’s blue eyessparkledmerrily. ‘FromwhatPug has told me, it is but apart of what he knew in theCity of Magicians on theother world. There an entirecityhasgrowntogetherintoasinglegigantic edifice.Whenwehavecompletedourwork,years from now, we shallhave only one-twentieth partof that, or less. Still, there isroom to grow, if needs be.

Someday, perhaps, theacademy may cover thisentireislandofStardock.’TheMasterbuilderleft,and

Pug said, ‘I am sorry for theinterruption, but somedecisionsneeded tobemade.Come, let’s continue theinspection.’Following the wall, they

rounded a corner to comeupon a group of buildingslookinglikenothingsomuch

as a small village.Here theycouldseemenandwomeninvarious manner of dress,Kingdom and Keshian,movingamong thebuildings.Several children played in asquare at the centre of thevillage. One of them wasWilliam. Dominic lookedabout and saw Fantus lyingnear a doorway in thesunlight, a short distanceaway. The children were

frantically trying to kick aball fashioned of rags boundin leather into a barrel. Thegameseemeddevoidof rulesofconductorplay.Dominic laughed at the

sight.‘Iusedtoplaythesamegame on Sixthdays when Iwasaboy.’Pug smiled. ‘As did I.

Muchofwhatweplanhasyettobeimplemented,soforthepresent the children’s duties

are occasional things. Theydon’tseemtomind.’‘Whatisthisplace?’asked

Dominic.‘For the time being, it is

the home of our youngcommunity. The wing whereKulgan and my family haveour rooms, as well as someinstructionrooms, is theonlypartoftheacademyreadyforuse. It was the first sectioncompleted, though

construction still continuesabove on the upper floors.ThosewhotraveltoStardockto learn and serve at theacademy live there, untilmore quarters can be madeready in the main building.’He motioned for them tofollow him into a largebuilding that dominated thevillage.Williamleftthegameand tagged along beside hisfather. Pug placed his hand

upon the boy’s shoulder.‘How are your studiestoday?’Theboymadeaface.‘Not

so good. I gave up today.Nothingworksasitshould.’Pug’s expression turned

serious, but Kulgan gaveWilliam a playful push backtowards the game. ‘Runalong, boy. Worry not, yourfather was equallyhardheadedwhen hewasmy

student.Itwillcomeintime.’Pug half smiled.

‘Hardheaded?’Kulgan said, ‘Perhaps

“slow-witted” would be abetterwaytoputit.’Entering the door, Pug

said, ‘Until the day I die,Kulgan will make sport ofme.’The building turned out to

be a hollow shell. Its onlypurpose seemed to be to

house a large table runningthe length of it. The onlyotherfeatureoftheroomwasahearth.Thehighceilingwassupported by rafter beams,fromwhichhunglanternsthatgaveoffacheerylight.Pug pulled out a chair at

the end of the table,signallingfortheotherstositaswell.Dominic was pleased with

the fire. Even if it was late

spring, this day was chilly.Hesaid,‘Whatofthewomenandchildrenabout?’Kulgan withdrew his pipe

from his belt and began tostuff the bowl with tabac.‘Thechildrenarethesonsanddaughters of those who havecomehere.Wehaveplans toorganize a school for them.Pughassomestrangenotionsabout educating everyone inthe Kingdom someday,

though I don’t see universaleducation becoming thevogue.Thewomenareeitherthe wives of magicians ormagicians themselves,women commonly regardedaswitches.’Dominic appeared

troubled.‘Witches?’Kulgan lit his pipe with a

flameontheendofhisfingerand exhaled a cloud ofsmoke. ‘What is in a name?

They practise magic. Forreasons I do not understand,men have at least beensomewhat tolerated forpractising magic in manyplaces, while women havebeen driven from nearlyevery communitywhere theyare discovered to havepower.’Dominic said, ‘But it is

held that witches gain theirpowers by serving dark

forces.’Kulgan waved the notion

aside. ‘Nonsense. That issuperstition, if you’ll forgivemybeingblunt.Thesourceoftheir power is no more darkthan your own, and theirbehaviour is usually a greatdealkinderthanthatofsomeof the more enthusiastic, ifmisguided, servants of sometemples.’Dominic said, ‘True, but

you are speaking of arecognized member of alegitimatetemple.’Kulgan looked directly at

Dominic. ‘Forgive theobservation, but in spite ofthe Ishapian reputation for amore worldly view than thatofotherorders,your remarksareprofoundlyprovincial.Sowhat if these poor wretchesdonottoilwithinatemple?‘If a woman serves in a

templesheisholy,andifshecomes to her power in a hutin thewoods she is awitch?Even my old friend FatherTully wouldn’t swallow thatpiece of dogmatic tripe.Youare not speaking of anyinherent question of good orevil; you’re talking aboutwho’sgotabetterguild.’Dominic smiled. ‘You,

then, seek to build a betterguild?’

Kulganblewoutacloudofsmoke. ‘In a sense, yes,though that is less the reasonforwhatwedothanis tryingtocodifyasmuchmagicloreaspossible.’Dominicsaid,‘Forgivemy

harsh questions, but one ofmychargeswas todeterminethesourceofyourmotivation.The King is your powerfulally, and our temple wasconcernedthattheremightbe

some hidden purpose behindyour activities. It wasthought, as long as I wascominghere…’Pug finished, ‘You might

aswellchallengewhatwedoandseewhatwesay?’Kasumisaid,‘AslongasI

haveknownPug,hehasactedwithhonour.’Dominicwenton,‘HadIa

single doubt, I would havesaid nothing now. That your

purposesareonly thehighestisnotindoubt.Just…’Pug andKulganboth said,

‘What?’‘It is clear you seek to

establish a community ofscholars, more than anythingelse.That, in andof itself, islaudable. But you will notalwaysbehere.Somedaythisacademycouldbeapowerfultoolinthewronghands.’Pug said, ‘We are taking

everyprecautiontoavoidthatpitfall,believeme.’Dominicsaid,‘Ido.’Pug’s expression changed,

asifhehadheardsomething.Theyarecoming,’hesaid.Kulgan watched with rapt

attention.‘Gamina?’heaskedinawhisper.Pug nodded, and Kulgan

made a satisfied ‘Ah’ sound.‘The contact was better thanever. She grows in power

eachweek.’Pug explained to the

others,‘Ireadthereportsyoubrought last night and havesummoned here one who Ithink may help. With himcomesanother.’Kulgan said, ‘The other is

…one able to send thoughtsand receive them withremarkableclarity.Atpresentshe is the only one we havefound able to do so. Pughas

told of a similar ability onKelewan, used during histraining, but it requiredpreparationofthesubject.’Pug said, ‘It is like the

mind touch used by somepriests, but there is no needfor physical contact, or evenproximity, it seems. Nor isthere the attendant danger ofbeing caught up in the mindoftheonetouched.Gaminaisa rare talent.’ Dominic was

impressed. Pug continued,Shetouchesthemindanditisas if she speaks. We havehopes of somedayunderstandingthiswildtalentand learning a way to trainotherstoit.’Kulgan said, ‘I hear them

approaching.’ He rose.‘Please, gentlemen, Gaminais something of a timid soul,one who has undergonedifficult times. Remember

thatandbegentlewithher.’Kulgan opened the door

and two people entered. Themanwas ancient,with a fewstraywispsofhair,likewhitesmoke, falling to hisshoulders. His hand was onthe other’s shoulder and hewalked stooped over,showing some slightdeformityunderhis redrobe.From the milky orbs thatstared blankly ahead it was

obvious the old man wasblind.But it was the girl who

commanded their attention.She wore homespun andappeared about seven yearsold,atinythingwhoclutchedat the hand upon hershoulder.Herblueeyeswereenormous,illuminatingapaleface of delicate features.Herhair was almost as white astheoldman’s,holdingonlya

hint of gold. What struckDominic, Gardan, andKasumi was anoverwhelming feeling thatthis child was perhaps themost beautiful they had everseen.Already they could seein those childish features thepromise of a woman ofunsurpassedbeauty.Kulganguidedtheoldman

to a chair next to his own.Thegirldidnotsit,butchose

tostandbesidetheman,bothhandsonhisshoulder,fingersflexing nervously, as if shefeared to lose contact withhim. She looked at the threestrangerswith the expressionofacorneredwildthing.Shetooknopains todisguiseherdistrust.Pugsaid,‘ThisisRogen.’The blind man leant

forward. ‘Whomdo Imeet?’His face, despite the age it

showed, was alive andsmiling,uptilted as if tohearbetter. Itwasevident thathe,unlike the girl, enjoyed theprospect of meetingnewcomers.Pug introduced the three

men, who sat oppositeKulganandRogen.Theblindman’ssmilebroadened.‘Iampleased to meet you, worthygentlemen.’Then Pug said, ‘This is

Gamina.’Dominic and the others

were startled when the girl’svoice sounded in theirheads.Hello.The girl’s mouth had not

moved. She was motionless,herenormousblueeyesfixeduponthem.Gardan said, ‘Did she

speak?’Kulgan answered, ‘With

her mind. She has no other

powerofspeech.’Rogen reached up to pat

thegirl’shands.‘Gaminawasbornwiththisgift,thoughshenearlydrovehermothercrazywith her silent crying.’ Theold man’s face becamesolemn. ‘Gamina’s motherand father were stoned todeath by the people of hervillage, for having birthed ademon. Poor, superstitiouspeople they were. They

feared to kill the baby,thinking she would revert toher “natural” form and slaythem all, so they left her inthe forest to die of exposure.She was not yet three yearsold.’Gamina looked at the old

man with penetrating eyes.Heturnedtofaceher,asifhecouldseeher,andsaid,‘Yes,thatiswhenIfoundyou.’To the others he said, ‘I

waslivingintheforest,inanabandoned hunter’s lodge Ihad discovered. I also wasdrivenfrommyhomevillage,but that was years earlier. Iforetoldthedeathofthetownmillerandwasblamed for it.Iwasbrandedawarlock.’Pug said, ‘Rogen has the

power of second sight,perhapstocompensateforhisblindness. He has beenwithoutsightsincebirth.’

Rogen smiled broadly andpatted the girl’s hands. ‘Weare alike, we two, in manyways. I had grown to fearwhat would become of thegirl when I die.’ Heinterrupted himself to speakto the girl, who had becomeagitated at his words. Shestood shaking, her eyeswellingupwithtears.‘Hush,’hescoldedgently,‘Iwill,too– everyone does. I hope not

too soon, though,’ he addedwith a chuckle. He returnedto his narrative. ‘We camefrom a village near Salador.Whenwordreachedusofthiswondrous place, we startedour journey. It took sixmonths to walk here, mostlybecauseIamsoold.Nowwehave found people likeourselves, who view us as asource of knowledge, not asourceoffear.Wearehome.’

Dominic shook his head,amazed that a man his ageand a child had walkedhundreds of miles. He wasobviously moved. ‘I ambeginning to understandanotherpartofwhat it isyoudohere.Aretheremanymorelikethesetwo?’Pugsaid,‘NotasmanyasI

wouldlike.Someofthemoreestablished magicians refuseto join us. Others fear us.

They will not reveal theirabilities.Otherssimplydonotyetknowweexist.Butsome,like Rogen, seek us out.Wehavenearlyfiftypractitionersofmagichere.’‘Thatisagreatmany,’said

Gardan.Kasumi said, ‘In the

Assembly there were twothousandGreatOnes.’Pug nodded. ‘We also had

nearly that number who

followed the Lesser Path.Andofthosewhorosetotheblack robe, the sign of theGreater Magician, each wasbut one in five who begantraining, under conditionsmore rigorous than we arecapable of here or woulddesire.’Dominic looked at Pug.

‘What of the others, thosewhofailedtheirtraining?’‘They were killed,’ Pug

answeredflatly.Dominic judged it a topic

Pugdidnotwishtopursue.Aflicker of fear crossed thegirl’s face and Rogen said,‘Hush,hush.Noonewillhurtyouhere.Hewasspeakingofa faraway place. Somedayyouwillbeagreatteacher.’The girl relaxed, and a

faint flicker of pride in herexpression could be seen. Itwas obvious she doted upon

theoldman.Pug said, ‘Rogen, there is

something taking place thatyour powers may aid us inunderstanding. Will youhelp?’‘Isitthatimportant?’‘Iwouldnot ask if itwere

not vital. Princess Anita liesin peril and Prince Arutha isat constant risk from someunknownenemy.’The girl became worried,

or at least that was howGardanandDominicreadherexpression.Rogencockedhishead, as if listening, thensaid, ‘Iknowit isdangerous,butweowePugagreatdeal.He and Kulgan are the onlyhope for people likeourselves.’ Both menappearedembarrassedby thisbut said nothing. ‘Besides,Arutha is theKing’s brother,and it was their father who

gave us all this wonderfulislandtoliveon.Howwouldpeople feel if they knew wecould have helped butdidn’t?’Pug spoke softly to

Dominic. ‘Rogen’s secondsight…isdifferentfromanyI’ve heard of. Your order isreputed to have someknowledge of prophecy.’Dominicnodded.‘Hesees…probabilitiesisthebestwayI

can describe it. What mayhappen. It seems to require agreatdealofhisenergies,andthough he is tougher than helooks,heisstillquiteold.Itiseasier if only one personspeaks to him, and as youhave the best understandingofthenatureofthemagicthathasoccurred,Ithinkitwouldbe better for you to tell himall you know.’ Dominicagreed.Pugsaid, if everyone

else will please remainsilent.’Rogen reached across the

table and took the cleric’shands.Dominicwassurprisedat the strength remaining inthose withered old fingers.While not able to foretellhimself, Dominic wasfamiliar with the process asperformed by those of hisorder. He cleared his mind,then began to tell his story

from when Jimmy first ranfoul of the Nighthawk uponthe rooftop to when Aruthaleft Sarth. Rogen remainedsilent.Gaminadidnotmove.When Dominic spoke of theprophecy naming Arutha‘Bane of Darkness’, the oldman shuddered and his lipsmovedsilently.The mood in the room

becameominousasthemonkspoke. Even the fire seemed

todim.Gardanfoundhewashugginghimselfashesat.When the monk halted,

Rogencontinuedtoclutchhishand, not allowing the otherto pull away. His head wasraised, neck arched slightlybackwards, as if he werelisteningtosomethingdistant.His lips worked withoutsound for a while, thenslowly words were forming,though so quietly they were

not distinguishable. All atonce he spoke clearly, hisvoice firm. ‘There is a …presence… a being. I see acity, a mighty bastion oftowers and walls. Upon itswalls stand proud menwillingtodefendittotheend.Now … it’s a city undersiege. I see it overwhelmed,with its towersablaze…It’sa city-being murdered. Agreat savage host runs in its

streets as it falls. Thosewhofight are sorely pressed andwithdraw to a keep. Thosewho rape and loot… all arenothuman.Iseethoseof theDark Path and their goblinservants. They roam thestreets, their weaponsdripping blood. I see strangeladders being raised to stormthekeep, and strangebridgesof light. Now it burns, allburns;allisinflames…itis

over.’There was a moment of

silence, then Rogencontinued. ‘I see a host,gathered on a plain, withstrangebannersflying.Black-armoured figures sit silentlyon horseback, showingtwistedshapesonshieldsandtabards.Abovethemstandsamoredhel…’ The old man’seyes teared. ‘He is …beautiful…He…isevil.He

wearsthemarkofthedragon.He stands upon a hill whilebelowhimarmiesmarchpastsinging battle songs. Greatmachinesofwararepulledbymiserablehumanslaves.’Again there was silence.

Then:‘Iseeanothercity.Theimage shifts and wavers, forits future is less certain. Itswalls lie breached, and itsstreets are stained red. Thesunhidesitsfacebehindgrey

clouds … and the city criesout in anguish. Men andwomen are chained in lineswithout end. They are …whipped by creatures whotauntandtormentthem.Theyare being herded to a greatsquare,where they face theirconqueror. A throne iserected atop a mound … amoundofbodies.Uponitsits… the beautiful one, the evilone. At his side stands

another, a black robe hideshis features. Behind themboth is another something…Icannotseeit,butitisreal,itexists, it is … dark … It isinsubstantial, without being,not truly there, but … it isalso there. It touches the oneon the throne.’Rogen tightlyclutched Dominic’s hands.‘Wait …’ he said, thenhesitated.Hishandsbegan totremble,theninpiteoustones,

nearly a sob, he cried, ‘Ohgodsofmercy!Itcanseeme!Itcanseeme!’Theoldman’slips trembled, while Gaminaclutchedathisshoulder,eyeswide, holding him closely,terror written upon her littleface. Suddenly Rogen’s lipsparted to emit a terriblegroan, a sound of the purestagony and despair, and hisbodywentrigid.Withoutwarningalanceof

fire, a stab of pure pain,erupted in the minds of allwhosat intheroom.Gaminascreamedinsilence.Gardan clutched at his

head,nearlyfaintingfromtheimpact white-hot flash ofsearing agony. Dominic’sfacewentashenandhereeledback in his chair under theonslaught of the cry as ifstruck a physical blow.Kasumi’s eyes screwed

closed as he fought to rise.Kulgan’spipefell fromslacklips as he clutched histemples.Pugstaggered tohisfeet,usingeveryshredofhismagic power to erect somesort ofmental barrier againstthe tearing in his mind. Hepushed back the blacknessthat sought to overwhelmhim,reachingouttotouchthegirl.‘Gamina,’hecroaked.The girl’s mental

screaming continuedunabated and she torefrantically at the old man’stunic,amindlessact,asifshesought somehow to snatchhim back from whateverhorror he faced. Her largeeyes were wide and hervoiceless hysterics nearlydrove those around her tomadness.Puglungedforwardand grabbed her shoulder.Gamina ignored the touch,

continuing to scream forRogen.Musteringhispowers,Pug forced aside the terrorand pain in the girl’sprojected thoughts forabriefmoment.Gardan’sheadfell forward

onto the table, as didKasumi’s. Kulgan lurchedupright,thenfellbackintohischair, stunned. Besides Pugand Gamina, only Dominichad managed to retain

consciousness. Somethinginside him had struggled toreach out to the girl, nomatter how much he wishedtoretreatfromthepainbeingvisiteduponhimbyher.The girl’s primitive terror

nearly brought Pug to hisknees, but he forced himselfon. He cast a spell, and thegirl fell forward.Atonce thepain ceased. Pug caught her,buttheeffortdrovehimback

and he staggered into hischair. He sat cradling theunconsciousgirl,stupefiedbytheonslaught.Dominic feltas ifhishead

would burst but hung on toconsciousness.Theoldman’sbody was still rigid, nearlybowed back with pain, hislipsworkingfeebly.Dominicincanted a spell of healing,one used to cease pain.Finally Rogen went limp,

seeming to collapse into hischair.Buthisfacewasstillamask of terror and pain, andhe cried out in a hoarsewhisper words the monkcould not understand, beforehe lapsed intounconsciousness.Pug and the monk

exchanged confused looks.Dominic felt blacknessovertake him and, before hepassedout,wonderedwhythe

magician suddenly looked sofrightened.

Gardanpacedtheroomwherethey had dined the nightbefore. Next to the fire,Kulgan said, ‘You’ll wear afurrow in the stones of thefloorifyoudon’tsitdown.’Kasumirestedquietlyona

cushion beside the magician.Gardan lowered himself nextto the Tsurani and said, ‘It’s

this infernal waiting.’Dominic and Pug, with theaid of some healers in thecommunity, were tending toRogen.Theoldmanhadlainneardeath sincehehadbeencarried from the meetinghouse. Gamina’s mentalscreamhadtouchedallwithinamileofher,thoughstrikingthose at a distance with lessforce. Still, several peoplenear the building had been

renderedsenselessforatime.When the cries had stopped,those with their wits aboutthem had rushed to seewhathadoccurred.Theyhadfoundall in the meeting houseunconscious.Katala was soon on the

scene and ordered them allcarried to the quarters whereshe could oversee their care.Theothershadrecoveredinafewhours,butRogenhadnot.

The vision had begun inmidmorning, and now itwasaftersupper.Gardan struck hand with

fist and said, ‘Damn! I wasnever meant for this sort ofbusiness. I am a soldier.These monsters of magic,thesenamelesspowers…Ohfor an enemy of flesh andblood!’‘Toowell do I knowwhat

you can do to a flesh-and-

blood enemy,’ Kasumi said.Kulganlookedinterested,andKasumi said, ‘In the earlyyears of the war, the captainandIfacedoneanotheratthesiege of Crydee. It wasn’tuntil we were exchanginghistories that I discovered hewas second to Prince Aruthaduring the siege, or he that Iledtheassault.’The door opened and a

large man entered, removing

agreatcloak.Hewasbeardedand weather-beaten inappearance, looking like ahunter or woodcutter. Hesmiledslightlyandsaid,‘Igoawayforafewdaysandlookwhowandersin.’Gardan’s dark face broke

into a broad smile and herose, extending his hand.‘Meecham!’They shook and the man

called Meecham said, ‘Well

met, Captain.’ Kasumifollowed suit, for Meechamwas an old acquaintance. Hewas a franklin, a free manwith his own land in serviceto Kulgan, though he wasmoreafriendtothemagicianthananysortofservant.Kulgansaid,‘Anyluck?’The forester absently

stroked the scar on his leftcheek as he said, ‘No. Allfakes.’

Kulgan said to the others,‘We heard of a travellingcaravan of fortunetellers andgypsies, camped a few daysthis side of Landreth. I sentMeecham to discover if anyofthemweretruetalents.’‘There was one,’ said

Meecham. ‘Might have beenwhat he seemed, but hequieteddownwhenItoldhimwhere I was from. Maybehe’ll show up on his own

hook.’He looked around theroom.‘Allright,isn’tanyonegoingtotellmewhat’sgoingonhere?’As Kulgan finished

recounting everything toMeecham, the door openedand further conversation wasinterrupted. William enteredleadingGamina by the hand.The old man’s ward lookedeven more pale than whenGardan had seen her the day

before.ShelookedatKulgan,Kasumi, andGardan and hervoice entered their minds. Iam sorry I caused so muchpain.Iwasfrightened.Kulgan slowly extended

hisarms,andthegirlgingerlyallowedhim togatherheruponto his ample lap. With agentle hug, he said, it is allright,lass.Weunderstand.’The others smiled at the

girl reassuringly and she

seemedtorelax.Fantuscamepadding into the room.William threw him a quicklook and said, ‘Fantus ishungry.’Meechamsaid, ‘Thatbeast

wasbornhungry.’No, came the thought.He

said he was hungry. No oneremembered to feed himtoday.Iheard.Kulgan gently held the

little girl away from him so

he could look at her. ‘Whatdoyoumean?’He told William he was

hungry. Just now. I heardhim.Kulgan looked atWilliam.

‘William, can you hearFantus?’William looked at Kulgan

withacuriousexpression.‘Ofcourse.Can’tyou?’They talk toeachotherall

thetime.

Kulgan’s face becameanimated.‘Thisiswonderful!Ihadnoidea.Nowonderyoutwo have been so close.William, how long have youbeen able to speak to Fantusthisway?’The boy shrugged. ‘Ever

sinceIcanremember.Fantushasalwaystalkedtome.’‘And you could hear them

speaktoeachother?’Gaminanodded. ‘Can you speak to

Fantus?’No. But I can hear him

whenhe talks toWilliam.Hethinksfunny.Itishard.Gardan was astonished by

the conversation. He couldhearGamina’sanswersinhishead, as if hewere listening.From observing the girl’sprivate remarks toRogen theday before, he realized thatshe obviously was able tospeak with whomever she

choseinaselectiveway.Williamturnedtowardsthe

drake. ‘All right!’ he said inaggravated tones. He said toKulgan, ‘I’d better go to thekitchen and get himsomething. Can Gamina stayhere?’Kulgan gave the girl a

gentle hug and she nestleddeeply into his lap. ‘Ofcourse.’William dashed from the

room, and Fantus hurriedafter, the prospect of a mealmotivatinghimtoanatypicaldisplay of speed.When theywere gone, Kulgan said,‘Gamina, can William speakto other creatures besidesFantus?’Idon’tknow.I’llaskhim.They watched in

fascination as the girl’s headcocked to one side, as if shewere listening to something.

After a moment she nodded.Hesaidonlysometimes.Mostanimals aren’t veryinteresting. They think a lotaboutfoodandotheranimals,isall.Kulgan looked as though

he had been given a present.‘This is wonderful! Such atalent. We have never heardof a case of a humancommunicating directly withanimals. Certain magicians

havehintedatsuchanabilityinthepast,butneverlikethis.We shall have to investigatethisfully.’Gamina’s eyeswidened as

herfacetookonanexpectantlook.Shesatupandherheadcamearoundtofacethedoor,and an instant later Pug andDominic entered. Bothlooked weary, but there wasnosignofthesorrowKulganandtheothershadfeared.

Before the question couldbe asked, Pug said, ‘He stilllives, though he was deeplyafflicted.’HenoticedGaminainKulgan’slap,lookingasifthat physical contact weresomehow vital to her. ‘Areyou better?’ Pug asked. Sheventureda slight smile andanod.Some communication

passedbetweenthemandPugsaid, ‘I thinkhewill recover.

Katala will stay at his side.Brother Dominic has proveda great help, for he is versedin healing arts.ButRogen isvery old, Gamina, and if hedoesn’t recover, you mustunderstandandbestrong.’Gamina’s eyes rimmed

withmoisture,butshenoddedslightly. Pug came over anddrew up a chair, as did themonk. Pug seemed to noticethe addition ofMeecham for

thefirsttimeandtheygreetedeach other. A quickintroduction to Dominic wasmade, and then Pug said,‘Gamina, you could be a bighelptous.Areyouwilling?’How?There has never been an

occurrenceliketoday’stomyknowledge.Imustknowwhatmade you so afraid forRogen.’TherewassomethinginPug’smannerthatrevealed

deep concern. He masked itwell, soasnot todistress thechild, but it still wasn’tcompletelyhidden.Gamina looked frightened.

She shook her head andsomething passed betweenthe little girl and Pug. Pugsaid, ‘Whatever it was, itcouldmake the difference inRogen’s living. Somethingwe do not understand isinvolved in this; we should

knowaboutit.’Gamina bit her lower lip

slightly. Gardan was struckby the fact the girl wasshowing considerablebravery. From what little hehad heard of the girl’s lot, ithad been a terrible one. Togrow up in a world wherepeople were alwayssuspicious and hostile, andthose thoughts were alwaysheard, must have kept the

childontheedgeofmadness.For her to trust thesemen atall bordered on the heroic.Rogen’s kindness and lovemust have been endless tocounter-balance the pain thischild had known. Gardanthought that if any mandeserved the occasionallybestowed title of ‘saint’ thetemples used for their heroesand martyrs, then it wasRogen.

More conversation passedbetweenPugandGamina,allsilent. Finally Pug said,‘Speak sowemight all hear.All these men are yourfriends, child, and they willneed to hear your story tostop Rogen and others frombeinghurtagain.’Gaminanodded.Iwaswith

Rogen.‘What do you mean?’

askedPug.

When he used his secondsight,Iwentwithhim.‘Howwereyouable?’said

Kulgan.Sometimes when someone

thinksthings,orseesthings,Icanseeorhearwhattheydo.It’s hard when they aren’tthinking at me. I can do itbest with Rogen. I could seewhathesaw,inmymind.Kulgan pushed the child

slightly away so he might

better look at her. ‘Do youmean to say you can seeRogen’s visions?’ The girlnodded. ‘What aboutdreams?’Sometimes.Kulganhuggedher tightly.

‘Oh, what a fine child youare!Twomiraclesinoneday!Thankyou,wonderfulchild!’Gamina smiled, the first

happyexpressionanyofthemhad seen. Pug threw him a

questioninglook,andKulgansaid, ‘Your son can speak toanimals.’ Pug’s jawdropped,and the stout magiciancontinued, ‘But that is notimportant for the moment.Gamina,what didRogen seethathurthimsobadly?’Gamina began to tremble

andKulgan held her closely.It was bad. He saw a cityburning and people beinghurtbybadcreatures.

Pug said, ‘Do you knowthecity?IsitsomeplaceyouandRogenhaveseen?’Gamina shook her head,

her big eyes seemingly asround as saucers.No. It wasjustacity.‘What else?’ asked Pug

gently.The girl shivered.He saw

something … a man? Therewas a strong feeling ofconfusion, as if she was

dealing with concepts shecould not fully comprehend.Theman?sawRogen.Dominic said softly, ‘How

could something in a seeingsense the seer?A vision is aprophetic look atwhatmighthappen. What sort of thingcould sense a magic witnessacrossthebarriersoftimeandprobability?’Pug nodded. ‘Gamina,

what did this “man” do to

Rogen?’It? He? reached out and

hurt him. He? said somewords.Katala entered the room,

andthechildlookedupatherexpectantly. Katala said,‘He’s fallen into a deep,normal sleep. I think hewillrecover now.’ She came upbehindthechairKulgansatinand leant on the back; shereached down and cupped

Gamina’s chin. ‘You shouldbegettingtobed,child.’Pug said, ‘A little longer.’

Katala sensed her husbandwas concerned withsomething vital and noddedagreement. He said, ‘Justbeforehefainted,Rogenusedaword.Itisimportantformeto knowwhere he heard thatword. I think he heard thething, the bad man, in thevisionusetheword.Ineedto

know what Rogen heard thebad man say. Can youremember the words,Gamina?’Shelaidherheaddownon

Kulgan’s chest and noddedonlyslightly,obviouslyafraidtorememberthem.Pugspokein reassuring tones. ‘Wouldyoutellthemtous?’No.ButIcanshowyou.‘How?’askedPug.IcanshowyouwhatRogen

saw,sheanswered.Ijustcan.‘All of us?’ askedKulgan.

Shenodded.The tinygirl satupinKulgan’slapandtookadeep breath, as if steelingherself. Then she closed hereyesand took themall intoadarkplace.Black clouds raced

overhead, angry on the bitterwind. Storms threatened thecity. Massive gates layshattered, for engines of war

had worked their destructionon wood and steel.Everywhere fires burned outof control as a city died.Creatures and men savagedthose found hiding in cellarsand attics, and blood pooledintheguttersofthestreets.Inthecentralmarketamoundofbodies had been piled nearlytwenty feet high. Atop thecorpses rested a platform ofdark wood, upon which a

throne had been placed. Amoredhel of strikingappearance saton the throne,surveying the chaos hisservantshadvisitedupon thecity.Athissidestoodafiguredraped all in black robes,deep hood and large sleeveshidingeveryphysical clueastowhatmannerofcreature itwas.But the attention of Pug

and the others was drawn to

somethingbeyond thepair, apresence of darkness, somestrange unseen thing thatcould be felt. Lurking in thebackground, it was the truesource of power behind thetwo upon the platform. Theblack-robed creature pointedat something, and a green-scaled hand could be seen.Somehow, the presencebehindthetwomadecontact,made itself known to the

onlookers. It knew it wasbeing observed, and itsresponse was one of angerand disdain. It reached outwithalienpowersand spoke,carrying to those in theroomamessageofgreydespair.All in the room shook

themselves from the girl’svision. Dominic, Kulgan,Gardan, and Meechamappeareddisturbed,chilledbythe menace in what the girl

had shown them, though itcouldonlybeashadowofthefirsthandexperience.But Kasumi, Katala, and

Pug were rocked. When thechild had finished, tearsstreaked down Katala’s faceandKasumihadlosthisusualTsuranimask, his face ashenand drawn. Pug appearedhardest hit of all as he satbackheavilyonthefloor.Helowered his head,

withdrawing inside himselfforamoment.Kulgan looked about in

alarm. Gamina seemed moredistressed by the reactionthan by recalling the image.Katala sensed the child’sdistress and picked her upfrom Kulgan’s lap, huggingher closely. Dominic said,‘Whatisit?’Pug looked up and, more

than anything, appeared

suddenly fatigued, as if theweight of two worlds onceagainwashistobear.Finallyhe spoke, slowly. ‘WhenRogenwasatlastfreedofthepain, the lastwordshe spokewere “the Darkness, theDarkness.” That is what hesawbehindthosetwofigures.The Darkness Rogen sawspoke thesewords:“Intruder,whoever you are, whereveryou are, know my power is

coming.My servant preparestheway.Tremble,forIcome.Aswasinthepast,soshallbein the future, now andforever. Taste my power.”He, it, must have somehowreached out and touchedRogen then, causing theterror,thepain.’Kulgansaid,‘Howcanthis

be?’Softly, hoarsely, Pug

spoke. ‘I do not know, old

friend. But now a newdimension is added to themystery of who seeksArutha’s death and what liesbehindalltheblackartsbeingthrownathimandhisallies.’Pug buried his face in his

handsamoment, thenlookedaround the room. Gaminaclung toKatala, and all eyeswereuponPug.Dominicsaid,‘Butthereis

somethingelse.’Helookedat

Kasumi andKatala. ‘What isthattongue?Ihearditaswellas you, as I heard Rogen’sforeign words, but know itnotatall.’It was Kasumi who said,

‘The words were… ancient,a language used in thetemples. I could onlyunderstand a little. But thewordswereTsurani.’

•ChapterFourteen•Elvandar

Theforestwassilent.Large branches, ancient

beyondmemory, archedhighoverhead, blocking out mostof the day’s sunlight; thesurrounding environmentrevealed a soft green glow,devoidofdirectshadowsandfullofdeeprecessesofdimly

perceived paths, windingaway.Theyhadbeenintheelven

forests for over two hours,sincemidmorning,andasyethad seen no sign of elvenactivity. Martin had thoughtthey would be interceptedshortlyaftercrossingtheriverCrydee,butasyetnoelfhadbeenseen.Baru spurred his horse

forwardandpulledevenwith

Martin and Arutha. ‘I thinkwe are being watched,’ saidtheHadati.Martin said, ‘For some

minutesnow.Ionlycaughtaglimpseawhileago.’‘If the elves are watching,

why don’t they comeforward?’askedJimmy.Martinsaid,‘Itmaynotbe

elveswhowatchus.Wewillnot be completely free fromcare until we are within the

bounds of Elvandar. Keepalert.’For several minutes they

rode, then even the chirpingbirds ceased their noise. Theforest seemed to be holdingitsbreath.MartinandAruthapushed their mounts throughnarrow paths, barely wideenough for a man afoot.Suddenly the silence wasbrokenbya raucoushooting,punctuated by shrieks. A

stone came hurling pastBaru’s head and a storm ofrocks, twigs, and sticksfollowed. Dozens of smallhairy figures jumped frombehind trees and brush,howling furiously whilepelting the riders withmissiles.Arutha charged forward,

fighting to keep his mountunder control, as did theothers.Hesteeredthroughthe

trees while ducking underbranches. As he movedtowards four or five child-sizedcreatures, theyshriekedin terror and leapt away indifferent directions. Aruthasingled out one and rode upbehind it.Thecreature founditselfblockedbyadeadfall,ajumbledmass of fallen trees,heavybrush,andalargerock.ItturnedtofacethePrince.Arutha had his sword

drawnandreinedin,readytostrike. Then all anger flowedoutofhimatthesightbeforehim. The creature made noeffort to attack, but insteadbackedasfaraspossibleintothe tangle, an expression ofpureterroronitsface.Itwasaverymanlikeface,

withlarge,softbrowneyes.Ashortbuthumannosewassetabove a wide mouth. Thecreature’s lips were drawn

back in a mock snarl,showing an impressivearrangement of teeth, but theeyeswerewidewithfearandlarge tears flowed down itshairy cheeks. Otherwise itlooked like a small ape orlargemonkey.A loud racket erupted

around Arutha and thecreatureasmoreof thesmallman-things surrounded them.They howled fiercely,

poundingon thegroundwithsavagefury,butAruthasawitwas all show; there was noreal threat in their actions.Several feigned attacks, butran shrieking in terror ifAruthaturnedtofacethem.The others came riding up

behind,and the littlecreatureArutha had trapped criedpiteously. Baru pulled upalongsidethePrinceandsaid,‘As soon as you charged,

theseothersfledafteryou.’The riders could see that

the gathered creatures wereabandoning their mock furyand their expressions werenow concerned. Theychattered to one another inwhatsoundedlikewords.Aruthaputawayhissword.

‘Wewillnothurtyou.’As if they understood, the

creatures quieted. The onewho was trapped watched

guardedly.Jimmy said, ‘What are

they?’Martinsaid,‘Idon’tknow.

Man and boy I’ve huntedthese woods and I’ve neverseentheirlike.’‘They are gwali, Martin

Longbow.’The riders turned in their

saddles and were greeted bythesightofacompanyoffiveelves. One of the creatures

raced to stand before theelves.Hepointedanindictingfingertowardstheriders.Inasingsong voice he said,‘Calin, mans come. HurtRalala.Makestophurther.’Martinlefthishorse.‘Well

met, Calin!’ He and the elfembraced,andtheotherelvesgreeted him in turn. ThenMartin led themtowherehiscompanions waited and said,‘Calin, you remember my

brother.’‘Greetings, Prince of

Krondor.’‘Greetings,ElfPrince.’He

cast a sidelong glance at thesurroundinggwali.‘Yousaveusfrombeingoverwhelmed.’Calin smiled. ‘I doubt it.

You look a capablecompany.’ He came up toArutha. ‘It has been a whilesince we last spoke. Whatbrings you to our forests,

Arutha, and with so strangeanentourage?Whereareyourguardsmenandbanners?’‘That is a long tale,Calin,

and one Iwish to sharewithyourmotherandTomas.’Calin agreed. To an elf

patiencewasawayoflife.With the tension broken,

thegwalicorneredbyAruthabroke and ran to join theothersofherkind,whostoodaround watching. Several

examined her, grooming herhairy hide, patting herreassuringly after her ordeal.Satisfied she was unharmed,they quieted down andwatched the elves andhumans. Martin said, ‘Calin,whatarethesecreatures?’Calin laughed, his pale

blue eyes crinkling at thecorners. He stood as tall asArutha but was even moreslenderthantherangyPrince.

‘As I have said, they arecalled gwali. This rascal isnamedApalla.’Hepattedthehead of the one who hadspoken to him. ‘He issomethingofa leaderamongthem, though I doubt theyreallyentertaintheconcept.Itmay be he is simply moretalkative than the others.’Looking at the rest ofArutha’s company, he said,‘Whoarethesewithyou?’

Arutha made introductionsand Calin said, ‘You arewelcometoElvandar.’‘What is a gwali?’ asked

Roald.Calinsaid, ‘Theseare,and

that is the best answer I cangive.Theyhavelivedwithusbefore, though this is theirfirst visit in a generation.Theyaresimplefolk,withoutguile. They are shy and tendto avoid strangers. When

afraid, they will run unlessthey are cornered, then theywillfeignattack.Butdon’tbemisled by those ample teeth;they’re for tough nuts andinsect carapaces.’ He turnedhisattention toApalla. ‘Whydid you try to scare thesemen?’The gwali jumped up and

down excitedly. ‘Powulamake little gwali.’ Hegrinned. ‘She don’t move.

We afraidmans hurt Powulaandlittlegwali.’‘They are protective of

their young,’ said Calin inunderstanding. ‘Had youactually tried to hurt Powulaand the baby, they wouldhave risked attacking you.Had there been no birthing,you never would have seenthem.’ He said to Apalla, ‘Itis all right. These men arefriends. They will not hurt

Powulaorherbaby.’Hearing this, the other

gwalicamepouringout fromtheprotectingtreesandbeganexamining the strangers withopen curiosity. They tuggedat the riders’ clothing,whichwas quite different from thegreen tunics and browntrousers the elves wore.Arutha suffered theexamination for only aminute,thensaid,‘Weshould

get to your mother’s courtsoon, Calin. If your friendsarefinished?’‘Please,’ said Jimmy, his

nose wrinkling as he pushedawayagwaliwhohungfroma branch next to him. ‘Don’ttheyeverbathe?’‘Unfortunately, no,’

answered Calin. He said tothegwali,‘That’senough,wemustgo.’Thegwaliacceptedthe instruction with good

grace and quickly vanishedamong the trees, exceptApalla, who seemed moreassertive than the rest. ‘Theywill continue that sort ofthing all day if you allowthem to, but they don’tmindwhen you shoo them off.Come.’ He told Apalla, ‘Wego to Elvandar. Tend toPowula. Come when youwill.’The gwali grinned and

nodded vigorously, thenscampered off after hisbrethren. In a moment therewas no hint that a gwaliexistedwithinmiles.Calin waited until Martin

and Arutha had remounted.‘We are only a half day’stravel to Elvandar.’ He andthe other elves began theirrunthroughtheforest.Exceptfor Martin, the riders weresurprisedatthepacetheelves

set. It was not taxing for themounts, but for a humanrunnertokeepitupforahalfday would be close toimpossible.After a shortwhileArutha

drew even with Calin, wholoped along at an easy pace.‘Where did those creaturescomefrom?’Calin shouted, ‘No one

knows, Arutha. They’re acomic lot. They come from

some place to the north,perhaps beyond the greatmountains. They will showup,stayaseasonortwo,thenvanish. We sometimes callthem the little wood ghosts.Even our trackers can’tfollowthemaftertheydepart.It’s been nearly fifty yearssince their last visit, and twohundred since the one beforethat.’Calinbreathedeasilyasheraninlong,fluidstrides.

‘How faresTomas?’ askedMartin.‘The Prince Consort fares

well.’‘Whatofthechild?’‘He is well. He is a fit,

handsome child, though hemay prove somewhatdifferent. His heritage is …unique.’‘AndtheQueen?’‘Motherhood agrees with

her,’ answered her elder son

withasmile.They fell into silence, for

Arutha found it difficult tocontinue the conversationwhile negotiating the trees,evenifCalindidnot.Swiftlythrough the forest theytravelled, each passingminute bringing them closerto Elvandar and hopesfulfilled…orhopesdashed.The journey was soon

completed.Onemomentthey

weretravellingthroughheavyforest, then they entered alarge clearing. This was thefirst glimpse any of them,save Martin, had had ofElvandar.Giant trees of many

colours rose high above thesurrounding forest. In theafternoon light the topmostleaves seemed ablaze withcolourwhere golden sunlightstruck them. Even from this

distance, figures could beseen along the high pathsspanning the gaps betweenboles. Several of the gianttrees were unique to thisplace, their leaves a dazzlingsilver,gold,orevenwhite.Asthe day’s shadows deepened,they could be seen to have afaint glow of their own. Itwas never truly dark inElvandar.As they crossed the

clearing, Arutha could hearthe astonished comments ofhiscompanions.Roald said, ‘Had I known

…you’d have had to tiemeup to keep me from comingalong.’Laurie agreed. ‘It makes

theweeks in theforestworthit.’Barusaid,‘Thetalesofour

singers do not do justice toit.’

Aruthaawaitedacommentfrom Jimmy, but when thevoluble lad said nothing,Aruthalookedbehind.Jimmyrode in silence, his eyesdrinking in the splendour ofthis place, so alien fromanythingseeninhis life.Theusually jadedboyhad finallyencountered something sooutside his experience, hewastrulyawestruck.They reached the outer

boundaryof the tree-cityandon all sides could hear thesoft sounds of a busycommunity. A hunting partyapproached from anotherquarter, bearing a large stag,which they carried off to bebutchered. An open areaoutsidethetreeswassetasideforthedressingofcarcasses.Theyreachedthetreesand

reinedin.Calininstructedhiscompanions to care for the

horsesandledArutha’spartyup a circular stairway carvedinto the trunk of the biggestoak thePrinceand theothershad ever seen. Reaching aplatform at the top, theypassed a group of elvenfletcherspractisingtheircraft.One saluted Martin, whoreturned the greeting andbriefly inquired if he mightimposeupontheirgenerosity.With a smile, the fletcher

handed Martin a bundle offinely crafted bowshafts,whichtheDukeplacedinhisnearly empty quiver. Hespoke quick thanks in theelven tongue and he and hiscompanions continuedonwards.Calin led them up another

steep stairway to a platform.He said, ‘From here it mayprove difficult for some ofyou.Keeptothecentreofthe

paths and platforms and donot look down if you feeldiscomforted. Some humansfind the heights distressing.’He said the last as if it wasalmostincomprehensible.They crossed the platform

and mounted more steps,passing other elves hurryingabout their business. Manywere dressed like Calin, insimplewoodsgarb,butotherswore long colourful robes,

fashioned of rich fabrics, orbright tunics and trousers,equally colourful. Thewomen were all beautiful,though it was a strange,inhuman loveliness. Most ofthemen lookedyoung,aboutCalin’s age. Martin knewbetter. Some elves hurryingpast were young, twenty,thirty years of age, whileothers, equally young inappearance, were several

hundredyearsold.Thoughhelooked younger than Martin,Calinwaspastahundredandhad taught Martin huntingskills when the Duke hadbeenaboy.They continued along a

walkway, nearly twenty feetwide, stretching alongenormousbranches,untiltheycame to a ring of trunks. Inthemidst of the trees a largeplatform had been

constructed, almost sixty feetacross. Laurie wondered ifeven a single drop of raincould worm its way throughthe thick canopy of branchesoverhead to fall on a royalbrow. They had reached theQueen’scourt.Across this platform they

walked,toadaisuponwhichtwo thrones were erected. Intheslightlyhigherof the twosat an elvenwoman, serenity

enhancing her already near-flawless beauty. Her facewith its arched brows andfinely chiselled nose wasdominated by her pale blueeyes.Her hairwas light red-brown,withstreaksofgold–like Calin’s – giving it theappearanceofbeingstruckbysunlight. Upon her headrested no crown, only asimple circlet of gold thatpulledbackherhair,butthere

was nomistakingAglaranna,theElfQueen.Uponthethronetoher left

sat a man. He was animposing figure, taller thanMartin by two inches. Hishairwassandy-blondandhisfacelookedyoung,whilestillholding some elusive agelessquality.Hesmiledatthesightof the approaching party,giving him an even youngerlook.His facewas similar to

the elves’, yet with adifference. His eyes lackedcolour to the point of beinggrey, and his eyebrowswerelessarched.Hisfacewaslessangular, possessing a strong,squarejaw.Hisears,revealedbythegoldencircletthatheldback his hair, were slightlypointed, less upswept thanthose of the elves. And hewas much more massive inthe chest and shoulders than

anyelf.Calin bowed before them.

‘Mother and Queen, PrinceandWarleader,wearegracedbyguests.’Both rulers of Elvandar

rose and walked forward togreettheirguests.Martinwasgreetedwith affection by theQueen and Tomas, and theothers were shown courtesyand warmth. Tomas said toArutha, ‘Highness, you are

welcome.’Arutha replied, ‘I thank

Her Majesty and HisHighness.’Seated around the court

were other elves. Arutharecognized theoldcounsellorTathar, from his visit toCrydee years before. Quickintroductionsweremade.TheQueenbadethemriseandledeveryone to a reception areaadjoining the court, where

they were all informallyseated. Refreshments werebrought, food and wine, andAglaranna said, ‘We arepleased to see old friends’ –she nodded at Martin andArutha – ‘and to welcomenew’ – she indicated theothers.‘Still,menrarelyvisitus without cause. What isyours,PrinceofKrondor?’Arutha told them his tale

while they dined. From first

to last the elves sat silentlylistening. When Arutha wasfinished, the Queen said,‘Tathar?’Theoldcounsellornodded.

‘TheHopelessQuest.’Arutha asked, ‘Are you

saying you know nothing ofSilverthorn?’‘No,’ replied the Queen.

‘The Hopeless Quest is alegendamongourpeople.Weknow the aelebera plant.We

knowofitsproperties.Thatiswhat the legend of theHopeless Quest tells us.Tathar,pleaseexplain.’Theoldelf,thefirstJimmy

and the others had seenwhoshowed some signs of age –faint lines around the eyesand hair so pale it borderedon white – said, ‘In the loreof our people, there was aPrince of Elvandar who wasbetrothed. His beloved had

been courted by a moredhelwarrior, whom she spurned.In his wrath the moredhelpoisoned her with a draughtbrewedfromtheaeleberaandshe fell into a sleep untodeath. Thus the Prince ofElvandar began theHopelessQuest,insearchofthatwhichcould cure her, the aelebera,the Silverthorn. Its power issuch that it can cure as wellas kill. But the aelebera

grows only in one place,Moraelin, in your languagethe Black Lake. It is a placeof power, sacred to themoredhel, a place where noelf may go. The legend saysthe Prince of Elvandarwalked the edge ofMoraelinuntil he had worn a canyonaround it. For he may notenter Moraelin, nor will heleave until he has found thatwhich will save his beloved.

Itissaidhewalkstherestill.’Arutha said, ‘But I amnot

an elf. Iwill go toMoraelin,if you’ll but show me theway.’Tomas looked around the

assembly. ‘We shall placeyour feet upon the path toMoraelin, Arutha,’ he said,‘but not until you’ve restedand taken counsel. Now weshall show you places whereyou may refresh yourselves

andsleepuntil thenight-timemeal.’The meeting broke up as

the elves moved away,leavingCalin,Tomas,andtheQueen with Arutha’s group.Martin said, ‘What of yourson?’Withabroadsmile,Tomas

motioned for them to follow.Heledthemthroughabough-coveredpassagetoaroom,itsvault formed by a giant elm,

where a baby lay sleeping inacradle.Hewaslessthansixmonths old from the look ofhim. He slept deeply,dreaming, little fingersflexing slightly. Martinstudied the child and couldsee what Calin meant bysaying his heritage wasunique. The child lookedmore human than elven, hisears being only slightlypointedandpossessinglobes,

a human trait unknownamong elves. His round facelookedmore like that of anychubby infant, but there wasan edge to it, somethingwhichsaidtoMartinthatthiswasachildwhowasmorehisfather’s than his mother’s.Aglaranna reached down andgently touched him while heslept.Martin said, ‘What have

younamedhim?’

Softly the Queen said,‘Calis.’Martinnodded.Intheelven tongue it meant ‘childofthegreen’,referringtolifeand growth. It was anauspiciousname.Leaving the baby, Martin

and the others were taken toroomswithin the tree-city ofElvandar, where they foundtubs forbathingandsleepingmats.Allwere quickly cleanand asleep, save Arutha,

whose mind wandered fromanimageofAnitaasleeptoasilver plant growing on theshoreofablacklake.

Martinsatalone,enjoyingthefirst evening of his first visitto Elvandar in a year. Asmuch as any place, evenCastle Crydee, this was hishome, for as a boy he hadplayedandbeenonewiththeelvenchildren.

Softelvenfootstepscausedhimtoturn.‘Galain,’hesaid,happy to see the young elf,cousin to Calin. He wasMartin’s oldest friend. Theyembraced andMartin said, ‘Iexpectedtoseeyousooner.’‘I’ve just returned from

patrolling along the northernedge of the forests. Somestrangethingsaregoingonupthere. I hear you may havesome light to shed on what

theymaybe.’‘A small candle flicker,

perhaps,’ saidMartin. ‘Someevil is at play up there, havenodoubt.’HefilledGalainin,andthe

young elf said, ‘Terribledeeds, Martin.’ He soundedgenuinelysorrytohearaboutAnita. ‘Your brother?’ Thequestion, in elvish fashion,carriedavarietyofnuancesinthe intonation, each

concerning itself with adifferent aspect of Arutha’strials.‘He perseveres, somehow.

Heputsitalloutofhismindsometimes; other times he isnearly overwhelmed by it. Idon’t know how he keepsfromgoingmad.Heloveshersoverydeeply.’Martinshookhishead.‘You’ve never wed,

Martin.Why?’

Martin shook his head.‘I’venevermether.’‘Youaresad.’‘Arutha’sadifficultmanat

times,butheismybrother.Iremember him as a child.Even then it was hard to getclose to him. Perhaps it washis mother’s death, when hewas still so young. He keptthings distant. For all thetoughness, for all the hardedges,he’seasilyhurt.’

‘Youtwoaremuchalike.’‘There is that,’ Martin

agreed.Galain stood quietly next

to Martin awhile. ‘We shallhelp,asmuchaswecan.’‘WemustgotoMoraelin.’Theyoungelfshivered,an

unusual display even in oneso inexperienced. ‘That is abadplace,Martin.ItiscalledBlack Lake for a reason thathas nothing to do with the

colour of the water. It is awell of madness. Themoredhel go there to dreamdreams of power. It lies ontheDarkPath.’‘ItwasaValheruplace?’Galainnoddedyes.‘Tomas?’ Again the

question carried a variety ofmeanings. Galain wasespecially close to Tomas,having followed him duringtheRiftwar.

‘He will not go with you.Hehasanewson.Caliswillbe tiny for so short a time,only a few years. A fathershould spend that time withhis baby. Also, there is therisk.’Nothingmoreneededtobe said, for Martinunderstood. He had watchedthe night Tomas had almostsuccumbed to the mad spiritof theValheruwithinhim. Ithad nearly cost Martin his

life. It would be some timebefore Tomas felt secureenough to challenge his ownheritage,toagainawakenthatdreadbeingcontainedwithin.Andhewould venture into aValheru place of power onlywhen he felt circumstanceswere grave enough to justifytherisk.Martin smiled his crooked

smile. ‘Then we shall goalone,we humans ofmeagre

talents.’Galain returned the smile.

‘You are many things, so Idoubt your talents meagre.’Thenhe lost thesmile. ‘Still,you would do well to takecounsel with theSpellweavers before you go.There is dark power atMoraelin, and magicovercomes much in the wayofstrengthandcourage.’Martin said, ‘Wewill.We

speak soon.’ He looked towhere an elf approached,Aruthaandtheothersbehind.‘I think now. Will youcome?’‘I’venoplace in thecircle

ofelders.Besides, Ihavenoteaten for a day. I will rest.Cometalkifyouneed.’Iwill.’Martin hurried to join

Arutha. They followed theelf,wholedthehumansback

tothecouncil.Whenallwereseated before Aglaranna andTomas, the Queen said,‘Tathar, speak for theSpellweavers: say whatcounsel you have for PrinceArutha.’Tathar stepped into the

centreof the court circle andsaid, ‘Strange things havebeenoccurringforsometurnsof the middle moon. Weexpected southward

movement of the moredheland goblins back to thehomestheyweredrivenfromduring the Riftwar, but thishas not come to be. Ourscouts in the north havetracked many bands ofgoblins heading across theGreat Northern Mountainsinto the Northlands.Moredhel scouts have comeunusually close to ourborders.

‘The gwali come to usagain because they say theydon’tliketheplacetheylivedin any more. It is hard tomakesenseof themat times,butweknowtheycamefromthenorth.‘What you have told us,

PrinceArutha,causesusdeepconcern. First, because weshare your sorrow. Second,because the manifestationsyou tell of bespeak a power

ofgreatevilwithalongreachand far-flung minions. Butmost of all, because of ourownancienthistory.‘Longbeforewedrove the

moredhel from our forests,fortakingtotheDarkPathofPower,theelvenpeoplewereone.Thoseofuswholivedinthe forests were farther fromourmasters,theValheru,andbecause of this were lessattractedtotheintoxicationof

power dreams. Those of uswho lived close to ourmasters were seduced bythosedreamsandbecamethemoredhel.’ He looked to theQueen and Tomas, and bothnodded.‘Whatislittlespokenof is the cause of ourdivorcement from themoredhel,whooncewereourblood. Never before has anyhumanbeentoldall.‘In the dark era of the

ChaosWars,manychangesinthe lands occurred. From thepeople of the elves, fourgroups rose.’ Martin leantforward, for as much as heknewofelvenkind,morethanalmost any man alive, thiswasallnewtohim.Untilthismoment he had alwaysbelieved only the moredheland elveswere the sum totalofelvenkind. ‘Themostwiseand powerful, numbering the

greatest Spellweavers andscholars,weretheeldar.Theywere the caretakers for allthat their masters hadplundered from across thecosmos, arcane works,mysticalknowledge,artifacts,and riches. It was they whofirstbeganfashioningwhatisnow Elvandar, lending itmagic aspect. They vanishedduring the Chaos Wars, forthey were among our

masters’ first servants, and itis supposed that being veryclose to them, they perishedwith them. Of the elves andBrotherhood of the DarkPath, the eledhel andmoredhel in our tongue, youknow something. But therewereyetotherkinofours,theglamredhel, which namemeans “the chaotic ones” or“the mad ones”. They werechanged by the ChaosWars,

becoming a nation of insane,savage warriors. For a timeelvesandmoredhelwereone,and both were warred uponby the mad ones. Even afterthe moredhel were drivenfromElvandar,theyremainedthe sworn enemy of theglamredhel.Wespeaklittleofthese days, for you mustremember that while wespeak of eledhel, moredhel,andglamredhel,allelvenkind

is one race, even to this day.It is simply that some of ourpeople have chosen a darkwayoflife.’Martinwasastonished.For

all he knew of elven culture,he had, like other humans,always supposed themoredhelaraceapart,relatedto the elves but somehowdifferent. Now he realizedwhy the elves had alwaysbeen reticent in discussing

their relationship to themoredhel. They saw them asbeingonewiththemselves.Inan instantMartinunderstood.Theelvesmournedthelossoftheir brothers to the lure oftheDarkPath.Tatharcontinued.‘Ourlore

tellsofthetimewhenthelastgreat battle in the north wasfought, when the armies ofthemoredhelandtheirgoblinservants at last crushed the

glamredhel. The moredhelrampaged, obliterating ourmadcousins ina terriblewarof genocide. Even to thesmallest infant, theglamredhel were supposedlyslaughtered, lest they againrise and challenge thesupremacyofthemoredhel.Itis the single blackest shamein the memory of our racethat one segment of ourpeople utterly destroyed

another.‘But what concerns you is

this: at the heart of themoredhel host stood acompany called the BlackSlayers, moredhel warriorswho had renounced theirmortalitytobecomemonsterswith but one purpose: to killfor their master. Once dead,the Black Slayers rise againto do their master’s bidding.Once risen from the dead,

they may be halted only bymagic means, by utterlydestroying the body, or bycuttingtheheartsfromoutoftheirbodies.Thosewho rodeagainst you on the road toSarth were Black Slayers,PrinceArutha.‘Before the battle of

obliteration,themoredhelhadalready gone far down theDark Path, but somethingcaused them to descend to

these new depths of horror,the Black Slayers and thegenocide.Theyhadbecomeatool of an insane monster, aleaderwhosoughttoemulatethe vanished Valheru andbring all theworld under hisdominion.Itwashewhohadgathered the moredhel underhisbannerandwhohadgivenrise to the abomination thatwastheBlackSlayers.Butinthat last battle he was

woundeduntodeath,andwithhis passing the moredhelceased to be a nation. Hiscaptains gathered and soughtto determine a successor.They quickly fell out withone another and becamemuch like the goblins –tribes, clans, families, neverable to combine under oneleader for long. The siege ofCarse Keep, fifty years past,wasbutaskirmishcompared

to the might the moredhelmustered under this leader.But with his passing, an eraofmoredhelmightcametoanend. For he was unique, acharismatic, hypnotic beingof strange abilities, able toweld the moredhel into anation.‘The leader’s name was

Murmandamus.’Arutha said, ‘Is it possible

he’ssomehowreturned?’

‘Anythingmaybepossible,PrinceArutha,or so it seemstoonewhohas livedas longas I,’ answered Tathar. ‘Itmaybethatoneseekstounitethemoredhelbyinvokingthatancientname,gatheringthemtogetherunderonebanner.‘Thenthereisthisbusiness

of the serpent priest. Sodespised are the Pantathiansthat even the moredhelslaughter them when they

find them. But that one ofthem is a servant of thisMurmandamus hints at darkalliances.Itwarnsuswemaybe facing forces beyond ourexpectations.Ifthenationsofthe north are rising, we allmustagainfaceatesting,onewhich will rival that of theoutworlders in peril for ourpeoples.’Baru stood, in Hadati

fashion, indicatinghewished

to speak. Tathar inclined hishead inBaru’s direction, andhesaid,‘Ofmoredhelloremypeople know little, save thatthe Dark Brothers areenemies of our blood. Thismuch I may add: Murad iscounted a great chieftain,perhaps the greatest livingtoday, one who mightcommand many hundreds ofwarriors.Thathe serveswiththe Black Slayers speaks of

Murmandamus’s power.Muradwould serve only onewhom he feared. And onewho could visit fear uponMurad is one to be fearedindeed.’Arutha said, ‘As I told the

Ishapians, much of this isspeculation. I must beconcerned with findingSilverthorn.’ But even as heuttered those words, Aruthaknew he was speaking

falsely. Too much indicatedthat the threat from thenorthwasreal.Thiswasnorashofgoblin raids on northernfarmers.Thiswas a potentialfor invasion surpassing thatof theTsurani. In the faceofthis,hisrefusaltosetasideallconsiderations except findinga cure for Anita was shownforwhatitwas:anobsession.‘Theymaybe one and the

same. Highness,’ said

Aglaranna.‘Whatseemstobeunfoldinghereisamadman’sdesire togather themoredheland their servants and alliesunderhisdominion.Todosohe must bring a prophecy tofruition.Hemust destroy theBane ofDarkness.Andwhathasheaccomplished?Hehasforcedyoutocometotheoneplace he is certain to findyou.’Jimmysatupright,hiseyes

wide.‘He’swaitingforyou!’heblurted, ignoringprotocol.‘He’satthisBlackLake!’Laurie andRoald put their

hands upon his shoulders, inreassurance. Jimmy sat back,lookingembarrassed.Tathar said, ‘From the lips

of youth… I and the othershave considered, and in ourjudgment, that is what mustbe occurring, Prince Arutha.Since thegiftof the Ishapian

talisman, Murmandamusmust devise another way tofind you, or he risks hisalliances dissolving. Themoredhel aremuch as others–theyneedtoraisecropsandtend herds. ShouldMurmandamustarryoverlongin bringing the prophecy tofruition,theymaydeserthim,saveforthosewhohavetakendarkvows,suchastheBlackSlayers.His agentswill have

passed word that you havequit Sarth, and by nowintelligence from Krondorwill tell him you are upon aquestforthatwhichwillsaveyour Princess. Yes, he willknow you seek Silverthorn,andhe,oroneofhiscaptains,such as Murad, will bewaitingforyouatMoraelin.’Arutha and Martin looked

at each other. Martinshrugged. ‘Wenever thought

itwouldbeeasy.’Arutha regarded the

Queen, Tomas, and Tathar.‘Mythanksforyourwisdom.ButwewillgotoMoraelin.’

Arutha looked up as Martincame to stand nearby.‘Brooding?’ asked the elderbrother.‘Just…consideringthings,

Martin.’Martin sat next to Arutha,

attheedgeofaplatformnearthe rooms they had beengiven. In the night, Elvandarglowed with a faint light, aphosphorescencethatkepttheelven city cloaked in a softmagic. ‘What things are youconsidering?’‘That I may have let my

preoccupationwithAnita getinthewayofmyduty.’Martin said, ‘Doubt?Well

then, you reveal yourself at

last. Listen,Arutha, I’ve haddoubts about this journeyfrom the start, but if you letdoubtblockyou,nothinggetsdone.Youmustsimplymakeyourbestjudgmentandact.’‘AndifI’mwrong?’Thenyou’rewrong.’Arutha lowered his head

until it rested against awooden rail. The problem isone of stakes.When Iwas achild, if Iwaswrong I lost a

game. Now I could lose anation.’‘Perhaps,butitstilldoesn’t

changetheneedtomakeyourbestjudgmentandact.’‘Things are getting out of

hand.Iwonderifitmightnotbe best to return to Yabonand order Vandros’s armyintothemountains.’‘Thatmightdoit.Butthen

thereareplacessixmaygoanarmymaynot.’

Aruthasmiledawrysmile.‘Notverymany.’Martin returned the smile,

almostamirrorimage.‘True,butstill thereareoneor two.FromwhatGalain saidaboutMoraelin,stealthandcunningwill be more important thanstrength. What if youmarched Vandros’s army upthereandfoundMoraelin layjusttheothersideofalovelyroad like the one up to the

abbey at Sarth? RemembertheoneGardanavowedcouldbe held by a half-dozengrannies with brooms? I’llwarrant Murmandamus hasmore than a half-dozengrandmothers up there. Evenif you could battleMurmandamus’s hordes andwin, could you order onesoldier to give his life soAnita should live? No; youand this Murmandamus play

a game, for high stakes, butstill a game. As long asMurmandamus thinks he canlure you up toMoraelin, wehave a chance of stealing inandgettingSilverthorn.’Arutha looked at his

brother. ‘We do?’ he asked,alreadyknowingtheanswer.‘Of course.As long aswe

don’t spring the trap, itremains open. That is thenature of traps. If they don’t

know we’re already inside,we might even get out.’ Hespentaquietmomentlookingnorthwards,thensaid,‘It’ssoclose. It’s just up in thosemountains,aweekfromhere,no more. It’s so close.’ Helaughed at Arutha. ‘It wouldbe a shame to come so closeandquit.’Aruthasaid,‘You’remad.’‘Perhaps,’ said Martin.

‘Butjustthink,it’ssoclose.’

Arutha had to laugh. ‘Allright.Weleavetomorrow.’

Thesixriderssetoutthenextmorning, with the blessingsof theElfQueenandTomas.Calin, Galain, and two otherelves ran alongside thehorsemen. As they lost sightof theQueen’scourt,agwaliswung along through thetrees,crying,‘Calin!’The Elf Prince signalled a

halt and the gwali droppedfrom the branches andgrinned at them. ‘WheremansgoingwithCalin?’‘Apalla, we take them to

the northern road. Then theytraveltoMoraelin.’Thegwalibecameagitated

andshookhisfurryhead.‘Nogo, mans. Bad place. LittleOlnoli eaten there by badthing.’‘What bad thing?’ said

Calin, but the gwali ran offshrieking in fright before ananswerwasforthcoming.Jimmy said, ‘Nothing like

ahappysend-off.’Calin said, ‘Galain, return

andfindApallaandseeifyoucan glean any sense fromwhathesays.’Galain said, ‘I’ll find out

what he means and followafter.’ He waved to thetravellers and headed back

after the gwali. Aruthamotioned for the party tocontinue.For three days the elves

guided them to the edge oftheir forests, up into thefoothills of the GreatNorthernMountains.Then,atmidday on the fourth day,they came to a small stream,and on the other side theycould see the trail leadingthrough the woodlands,

towardsacanyon.Calinsaid,‘Here is the limit of ourholdings.’Martin said, ‘What of

Galain,doyouthink?’‘It may be he discovered

nothing of worth, or it mayhave takenhimadayor twotofindApalla.Thegwalicanbe difficult to locate if theydecide tobe. IfGalainmeetsus,we’lldirecthimafteryou.Hewillovertakeyouas long

as you haven’t crossed overintotheheartofMoraelin.’‘Where would that be?’

saidArutha.‘Follow that trail for two

days until you come to asmallvalley.Crossit,andonthe north face you’ll see awaterfall. A trail leads upfrom there, and atop theplateauyou’llbenearthetopof the falls. Follow the riverupwards, until you reach its

source.From that lakeyou’llfind a trail again movingupwards, again to the north.That is the only way toMoraelin. You’ll find acanyon, which winds aroundthe lake in a complete circle.Legend says it is the tracksmade by the mourning ElfPrince, wearing the grounddown around the lake. It iscalled the Tracks of theHopeless. There is only one

way into Moraelin, across abridgemadebythemoredhel.When you cross the bridgeover the Tracks of theHopeless, you will be inMoraelin.Thereyouwillfindthe Silverthorn. It is a plantwith a light silver-green leafof three lobes,with fruit likered holly berries. You willrecognize it at once, for itsname describes it: the thornsaresilver.Ifnothingelse,get

a handful of the berries. Itwill lie close to the edge ofthe lake. Now go, and maythegodsprotectyou.’Withbrieffarewellsthesix

ridersmovedoff,Martin andBaru in the lead,Arutha andLaurie following, Jimmy andRoald bringing up the rear.As they followed a turn,Jimmyglancedback,untilhecouldnolongerseetheelves.He turned eyes forward,

knowing they were now ontheir own, without allies orhaven.Hesaidasilentprayerto Banath and took a deepbreath.

•ChapterFifteen•Return

Pugstaredintothefire.The small brazier in his

studythrewadancingpatternof lights on the walls andceiling.He ranhishandoverhisface,feelingfatigueinthevery fabric of his being. Hehad laboured since Rogen’svision, sleeping and eating

onlywhenKatalapushedhimfrom his studies. Now hecarefully closed one ofMacros’smanybooks;hehadbeen reading themexhaustively for a week.Since confronted with theimpossibilities of Rogen’svision, he had sought everyshredofinformationavailabletohim.Onlyoneothermagicuser upon this world hadknownanythingpertaining to

the world of Kelewan, andthat had been Macros theBlack. Whatever that darkpresence in the vision, it hadspokena language that fewerthan five thousand onMidkemia might evenrecognize – Pug, Katala,Laurie, Kasumi and hisTsurani garrison at LaMut,and a few hundred ex-prisonersscatteredaroundtheFar Coast. And of them all,

only Pug could fullyunderstand thewords spokenin Gamina’s vision, for thatlanguage was a distant, deadancestor of the present-dayTsurani tongue. Now Pugsearched in vain throughMacros’s library for somehint of what this dark powermightbe.Of the hundreds of

volumes Macros hadbequeathed to Pug and

Kulgan,onlyathirdhadbeencatalogued. Macros, throughhis strange goblin-like agent,Gathis,hadprovidedalistingof each title. In some casesthat had proved helpful, fortheworkwaswellknownbytitle alone. In other cases itwas useless until the bookwas read. There wereseventy-two works alonecalled Magic, and a dozenother instances of several

books with likenomenclature. Looking forpossiblecluestothenatureofwhat they faced, Pug hadcloseted himself with theremaining works and begunskimming them for any hintof useful information. Nowhe sat, the work upon hisknee, with a growingcertainty aboutwhat hemustdo.Pug placed the book

carefully upon his writingtable and left his study. Hewalkeddownthestairstothehall that connected all therooms in use in the academybuilding. Work upon theupper levelnext to the towerthat housed his workroomshad been halted by the rainthat now beat down uponStardock. A cold gust blewthrough a crack in the wall,and Pug gathered his black

robe about himself as heenteredthedininghall,whichwasusedasacommonroomthesedays.Katala looked up from

where she sat embroidering,near the fireplace, in one ofthe comfortable chairs thatoccupiedthehalfoftheroomused as common quarters.BrotherDominic andKulganhadbeentalking,theheavysetmagician puffing on his ever

presentpipe.Kasumiwatchedas William and Gaminaplayedchessinacorner,theirtwo little faces masks ofconcentration as they pittedtheir newly emerging skillsagainst each other. Williamhad been an indifferentstudent of the gameuntil thegirl had shown an interest.Being beaten by her seemedto bring out his sense ofcompetition, heretofore

limited to the ball yard. Pugthoughttohimself that,whentime permitted, he wouldhave to explore their giftsmore closely. If timepermitted…Meechamentered,carrying

a decanter of wine, andoffered a wine cup to Pug.Pug thanked him and satdownnexttohiswife.Katalasaid, ‘Supper is not foranotherhour.IhadexpectedI

wouldhavetocomeandfetchyou.’‘I’ve finishedwhatwork I

had and decided to relax alittlebeforedining.’Katala said, ‘Good. You

driveyourselftoo∗hard,Pug.With teaching others,supervising the constructionof this monstrous building,and now locking yourselfawayinyourstudy,youhavehad little time to spend with

us.’Pug smiled at her.

‘Nagging?’‘Awifelyprerogative,’she

said, returning his smile.Katala was not a nag.Whateverdispleasureshefeltwas openly voiced, andquickly resolved, by eithercompromise or one partner’sacceptance of the other’sintractability.Pug looked about. ‘Where

isGardan?’Kulgan said, ‘Bah! You

see.Ifyouhadn’tbeenlockedupinyourtower,you’dhaverememberedhe left todayforShamata, so he can sendLyam messages by militarypouch. He’ll be back in aweek.’‘Hewentalone?’Kulgan settled back in his

chair. ‘I cast a foretelling.The rainwill last three days.

Manyoftheworkersreturnedhome for a short visit ratherthan sit in their barracks forthreedays.Gardanwentwiththem. What have you beendelving into in your towerthese last few days? You’vebarelysaidacivilwordforaweek.’Pug surveyed those in the

room with him. Kataiaseemed absorbed by herneedlework,butheknewshe

was listening closely for hisanswer. The children wereintent upon their game.KulganandDominicwatchedhim with open interest.‘Reading Macros’s works,seeking to discoversomething that might give aclue to what can be done.You?’‘Dominic and I have

counselledwith others in thevillage. We’ve managed to

cometosomeconclusions.’Suchas?’‘Now that Rogen is

healing,andhasbeenable totell us in detail what he sawin his vision, some of ourmore talented youngstershavethrownthemselvesuponthe problem.’ Pug detected amixture of amusement andpride in the oldermagician’swords. ‘Whatever it is outtherethatseekstobringharm

to the Kingdom, orMidkemia, is limited inpower.Assumeforamomentthat it is, as you fear, somedark agency slipped throughthe rift from Kelewan,somehow,duringtheRiftwar.It has weaknesses, and fearstorevealitselffully.’‘Explain,please,’saidPug,

his interest driving aside allfatigue.‘Wewillassumethisthing

is fromKasumi’shomeworldandnotseeksomeothermoreexotic explanation for its useofanancientTsuranidialect.But unlike Kasumi’s formerallies, it comes not in openconquest, but rather seeks touseothersastools.Assumeitcame by the rift somehow.The rift is a year closed,whichmeansithasbeenherefor at least that long, andperhaps as long as eleven

years, gathering servants likethePantathianpriests.Thenitseeks to establish itself, byusing a moredhel, the“beautiful one,” as Rogendescribed him, as an agent.Whatweneedtrulyfearisthedark presence behind thatbeautiful moredhel and theothers. That is the ultimateauthor of this bloodybusiness.‘Now, if all this is true, it

seeks to manipulate andemploy guile rather thandirectforce.Why?Eitheritistoo weak to act, and mustemployothers,or it isbidingits time until it is able toreveal its true nature andcometothefore.’‘Which all means we still

mustdiscovertheidentityandnature of this thing, thispower.’‘True. Now, we also have

done some speculationpredicated upon theassumptionthatwhatwefaceisnotofKelewan.’Pug interrupted. ‘Do not

wastetimewiththat,Kulgan.We must proceed on theassumptionthatwhatwefaceis fromKelewan, for that, atleast, provides us with apossible avenue of approach.If Murmandamus is simplysome moredhel witch-king

come into his own, onewhojusthappens tospeaka long-dead Tsurani tongue,we cancounter that.But an invasionby some dark power fromKelewan … that is theassumptionwemustmake.’Kulgan sighed loudly and

relithiscoldpipe.‘Iwishwehadmoretime,andmoreideaofhowtoproceed.Iwishwecouldexaminesomeaspectofthis phenomenon without

risk.Iwishahundredthings,butmostofallIwishforonework by one reliablewitnesstothisthing.’‘There is a place where

suchaworkmayexist.’Dominic said, ‘Where? I

wouldgladlyaccompanyyouor anyone else to such aplace, no matter what therisk.’Kulgan barked a bitter

laugh. ‘Not likely, good

brother. My former studentspeaks of a place uponanother world.’ Kulganlooked hard at Pug. ‘ThelibraryoftheAssembly.’Kasumi said, ‘The

Assembly?’PugsawKatalastiffen. ‘In

that place there may beanswers that would aid ourcomingbattle,’hesaid.Katalanever tookhereyes

from her work. In controlled

tonesshesaid,‘Itisgoodtherift is closed and cannot bereopened save by chance.Your life may already beordered forfeit. Rememberthat your status as a GreatOnewas called into questionbefore the attack on theEmperor.Whocandoubtyouarenownamedoutlaw?No,itis good there is no way youmightreturn.’Pugsaid,‘Thereisaway.’

Instantly Katala’s eyeswere ablaze as she lookedhardathim.‘No!Youcannotreturn!’Kulgan said, ‘How can

therebeawayback?’‘When I studied for the

blackrobe,Iwasgivenafinaltask,’ Pug explained.‘Standing upon theTower ofTesting,Isawavisionofthetime of the Stranger, awandering star that imperiled

Kelewan. ItwasMacroswhointervened at the last to saveKelewan. Macros was againon Kelewan on the day Inearlydestroyed the ImperialArena. Itwasobvious all thetimeandonlythisweekdidIunderstand.’‘Macros could travel

between the worlds at will!’said Kulgan, comprehensiondawninginhiseyes.‘Macroshad the means to fashion

controllablerifts!’And Ihave found it.Clear

instructions are in one of hisbooks.Katala whispered, ‘You

cannotgo.’He reached over and took

her white-knuckled hands inhis own. ‘I must.’ He facedKulganandDominic. ‘Ihavethemeansof returning to theAssembly, and Imust use it.Otherwise, should

Murmandamus be a servantof some dark Kelewanesepower, or simply a diversionwhile such a power comesinto its own, we will be lostwithout hope. If we are tofind a way of dealing withsuch a one, we must firstidentify it, discover its truenature, and to do that ImustgotoKelewan.’Helookedathis wife, then at Kulgan. ‘IwillreturntoTsuranuanni.’

It was Meecham who spokefirst.‘Wellthen.Whendoweleave?’Pug said, ‘We? I must go

alone.’Thetallfranklinsaid,‘You

can’t go alone,’ as if thatthought was the sheerestabsurdity. ‘When shall weleave?’Pug looked up at

Meecham. ‘You don’t speakthe language.You’re too tall

tobeaTsurani.’‘I’ll be your slave. There

are Midkemian slaves there,you’ve said often enough.’His tone indicated theargument was over. HelookedfromKatalatoKulganand said, ‘Therewouldn’t bea moment’s peace aroundhere should anything happentoyou.’William came over,

Gamina behind him. ‘Papa,

please take Meecham withyou.’Please.Pug put his hands in the

air. ‘Very well. We’llestablishsomecharade.’Kulgan said, ‘I feel a little

better, which is a relativestatement not to be taken asapproval.’‘Your objection is duly

noted.’Dominic said, ‘Now the

issue has been broached, I,too, wish to again offer toaccompanyyou.’‘You offered before you

knewwhereIwasgoing.OneMidkemian I can look after,two would prove tooburdensome.’‘I have my uses,’ replied

Dominic.‘Iknowthehealer’sartsandcanperformmyownbrandsofmagic.AndIhaveagood arm and can wield a

mace.’Pug studied the monk.

‘YouaretallerthanIbyonlya little. Youmight pass as aTsurani, but there’s theproblemoflanguage.’‘In Ishap’s order we have

magic means to learnlanguages.Whileyouprepareyourriftspells,IcanlearntheTsurani tongue and aidMeecham in learning it aswell, if the Lady Katala or

EarlKasumiwillhelp.’Williamsaid,‘Icanhelp.I

speakTsurani.’Kataladidn’t lookpleased,

but agreed. Kasumi said, ‘Ialso.’Helookedtroubled.Kulgan said, ‘Of all here,

Kasumi, I expected youwould be the most likely towishareturn,yetyou’vesaidnothing.’‘When the last rift closed,

my life onKelewan ended. I

am now Earl of LaMut. Mytenure within the Empire ofTsuranuanniisbutamemory.Evenifitispossibletoreturn.Iwouldnot, for Ihave takenoathtotheKing.But,hesaidto Pug, ‘will you carrymessagesformetomyfatherand brother? They have noway toknowI live, letaloneprosper.’‘Ofcourse.Itisonlyright.’

He said to Katala, ‘Beloved,

canyoufashion tworobesofthe Order of Hantukama?’She nodded.He explained totheothers,‘It isamissionaryorder; its members arecommonly seen travellingabout.Disguised as such,weshall attract little attention aswewander.Meechamcanbeourbeggingslave.’Kulgan said, ‘I still don’t

like this idea. I am nothappy.’

Meecham looked atKulgan. ‘When you worry,you’rehappy.’Puglaughedat this.Katala

put her arms around herhusband and held himclosely. She also was nothappy.

Katala held up the robe andsaid,‘Trythis.’Pug found it a perfect fit.

She had carefully chosen

fabrics that would mostclosely resemble those useduponKelewan.Pug had been meeting

daily with others in thecommunity, delegatingauthority for his absence –and, as was understood butnot spoken, against theprobability thathewouldnotreturn. Dominic had beenlearning Tsurani fromKasumi and William and

aidinginMeecham’smasteryof that language.KulganhadbeengivenMacros’sworkonrifts to study sohe could aidPugintheformationofone.Kulgan entered Pug’s

privatequartersasKatalawasinspecting her handiwork.‘You’llfreezeinthat.’Katala said, ‘My

homeworld is a hot place,Kulgan.Theselightrobesarewhatiscommonlyworn.’

‘By, women as well?’When she said yes, he said.Positively indecent.’ as hepulledoutachair.William and Gamina ran

into the room. The little girlwasachangedchildnowthatRogen’s recovery wasassured. She was William’sconstant companion, playing,competing, and arguing as ifshewere a sister.Katala hadkept her in the family’s

quarters while the old manhealed, in a room next toWilliam’s.The boy shouted,

‘Meecham’s coming!’ andbroke out in gleeful laughteras he spun in a circle ofdelight. Gamina laughedaloud as well, imitatingWilliam’s spin, and Kulganand Pug exchanged glances,for it was the first audiblesound the child had ever

made. Meecham entered theroom,andtheadults’laughterjoined with the children’s.The burly forester’s hairylegsandarmsstuckout fromthe short robe, and he stoodawkwardly in the imitationTsuranisandals.He looked around the

room.‘Sowhat’sfunny?’Kulgan said, ‘I’ve grown

so used to seeing you inhunter’s togs, I couldn’t

imagine what you’d looklike.’Pug said, ‘You just look a

little different than I hadexpected,’andtriedtostiflealaugh.The franklin shook his

head in disgust, if you’redone?Whendoweleave?’Pug said, ‘Tomorrow

morning, just after dawn.’Instantly all laughter in theroomdied.

They waited quietly aroundthehillwiththelargetree,onthe north side of StardockIsland.The rainhad stopped,but a damp, coldwind blew,promising more rain shortly.Most of the community hadcome to see Pug, Dominic,and Meecham on their way.Katala stood next to Kulganwith her hands uponWilliam’s shoulders. Gaminaclutched tightly to Katala’s

skirt, looking nervous and alittlefrightened.Pugstoodalone,consulting

thescrollhehadfashioned.Ashortway off,Meecham andDominic waited, shiveringagainst the cold, while theylistened toKasumispeak.Hewas intensively speaking ofevery detail of Tsuranicustom and life he couldremember that might proveimportant.Hewasconstantly

remembering details he hadalmostforgotten.Thefranklinheld the travel bag Pug hadprepared,containingtheusualitems a priest would carry.Also inside, under thoseitems, were a few thingsuncommon to a priest onKelewan,weapons and coinsof metal, a fortune byKelewanesestandards.KulgancametowherePug

indicated, holding a staff

fashionedbyawoodcarverinthe village. He planted itfirmly in the soil, then tookanother handed to him andplaced it four feet away. HesteppedbackasPugbegantoreadaloudfromthescroll.Between the staves a field

of light grew, rainbowcoloursdancingupanddown.A crackling noise could beheard, and the air began tosmell as it did after a

lightning strike, acrid andpungent.The light began to expand

andchangeincolour,movingfaster through the spectrumuntil it gleamed whitely. Itgrew in intensity until itwastoo bright to look upon. StillPug’s voice droned on. Thencame a loud explosion ofnoise,asifathunderclaphadpealed between the staves,and a short gust of wind

towards the gap betweenthem, as if a suddendrawinginofairhadoccurred.Pugputawayhisscrolland

all looked at what he hadfashioned. A shimmeringsquare of grey ‘nothingness’stood between the uprightstaves. Pug motioned toDominic and said, ‘I’ll gothrough first. The rift istargetedtoagladebehindmyold estate, but it might have

appearedelsewhere.’If the environment proved

hostile,hewouldhavetosteparound the pole, entering itfrom the same side again,appearing back onMidkemiaasifhehadpassedthroughahoop.Ifhewasable.He turned and smiled at

Katala andWilliam. His sonjiggledaroundnervously,butKatala’s reassuring pressureon the boy’s shoulders

quieted him. She onlynodded,herfacecomposed.Pug stepped into the rift

and vanished. There was anaudibleintakeofbreathatthesight, for only a few thereknew what to expect. Thefollowing moments draggedon, and many unconsciouslyheldtheirbreath.Suddenly Pug appeared

fromtheothersideoftheriftand an audible sigh of relief

camefromthosewhowaited.He came back to the othersand said, ‘It opens exactlywhere I had hoped it would.Macros’s spellcraft wasflawless.’ He took Katala’shands. ‘It is next to thereflecting pool in themeditationglade.’Katala fought back the

tears.Shehadtendedflowersaround that pool, where asolitary bench looked over

calm waters, when she hadbeen mistress of that greatestate. She noddedunderstanding, and Pugembraced her, then William.AsPugkneltbeforeWilliam,Gamina suddenly threw herarms around his neck. Becareful.Hehuggedherinreturn.‘I

will,littleone.’PugmotionedDominicand

Meecham to follow and

walkedthroughtherift.Theyhesitated the barest instantand followed him into thegreyness.The others stood watching

for long minutes after thethree had vanished, and therain began again. No onewished to leave. Finally, asthe rain took on a moreinsistentquality,Kulgansaid,‘Those set to watch, remain.The rest, back to work.’

Everyone slowly moved off,no one resenting Kulgan’ssharp tone. They all sharedhisconcern.

Yagu, chief gardener on theestateofNetoha,nearthecityof Ontoset, turned to findthree strangers walking thepath from the meditationgladetothegreathouse.Twowere priests of Hantukama,the Bringer of Blessed

Health, though both wereunusually tall for priests.Behind walked their beggingslave, a captive barbariangiantfromthelatewar.Yagushuddered,forhewasanuglysort, with a horrible scardown his left cheek. In acultureofwarriors,Yaguwasa gentle man, preferring thecompany of his flowers andplants to that of men whospoke only of warfare and

honour.Still,hehadadutytohis master’s house andapproached the threestrangers.When they saw him

coming, they halted, andYagu bowed first, as he wasinitiating the conversation –common courtesy until rankwas established. ‘Greetings,honoured priests. It is Yaguthegardenerwhopresumestointerruptyourjourney.’

Pug and Dominic bowed.Meechamwaited to the rear,ignored, as was the custom.Pug said, ‘Greetings, Yagu.For two humble priests ofHantukama your presence isno interruption. Are youwell?’Yagu said, ‘Yes, I am

well,’finishingofftheformalgreetingofstrangers.Thenhetook on a lofty stance,crossinghisarmsandsticking

his chest out. ‘What bringsthe priests of Hantukama tothehouseofmymaster?’Pug said, ‘We travel from

Seran to the City of thePlains.Aswe passed by,wesaw this estate and hoped tobeg a meal for poormissionaries. Is thispossible?’ Pug knew it wasnotYagu’sprerogativetosay,but he let the scrawnygardener play out the role of

deciding.The gardener stroked his

chin for a moment. ‘It ispermitted for you to beg,though I cannot say if youwill be turned away or fed.Come, I will show you thekitchen.’As they walked towards

the house, Pug said, ‘May Iinquire who lives in thiswondrousabode?’Showing pride in the

reflected glory of hismaster,Yagusaid,‘This is thehouseof Netoha, called “He WhoRisesQuickly”.’Pug feigned ignorance,

though he was pleased toknowhis former servantwasstill in possession of theestate.‘Perhaps,’saidPug,‘itwould not be too offensivefor humble priests to payrespects to so august apersonage.’

Yagu frowned. His masterwas a busyman, but he alsomade time for such as these.He would not be pleased tofind the gardener hadpresumed to fend them off,though they were little morethan beggars, not being froma powerful sect, such as theservants of Chochocan orJuran. ‘I will ask. It may bemy master will have amoment for you. If not, then

perhapsamealmaybehad.’Thegardenerledthemtoa

door Pug knew led into thekitchen area. The afternoonsun beat down upon them asthe gardener disappearedinside. The house was astrange design ofinterconnectingbuildingsPughad built nearly two yearsbefore. It had startedsomething of a revolution inTsurani architecture, but Pug

doubted the trend hadcontinued, given the Tsuranisensitivitytopoliticalfortune.The door slid open and a

womansteppedout,followedby Yagu. Pug bowed beforeshe could get a look at hisface. It was Almorella, aformer slave Pug had freed,nowwed toNetoha.ShehadbeenKatala’sclosestfriend.Yagu said, ‘My mistress

graciously agrees to speak

with the priests ofHantukama.’From his bowing position

Pug said, ‘Are you well,mistress?’Hearing his voice,

Almorella gripped thedoorframe as she fought forbreath. When Pugstraightened, she forcedherselftobreatheandsaid,‘I… am well.’ Her eyeswidened and she began to

speakhisTsuraniname.Pugshookhishead.‘Ihave

metyourhonouredhusband.Ihoped he might spare amoment for an oldacquaintance.’Almost inaudibly

Almorella said, ‘Myhusbandalways has time for … oldfriends.’She bade them enter and

closedthedoorbehind.Yagustood outside a moment,

perplexed at his mistress’sbehaviour. But as the doorslid shut, he shrugged andreturnedtohisbelovedplants.Who could understand therich?

Almorella led them quicklyand silently through thekitchen. She struggled tomaintain her composure,barelyconcealinghershakinghands as she brushed past

three startled slaves. Theynevernoticed theirmistress’sagitated state, for their eyeswere riveted on Meecham,the biggest barbarian slavethey had ever seen, truly agiantamonggiants.Reaching Pug’s former

workroom, she slid aside thedoor and whispered, ‘I willgetmyhusband.’They entered and sat,

Meecham awkwardly, upon

plump cushions on the floor.Pug looked about the roomand saw that little hadchanged. He felt a strangesense of being in two placesatthesametime,forhecouldalmost imagine opening thedoor to find Katala andWilliam outside in thegarden. But he wore thesaffron-coloured robe of apriest of Hantukama, not theblack of a Great One, and a

terrible peril was possiblyabout to descend upon thetwo worlds with which hisfate seemed foreverintertwined. Since beginningthe search for a return toKelewan,afaintnagginghadstarted at the back of Pug’smind. He sensed that hisunconscious mind wasoperating as it often did,working on a problem whilehis attention was elsewhere.

Something about all that hadoccurred onMidkemia had afaintly familiar quality to it,and he knew the time wassoon comingwhen hewouldintuitwhatthatqualitywas.The door slid open and a

man entered, Almorellabehind. She closed the door,while the man bowed low.‘Youhonourmyhome,GreatOne.’‘Honours to your house,

Netoha.Areyouwell?’‘I am well. Great One.

HowmayIserve?’‘Sit, and tell me of the

Empire.’ Without hesitation,Netoha sat. ‘Does IchindarstillruletheHolyCity?’‘The Light of Heaven still

rulestheEmpire.’‘WhatoftheWarlord?’‘Almecho,heyouknewas

Warlord, acted with honourand took his own life after

you shamed him at theImperialGames.Hisnephew,Axantucar, wears the whiteand gold. He is of theOaxatucan Family, one whogainedby thedeathofotherswhen … the peace wasbetrayed. All with strongerclaimswerekilled,andmanywithclaimsasvalidashis totheofficeofWarlordwere…dealt with. TheWar Party isstill firmly in control of the

HighCouncil.’Pug considered. With the

War Party still in control ofthe nations, there would bescant chance of findingsympathetic ears in the HighCouncil, though theGameofthe Council would continue.That terrible, seeminglynever-ending struggle forpower might provide theopportunity for discoveringalliance.

‘WhatoftheAssembly?’‘I sent those things which

you instructed, Great One.The others were burned asyou commanded. I receivedonlyanoteofthanksfromtheGreat One Hochopepa,nothingmore.’‘What is the talk in the

market?’‘I have not heard your

name mentioned in manymonths. But just after you

departed, it was said youattemptedtoluretheLightofHeaven into a trap, bringingdishonour on yourself. Youhavebeennamedoutlawandoutcast by theAssembly, thefirst to have the black robestripped away. Your wordsare no longer as law. Anywhoaidyoudosoatperiloftheir lives, and the lives oftheirfamilies,andthelivesoftheirclan.’

Pug rose, ‘We shall nottarryhere,oldfriend.Iwouldnot risk your lives, nor thelivesofyourclan.’Netohaspokeashemoved

toopenthedoor.‘Iknowyoubetter thanmost. Youwouldnotdowhattheyaccusedyouof,GreatOne.’‘Great One no longer, by

edictoftheAssembly.’‘Then I honour the man,

Milamber,’ he said, using

Pug’s Tsurani name. ‘Youhave given us much. Thename Netoha of theChichimechaisupontherollsoftheHunzanClan.Mysonswill grow in greatnessbecauseofyourgenerosity.’‘Sons?’Almorella patted her

stomach. ‘Next plantingseason. The healer prieststhinktwins.’‘Katala will be doubly

pleased. First, to know thesisterofherheartiswell,andsecond, that you will be amother.’Almorella’s eyes brimmed

with moisture. ‘Katala iswell?Andtheboy?’‘Mywifeandsonarewell

andsendyoutheirlove.’‘Return with our greetings

and affection, Milamber. Ihaveprayedthatsomedaywemayagainmeet.’

‘Perhaps we shall. Notsoon, but someday …Netoha,isthepatternintact?’‘It is,Milamber. Little has

changed. This is still yourhome.’Pug roseandmotioned for

the others to follow him. ‘Imay have need of it for aquickreturntomyownlands.If I sound the arrival gongtwice,haveeveryonequit thehouse at once, for theremay

beothersbehindmewhowillharm you. I hope it will notbeso.’‘Yourwill,Milamber.’They walked out of the

room and made for thepattern room. Pug said, ‘Inthe glade by the pool is themeans formy return home. Iwould it remainedundisturbeduntilIcloseit.’‘It is done. I will instruct

the grounds keepers to allow

nooneintheglade.’AtthedoorAlmorellasaid,

‘Where are you bound,Milamber?’‘ThatIwillnottellyou,for

whatyoudonotknowcannotbe forced from you.You arealready in jeopardy forsimplyhavingmeunderyourroof.Iwilladdnomore.’Without further word he

led Dominic and Meechaminto the pattern room and

closed the door behind.Removing a scroll from hisbelt pouch, Pug placed it onthe centre of a large tilepattern, a depiction of threedolphins. It was sealed withblack wax, embossed with alarge chop, from the ring ofthe Great One. ‘I send amessagetoafriend.Withthissymbol upon it, no one willdare touch it but him towhom it is addressed.’ He

closedhiseyesforamoment,then suddenly the scrollwasn’tthere.PugmotionedDominicand

Meecham to stand next tohim on the pattern. ‘EveryGreatOne in theEmpire hasapatterninhishome.Eachisunique, and when it isremembered exactly, amagician can transporthimself or send an object toit. In a few cases, a location

that is very familiar, such asthekitchenatCrydeewhereIworkedasaboy,mightserveaswellasapattern.Itisusualto will a gong to sound,announcing our arrival,though I shall avoid that thistime, I think. Come.’ Hereachedoutandgrippedeachof them,closedhiseyes,andincanted.Thereseemed tobea sudden blur and the roomappeared to change about

them.Dominic said, ‘What …?’

then realized they hadtransported to another place.Helookeddownatadifferentpattern, resembling anornamental flowerof redandyellow.Pug said, ‘The one who

liveshereisbrothertooneofmy old teachers, for whomthe pattern was emplaced.That Great One called here

often.Ihopewemaystillfindfriendshere.’Pug went to the door and

sliditslightlyajar.Hepeeredup and down the corridor.Dominic stepped up behindhim.‘Howfardidwetravel?’‘Eight hundred miles and

more.’‘Amazing,’ Dominic said

softly.Pug led them swiftly to

another room, where the

afternoon sunlight could beseen coming through awindow, casting the shadowof the room’s lone occupantupon the door. Withoutannouncing himself, Pug sliditopen.Before a writing desk sat

an old man, his oncepowerful body shrunken byage. He squinted at theparchment before him, andhis lipsmoved silently as he

read. His robe was a deepblue,simple,butfinelymade.Pug was shocked, for heremembered this man as atower despite his advancingyears.Thelastyearhadtakenatoll.The man looked up at the

intruders.Hiseyesgrewlargeashesaid,‘Milamber!’Pug motioned his

companions through thedoorand slid it behind. ‘Honours

to your house, Lord of theShinzawai.’Kamatsu, Lord of the

Shinzawai, did not rise ingreeting. He stared at theformerslavewhohadrisentothe rank of Great One andsaid, ‘You are under edict,branded traitor, and withouthonour. Your life is forfeitshould you be found.’ Histonewascold,hisexpressionhostile.

Pug was taken aback. Ofallhisalliesintheplottoendthe Riftwar, Kamatsu hadbeen among the staunchest.Kasumi, his son, had carriedthe Emperor’s message ofpeacetoKingRodric.‘Have I caused your

offence, Kamatsu?’ Pugasked.‘I had a son among those

lost when you attempted toentrap the Light of Heaven

withyourdeceit.’‘Your son still lives,

Kamatsu. He honours hisfather and sends affection.’Pug handed Kamatsu themessage from Kasumi. Theoldmanpeeredatitforalongtime, reading every characterslowly. When he hadfinished, tears ranunashamedly down hisleathery cheeks. ‘Can all thisbetrue?’hesaid.

‘It is true. My King hadnothing to do with thedeception at the truce table.Nor had I a hand in it. Thatmysteryislonginexplaining,butfirsthearofyourson.Henot only is alive, but is nowcounted highly inmy nation.Our King sought novengeance upon our formerenemies.Hegrantedfreedomto all who would serve him.Kasumi and the others are

freemeninhisarmy.’‘All?’ said Kamatsu

incredulously.‘Four thousand men of

Kelewan are now soldiers ofmy King’s army. They arecountedamongthemostloyalof his subjects. They bringhonour to their families.When King Lyam’s life wasin danger, the task ofguaranteeing his safety wasgiven to your son and his

men.’ Pride shone inKamatsu’seyes.‘TheTsuranilive in a city called LaMut,and fight well against theenemies of our nation. YoursonisnamedEarlofthatcity,asimportantarankasLordofa family, closer to clanWarchief. He is married toMegan, the daughter of apowerful merchant ofRillanon, and someday youwillbeagrandfather.’

The old man seemed togaininstrength;hesaid,‘Tellme of his life.’ Pug andKamatsu began to speak ofKasumi, his life for the lastyear,andhisrise,hismeetingMegan just before Lyam’scoronation, and their rapidcourtship and marriage. Fornearlyahalfhourtheyspoke,theurgencyofPug’smissionforgottenforthemoment.Whentheyweredone,Pug

said, ‘And Hokanu? Kasumiaskedafterhisbrother.’‘My younger son is well.

He patrols the northernfrontier against the Thunraiders.’‘ThentheShinzawairiseto

greatness on two worlds,’said Pug. ‘Alone amongTsurani families can theShinzawaimakethatclaim.’Kamatsu said, ‘That is a

strangethingtocontemplate.’

His voice turned serious.‘Whathascausedyourreturn,Milamber? It is not only toease an oldman’s loss, I amcertain.’Pug introduced his

companionsandthensaid,‘Adark power rises up againstmy nation, Kamatsu. Wehave faced only a part of itsmight and we seek tounderstanditsnature.’Kamatsu said, ‘What has

this to do with your returnhere?Whatcausehaveyoutoreturn?’‘In a vision, one of our

seers confronted this darkagency andwas addressed intheancient temple language.’He spoke of Murmandamusand the dark power behindthemoredhel.‘Howcanthisbe?’‘That is what has caused

meto riska return. Ihope to

find an answer in the libraryoftheAssembly.’Kamatsu shook his head.

‘You risk much. There is acertain tension within theHighCouncil,beyondwhatisusual for the Great Game. Isuspect we are on the vergeof some major upheaval, asthisnewWarlordseemsevenmore obsessed withcontrolling the nations thanwashisuncle.

Understanding at once theTsurani subtlety, Pug asked,‘Do you speak of a finalschism betweenWarlord andEmperor?’With aheavy sigh, theold

mannodded.‘Ifearcivilwar.Should Ichindar pressforwardwith thecertaintyheshowed to end the Riftwar,Axantucar would be blownawayaschaffuponthewind,for the majority of the clans

and families still hold theEmperorassupreme,andfewtrust this new Warlord. Butthe Emperor has lost muchface. For him to have forcedthe five great clans to thepeace table only to bebetrayed has robbed him ofhis moral authority.Axantucar is free to actwithout opposition. I thinkthis Warlord seeks to unitethetwooffices.Thegoldtrim

on white is not enough forthis one. I think he seeks towear thegoldof theLightofHeaven.’‘“In the Game of the

Council, anything ispossible,”’ quoted Pug. ‘Butlookyou,allwerebetrayedatthepeace talks.’Hespokeofthe last message of Macrosthe Black, remindingKamatsu of the ancientteachings of the Enemy’s

attacks upon the nation, andspeaking of Macros’s fearthat the rift would draw thatterriblepower.‘Such duplicity shows that

the Emperor was no more afool than the rest, but it stilldoes not forgive him themistake.Yet sucha talemaywinhimalittlemoresupportin the High Council – ifsupporthasanymeaning.’‘You think the Warlord

readytoact?’‘Anytime now. He has

neutralized the Assembly byhavinghisownpetmagicianscall its own autonomy intoquestion. Great Ones sit indebate over their own fate.Hochopepa and my brother,Fumita, dare not take a handin the Great Game at thistime. Politically, theAssembly might as well notexist.’

‘Then seek allies in theHighCouncil.Tell themthis:somehow our two worldsstand linked again by somedarkpowerofTsuraniorigin.It moves against theKingdom.It ispowerbeyondhuman understanding,perhaps power to challengethegodsthemselves.Icannottell you how I know, but Ifeel certain that, should theKingdom fall, then will

Midkemia fall; shouldMidkemia fall, then surelywillKelewanfallafter.’Kamatsu, Lord of the

Shinzawai, former Warchiefof the Kanazawai Clan,showed an expression ofconcern.Softlyhe said, ‘Canitbe?’Pug’s expression showed

hebelievedittrue.‘ItmaybeIwillbecapturedorkilled.Ifso, Imust have allies on the

HighCouncilwhowillspeakthis cause to the Light ofHeaven. It is not my life Ifear for, Kamatsu, but thelives of twoworlds. If I fail,theGreatOnesHochopepaorShimone must return to myworld with whatever can belearned of this dark power.Willyouhelp?’Kamatsu rose. ‘Of course.

Even had you not broughtword of Kasumi, even had

our doubts about you beentrue, only a madman wouldbe unwilling to put asideformer grievances in light ofsuchwarning. Iwill leave atonce by fast boat downriverto theHolyCity.Wherewillyoube?’‘Seeking help from

another. If I am successful, IshallpleadmycasebeforetheAssembly. No one gains theblack robe without having

learned to listen beforeacting. No, my true risk isfalling into the Warlord’shands. If you do not hear ofmeinthreedays,assumethathas come to pass. I will beeither dead or captive. Thenyou must take action. Onlysilence will aid thisMurmandamus. In this youmustnotfail.’‘Iwillnotfail,Milamber.’Pug, once known as

Milamber, greatest of theGreat Ones of Tsuranuanni,rose and bowed. ‘We mustleave.Honourstoyourhouse,LordoftheShinzawai.’Kamatsubowedlowerthan

was required of his stationand said, ‘Honours to yourhouse,GreatOne.’

Hawkers shouted to passingbuyers as the sunbeatdown.ThemarketsquareatOntoset

was athrong with business.Pug and his companions hadtakenaplaceinthesectionofthe plaza set aside forlicensed beggars and priests.For threemornings they rosefrom under the protectivewall of the square and spentthe day preaching to thosewilling to stop and listen.Meechamwould pass amongthesmallcrowds,holdingoutthebeggar’sbowl.Therewas

only one temple ofHantukama east of the HolyCity of Kentosani – in thecity of Yankora, far fromOntoset – so there was littleriskofthembeingdiscoveredby another wandering priestin the short time they wouldbe staying in the city. Theorder was widely and thinlyspread,andmanywhoservedhadnotseenanotherpriestoftheorderforyears.

Pugfinishedhissermonforthe morning and returned toDominic’s side as the monkinstructed an injured girl’smother inpropercare for thechild. Her broken leg wouldbe fullymendedwithindays.Thewoman’s grateful thankswere all she could give, butDominic’s smile indicatedthatwassufficient.Meechamjoined them, showing severalof the tiny gemstones and

sliversofmetalthatservedascurrency in the Empire. ‘Aman could make a decentlivingthisway.’Pugsaid,‘Youscaredthem

intogiving.’Acommotioninthecrowd

made them all look as acompany of horsemen rodepast. They wore the greenarmour of a house known toPug by reputation, theHoxaka.Theyweremembers

of the War Party. Meechamsaid, ‘They’ve taken toriding,forcertain.’‘Like the Tsurani in

LaMut,’Pugwhisperedback.‘ItseemsonceaTsuranigetsoverbeingterrifiedofhorses,he becomes mad for them. IknowKasumidid.Onceupona horse, it was near-impossible togethimoff.’ Itappeared the horse hadbecome accepted in the

Empire and cavalry firmlyestablished in the arsenal ofTsuraniweapons.When the horses had

passed, another noise madethem turn; standing beforethemwas a heavyset man inblack robes, his bald headgleaminginthenoondaysun.On every side citizens werebowing and moving away,not wishing to crowd theaugust presence of a Great

One of the Empire. Pug andhiscompanionsbowed.The magician said, ‘You

threewillcomewithme.’Pug made a show of

stammering, ‘Your will,Great One.’ They hurried tofollowafter.The black-robed magician

walkeddirectlytothenearestbuilding, a leatherworker’sestablishment. The magicianentered and said to the

proprietor, ‘I have need ofthisbuilding.Youmayreturninanhour.’Without hesitation the

ownersaid,‘Yourwill,GreatOne,’ and called for hisapprentices to join himoutside. In a minute thebuilding was empty exceptforPugandhisfriends.Pug and Hochopepa

embraced, then the stoutmagician said, ‘Milamber,

youaremadtoreturn.WhenIreceived your message, Icould scarcely believe mysenses. Why did you risksendingitthroughthepattern,and why this meeting in theheartofthecity?’Pugsaid,‘Meecham,watch

the window.’ To Hochopepahesaid,‘Whatbetterplacetohide than inplainsight?Youreceive messages by thepatternoften,andwhowould

think of questioning youabout speaking to commonpriests?’ He turned and said,‘These are my companions,’andmadetheintroductions.Hochopepa swept clear a

bench and sat. ‘I have athousand questions.How didyou manage to return? Themagicians who serve theWarlord have been trying torelocateyourhomeworld, fortheLightofHeaven,maythe

gods protect him, isdetermined to avenge thebetrayal of the peaceconference.Andhowdidyoumanage to destroy the firstrift?Andlive?’HesawPug’samusement at his flood ofquestions and ended, ‘Butmost important, why haveyoureturned?’Pug said, ‘There is loose

upon my homeworld somedarkpowerofTsuraniorigin,

anevilthingofdarkmagic.Iseek knowledge, for it is ofKelewan.’Hochopepalookedquestioningly at him. ‘Manystrange things occur on myworld, and it is the mostelegant answer, Hocho. Ihopetodiscoversomecluetothenatureofthisdarkpower.And it is a fearful agency.’He went into detail aboutwhat had occurred since thefirst, from explaining the

reasonforthebetrayal,totheattemptsonPrinceArutha, tohis own interpretation ofRogen’sseeing.Hochopepa said, ‘This is

strange, for we know of nosuch power upon Kelewan –at least, none I have heardabout. One advantage to ourorganization is that twothousandyearsofcooperativeeffortbytheBlackRobeshasridthisworldofagreatmany

suchmenaces.Inourloreweknow of demon lords andwitch-kings, spirits of darkpowersandthingsofevil,allof whom fell before thecombined might of theassembly.’From the window

Meecham said, ‘Seems youmighthavemissedone.’Hochopepa appeared taken

abackatbeingaddressedbyacommoner, thenhechuckled.

‘Perhaps, or perhaps there isanother explanation. I do notknow. But,’ he said to Pug,‘you have always been aforce for social good withinthe Empire, and I have nodoubtthatallyouhavesaidistruth.Iwillactasyouragent,seeking safe passage to thelibrary,andIwillaidinyourresearch. But understand, theAssembly is hamstrung byinternal politics. The vote to

letyoulive isbynomeansacertainty. I shall have toreturnandlobby.Itmaytakedays before I can openlyvoicethequestion.‘But I think I can succeed

at this. You raise too manyquestions to ignore. I willconveneameetingassoonaspossible and return for youonce I have pleaded yourcase. Only a madman wouldfail to heed your warning,

even should it prove to besomething not of this worldthat plagues your land. Atworstyougainaparoletousethelibraryanddepart;atbest,perhaps a reinstatement.Youwill have to justifyyourpastactions.’‘Icanandwill,Hocho.’Hochopepa left the bench

and stood before his oldfriend.‘Itmaybewecanyethave peace between our

nations, Milamber. Shouldthe old wound somehow behealed,wecouldbenefitbothworlds.I,forone,wouldloveto visit this academy youbuild andmeet this seerwhopredicts the future and thischild who speaks with themind.’‘I have many things I

would share, Hocho. Themakingofcontrollableriftsisbut a tenth part of it.But all

thatlater.Gonow.’Pug began to guide

Hochopepa to the door, butsomething in Meecham’spose caught his eye. It wastoo stiff and awkward.Dominic had been closelyfollowing the magicians’conversation and had notseemed to notice any changein the franklin. Pug studiedMeecham a second, thenshouted,‘Aspell!’

Pug moved towards thewindow and touchedMeecham. The tall man wasunabletomove.PasthimPugcould see men runningtowards the building. BeforePug could react and incant aspell of protection, the doorexploded inwards with athunderous sound, knockingeveryone inside to the floorand stunning themmomentarily.

Sensesreeling,Pugtriedtoregain his feet, but his earsrang from the sound and hisvision blurred. As hestaggered upright, an objectwas hurled in through thedoor.Itwasaball-likeobjectthe size of a man’s fist. Pugagaintriedtoestablishaspellof protection around theroom, but the sphere emittedablindingorangelight.Pug’seyesfeltsearedandheclosed

them,breaking thepatternofhisspell.Hebeganagain,butthe object made a high-pitchedwhine,whichseemedsomehow to drain away hisstrength. He heard someonehit the floorandcouldn’t tellifHochopepaorDominichadtried to rise and failed or ifMeecham had toppled. Pugfought against the magic ofthe sphere with all hisconsiderable might, but he

wasoffbalanceandconfused.He staggered to the door,trying to get away from theobject, for once free of itsdebilitating effects he couldeasilysavehisfriends.Butitsown spellwas too quick andstrong.Atthethresholdoftheshop he collapsed.He fell tohisknees,blinkingagainstthedouble vision the sphere orexplosion had inflicted uponhim.Hecouldmakeoutmen

approaching the buildingfrom across the plaza. Theywore the armour of theWarlord’s Imperial Whites,his personal honour guard.Sinking downwards intodarkness, Pug could see thattheonewholedthemworeablack robe. Pug could hearthe magician’s voice, as ifcoming from a vast distancethrough the ringing in hisears,saying,‘Bindthem.’

•ChapterSixteen•Moraelin

Mist blew through thecanyon.Arutha signalled a halt;

Jimmy peered downwardsthrough the blowingmoisture. A waterfallthunderedbesidethetrailthatwas their route towardsMoraelin. Now they were

properly in the GreatNorthern Mountains, in thatareabetweentheelvenforestsand theNorthlands.Moraelinlay higher in the mountains,in a rocky, barren place justbelow the crest. TheywaitedwhileMartinscoutedthepassahead. Since leaving theirelvenguidestheyhadbecomeamilitarymission in enemy-held lands. They could trustArutha’s talisman to hide

them from Murmandamus’sscrying magic, but that heknew they would soon cometo Moraelin was beyondquestion.Itwasnevertobeaquestion of if they wouldencounter his minions, butsimplywhen.Martin returned, signalling

thatthewayaheadwasclear,thenheputuphishandforahaltagain.Hedashedpasttheothers, heading back down

the trail. As he passed Baruand Roald, he motioned forthemtofollow.They jumpeddown from theirmounts, andLaurie and Jimmy took thereins. Arutha looked back,wondering what Martin hadseen,while Jimmy kept eyesahead.Martin and the others

returned, another figurewalking easily with them.Arutha relaxed when he saw

itwastheelfGalain.The oppressive nature of

their journey was such thatwhen they spoke, it was inhushed tones, lest echoes inthe hills betray them.Aruthagreeted the elf. ‘We thoughtyounotcoming.’Galain replied, ‘The

Warleader sent me after youwith this intelligence but afewhoursafteryoudeparted.Afterhewasfound,thegwali

Apalla said two things ofimportance. First, a beast ofsomeferociousnatureunclearfrom the gwali’s descriptioninhabits the area near thelake. Tomas pleads caution.Second, there is anotherentrance toMoraelin.He feltit of sufficient import todispatch me after.’ Galainsmiled. ‘Besides, I thought itmightalsoproveusefultoseeifyouwerebeingfollowed.’

‘Werewe?’Galain nodded. ‘Two

moredhelscoutscutyourtrailless than amile north of ourforests. They were markingyour way, and one surelywouldhaverunaheadtowarnwhen you got close toMoraelin. I would havejoined you earlier, but Ineeded to be certain neithercouldescapetogivewarning.Now there is no such risk.’

Martin nodded, knowing theelf would have killed themboth suddenly and withoutchance for alarm. ‘There arenosignsofothers.’Martin asked, ‘Do you

return?’‘Tomas gave me

discretion. It is not of muchusetogobackatthispoint.Imayaswelltravelwithyou.ImaynotpassovertheTracksoftheHopeless,butuntilthat

portalisreached,anotherbowmayproveuseful.’‘Welcome,’saidAruthaMartin mounted and,

withoutwords,Galainranonaheadtoscouttheway.Theymoved swiftly upwards, thefallschillingthemdespitetheearly summer warmth. Atthese heights hail andoccasionally snow were notuncommon except in thehottest months of summer,

still weeks away. The nightshadbeendamp,thoughnotasbitter as had been feared, forthey made cold camp. Theelves had given them trailrations, dried meat and hardcakes of nut flour and driedfruit – nourishing butcheerlessfare.Thetrailledalongtheface

ofthecliffs,untilitcameoutin a high meadow,overlooking the valley. A

silver, sparkling lake lappedits shores gently in the lateafternoon light, the onlysound being the singing ofbirds and the rustling of thewind in the trees. Jimmylooked about. ‘How can …how can the day be so nicewhen we move towardsnothingbuttrouble?’Roald said, ‘One thing

about soldiering: if you’regoingtoriskdying,there’sno

sense doing itwet, cold, andhungry unless absolutelynecessary. Enjoy thesunshine,lad.It’sagift.’Theywatered their horses.

After a welcome rest, theycontinued onwards. The pathCalinhadspokenabout,northof the lake,was easily foundbut steep and difficult tonegotiate.As sunset approached,

Galainreturnedwithnewsof

a promising cave in whichthey might safely build asmallfire.‘Itiscurved,twice,and the air moves upwardsthrough fissures that willcarry smokeaway.Martin, ifweleavenow,wemighthavetime to hunt game near thelake’sedge.’Arutha said, ‘Don’t be

overly long in the hunt.Signal your approach withthat raven’s honk you do so

well, or you’ll be greeted bysomeswordpoints.’Martin nodded once,

giving the reins of his horseto Jimmy. He said, ‘Twohours after sunset at thelatest,’ and he and Galainwere heading back down thetrailtowardsthelake.RoaldandBarutookpoint,

and after a five-minute ridefound the cave Galain hadmentioned. It was flat, wide,

and free of other occupants.Jimmy explored back andfound it narrow after ahundred feet, so thatunexpected visitors wouldhave to come through themouth. Laurie and Barugathered wood and the firstfireindayswasbuilt,thoughitwasasmallone.JimmyandArutha settled in with theothers,waitingforMartinandGalain.

MartinandGalainlayinwait.They had constructed anatural-looking blind, usingbrush gathered from otherparts of the woods. Theywere certain they couldobserve any animal comingdown to the lake’s edgewithoutbeingseen.Theyhadlaindownwindfromthelake,neither speaking, for half anhour when the sound ofhooves upon the rocks

soundedfrombelowthecliff.Both nocked arrows, but

otherwise remained silent.Into the meadow from thetrail below rode a dozenhorsemen, dressed in black.Eachworethestrangedragonhelm seen at Sarth, and theirheadsmovedconstantly,asifthey looked for something –or someone. Then behindthem cameMurad, his cheekstill showing the additional

cutAruthahadgivenhimontheroadtoSarth.The Black Slayers reined

in andwatered their mounts,staying in the saddle.Muradseemed relaxedbutalert.Fora silent ten minutes they letthehorsesdrink.When they were finished

watering their horses, theymoved out, turning up thetrail after Arutha’s band.Whentheywereoutofsight,

Martinsaid,‘Theymusthavecome in between Yabon andStone Mountain to haveavoided your forests. Tatharis correct in his assumptionthat they will move toMoraelintowaitforus.’Galainsaid,‘Fewthingsin

life disturb me, Martin, butthoseBlackSlayersareone.’‘You’re just now coming

tothatconclusion?’‘You humans are given to

overreaction upon occasion.’Galain looked to where theridershadgone.Martin said, ‘They will

overtake Arutha and theothers shortly. If this Muradcan track, then theywill findthecave.’Galain stood. ‘Let us hope

the Hadati knows his trailcraft. If not, at least we willbeattackingfromtherear.’Martin smiled a grim

smile. ‘Thatwill certainlybeof comfort to those in thecave. Thirteen against five,andonlyonewayinorout.’Without further comment,

they shouldered their bowsandbegantolopeupthetrailbehindthemoredhel.

‘Riders come,’ said Baru.Jimmywasinstantlycoveringthe fire with dirt, carried inagainst the need. That way

the fire would die quicklywithout smoke. Then Laurietouched Jimmy on the armand motioned that he shouldcome to the rear of the caveto help quiet the horses.Roald, Baru, and Aruthamovedforwardtowheretheycould, theyhoped, seeoutofthecavemouthwithoutbeingseen.Theevening lookedmurky

dark after the bright fire, but

soon their eyes adjusted andthey could see the riderspassing by the cave. Therearmostpulledupamomentbefore the others answeredsome silent command andhalted.Helookedabout,asifsensing something nearby.Arutha fingered his talisman,hoping the moredhel wassimply cautious and notfeelinghispresence.A cloud passed from

before the little moon, theonlyoneupthisearly,andthevista before the cave becameslightly more illuminated.Baru stiffened at sight ofMurad, for thehillman couldnowclearlyseethemoredhel.He had begun to draw hissword when Arutha’s handgrippedhiswrist.ThePrincehissed in the hillman’s ear,‘Notyet!’Baru’sbodytrembledashe

struggledagainsthisdesiretoavengehisfamily’sdeathandcomplete his Bloodquest. Heburnedtoattackthemoredhelwithout regard for his ownsafety, but there were hiscompanionstoconsider.Then Roald gripped the

backoftheHadati’sneckandput his cheek againstBaru’s,sohecouldspeakintohisearalmostwithout sound. ‘If thetwelveinblackcutyoudown

beforeyoureachMurad,whathonour do you to yourvillage’smemory?’Baru’s sword slipped

noiselessly back into itssheath.Silently they watched as

Murad surveyed thesurroundings.Hiseyesfellonthe mouth of the cave. Hepeered at the entrance, andfor a moment Arutha couldfeelthescar-facedmoredhel’s

eyes upon him. Then theywere moving again … thentheyweregone.Arutha crept forward until

he hung out of the cave,watching for signs the riderswere returning. Suddenly avoice behind said, ‘I thoughta cave bear might have runyoualloutofthere.’Arutha spun, his heart

racing and his sword comingout of its scabbard, to find

Martin and Galain standingbehind.Heputuphisweaponand said, ‘I could have runyouthrough.’The others appeared and

Galain said, ‘They shouldhave investigated, but theyseemed determined to besomewhereinahurry.Sowemight do well to follow. I’llkeep them under watch andmarkthetrail.’Arutha said, ‘What if

another band of DarkBrotherscomesalong?Won’tthey find your trailmarkings?’‘Only Martin will

recognize my trail markings.No mountain moredhel cantrack like an elf.’ Heshouldered his bow andbegantorunaftertheriders.As he vanished into the

night’s gloom, Laurie said,‘What if the Dark Brothers

areforestdwellers?’Galain’s voice came back

out of the dark: ‘I’ll havealmost as much to worryaboutasyouwill.’After Galain was out of

earshot, Martin said, ‘I wishhewereonlyjoking.’

Galain ran back down thetrail, motioning towards astandoftreesofftotheleftofthe road.They hurried to the

trees and dismounted. Theyled the mounts down into adraw,asdeepintothewoodsas possible. Galainwhispered, ‘A patrol comes.’He, Martin, and Aruthahurried back to the edge ofthe trees where they couldspyanyoneonthetrail.Afewminutespassedwith

agonizing slowness; then adozen riders came down themountainroad,amixedband

of moredhel and men. Themoredhel were wearingcloaksandwereclearlyforestdwellersfromthesouth.Theyrode past without pause, andwhen theywere out of sight,Martin said, ‘Renegadesnowflock to Murmandamus’sbanner.’Healmostspatashesaid, ‘There are few I’dgladly kill, but humans whowouldservethemoredhelforgoldareamongthem.’

As they returned to theothers,GalainsaidtoArutha,‘There is a camp athwart theroadamileabovehere.Theyareclever, for it isadifficultpassagearoundthecamp,andwewouldneed to leaveyourhorses here. It is that or ridethroughthecamp.’‘Howfar to thelakeis it?’

askedthePrince.‘Only a few miles. But

once past the camp we rise

above the tree line and thereis little cover, save downamong the rocks. Itwillbeaslowpassage,andbetterdoneat night. There are bound tobe scouts around and manyguards on the road to thebridge.’‘What about the second

entrancethegwalitoldof?’‘If we understood rightly,

by descending down into theTracksoftheHopeless,you’ll

findacaveorfissurethatwilllead through the rock up tothesurfaceoftheplateaunearthelake.’Arutha considered. ‘Let us

leaveourmountshere…’Laurie said, with a faint

smile, ‘Might as well tetherthe horses to the trees. Ifwedie,wewon’tneedthem.’Roald said, ‘My old

captainusedtogetdownrightshort with soldiers who

harped on death before abattle.’‘Enough!’ saidArutha.He

tookastepaway,thenturned.‘I’vebeenworryingthisoverand over. I’ve come this farand I’ll continue, but…youmay leave now if you wish,and I’ll not object.’ Helooked at Laurie and Jimmy,thenBaruandRoald.Hewasansweredbysilence.Aruthalookedfromfaceto

face, then nodded brusquely.‘Verywell.Tieupthehorsesand lighten your packs. Wewalk.’Themoredhelwatched the

trail below, well lit by largeand middle moons, as littlemoon rose. He perched atopan outcropping of rock,nestled behind a boulder.Hewas positioned so he wouldbeunobservedbyanycomingupthetrail.

Martin and Galain tookaimatthemoredhel’sbackasJimmy slipped behind therocks.Theywouldtrytowinpastwithoutbeingseen,butifthemoredhel twitched in thewrong direction, Martin andGalainmeanttoseehimdeadbeforehecouldspeak.Jimmyhad gone first, as he wasjudged the least likely tomakenoise.NextcameBaru,and the hillman moved

through the rocks with thepractised ease of onemountain-born. Laurie andRoald moved very slowly,and Martin wondered if hecould hold his target for theweek it was taking them topass. Then at last Aruthaslipped past, the light breezemaking enough noise todisguise the faint scuff ofbootuponrockashesteppeddown into a shallow

depression. He scamperedalonguntilhejoinedwiththeothers, out of sight of thesentry. Within secondsMartin, then Galain,followed, and the elf wentpasttotakepointagain.Barusignalledhewouldgo

after, and Arutha motionedagreement. In a momentLaurie and Roald followed.Just before he turned tofollow, Jimmy put his face

before Martin and Arutha’sandwhispered,‘Whenwegetback,thefirstthingI’mgoingto do is scream my bloodyheadoff.’Withaplayfulswat,Martin

sent him along. Aruthalooked atMartin and silentlymouthedthewords,‘Metoo.’Then the Prince was goingdownthewash.Martintookalast backwards glance, thenfollowed.

Silently they lay in adepression near the road, asmall ridge of rock hidingthem from the passingmoredhel horsemen.Reluctant even to breathe,they remained motionless astheridersseemed topause intheir slow passage. For along, torturous moment,Arutha and his companionsfeared discovery. Just aseverynerveseemedtoscream

for action, as every muscledemanded motion, the riderscontinued along their patrol.Withasighofreliefclosetoasob, Arutha rolled over anddiscovered the trail empty.WithanodtoGalain,Aruthaordered a resumption of thetrek.Theelfwasoffalongthedefile, and the others slowlyroseandfollowed.Thenightwindblewbitter

along the face of the

mountains. Arutha sat backagainst the rocks, lookingwhereMartinpointed.Galainhugged the opposite wall ofthe crevice they crouched in.They had taken a rise over acrest to the east of the trail,seeming to take them awayfrom their destination, but anecessary detour to avoidincreasing moredhel activity.Now they lookeddownuponabroadcanyon,inthemiddle

of which a high plateau roseupwards. In the centre of theplateauasmall lakecouldbeseen.To their left they couldseethetrailreturningasitranpast the edge of the canyon,then disappeared over thecrestofthemountainsfartherup,clearlyshowninthelightofallthreemoons.Where the trail came

closest to the edge of thecanyon, twin towers of stone

had been erected. Anotherpair stood opposite on theplateau. Between them anarrow suspension bridgeswayedinthewind.Ontopofall four towers torchesburned, their flames dancingmadlyinthewind.Movementalongthebridgeandatopthetowers told them the entirearea around the plateau washeavilyguarded.Aruthaleantback against the rocks.

‘Moraelin.’Galain said, ‘Indeed. It

appears they feared youmight bring an army withyou.’Martin said, ‘It was a

thought.’Arutha said, ‘You were

right about its comparing totheroadtoSarth.Thiswouldhave been almost as bad.We’d have lost a thousandmenreachingthispoint-ifwe

could have got this far.Across the bridge, single file…?Itwouldhavebeenmassslaughter.’Martinasked,‘Canyousee

that black shape across thelake?’‘A building of some sort,’

said Galain. He lookedperplexed. ‘It is unusual tosee a building, that building,any building, though theValheru were capable of

anything. This is a place ofpower. That must be aValherubuilding,thoughI’venever heard of its likebefore.’‘Where shall I find

Silverthorn?’askedArutha.Galain said, ‘Most of the

stories say it needswater, soit grows on the edge of thelake.Nothingmorespecific.’Martin said, ‘Now, as to

gainingentrance.’

Galain signalled themaway from the front end ofthecrevice,andtheyreturnedto where the others waited.Theelfkneltanddrewintheground. ‘We are here, withthe bridge here. Somewheredown at the base is a smallcave or large fissure, largeenough for a gwali to runthrough,soI’dguessitwouldbe big enough for you tocrawl through. It might be a

chimney in the rock you canclimb up, or it might beconnectingcaves.ButApallawasemphatic thatheandhispeople had spent some timeon that plateau. They didn’tstaylongbecauseofthe“badthing,” but he rememberedenough to convince TomasandCalinhewasn’tconfusedaboutbeinghere.‘I’ve spotted a broken

facingontheothersideofthe

canyon, so we’ll work alongpast thebridgeentranceuntilwe have that black buildingbetween myself and thebridge guards. You’ll findwhatappearstobethestartofa way down there. Even ifyoucanonlygetashortwaydown,youcanloweryourselfwith ropes. Then I’ll pullthemupandhidethem.’Jimmy said, ‘That’ll be

reallyhandywhenwewantto

climbbackup.’Galain said, ‘At sundown

tomorrowI’lllowertheropesagain. I’ll leave them downuntiljustbeforesunrise.ThenI’ll pull them up again. I’lllower them again the nextnight. I think I can stayhidden in the crack in thebroken facing. Imayhave toscamper into the brush, butI’llstayfreeofanymoredhelwho are looking about.’ He

didn’t sound too convinced.‘Ifyouneedtheropessoonerthan that,’ he added with asmile,‘simplyshout.’Martin looked at Arutha.

‘As long as they don’t knowwe’rehere,wehaveachance.They still look to the south,thinking us somewherebetween Elvandar and here.As long as we don’t giveourselvesaway…’Aruthasaid,‘It’sasgooda

plan as I can come up with.Let’sgo.’Quickly,fortheyneededto

bedowninthecanyonbeforesunrise, they moved amongthe rocks, seeking to reachthefarsideofthecanyonrim.

Jimmyhuggedthefaceoftheplateau,hidingintheshadowbelow thebridge.The rimofthecanyonwassomehundredandfiftyfeetabovethem,but

there was still a chance ofbeing seen. A narrow blackcrack in the face of theplateau presented itself.Jimmy turned his head toLaurie and whispered, ‘Ofcourse. It has to be rightunderthebridge.’‘Let’s justhope theydon’t

bothertolookdown.’Wordwaspassedback,and

Jimmy entered the fissure. Itwas a tight squeeze for only

ten feet, then opened into acave. Turning back towardsthe others, he said, ‘Pass atorchandflintthrough.’Ashe took them,heheard

a movement behind him. Hehissed a warning and spun,hisdirkalmostflyingintohishand. The faint light comingfrom behind was more ahindrance than a help, for itcausedmostofthecavetobeinkyblacktohiseyes.Jimmy

closedhiseyes,relyingonhisother senses. He backed upandtowardsthecrack,sayinga silent prayer to the god ofthieves.From ahead he heard a

scrabbling sound, like clawson rock, and heard a slow,heavy breathing. Then herememberedthegwalitalkingof a ‘bad thing’ that ate oneofhistribe.Again came thenoise, this

timemuchcloser,andJimmywished fervently for a light.He moved to the right as heheard Laurie speak his namein a questioning tone. Theboy hissed, ‘There’s somekindofanimalinhere.’Jimmy could hear Laurie

say something to the othersandthescrambleasthesingermoved back, away from thecave entrance. Faintly hecould hear someone, perhaps

Roald, saying, ‘Martin’scoming.’Holding on to the knife

with fierce intensity, Jimmythought to himself, yes, if itcomestofightinganimals,I’dsend in Martin, too. Heexpected the large Duke ofCrydee to leap inbesidehimatanymomentandwonderedwhatwastakingsolong.Then there was sudden

movement towards the boy

and he leapt back and up,instinctively,almostclimbingarockface.Somethingstruckhis lower leg, and he couldhear the snapping of jaws.Jimmy turned in midair and,using his native abilities,tucked and rolled with thefall, coming down onsomething that wasn’t rock.Without hesitation, Jimmylashed out with his dirk,feeling the point dig into

something. He continued toroll off the back of thecreaturewhileareptilianhissandsnarlfilledthecave.Theboytwistedashecametohisfeet,pullingthedirkfree.Thecreature spun, movingquickly, almost as quickly asJimmy,who leaptawayfromthe creature, blindly, andstruckhisheadagainstalow-hangingoutcroppingofrock.Stunned, Jimmy fell hard

against the wall as thecreaturelauncheditselfagain,againmissingbyonlyalittle.Jimmy,half stunned, reachedout with his left hand andfound his arm wrappingaroundthething’sneck.Likethe legendaryman riding thetiger, Jimmy couldn’t releasehis hold, for the creaturecould not reach him as longas he held fast. Jimmy sat,letting the animal drag him

around the cave, while hestabbed repeatedly at theleathery hide. With littleleverage, his blows weremostly ineffective. Thecreature thrashed about, andJimmy was battered againsttherockwallsandscrapedashe was dragged about thecave. Jimmy felt panic risingup inside, for the animalseemedtobegaininginfury,andhisarmfeltasifitwould

be torn from his shoulder.Tears of fear ran down theboy’s cheeks, and hehammered at the creature interror. ‘Martin,’ he halfshouted, half gulped. Wherewas he? Jimmy felt withsudden certainty that he wasat last at the end of hisvaunted luck. For the firsttime he could remember, hefelt helpless, for there wasnothing he could do to

extricate himself from thissituation. He felt himself gosicktohisstomachandnumball over and, with dreadcertainty,feltfearforhislife:not the exhilarating thrill ofdanger during a chase acrossthe Thieves’ Highway, but ahorrible numbing sleepinessasifhewishedtocurlupinaballandenditall.The creature leapt about,

banging Jimmy against the

wallrepeatedly,andsuddenlywasstill.Jimmycontinuedtostabatitforamoment,thenavoicesaid,‘It’sdead.’The still-woozy thief

opened his eyes and sawMartin standing over him.BaruandRoaldstoodbehind,themercenarywithalittorch.Next to the boy lay alizardlikecreature,sevenfeetin length, looking likenothingasmuchasaniguana

with a crocodile’s jaws,Martin’s hunting knifethrough the back of its skull.Martin knelt before Jimmy.‘Youallright?’Jimmy scuttled away from

the thing, still showing signsof panic.When it penetratedhis fear-clouded senses thathewasunhurt,theboyshookhisheadvigorously.‘No,I’mnotallright.’Hewipedawaythe tearstainsonhis faceand

said, ‘No, damn it all, I’mnot.’ Then, with tears againcoming, he said, ‘Damn it. IthoughtI…’Arutha came through the

fissure last and took stockofthe boy’s condition. Hemoved next to the boy, wholeant tearfully against therockwall.Gently placinghishand upon Jimmy’s arm, hesaid, ‘It’s over. You’re allright.’

His voice betraying amixture of anger and fear,Jimmysaid, ‘I thought ithadme.Damn,I’veneverbeensoscaredinmylife.’Martin said, ‘If you’re

going to be scared ofsomething at long last,Jimmy, thisbeastie isagoodchoice. Look at the jaws onit.’Jimmy shivered. Arutha

said, ‘We all get scared,

Jimmy. You’ve just finallyfound something to be trulyfearfulof.’Jimmy nodded. ‘I hope it

doesn’t have a big brotherabout.’Arutha said, ‘Did you

sustainanywounds?’Jimmy took a quick

inventory. ‘Just bruises.’Then he winced. ‘A lot ofbruises.’Barusaid,‘Arockserpent.

Good-sizedone.Youdidwellkillingitwiththatknife,LordMartin.’In the light the creature

looked respectable, butnothing near the horrorJimmy had imagined in thedark. ‘That’s the “badthing”?’Martin said, ‘Most likely.

As bad as it looked to you,imaginewhat it looks like toa three-foot-tall gwali.’ He

held up his torch as LaurieandAruthaentered.‘Let’sseewhatthisplaceislike.’Theywere inanarrowbut

high-ceilinged chamber,mostly limestone, from itslook. The floor climbedslightly as it moved awayfrom the fissure that ledoutside.Jimmy appeared ragged,

but went to the fore, takingMartin’s torch and saying,

‘I’m still the expert atclimbing into places I’m notwelcome.’They moved quickly

throughaseriesofchambers,each slightly larger andlocated higher up than theothers. The connectingchambers had an oddappearance and strange feelto them, somehowdisquieting. The plateau waslarge enough for them to

move for some time withoutmuch sense of movingupwards, until Jimmy said,‘We move in a spiral. I’llswear we’re now above theplacewhereMartinkilledthatrockserpent.’They continued their

progressuntiltheycametoanapparent dead end. Lookingabout, Jimmy pointedupwards. Above their headsby three feetwas anopening

intheroof.‘Achimney,’saidJimmy. ‘You climb up byputtingyourbacktoonesideandfeettotheother.’‘What if it widens too

much?’askedLaurie.‘Then it’s usual to come

back down. The rate ofdescentisuptoyou.Isuggestyoudoitslowly.’Martin said, ‘If the gwali

can get up there, we shouldbeable.’

Roald said, ‘Beggin’YourGrace’s pardon, but do youthink you could swingthrough the trees like them,too?’Ignoring the remark,

Martinsaid,‘Jimmy?’‘Yes, I’ll go first. I’ll not

endmy days because one ofyou lost his grip and fell onme.KeepclearoftheopeninguntilIcalldown.’With assistance from

Martin,Jimmyeasilymadeitinto the chimney. It was agood fit, with just enoughroomtonegotiateeasily.Theothers, especiallyMartin andBaru,wouldfinditatightfit,but they would squeezethrough.Jimmyquicklymadeit to the top,about thirty feetfromthechamberbelow,andfound another cave. Withoutlight he couldn’t tell its size,but faint echoes of his

breathing told him it was agood size. He loweredhimselfdownjustfarenoughto call the come ahead, thenscrambleduptothelip.By the time the first head,

Roald’s, popped into view,Jimmy had a torch lit.Quickly they all climbed upthe chimney. The cave waslarge,easilytwohundredfeetacross. The roof averaged afull twenty-five feet high.

Stalagmites rose from thefloor, some joining togetherwith the stalactites above toform limestone pillars. Thecavewasaforestofstone.Inthe distance several othercaves and passages could beseen.Martinlookedabout.‘How

high do you judge we’veclimbed,Jimmy?’‘No more than seventy

feet.Notyethalfway.’

‘Now which way?’ askedArutha.Jimmysaid,‘Nothingforit

except to try them one at atime.’Picking one of the many

exits,hemarchedtowardsit.

After hours of searching,Jimmy turned to Laurie andsaid,‘Thesurface.’Word was passed and

Arutha squeezed up past the

singer to look. Above theboy’s head was a narrowpassage, little more than acrack.Arutha could see lightabove, almost blinding afterthe faintly lit passages.Witha nod, Jimmy climbed upuntil he blocked out thebrillianceabove.Whenhereturned,hesaid,

‘It comes out in anoutcropping of rocks. We’reabout a hundred yards from

the bridge side of the blackbuilding.It’sabigthing,twostoreystall.’‘Anyguards?’‘NoneIcouldsee.’Arutha considered, then

said, ‘We’ll wait until dark.Jimmy,canyouhangclosetothesurfaceandlisten?’‘There’s a ledge,’ said the

boy and scrambled backupwards.Arutha sat and the others

did likewise, waiting fordarknesstocome.

Jimmy tensed and relaxedmuscles to avoid cramping.The top of the plateau wasdeathly silent, except for anoccasional sound carried bythe wind. Mostly he heard astray word or the sounds ofboots coming from thedirection of the bridge.Oncehethoughtheheardastrange,

low sound coming from theblack building, but hecouldn’t be certain. The sunhad dipped beneath thehorizon,althoughtheskystillglowed. It was certainly twohours after normalsuppertime, but this high onthefaceofthemountains,thisclosetoMidsummer,andthisfar north, the sun set longafteritdidinKrondor.Jimmyremindedhimself thathehad

worked jobs before wherehe’d had to skip meals, butsomehow that didn’t stophisstomach from demandingattention.Atlastitwasdarkenough.

Jimmy,forone,wasglad,andit seemed the others sharedhisfeelings.Somethingaboutthisplacebroughtthemtotheedge of outright agitation.Even Martin had severaltimes been heard muttering

cursesattheneedtowait.No,there was something alienabout thisplace,anditwasasubtlesortofeffecttheywerefeeling. Jimmy knew hewouldn’t feel secure againuntil this place was milesbehind him and a dimmemory.Jimmy climbed out and

kept watch while Martincame next, followed by theothers. By agreement they

split up into three groups:BaruwithLaurie,RoaldwithMartin, and Jimmy with thePrince.Theywouldscout thelake-shore for the plant, andas soon as one found it hewould return to the crack inthe rocks, waiting downbelowforhiscompanions.Arutha and Jimmy were

slated to move towards thebig black building, and byagreement had decided to

begin their search behind thebuilding. It seemed wise tocheck for guards beforesearching near the ancientValheru edifice. It wasimpossible to know themoredhelattitudetowardstheplace. They might hold it insimilar awe to the elves andrefuse to enter, give it wideberthuntilsomeceremony,asif it were a shrine, or theymight be inside the building

innumbers.Slipping through the dark,

Jimmy reached the edge ofthe building and hugged it.The stones felt unusuallysmooth. Jimmy ran his handover them and discoveredthey were textured likemarble. Arutha waited,weapons ready,while Jimmydid a quick circumnavigationof the building. ‘No one insight,’ he whispered, ‘except

atthebridgetowers.’‘Inside?’Aruthahissed.Jimmy said, ‘Don’t know.

It’sabigplace,butonlyonedoor. Want to look?’ Hehoped the Prince would sayno.‘Yes.’Jimmy led Arutha down

alongthewallandaroundthecorner, until he came to thesolitary door to the largebuilding.Aboveitwasahalf-

circle window, with a faintlight showing. Jimmysignalled for Arutha to givehim a boost, and the youngthief scampered up to thecornice above the door. Hegripped it and pulled himselfup to peek through thewindow.Jimmy peered about.

Below him, behind the door,was an ante-room of somesort, with a stone slab floor.

Beyond,doubledoorsopenedintodarkness. Jimmynoticedsomething strange about thewall below the window. Theexterior stone was onlyfacing.Jimmyjumpedbackdown.

‘There’s nothing I can seefromthewindow.’‘Nothing?’‘There’sapassageintothe

darkness,that’sall;nosignofanyguards.’

‘Let’s start looking aroundthe lake’s edge, but keep aneyeonthisbuilding.’Jimmy agreed and they

headed down towards thelake. The building wasbeginning to make his‘something’sodd’bumpitch,but he shoved aside anydistraction and concentratedonthesearch.Hours were spent stalking

the shore. Few water plants

lined the lake’s edge; theplateauwasalmostdevoidofflora. In the distance therewould be an occasional faintrustling sound,whichAruthasupposed came from one oftheotherpairswhosearched.Whentheskybecamegrey,

Jimmy alerted Arutha to thecoming dawn. Giving up indisgust, the Princeaccompanied the boy thiefback to the crevice. Laurie

and Baru were already thereandMartin andRoald joinedthemafewminuteslater.Allreported no sight ofSilverthorn.Arutha remained silent,

turning slowly until his backwas to the others. Then heclenchedhisfist,lookingasifhe had been struck a terribleblow. All eyes were on himas he stared away into thedarkness of the cave, his

profileetchedinreliefbythefaintlightfromabove,andallsaw tears upon his cheeks.Suddenlyhespuntoconfronthis companions. Hoarsely hewhispered, ‘Itmust be here.’Helookedateachof theminturn, and they glimpsedsomethinginhiseyes:adepthof feeling, a sense ofoverwhelming loss thatcaused them to share hisdread. All of them saw

suffering and somethingdying. If there was noSilverthorn,Anitawaslost.Martinsharedhisbrother’s

pain, and more, for in thisinstant he saw his father, inthose quiet moments beforeArutha had been old enoughto know the depths ofBorric’s loss of his LadyCatherine. The elven-taughthunter felt his own chestconstrictatthethoughtofhis

brother reliving those lonelynights before the hearth,beside an empty chair, withonlyaportraitoverthefiretogaze upon. Of the threebrothers, only Martin hadglimpsed the profoundbitterness that had hauntedtheir father’s every wakingmoment. If Anita died,Arutha’s heart and joymightwell die with her. Unwillingto surrender hope, Martin

whispered, ‘It will be heresomewhere.’Jimmy added, ‘There is

oneplacewehaven’tlooked.’Arutha said, ‘Inside that

building.’Martin said, ‘Then there’s

onlyonethingtodo.’Jimmy hated to hear

himself say, ‘Oneofusmustgetinsideandtakealook.’

•ChapterSeventeen•Warlord

Thecellstankofdampstraw.Pug stirred and found his

hands tethered to the wallwith needrahide chains. Theskin of the stolid, six-leggedTsurani beast of burden hadbeen treated to almost thehardness of steel and wasanchored firmly to the wall.

Pug’s head ached from theencounter with the strangemagic-disrupting device. Butthere was another irritation.He fought off his mentalsluggishness and looked atthemanacles.Ashebegantoincant a spell that wouldcausethechainstochangetoinsubstantial gases, a suddenwrongness occurred. Hecouldputnoothernametoitbut a wrongness. His spell

wouldnotwork.Pugsatbackagainst thewall,knowingthecell had been blanketed bysome ensorcellmentneutralizinganyothermagic.Of course, he thought: howelsedoesonekeepamagicianinjail?Puglookedabouttheroom.

Itwasadarkpitofacellwithonly a little light comingthrough a small barredopening high in the door.

Something small and busybustled through the strawnear Pug’s foot. He kickedand it scurriedoff.Thewallsweredamp,sohejudgedthathe and his companions werebelowground.Hehadnowayof telling how long they hadbeen here, nor had he anyidea where they were: theycould be anywhere upon theworldofKelewan.Meecham and Dominic

were chained to the wallopposite Pug, while to hisrightHochopepawaslikewisebound.PugknewatoncethattheEmpireresteduponafinebalancing point for theWarlordtoriskbringingharmto Hochopepa. To capture adenounced renegadewas onething, but to incarcerate aGreatOneoftheEmpirewasanother. By rights, a GreatOneshouldbeimmunetothe

dictates of the Warlord.BesidestheEmperor,aGreatOne was the only possiblechallenge to the Warlord’srule. Kamatsu had beencorrect. The Warlord wasnearing some major ploy oroffensive in theGameof theCouncil, for theimprisonment of Hochopepashowed contempt for anypossibleopposition.Meecham groaned and

slowlylookedup.‘Myhead,’hemumbled.Findinghimselfchained, he tuggedexperimentally at his bonds.‘Well,’ he said, looking atPug,‘whatnow?’Puglookedbackandshook

hishead.‘Wewait.’Itwasalongwait,perhaps

three or four hours. Whensomeone appeared, it wassuddenly. Abruptly the doorhadswungopenandablack-

robed magician entered,followed by a soldier of theImperial Whites. Hochopepanearly spat as he said,‘Ergoran! Are you mad?Releasemeatonce!’Themagicianmotionedfor

thesoldiertoreleasePug.HesaidtoHochopepa,‘IdowhatI do for the Empire. Youconsortwithourenemies, fatone. Iwill bringword to theAssembly of your duplicity

when we have finished withour punishment of this falsemagician.’Pug was quickly herded

outside and the magiciannamed Ergoran said,‘Milamber, your display atthe Imperial Games a yearago has earned you somerespect – enough to ensureyou do not wreak any morehavoc upon those aroundyou.’ Two soldiers fastened

rare and costly metalbracelets upon his wrists.‘The wards placed in thisdungeon prevent any spellfrom operating within. Onceyou are outside the dungeon,these bracelets will cancelyour powers.’ He motionedfor the guards to bring Pugand one pushed him frombehind.Pug knew better than to

wastetimeonErgoran.Ofall

those magicians called theWarlord’s pets, he had beenamong the most rabid. Hewasoneofthefewmagicianswho believed that theAssembly should be an armof the ruling body of theEmpire, the High Council. Itwas supposed by some whoknew him that Ergoran’sultimate goal was to see theAssembly become the HighCouncil. It had been

rumoured that while the hot-tempered Almecho hadpubliclyruled,asoftenasnotErgoran had been the onebehind him deciding thepolicyoftheWarParty.A long flight of stairs

brought Pug into sunlight.After thedarknessof thecellhewasblindedforamoment.As he was pushed alongthrough the courtyard ofsome immense building, his

eyesquicklyadjusted.Hewastaken up a broad flight ofstairs,andasheclimbed,Puglooked over his shoulder.Hecould see enough landmarksto know where he was. Hesaw the riverGagajin,whichranfromthemountainscalledthe High Wall down to thecity of Jamar. It was themajor north-souththoroughfarefortheEmpire’scentralprovinces.Pugwasin

the Holy City itself,Kentosani, the capital of theEmpire of Tsuranuanni. Andfrom the dozens of white-armouredguards,heknewhewasintheWarlord’spalace.Pug was pushed along

through a long hall until hereached a central chamber.Thestonewallsended,andarigid, painted wood-and-hidedoor was slid aside. Apersonalcouncilchamberwas

where the Warlord of theEmpire chose to interrogatehisprisoner.Another magician stood

near the centre of the room,waitinguponthepleasureofamanwhosatreadingascroll.ThesecondmagicianwasonePug knew only slightly,Elgahar. Pug realized hecould expect no aid here,even for Hochopepa, forElgahar was Ergoran’s

brother;magic talenthad rundeep in their family. Elgaharhadalwaysseemedtotakehisleadfromhisbrother.Themansittinguponapile

of cushions was of middleyears, wearing a white robewith a single golden bandtrimming the neck andsleeves. RememberingAlmecho, the last Warlord,Pugcouldn’t thinkofamorestriking contrast. This man,

Axantucar,was the antithesisof his uncle in appearance.While Almecho had been abullnecked, stocky man, awarrior in his manner, thismanwasmore like a scholarorteacher.Hiswire-thinbodymade him look the ascetic.His features were almostdelicate. Then he lifted hisgaze up from the parchmenthehadbeen readingandPugcould see the resemblance:

this man, like his uncle, hadthe same mad hunger forpowerinhiseyes.Slowly putting away his

scroll, the Warlord said,‘Milamber, you showcourage, if not prudence, inreturning.Youwillof coursebe executed, but before wehaveyouhung,wewouldliketoknowonething:whyhaveyoureturned?’‘Upon my homeworld a

powergrows,adarkandevilpresence that seeks toadvance its cause, and thatcauseisthedestructionofmyhomeland.’The Warlord seemed

interested and motioned forPug to continue. Pug told allhe knew, completely andwithout embellishment orexaggeration. ‘Throughmagic means I havedetermined that this thing is

of Kelewan; somehow thefatesofbothworldsareagainintertwined.’Whenhewas finished, the

Warlord said, ‘You spin aninteresting tale.’ ErgoranappearedtobrushasidePug’sstory, but Elgahar lookedgenuinely troubled. TheWarlordwenton, ‘Milamber,it is truly a shame you weretaken from us during thebetrayal. Had you remained,

we might have foundemployment for you as astoryteller. A great power ofdarkness, aborning fromsome forgotten recess withinour Empire. What awonderful tale.’ The man’ssmile vanished and he leantforward,elbowuponknee,ashe looked at Pug. ‘Now, tothe truth. This shabbynightmare you spin is but aweak attempt to frighten me

into ignoring your truereasons for returning. TheBlue Wheel Party and itsallies are on the verge ofcollapse in theHighCouncil.That is why you return, forthosewhocountedyouasallybeforearedesperate,knowingthe utter domination of theWarPartytobeallbutafact.Youandthefatoneareagainin league with those whobetrayedtheAllianceforWar

during the invasion of yourhomeworld.Youfeartheneworder of thingswe represent.WithindaysIshallannouncethe end of theHighCouncil,andyouhavecometo thwartthatevent,true?Idon’tknowwhat you have in mind, butwe shall have the truth fromyou, if not now, then soon.And you shall name thosewhostandarrayedagainstus.‘And we will have the

means of your return. Oncethe Empire is secure undermy rule, then shallwe returntoyourworldandquicklydowhat should have been doneundermyuncle.’Pug looked from face to

face and knew the truth. Pughad met and spoken withRodric, the mad King. TheWarlord was not as mad astheKing had been, but therewasnodoubtthathewasnot

entirelysane.Andbehindhimstoodonewhobetrayedlittle,but just enough, for Pug tounderstand. Ergoran was thepower to be feared here, forhewasthetruegeniusbehindthe dominance of the WarParty. It would be he whowould rule in Tsuranuanni,perhaps, someday, evenopenly.A messenger arrived and

bowed before the Warlord,

handing him a parchment.The Warlord read quickly,then said, ‘I must go to thecouncil. Informthe inquisitorI require his services thefourth hour of the night.Guards,returnthisonetohiscell.’ As the guards pulledPug about by his chain, theWarlord said, ‘Thinkon this,Milamber. You may dieslowly or quickly, but youwilldie.Thechoice isyours.

Eitherway,weshallhavethetruthfromyoueventually.’

Pug watched as Dominicentered his trance. Pug hadtold his companions of theWarlord’s reaction, and afterHochopepahadragedonforatime, the fat magician hadlapsed into silence. Likeothers of the black robe,Hochopepa found the notionof any whim of his being

ignoredalmostunfathomable.This imprisonment wasnearly impossible tocontemplate. Meecham hadshown his usual taciturnity,while the monk had alsoseemed unperturbed. Thediscussionhadbeenshortandresigned.Dominic had soon after

begun his exercises,fascinatingtoPug.Hehadsatandbegunmeditatinguntilhe

was now entering some sortof trance. In the silence, Pugconsideredthemonk’slesson.Even in this cell, apparentlywithout hope, there was noneedfor themtosurrender tofear and become mindlesswretches. Pug turned hismind back, remembering hisboyhood at Crydee: thefrustrating lessons withKulgan and Tully, as hesoughttomasteramagicthat

he would discover, yearslater, he was unsuited topractise.Ashame,hethoughtto himself. Thereweremanythingshehadobservedduringhis time at Stardock that hadconvinced him the LesserMagic of Midkemia wassignificantlyfurtheradvancedthan on Kelewan. Mostlikely,itwasaresultoftherebeing only one magic onMidkemia.

For variety, Pug tried oneof thecantrips taughthimbyKulgan as a boy, onehehadnever mastered anyway.Hmm, he mused, the LesserPath spell isn’t affected. Hebegan to encounter thestrange blocking fromwithinhimself and almost feltamusementatit.Asaboyhehad feared that experience,for it signalled failure. Nowhe knew it was simply his

mind, attuned to the GreaterPath, rejecting Lesser Pathdiscipline.Still,somehowtheeffects of the anti-magicwards caused him to attackthe problem more obliquely.Heclosedhiseyes,imaginingtheone thinghehad triedoninnumerable occasions,failingeachtime.Thepatternof his mind balked at therequirements of that magic,butasitshiftedtotakeonits

normal orientation, itsomehow rebounded againstthe wards, recoiled, and …Pugsatup,eyeswide.Hehadalmost found it! For thebriefest instanthehadalmostunderstood. Fighting downexcitement, he closed hiseyes, head down, andconcentrated.Ifhecouldonlyfindthatoneinstant,thatonecrystalline instant when hehad understood… an instant

thathadfledassoonasithadcome…Inthisdank,squalidcell he had stood upon thebrink of perhaps one of themostimportantdiscoveriesinthehistoryofTsuranimagic.Ifonlyhecouldrecapturethatinstant…Then the doors to the cell

opened.Puglookedup,asdidHochopepa and Meecham.Dominic remained in histrance. Elgahar entered,

motioningforaguardtoclosethe door behind him. Pugstood, uncramping legs thathad succumbed to the coldstones beneath the strawwhile he hadmeditated uponhisboyhood.‘What you say is

disturbing,’ said the black-robedmagician.‘As it should be, for it is

true.’‘Perhaps,butitmaynotbe,

even if you believe it to betrue. I would heareverything.’Pug motioned for the

magician to sit, buthe shookhis head in negation.Shrugging, Pug returned tohis place on the floor andbeganhisnarrative.WhenhereachedtheportionrelatingtoRogen’s vision, Elgaharbecame observably agitated,haltingPug toaskaseriesof

questions.Pugcontinued,andwhen he was through,Elgaharshookhishead.‘Tellme, Milamber, on yourhomeworld, are there manywho could have understoodwhatwas said to this seer inthevision?’‘No. Onlymyself and one

or two others could haveunderstood it; only theTsuraniinLaMutwouldhaverecognized itasancientHigh

TempleTsurani.’‘There is a frightening

possibility. I must know ifyou’veconsideredit.’‘What?’Elgahar leant close to Pug

andwhispered a single wordin his ear. Colour drainedfromPug’sfaceandheclosedhiseyes.BackonMidkemia,his mind had begun theprocess of intuiting what itcouldfromtheinformationat

hand.He had subconsciouslyknown all along what theanswer would be. With asingle, long sigh, he said, ‘Ihave. At every turn I haveshied from admitting thatpossibility, but it is alwaysthere.’Hochopepa said, ‘What is

thisyouspeakof?’Pug shook his head. ‘No,

old friend. Not yet. I wantElgahar to consider what he

has deduced without hearingyouropinionormine.Thisissomething that must makehimreevaluatehisloyalties.’‘Perhaps.Buteven if Ido,

it will not necessarily alterourpresentcircumstance.’Hochopepa exploded in

rage. ‘Howcanyousaysucha thing! What circumstancecanmatter in the face of theWarlord’s crimes? Have youcome to the point where all

your free will has beensurrenderedtoyourbrother?’Elgahar said, ‘Hochopepa,

youofallwhoweartheblackrobeshouldunderstand,foritwas you and Fumita whoplayedintheGreatGameforyears with the Blue WheelParty.”Hespokeofthosetwomagicians’partinhelpingtheEmperor end the Riftwar.‘For the first time in thehistory of the Empire, the

Emperor is in a uniqueposition.With thebetrayal atthe peace conference, he hascome to the position ofhaving ultimate authoritywhile having lost face. Hemay not use his influence,and he will not again utilizehis authority. Five clanWarchiefs died in thatbetrayal, the fivemost likelyto achieve the office ofWarlord. Many families lost

position in the High Councilbecause of their deaths.Should he again attempt toorder the clans, he may berefused.’‘You speak of regicide,’

saidPug.‘It has happened before,

Milamber. But that wouldmeancivilwar,forthereisnoheir. The Light ofHeaven isyoung and has yet to fathersons. Of his issue there are

only three girls as yet. TheWarlord desires only thestabilization of the Empire,not the overthrow of adynasty more than twothousand years old. I haveneither affection nordisaffection for thisWarlord.But the Emperor must bemade to understand that hispositionintheorderofthingsisspiritualonly,surrenderingall final authority to the

Warlord. Then shallTsuranuanni enter an era ofendlessprosperity.’Hochopepa barked a bitter

laugh. ‘That you can believesuch drivel shows only thatour screening at theAssembly is not rigorousenough.’Ignoringtheinsult,Elgahar

said, ‘Once the internalorderof theEmpirehasbeenmadestable, then we can counter

any possible threat you mayherald.Evenshouldwhatyousay be true and myspeculation prove accurate,theremaybeyearsbeforeweneeddealwiththeissueuponKelewan – ample time toprepare.Youmustremember,we of the Assembly havereached new pinnacles ofpowerneverdreamtofbyourancestors. What may havebeen a terror to them may

prove only a nuisance toourselves.’‘You fail in your

arrogance, Elgahar. All ofyou. Hocho and I havediscussed this before. Yourassumption of supremacy isin error. You have notsurpassed your ancestors’might, you have yet to equalit. Among the works ofMacros the Black I havefound tomes that reveal

powers undreamt of in themillennia the Assembly’sexisted.’Elgahar seemed intrigued

by the notion and was silentforalongtime.‘Perhaps,’hesaid in a thoughtful tone atlast. He moved towards thedoor. ‘You haveaccomplished one thing,Milamber. You convince meit is vital to keep you alivelonger than the Warlord’s

pleasure dictates. You haveknowledge we must extract.Astotherest,Imust…thinkuponit.’Pug said, ‘Yes, Elgahar,

thinkuponit.Thinkupononeword: that which youwhisperedinmyear.’Elgahar seemed on the

verge of saying something,then spoke to the guardoutside, ordering the dooropened. He left, and

Hochopepasaid,‘He’smad.’‘No,’ said Pug. ‘Not mad;

he simply believes what hisbrother tells him. Anyonewho can look intoAxantucar’s and Ergoran’seyes and think they are theonestobringprosperitytotheEmpire is a fool, a believingidealist,butnotmad.Ergoranistheonewemusttrulyfear.’They settled back to

silence, and Pug returned to

brooding on what Elgaharhad whispered to him. Thechilling possibility that itrepresented was too dreadfulto dwell upon, so he turnedhismindtoconsideragainthestrangemomentwhereforthefirst time in his life heglimpsed the truemastery oftheLesserPath.

Time had passed. Pug didn’tknow how long, but he

assumed it was four hourspast sunset, the time theWarlord had set forinterrogation. Guards enteredthe cell, unshacklingMeecham,Dominic,andPug.Hochopepawasleftbehind.They were marched to a

room equipped with devicesoftorture.TheWarlordstoodresplendent in green andgoldenrobes,speaking to themagicianErgoran.Amanina

red hood waited silentlywhilethethreeprisonerswereshackled to pillars in theroom, situated so they couldseeoneanother.‘Against my better

judgment, Ergoran andElgaharhaveconvincedmeitwould be beneficial to keepyou alive, though each hasdifferent reasons. Elgaharseemed inclined to believeyourstorysomewhat,at least

enough to think it prudent tolearnallwemay.ErgoranandI are not so disposed, butthereareotherthingswewishto know. Therefore we shallbegintoensurewehaveonlythe truth from you.’ Hesignalled to the Inquisitor,who tore Dominic’s robesfrom him, leaving himwearingonlyaloincloth.TheInquisitoropenedasealedpotand took out a stick heavy

with somewhitish substance.He daubed some onDominic’s chest and themonk stiffened. Withoutmetals, the Tsurani haddevelopedmethodsof torturedifferent from those used onMidkemia, but equally aseffective. The substance wasastickycaustic thatbegan toblister the skin as soon asadministered. Dominicscrewedhiseyesshutandbit

backacry.‘For reasons of economy,

we thought you’d be morelikely to tell us the truth ifyour companions were givenattention first. From whatyour former compatriots tellus, and from thatunforgivable outburst at theImperialGames,youseemtohavea compassionatenature,Milamber. Will you tell usthetruth?’

‘Everything I have said istrue, Warlord! Torturing myfriendswillnotchangethat!’‘Master!’cameacry.TheWarlord looked at his

Inquisitor.‘What?’‘This man … look.’

Dominic had lost his painedexpression.Hehungfromthepillar,beatificpeaceuponhisface.Ergoran stepped up before

themonkandexaminedhim.

‘He’s in some manner oftrance?’Both Warlord and

magician looked at Pug, andthe magician said, ‘Whattricks does this false priestpractise,Milamber?’‘He is no priest of

Hantukama, true, but he is acleric of my world. He canplace his mind at restregardless of what occurswithhisbody.’

The Warlord noddedtowards the inquisitor, whoremoved a sharp knife fromthe table. He stepped beforethemonkand,with a suddencut, slicedopenhis shoulder.Dominic did not move, notevenaninvoluntarytwitch,inreaction. Using pincers, theinquisitortookahotcoalandapplied it to the cut. Againthemonkdidnotreact.TheInquisitorputawayhis

pincers and said, ‘It isuseless, master. His mind isblockedaway.We’vehadthisproblemwithpriestsbefore.’Pug’s brow furrowed.

Whilenotfreeofpolitics,thetemples tended to becircumspect in theirrelationship with the HighCouncil. If the Warlord hadbeen interrogating priests,that indicated movement onthe part of the temples

towards those allied againstthe War Party. FromHochopepa’s ignorance ofthis fact, it also meant theWarlordwasmovingcovertlyand had stolen the march onhis opposition. As much asanything, this told Pug thatthe Empire was in seriousstraits, even now poised onthe brink of civil war. Theassaultuponthosewhostoodwith the Emperor would

comesoon.‘Thisone’snopriest,’said

Ergoran, coming up toMeecham. He looked up atthe tall franklin. ‘He’s asimple slave, so he shouldprove more manageable.’Meecham spat full in themagician’s face. Ergoran,used to the unhesitating fearand respectdueaGreatOne,was as stunned as if he hadbeen clubbed. He staggered

back,wiping spittle from hisface.Enraged,hesaidcoldly,‘You’ve earned a slow,lingeringdeath,slave.’Meecham smiled, for the

first time Pug couldremember, a broad grin,almost leering. His face wasrendered impossiblydemonicby the scar on his cheek. ‘Itwas worth it, you genderlessmule.’Inhisanger,Meechamhad

spokenintheKing’sTongue,but thetoneof theinsultwasnot lost on themagician. Hereachedover,pulledthesharpblade from the Inquisitor’stable, and slashed a longfurrow on Meecham’s chest.The franklin stiffened, hisfacedrainingofcolourasthewound began to bleed.Ergoran stood before him intriumph.ThentheMidkemianspatagain.

TheInquisitorturnedtotheWarlord. ‘Master, the GreatOne is interfering withdelicatework.’The magician stepped

back, letting the knife drop.He again wiped the spittlefrom his face as he returnedto the Warlord’s side. Withhatred in his voice, he said,‘Don’t be too hasty inspeaking what you know,Milamber. Iwish thiscarrion

alongsession.’Pugstruggledtobattlewith

the magic neutralizingproperties of the braceletsupon his wrists, but to noavail.TheInquisitorbegantoworkuponMeecham,butthestoic franklin refused to cryout. For half an hour theInquisitor practised hisbloody trade, until at lastMeecham sounded astrangled groan and passed

into semi-consciousness. TheWarlordsaid,‘Whyhaveyoureturned,Milamber?’Pug, feeling Meecham’s

pain as if it were his own,said,‘I’vetoldyouthetruth.’He looked at Ergoran. ‘Youknowit’sthetruth.’Heknewhisplea fellondeafears, forthe enragedmagicianwishedMeecham to suffer for spite,not caring that Pug had toldall.

The Warlord indicated tothe Inquisitor that he was tobegin upon Pug. The red-hoodedman torePug’s robesopen.The pot of causticwasopenedandasmalldaubwasapplied toPug’schest.Yearsofhardworkasaslaveintheswamp had left Pug a lean,muscled man, and his bodytensed as the pain began. Atfirst daub there had been nosensation,thenaninstantlater

pain seared his flesh as thechemicals in the pastereacted. Pug could almosthear the skin blister. TheWarlord’s voice cut throughthe pain. ‘Why have youreturned? Whom have youcontacted?’Pugclosedhiseyesagainst

the fire on his chest. Hesought refuge in the calmingexercises Kulgan had taughthimasanapprentice.Another

daubofpasteandanotherfireerupted, this time on thesensitive flesh inside histhigh. Pug’s mind rebelledand sought to find refuge inmagic. Again and again hebattled to break through thebarrier imposedbythemagiclimiting bracelets. In hisyouth he had been able tofind his path to magic onlyunder great stress. When hislife had been threatened by

trolls, he had found his firstspell. When battling SquireRoland, he had lashed outmagically, and when he haddestroyed the ImperialGames, it had been from adeeplyheldwellofangerandoutrage. Now his mind wasan enraged animal, bouncingoff the bars of a magicallyimposed cage, and like ananimal, he reacted blindly,striking against the barrier

again and again, determinedeithertobefreeortodie.Hot coals were placed

against his flesh and hescreamed. It was an animalcry,mixedpainandrage,andhis mind lashed out. Histhoughtsbecameblurred,asifhe existed in a landscape ofreflecting surfaces, a madspinning room of mirrors,each casting back an image.He saw the kitchen boy of

Crydee looking back at himinonesurface, thenKulgan’sstudent in another. In a thirdwastheyoungsquire,andthefourth, a slave in theShinzawai swamp camp. Butin the reflections behind thereflections, the mirrors seenwithinthemirrors,ineachhesaw a new thing. Behind theboy in the kitchen he saw aman,aservant,but therewasno doubt who thatmanwas.

Pug, without magic, withouttraining, grown to manhoodas a simple member of thecastle’s serving staff,laboured in the kitchen.Behind the image of theyoung squire he saw aKingdom noble, withPrincess Carline upon hisarm, his wife. His mindwhirled.Hefranticallysoughtsomething. He studied theimage of Kulgan’s student.

Behind him he saw thereflected image of an adultpractitioneroftheLesserArt.InhismindPugspun,seekingthe origin of that reflectedimagewithinanimage,ofthePug grown to be amaster ofthe Lesser Magic. Then hesawthesourceofthatimage,a possible future neverrealized, a chance of fatehaving diverted his life fromthat outcome. But in the

alternate probabilities of hislifehefoundwhathesought.He found an escape.Suddenly he understood. Away was opened to him andhismindfleddownthatpath.Pug’s eyes snapped open

and he looked past the red-hooded figure of theInquisitor. Meecham hunggroaning, again conscious,while Dominic was still lostinatrance.

Pug used a mental abilityto turn off his awareness oftheinjurydonetohisbody.Inan instant he stood withoutfeeling pain. Then his mindreached towards the black-robed figure ofErgoran. TheGreat One of the Empirealmost staggered as Pug’sgaze locked upon his own.Forthefirst timeinmemory,a magician of the GreaterPathemployedatalentofthe

LesserPath,andPugengagedErgoraninacontestofwills.With mind-shattering

force, Pug overwhelmed themagician, stunning himinstantly. The black-robedfigure sagged for a momentuntil Pug took control of hisbody. Closing his own eyes,Pug now saw throughErgoran’s. He adjusted hissenses, then had completecommand over the Tsurani

Great One. Ergoran’s handshotforwardandacascadeofenergies sprang from hisfingers,strikingtheInquisitorfrombehind.Red and purplelines of force danced alongtheman’s body as he archedand shrieked. Then theInquisitor danced across theroom like a mad puppet, hismovements jerky and spasticashecriedoutinagony.The Warlord stood briefly

stunned, then screamed,‘Ergoran! What insanity isthis?’ He grabbed at themagician’s robe as theInquisitor slammed againstthe far wall and fell to thestone floor. The instant theWarlord came into contactwiththemagician,thepainfulenergies ceased to strike theInquisitor and engulfed theWarlord. Axantucar writhedas he fell back from the

onslaught.The Inquisitor rose from

thefloor,shakinghisheadtoclear it, and staggered backtowardsthecaptives.Thered-hooded torturer pulled aslender knife from the table,sensing Pug to be the authorof his pain. He steppedtowards Pug, but Meechamgripped his chains andhoisted himself up. With aheave,Meecham reached out

and encircled the Inquisitor’sneck with his legs. In ascissors grip he held thestruggling Inquisitor,squeezing with tremendouspower. The Inquisitor struckat Meecham’s leg with theknife, slashing it across theflesh over and over, butMeecham kept pressure on.Againandagaintheknifecut,until Meecham’s legs werecoveredinhisownblood,but

the Inquisitor couldn’t cutdeeply with the blood-slicklittle knife. Meecham onlygave a joyous cry of victory.Then,withagruntandajerk,he crushed the man’swindpipe. As the Inquisitorcollapsed,strengthflowedoutof the franklin. Meechamdropped,helduponly by hischains.WithaweaksmilehenoddedtowardsPug.Pugbrokeoffthepainspell

and the Warlord fell backfrom Ergoran. Pugcommanded the magician toapproach. The Great One’smind felt like a soft,malleable thing under Pug’smagic control, and somehowPug knew how to commandthe magician to act, whilekeeping aware of what hehimselfwasdoing.The magician began

freeing Pug from his chains,

while the Warlord struggledto his feet. One hand wasfree. Axantucar staggered tothe outer door. Pug made adecision. If he could be freeofthebonds,hecouldhandleany number of guards calledin by the Warlord, but hecouldn’tcontroltwomenandhedidn’tthinkhecouldkeepcontrol of the magician longenough to destroy theWarlordand freehimself.Or

could he? Then Pugrecognized the danger. Thisnew magic was provingdifficult and his judgmentwas slipping. Why was heallowing theWarlord to gainhis freedom? The pain oftorture and the exertionweretakingaterribletoll,andPugfelthimselfweakeningbythemoment.TheWarlord pulledopen the door, screaming forguards, and when it opened,

Axantucargrabbedataspear.With a heave, he struckErgoran full in theback.Theblowknockedthemagiciantohis knees before he couldloosen Pug’s other hand. ItalsohadtheeffectofsendingapsychicshockbacktostrikePug.PugscreamedinconcernwithErgoran’sdyingpain.Fog shrouded Pug’s mind.

Then something withincracked, and his thoughts

became a sea of glitteringshards as the mirrors ofmemory shattered; scraps ofpast lessons, images of hisfamily, smells, tastes, andsounds rang through hisconsciousness.Lights danced through his

mind,firstscatteringmotesofstarlight, reflections of newvistas within. They weavedand danced, forming apattern, a circle, a tunnel,

then a way. He plungedthrough the way and foundhimself upon a new plane ofconsciousness. New pathswere walked, newunderstandings achieved.That path opened to himbefore, through pain andterror,wasnowhistowalkatwill. At last he stood incommand of those powerswhichwerehislegacy.His vision cleared and he

sawsoldiersstrugglingonthestairs. Pug turned hisattention to the remainingshackle upon his wrist.Suddenly he remembered anold lesson ofKulgan’s.Witha caress of his mind, thehardened leather shacklewasmade soft and supple againandhepulledhishandfree.Pug concentrated and the

magic-inhibitingbraceletsfellaway, broken in half. He

looked up at the stairs, andfor the first time the fullimpact of what he sawregistered. The Warlord andhissoldiershadfledtheroomassomesortof struggle tookplace above.A soldier in theblue armour of theKanazawaiclanlaydeadnextto an Imperial White. Pugquickly released Meecham,easinghimtotheground.Hewas bleeding heavily from

thelegwoundsandcutstohisbody. Pug sent Dominic aquesting mental message:Return. Dominic’s eyesopened at once as hisshacklesfelloffandPugsaid,‘Tend toMeecham.’Withoutasking for explanation, themonk turned to treat thewoundedfranklin.Pug dashed up the stairs

and ran towhereHochopepalay imprisoned. He entered

the cell and the startledmagician said, ‘What is it? Iheardsomenoiseoutside.’Pugbentoverandchanged

the manacles to soft leather.‘Idon’tknow.Allies,Ithink.I suspect the Blue WheelParty is attempting to freeus.’ He pulled Hochopepa’shands free of the now softrestraints.Hochopepa stood on

wobbly legs. ‘We must help

them help us,’ he said withresolution. Then heconsidered his freedom andthe softened restraints.‘Milamber, how did you dothat?’Passing through the door,

Puganswered,‘Idon’tknow,Hocho. It will be somethingtodiscuss.’Pug raced up the stairs

towardstheupperlevelofthepalace. In the central gallery

of the Warlord’s palace,armedmenstruggledinhand-to-hand combat. Men inarmour of various coloursbattled with the Warlord’sImperial Whites. Lookingaboutthebloodycombat,PugsawAxantucarfightingpastastruggling pair of soldiers.Twowhite-armoured soldierscovered his retreat. Pugclosed his eyes and reachedout. His eyes opened and he

could see the invisible handof energyhehadcreated.Hecould feel it as he could hisown.Asifpickingupakittenby the neck, he reached outand gripped the Warlord.Raising him up, he drew thestruggling, kicking mantowards him. The soldiershalted their struggle at thesight of the Warlord abovethem. Axantucar, supremewarrior of the Empire,

shrieked in unashamed terrorat theinvisibleforcethathadgrabbedhim.Pug pulled him back

towardswhereheandHochostood. Some of the ImperialWhites recovered from theirshock and deduced that therenegade magician must bethe cause of their master’sdilemma. Several broke offfrom their struggles with thesoldiers in coloured armour

andrantoaidtheWarlord.Then a loud voice cried

out, ‘Ichindar! Ninety-onetimesEmperor!’Instantly every soldier in

theroom,regardlessofwhichsidehestruggledfor,droppedto the floor, putting foreheadagainstthestone.Theofficersstood with heads bowed.Only Hochopepa and Pugwatched as a cortege ofWarchiefs, all in the armour

of those who constituted theBlueWheelParty,enteredtheroom. In the forefront,wearing armour not seen inyears, came Kamatsu, againfor a time Warchief of theKanazawaiClan.Formingup,they parted to allow theEmperor to enter. Ichindar,supreme authority of theEmpire,walked into thehall,resplendent inhis ceremonialgoldenarmour.Hestalked to

where Pug waited, theWarlord still hanging inmidair above him, andsurveyedthescene.Atlasthesaid, ‘Great One, you doseem to cause difficultywhenever you appear.’ Helookedupat theWarlord. ‘Ifyou’ll puthimdown,wecanget to the bottom of thismess.’PugallowedtheWarlordto

fall, striking the ground

heavily.

‘That is an amazing tale,Milamber,’ said Ichindar toPug. He sat on the pillowsoccupied earlier that day bytheWarlord,sippingacupofthe Warlord’s chocha. ‘Itwould be simple to say Ibelieve you and that all isforgiven, but the dishonourvisiteduponmebythoseyoucall elves and dwarves is an

impossible thing to forget.’Around him stood theWarchiefsof theclansof theBlueWheel,andthemagicianElgahar.Hochopepa said, ‘If the

Light of Heaven will permitme?Remembertheywerebuttools, soldiers, if youwill, ina game of shah. That thisMacros was attempting toprevent the arrival of theEnemy is but another

concern. That he isresponsible for the betrayalrids you of the responsibilityof avenging yourself uponanyone but Macros. And ashe is presumed dead, it is amootissue.’The Emperor said,

‘Hochopepa, your tongue isas facile as a relli.’ Hereferred to the water-snake-like creature known for itssupplemovement. ‘Iwill not

be punitive without goodcause,butIalsoamreluctantto take my former stance ofconciliation towards theKingdom.’Pug said, ‘Majesty, that

would not be wise at thistime, in any event.’ WhenIchindar looked interested inthe comment, Pug continued.‘While I hope that somedayour two nations may meetagain as friends, at this time

there are more pressingmatters that demandattention. For the short term,itmustbeasifthetwoworldswereneverrejoined.’TheEmperorsatup.‘From

what little I understand ofsuch matters, I suspect youare correct. Larger issuesneed to be resolved. I mustmake a decision shortly thatmay forever change thecourseofTsuranihistory.’He

lapsedintosilence.Foralongtimeheheldhisowncouncil,then said, ‘When Kamatsuand the others came to me,tellingmeofyour returnandyoursuspicionofsomeblackterror of Tsurani origin uponyour world, I wished toignore it all. I cared nothingforyourproblemsorthoseofyour world. I was evenindifferent to the possibilityof once more invading your

land. I was fearful of actingagain, for I had lost muchfacebefore theHighCouncilafter the attack on yourworld.’ He seemed lost inthought a brief moment.‘Yourworldwaslovely,whatlittle I sawbefore thebattle.’He sighed, his green eyesfasteningonPug. ‘Milamber,had Elgahar not come to thepalace,confirmingwhatyouralliesintheBlueWheelParty

reported, you most likelywould be dead, and I wouldsoon follow after, andAxantucar on his way tobloody civil war. He gainedthe white and gold onlybecauseoftheoutrageagainstthe betrayal. You preventedmydeath,ifnotsomegreatercalamity for the Empire. Ithink that warrants someconsideration, though youknow the turmoil in the

Empireisjustbeginning.’Pug said, ‘I am enough a

product of the Empire tounderstand that the Game oftheCouncilwillbecomeevenmorevicious.’Ichindarlookedoutsidethe

window, where the body ofAxantucar hung twisting inthe wind. ‘I will have toconsultthehistorians,butthatis the first Warlord hung byan Emperor, I believe.’

Hanging was the ultimateshame and punishment for awarrior.‘Still,ashenodoubtplanned the same fate formyself, I don’t think I’mlikely to have a rebellion, atleastnotthisweek.’TheWarchiefsoftheHigh

Council who were inattendance looked at oneanother. Finally Kamatsusaid, ‘Light of Heaven, if Imay?TheWarPartyretiresin

confusion. The betrayal bytheWarlordhas robbed themof any base for negotiationwithin the High Council.Even as we speak, the WarPartyisnomore,anditsclansand families will be meetingto discuss which parties tojoin to regain some shred oftheir influence. For now themoderatesrule.’The Emperor shook his

head and in a surprisingly

strong tone said, ‘No,honoured lord, you arewrong. In Tsuranuanni Irule.’ He stood surveyingthose around him. ‘Untilthese matters Milamberbrought to our attention areresolved and the Empire istruly safe, or the threat hasbeen shown to be false, theHigh Council is recessed.TherewillbenonewWarlorduntil I have commanded an

election within the council.UntilIdecreeotherwise,Iamthelaw.’Hochopepa said, ‘Majesty,

theAssembly?’‘Asbefore,butbewarned,

Great One, see to yourbrothers. If another BlackRobe is ever discoveredinvolvedinaplotagainstmyhouse, the status of GreatOnes outside the law willend.Even should I be forced

to pit all the armies of theEmpire against your magicmight, even to the utterruinationoftheEmpire,Iwillnotallowanytochallengethesupremacy of the Emperoragain.Isthatunderstood?’Hochopepasaid,‘Itwillbe

done, Imperial Majesty.Elgahar’s renunciation andhis brother’s and theWarlord’s acts will giveothersintheAssemblypause

to think. I shall bring thematter before themembership.’The Emperor said to Pug.

‘GreatOne, I cannot instructthe Assembly to reinstateyou, nor am I entirelycomfortable having youaround. But until this matteris resolved you are free tocome and go as long as youneed.Whenyouagaindepartfor your homeworld, inform

usofyour findings.Weshallbe willing to accommodateyou somewhat in preventingthedestructionofyourworld,ifwemay.Now’–hestartedfor the door – ‘Imust returnto my palace. I have anEmpiretorebuild.’Pug watched as the others

left.Kamatsucameuptohimandsaid,‘GreatOne,itseemsto have ended well for atime.’

‘For a time, old friend.Seek to aid the Light ofHeaven,forhislifemaybeashort one when tonight’sdecrees are made publictomorrow.’TheLordoftheShinzawai

bowed before Pug. ‘Yourwill,GreatOne.’To Hochopepa, Pug said,

‘Let’s fetch Dominic andMeecham from where theyrest and go to theAssembly,

Hocho.Wehaveworktodo.’‘Inamoment, for Ihavea

question of Elgahar.’ Thestout magician faced theformer Warlord’s pet. ‘Whythe sudden reversal ofposition? I had alwayscounted you your brother’stool.’The slender magician

replied, ‘What Milambercarried warning of, upon hishomeworld,gavemepauseto

think. I spent time weighingall possibilities, and when IsuggestedtheobviousanswertoMilamber,heconcurred.Itwasarisktoogravetoignore.Compared to this, all othermattersareinconsequential.’Hochopepa turned to face

Pug. ‘I do not understand.Whatdoeshespeakof?’Pug sagged in fatigue and

something more, a deep-hidden terror coming to the

fore.‘Ihesitateeventospeakof it.’ He looked at thoseabout him. ‘Elgaharconcluded something Isuspected but was afraid toadmit,eventomyself.’For a moment he was

silent, and those in the roomseemed to hold their breath,thenhesaid,‘TheEnemyhasreturned.’

Pug pushed back the leather-

covered volume before himandsaid,‘Anotherdeadend.’He passed a hand over hisface, closing tired eyes. Hehadsomuchtodealwithanda sense of fleeing time. Thediscovery of his ability as aLesserPathmagicianhekeptto himself. There was a sideto his nature he had neversuspected, and he wishedmoreprivateconditionsunderwhich to explore these

revelations.Hochopepa and Elgahar

looked up from where theysat reading. Elgahar hadworked as hard as any,demonstrating some wish tomakeamends.‘Theserecordsareinashambles,Milamber,’hecommented.Pug agreed. ‘I told Hocho

two years ago that theAssembly had become lax inits arrogance. This confusion

is but one example.’ Pugadjustedhisblackrobe.Whenhisreasonsforreturningweremade known, he had, on amotion by his old friends,seconded by Elgahar, beenreinstated to fullmembershipwithout hesitation. Of themembers in attendance, onlya few abstained and nonevotedinopposition.Eachhadstood upon the Tower ofTestingandhadseentherage

andmightoftheEnemy.Shimone, one of Pug’s

oldest friends in theAssembly and his formerinstructor, entered withDominic.Sincetheencounterwith theWarlord’s Inquisitorthe night before, the priesthad shown remarkablerecuperative powers. He hadusedhismagichealingartsonMeecham and Pug, butsomething in the way they

worked prevented him fromusing them upon himself.However, he had alsopossessed the knowledge toinstruct the magicians at theAssembly in concocting apoultice that preventedfesteringinthecutsandburnshehadendured.‘Milamber, this priest

friend of yours is a wonder.He has some marvellousmeans of cataloguing our

workshere.’Dominicsaid, ‘Ihaveonly

sharedwhatwe have learnedatSarth.Thereisagreatdealofconfusionhere,butitisnotasbadasitappearsoncasualinspection.’Hochopepa stretched.

‘What has me concerned isthat there is little here wedon’talreadyknow.Itisasifthevisionweshareduponthetower is the earliest

recollection of the Enemy,and no other has beenrecorded.’‘That may be true,’ said

Pug.‘Rememberthatmostofthe truly great magiciansperishedatthegoldenbridge,leaving only apprentices andLesser Magicians behind. Itmay have been years beforeany attempt to keep recordscommenced.’Meecham entered carrying

a huge bundle of ancienttomes heavily bound intreatedskins.Pug indicatedaspot on the floor nearby andMeecham put them down.Pug opened the bundle andhanded copies of the workaround. Elgahar carefullyopened one, the book’sbinding creaking as he did.‘Gods of Tsuranuanni, theseworksareold.’‘Among the oldest in the

Assembly,’Dominic said. ‘IttookMeechamandmyselfanhour just to locate them andanothertodigthemout.’Shimone said, ‘This is

almostanotherdialect, it’ssoancient. There are verbusages here, inflections I’veneverheardof.’Hocho said, ‘Milamber,

listen to this: “Andwhen thebridge vanished, still didAvarieinsistoncouncil.”’

Elgahar said, ‘The goldenbridge?’Pugandtheothersstopped

what they were doing andlistened as Hochopepacontinued reading. ‘“Of theAlstwanabi, those remainingwere but thirteen, numberingAvarie,Marlee,Caron”– thelist goes on – “and littlecomfort among them, butMarlee spoke her words ofpowerandcalmedtheirfears.

WeareuponthisworldmadeforusbyChakakan”– couldthat be an ancient form of“Chochocan”? – “and weshall endure. Those whowatchedsaywearesafefromthe Darkness.” TheDarkness?Canitbe?’Pug reread the passage.

‘This is the same name usedbyRogenafterhisvision.Itistoo far a stretch to be calledcoincidence. There is our

proof:theEnemyissomehowinvolvedintheattemptsuponPrinceArutha.’Dominic said, ‘There is

somethingelsethereaswell.’Elgahar agreed. ‘Yes,who

are“thosewhowatched”?’

Pug pushed away the book,the toll of the last daybringing on sleep unbidden.Ofallthosewhohadsearchedthrough the day with him,

only Dominic remained. TheIshapian monk seemed abletodisregardfatigueatwill.Pug closedhis eyes, intent

on resting them for a shortwhile only. His mind hadbeen occupied with manythings, and many things hehad put aside. Now imagesflickered past, but noneseemedtoabide.Soon Pug was asleep, and

whileheslept,hedreamt.

He stood upon the roof oftheAssemblyagain.Heworethe grey of a trainee, as hewasshownthetowerstepsbyShimone. He knew he mustmount, again to face thestorm, again to pass that testwhich would gain him therankofGreatOne.He mounted and climbed

in his dream, seeingsomething at each step, astring of flashing images. A

stover bird struck the waterfor a fish, its scarlet wingsflashing against the blue ofsky and water. Then otherimagescame flooding in,hotjungleswhereslavestoiled,aclash of warriors, a dyingsoldier, Thun running overthe tundra of the north, ayoungwife seducing a guardofherhusband’shousehold,aspice merchant at his stall.Then his vision travelled to

thenorth,andhesaw…Ice fields, bitter-cold and

swept by steel-edged wind.Hecould smell thebitternessof age here. From within atower of snow and ice,figures emerged bundledagainst the wind. Human-shaped, they walked with asmooth tread that markedthemotherthanhuman.Theywere beings old and wise inways unknown to men, and

theysoughtasigninthesky.They looked up and theywatched. They watch.Watchers.Pug sat up, eyes open.

‘What is it, Pug?’ askedDominic.‘Gettheothers,’hesaid.‘I

know.’

Pug stood before the others,hisblackrobesblowinginthemorningbreeze.‘You’llhave

noonewithyou?’Hochopepaaskedagain.‘No,Hocho.You canhelp

by getting Dominic andMeecham back to my estateso they may return toMidkemia. I’ve passed alongall I’ve learned here forKulgan and the others, withmessages for all who needknowwhatwe’ve discoveredso far. I may be seeking alegend, trying to find these

Watchers in the north. Youcanhelpmorebygettingmyfriendsback.’Elgahar stepped forward.

‘If it is permitted, I wouldaccompany your friends toyourworld.’Pugsaid,‘Why?’‘The Assembly has little

needforonecaughtupintheaffairs of the Warlord, andfrom what you have said,there are Great Ones in

trainingatyouracademywhoneed instruction. Count it anact of appeasement. I willremain there, at least for awhile, continuing theeducationofthesetrainees.’Pug considered. ‘Very

well.Kulganwillinstructyouin what needs be done.Always remember that therank of Great One meansnothing on Midkemia. Youwill be simply one among a

community. It will provedifficult.’Elgahar said, ‘I shall

endeavour.’Hochopepa said, ‘That’s a

capital idea. I’ve longwondered about this barbaricland you hail from, and Icoulduseavacationfrommywife.I’llgo,too.’‘Hocho,’ said Pug,

laughing, ‘the academy is arough place, devoid of your

usualcomforts.’He stepped forward.

‘Never mind that. Milamber,you’ll require allies on yourworld. I may speak lightly,but your friends will needhelpandsoon.TheEnemyissomething beyond theexperience of any of us.We’ll start now to combat it.As for the discomfort, I’llmanage.’‘Besides,’ said Pug,

‘you’vebeenlickingyourlipsover Macros’s library eversinceI’vespokenofit.’Meecham shook his head.

‘Him and Kulgan. Two peasinapod.’Hochopepasaid,‘What’sa

pea?’‘You’ll discover soon, old

friend.’PugembracedHochoand Shimone, shook handswithMeecham andDominic,and bowed to the other

members of the Assembly.‘Follow the instructions onactivating the rift as I’vewritten them.And be certainto close it, once through; theEnemymaystillseekarifttoenterourworlds.‘I go to the Shinzawai

estate, the northernmostdestinationwhereIcanuseapattern. From there I’ll takehorse and cross the Thuntundra. If the Watchers still

exist, I shall find them andreturntoMidkemiawithwhatthey know of the Enemy.Then shall we meet again.Until then, my friends, careforoneanother.’Pug incanted the required

spell, andwith a shimmerhewasgone.The others stood about

awhile. Finally Hochopepasaid, ‘Come, we must makeready.’ He looked at

Dominic, Meecham, andElgahar.‘Come,myfriends.’

•ChapterEighteen•Vengeance

Jimmywokewithastart.Someonehadwalkedbyon

the surface. Jimmy had sleptthrough the day with theothers, awaiting the fall ofnight for the investigation ofthe black building. He hadtaken the position closest tothesurface.

Jimmy shivered.Throughout the day hisdreams had been alien,haunted by troubling images– not true nightmares, butratherdreams filledwithoddlongings and dimrecognitions.Itwasalmostasif he had inherited another’sdreams,and thatotherhadn’tbeen human. Somehow hefelt lingering memories ofrage and hatred. It left him

feelingdirty.Shakingoff theodd, fuzzy

feeling,helookeddown.Theothers were dozing, exceptfor Baru, who seemed to bemeditating. At least, he satuprightwithlegscrossedandhis hands before him, eyesclosedandbreatheven.Jimmy cautiously pulled

himselfupwards,untilhewasjust below the surface. Twovoicessoundedsomedistance

away.‘…heresomewhere.’‘Ifhewasstupidenoughto

go inside, then the fault ishis,’cameanothervoicewitha strange accent. A DarkBrother,Jimmythought.‘Well, I’m not going in

after him – not after beingwarned to keep clear,’ said asecondhumanvoice.‘Reitz said to find Jaccon,

and you know how he isabout desertion. If we don’t

find Jaccon, he’ll likelyhaveour ears just for spite,’complainedthefirsthuman.‘Reitzisnothing,’camethe

voice of the moredhel.‘Muradhasorderedthatnoneshould enter the blackbuilding. Would you invokehis wrath and face his BlackSlayers?’‘No,’ said the first human

voice,‘butyoubetterthinkofsomething to tell Reitz. I’m

freshout…’The voices trailed off.

Jimmywaiteduntilthevoicescouldn’t be heard, thenchanced another brief look.Twohumansandamoredhelwere walking towards thebridge, one of the humansgesturing. They halted at theend of the bridge, pointingtowards the house andexplaining something. It wasMuradtheywerespeakingto.

At the far end of the bridge,Jimmy could see an entirecompanyofhumanhorsemenwaiting as the four crossedover.Jimmy dropped down and

woke Arutha. ‘We’ve gotcompany upstairs,’ the boywhispered. Lowering hisvoicesoBaruwouldnothear,he said, ‘And your old scar-faced friend is back withthem.’

‘How close is it tosundown?’‘Lessthananhour,perhaps

twotofulldarkness.’Arutha nodded and settled

in to wait. Jimmy droppedpast him to the floor of theupper cavern and foragedthrough his pack for somejerkedbeef.His stomachhadbeen reminding him he hadnoteatenforthelastday,andhe decided that if he was

goingtodietonight,hemightaswelleatfirst.Time passed slowly, and

Jimmynoticedthatsomethingbeyond the normal tensionexpected in thissituationhadinfected themoodof eachofArutha’s company. Martinand Laurie had both falleninto deep, brooding silences,and Arutha seemedintroverted almost to thepointofbeingcatatonic.Baru

silently mouthed chants andappeared in a trance, whileRoald sat facing a wall,staringatsomeunseenimage.Jimmy shook off distantimages of strange people,oddlydressedandengagedinalien undertakings, andforced himself alert. ‘Hey,’he said with just enoughauthority to jar everyone andturn their attention to him.‘Youalllook…lost.’

Martin’s eyes seemed tofocus.‘I…IwasthinkingofFather.’Arutha spoke softly. ‘It’s

this place. I was … nearlywithout hope, ready to giveup.’Roald said, ‘I was at

Cutter’s Gap again, onlyHighcastle’s army wasn’tgoingtoarriveintime.’Baru said, ‘I was singing

…mydeathchant.’

Laurie crossed to standnext to Jimmy. ‘It’s thisplace. Iwas thinkingCarlinehad found another while Iwas gone.’ He looked atJimmy.‘You?’Jimmyshrugged.‘Ithitme

funny,too,butmaybeit’smyage or something. It onlymade me think of strangepeople dressed in weirdclothing.Idon’tknow.Itsortofmakesmeangry.’

Martin said, ‘The elvessaid themoredhel come heretodreamdreamsofpower.’Jimmy said, ‘Well, all I

knowisyoulookedlikethosewalking dead.’ He movedtowards the crevice. ‘It’sdark. Why don’t I go andlook about, and if things arequiet,thenwecanallgo.’Arutha said, ‘I think

perhaps you and I should gotogether.’

‘No,’ said theboy thief. ‘Ihate to show a lack ofdeference, but if I’m to riskmy life doing something I’mexpert in, let me do it. Youneed to have someone crawlabout inside that place, andI’ll not have you taggingafter.’‘It’s too dangerous,’ said

Arutha‘I’ll not deny that,’

answered Jimmy. ‘I’ll

guarantee that Dragon Lordshrine will need some skillcracking, and if you’ve anysense you’ll letmego alone.Otherwise you’ll be deadbefore I can say, “Don’t stepthere, Highness,” and wemight as well not havebothered in the first place.We could have just let theNighthawks skewer you, andI’d have spent many morecomfortable nights in

Krondor.’Martinsaid,‘He’sright.’Arutha said, ‘I don’t like

this,butyouareright.’Astheboy turned to go, he added,‘HaveItoldyouthatyouputme in mind of that pirateAmosTrasksometimes?’In the darkness they could

sensetheboy’sgrin.Jimmy scampered up

through the crevice andpeeredout.Seeingnoone,he

made a quick run for thebuilding. Coming up againstthe wall, he edged arounduntil hewas before the door.He stood quietly for amoment,judgingthebestwayto approach the problem. Hestudied the door once again,then quickly clambered upthe wall, finding finger-andtoeholdsinthemouldingnexttothedoor.Againhestudiedthe anteroom through the

window. Double doorsopened up into darknessbeyond. Otherwise the roomwas empty. Jimmy glancedupwards and was confrontedbyablankceiling.Whatwaswaitinginsidetokillhim?Assure as dogs had fleas, therewas a trap inside.And if so,what sort and how to getaround it?Again Jimmywasvisitedbythenaggingitchofsomething odd about this

place.Jimmydroppedbacktothe

ground and took a deepbreath. He reached out andlifted the latch of the door.With a shove,he leapt aside,to the left, so the swingingdoor, hinged on the right,would shield him fromanything behind it for aninstant.Nothinghappened.Jimmy peered cautiously

inside, lettinghissensesseek

out inconsistencies, flaws inthe design of the place, anyclue to reveal a trap.He sawnone.Jimmyleantagainstthedoor. What if the trap weremagic? He had no defencesagainst some enchantmentmeant to kill humans, non-moredhel, anyone wearinggreen, or whatever it mightbe. Jimmy stuck his handacross the portal, ready tosnatch it back. Nothing

happened.Jimmy sat. Then he lay

down. From the low angleeverything looked differentand he hoped he might seesomething. As he rose,something did register. Thefloor was made of marbleslabs of equal size andtexture, with slight cracksbetween them. He lightlyplaced his foot on the slabbefore the door, slowly

permitting his weight to fallupon it, feeling for anymovement.Therewasnone.Jimmy entered andmoved

aroundtowardsthefardoors.Heinspectedeverystoneslabbeforehesteppeduponit,anddecided none were trapped.He inspected the walls andceiling, gauging everythingabout the room that mightprovide him with someintelligence. Nothing. The

old, familiar feeling plaguedJimmy:somethingwaswronghere.With a sigh, Jimmy faced

the open doors into the heartofthebuildingandentered.

Jimmy had seen manyunsavoury characters in hisformer occupation, and thisJaccon would have fitted inperfectly. Jimmy lay flat androlledthecorpseover.Asthe

dead man’s weight landedupon the other stone beforethe door, there was a faintsnapping sound andsomething sped overhead.Jimmy examined Jaccon andfound a small dart stuck inthe man’s chest near thecollarbone. Jimmy didn’ttouchit;hedidn’thaveto:heknew it contained a quick-acting poison. Another itemofinterestonthefellowwasa

beautifully carved daggerwith a jewelled hilt. Jimmypluckeditfromtheman’sbeltandstuckitinsidehistunic.Jimmy sat back upon his

heels.Hehadwalkedthrougha long, blank hall, with nodoors, down into asubterranean level of thebuilding.He judgedhe stoodless than a hundred yardsfrom the caverns whereAruthaandtheotherswaited.

He had stumbled upon thecorpse at the only doorleaving the hall. The stoneslabdirectlybeyond thedoorwas ever so slightlydepressed.He rose and stepped

through the door, diagonallyto the stone next to the onebeforethedoor.Thetrapwasso obvious it shouted forcaution, but this fool, in hisrush towards fabled wealth,

hadwalked into it.And paidtheprice.Something bothered

Jimmy. The trap was tooobvious.Itwasasifsomeonewanted him to feel confidentin defeating it. He shook hishead. Whatever tendencytowards incaution he’d hadwas gone.Now hewas fullyprofessional, a thief whounderstood that any misstepwouldlikelybehislast.

Jimmy wished for morelight than was provided bythe single torch he hadbrought along. He inspectedthe floor below Jaccon andsaw another displaced stone.He ran his hand along thedoor-jamb and found no tripwire or other triggeringdevice. Stepping across thethreshold,avoidingthestonesbefore the door, Jimmypassed the corpse and

continued on towards theheartofthebuilding.

Itwasacircularroom.Inthecentreofitaslenderpedestalrose.Upon the pedestal sat acrystalsphere, lit fromaboveby someunseen light source.Andwithin the sphere resteda single branch with silver-green leaves, redberries,andsilver thorns. Jimmy walkedcautiously. He looked

everywhere but where thepedestal rested. He exploredevery inch of the room hecould reach without enteringthe pool of light about thesphere, and found nothingresembling a trap-springingdevice.ButthenaggingatthebackofJimmy’smind,whichhad beenwith him all along,kept shouting that somethingwas wrong about this place.Since discovering Jaccon, he

had avoided three differenttraps,alleasyenoughforanycompetent thief to spot.Nowhere, where he expected thelasttraptobe,hefoundnone.Jimmy sat down on the

floorandbegantothink.

Arutha and the others camealert.Jimmycamescramblingbackdownintothecrevice,tolandwitha thudon the floorof the cave. ‘What did you

find?’askedArutha.‘It’s a big place. It’s got

lots of empty rooms, allcleverlyfashionedsothatyoucanonlymoveonewayfromthe door to the centre of thebuilding and out. There’snothingintherebutsomesortof little shrine in the centre.There’re a few traps, simpleenoughonestogetaround.‘But thewhole thing’s too

off-centre. Something’s not

right.Thebuilding’safake.’‘What?’saidArutha.‘Just suppose you wanted

to catch you, and you wereworriedaboutyoubeingveryclever. Don’t you think youmight just add one lastcatchall in case all thebrightlads you hired to catch youwereamiteslow?’‘Youthinkthebuilding’sa

trap?’saidMartin.‘Yes, a big elaborate,

clever trap. Look, supposeyou got this mystic lake andall your tribe comes here tomake magic or get powerfrom the dead orwhatever itis the Dark Brothers do uphere? You want to add thisonelastcatchall,soyouthinklikeahuman.MaybeDragonLords don’t build buildings,but humans do, so you buildthisbuilding,thisbigbuildingwith nothing in it. Then you

put a sprig of Silverthorn insome place, like in a shrineinside, and you rig a trap.Someone finds the littlehellosyouputalongtheway,gets around them, thinkingthey’re being very, veryclever, wanders about, findsthe Silverthorn, pulls it, and…’‘Andthetrapsprings,’said

Laurie, his tone appreciativeoftheboy’slogic.

‘Andthetrapsprings,’saidJimmy. ‘I don’t know howtheydidit,butI’llbetthelasttrap is magic of some sort.The rest were too easy tofind,then,attheend,nothing.I bet you touch the spherewith theSilverthorn in it anda dozen doors between youand the outside slam shut, ahundred of those deadwarriors come out of thewalls, or the whole building

simplyfallsonyou.’Arutha said, ‘I’m not

convinced.’‘Look,you’vegotagreedy

pack of bandits up there.Most of them aren’t verysmart or they wouldn’t beoutlaws living in themountains. They’d be self-respecting thieves in a city.Besides being stupid, they’regreedy.Sotheycomeupheretoearnsomegoldlookingfor

the Prince and they’re told,“Don’t go in the building.”Now,eachoneofthesecleverlads thinks the moredhel arelying, because he knowseveryoneelseisasstupidandgreedyashe is.Oneof theseclever lads goes up therelooking around, and gets adart in the gullet for hisefforts.‘After I found the sphere

on the pedestal, I doubled

back and really lookedaround. That place was builtbythemoredhel,recently.It’saboutasancientas Iam. It’smostlyawoodbuilding,withstonefacing.I’vebeeninoldbuildings. This isn’t one. Idon’t know how they did it.Maybe with magic, or just awholelotofslavelabour,butit’s no more than a fewmonthsold.’‘ButGalainsaidthiswasa

Valheruplace,’saidArutha.Martin said, ‘I think him

right,butIthinkJimmyrightaswell.Rememberwhatyoutold me of Tomas’s rescuefrom the Valheruunderground hall by Dolgan,just before the war?’ Aruthasaid he did. “That placesoundsmuchlikethis.’‘Light a torch,’ said

Arutha. Roald did so, andthey moved away from the

crevice.Laurie said, ‘Has anyone

noticed that for a cave thegroundisfairlyflat?’‘And the walls’re pretty

regular,’addedRoald.Baru lookedabout. ‘Inour

hasteweneverexaminedthisplaceclosely.Itisnotnatural.Theboyisright.Thebuildingisatrap.’Martin said, ‘This cave

systemhashad two thousand

years ormore towear away.With that fissure above us,rain comes through hereevery winter, as well asseepage from the lakeabove.It has worn away most ofwhat was carved upon thewalls.’ He ran his hand overwhatseemedatfirstglancetobe swirls in the stone. ‘Butnot all.’ He indicated somedesignon thewalls, renderedabstractbyyearsoferosion.

Baru said, ‘And so wedream ancient dreams ofhopelessness.’Jimmy said, ‘There are

some tunnels we haven’texplored yet. Let’s have alook.’Arutha looked at his

companions.‘Verywell.Youtake the lead, Jimmy. Let’sbacktracktothatcavewithallthe tunnels, then you pick alikely one and we’ll see

whereitleads.’

Inthethirdtunneltheyfoundthe stairway leading down.Following it, they came to alarge hallway, ancient fromthelookofthesedimentuponthe floor. Regarding it, Barusaid, ‘No foot has trod thishallinages.’Tapping the surface of the

floor with his boot, Martinagreed. ‘This is years of

buildup.’Jimmy led them along,

under giant vaulted archesfrom which hung dust-ladentorch holders, long rusted tonear-uselessness. At the farend of the hall theydiscovered a chamber. Roaldinspected the giant ironhinges, now grotesquelytwisted lumps of rust, barelyrecognizable, where oncehuge doors had hung.

‘Whatever wanted to getthrough the door that washere didn’t seem willing towait.’Passing through theportal,

Jimmyhalted.‘Lookatthis.’They facedwhat seemeda

large hall, with faint echoesof ancient grandeur.Tapestries, now little morethan shredded rags with nohintofcolour,hungalongthewalls. Their torches cast

flickering shadows upon thewalls, giving the impressionthat ancient memories wereawakening after aeons ofsleep.Whatmight haveoncebeen any number ofrecognizablethingswerenowscattered piles of debristossed about the hall.Splinters of wood, a twistedpiece of iron, a single goldshard, all hinted at whatmight have once been,

without revealing lost truths.The only intact object in theroomwasastonethroneatopa raised dais halfway alongthe right-hand wall. Martinapproached and gentlytouched the centuries-oldstone. ‘Once a Valheru sathere. This was his seat ofpower.’As if remembering adream, all in the hall werevisited with a sense of howalien this place was.

Millenniagone, thepowerofthe Dragon Lord was still afaint presence. Therewas nomistaking it now: here theystood in the heart of anancient race’s legacy. Thiswasasourceofthemoredheldreams, one of the places ofpoweralongtheDarkPath.Roald said, ‘There’s not

much left.What caused this?Looters? The DarkBrotherhood?’

Martin looked about, as ifseeing ages of history in thedust upon the walls. ‘I don’tthink so. From what I knowofancientlore,thismayhaveendured from the timeof theChaos Wars.’ He indicatedthe utter destruction. ‘Theyfought on the backs ofdragons.Theychallenged thegods,orsolegendssay.Littlethat witnessed that strugglesurvived. We will probably

neverknowthetruth.’Jimmy had been

scampering about thechamber, poking here andthere.Atlasthereturnedandsaid,‘Nothinggrowinghere.’‘Then where is the

Silverthorn?’ Arutha askedbitterly. ‘We have lookedeverywhere.’Everyone was silent for a

long minute. Finally Jimmysaid,‘Noteverywhere.We’ve

looked around the lake, and’– he waved his hand aroundthehall–‘underthelake.Butwe haven’t looked in thelake.’‘Inthelake?’saidMartin.Jimmy said, ‘Calin and

Galainsaiditgrewverycloseto the edge of thewater. So,hadanyonethoughttoasktheelvesiftherehavebeenheavyrainsthisyear?’Martin’s eyes widened.

‘Thewaterlevel’srisen!’‘Anyone want to go

swimming?’askedJimmy.

Jimmy pulled his foot back,it’scold,’hewhispered.Martin said to Baru. ‘City

boy.He’sseventhousandfeetup in themountainsandhe’ssurprisedthelake’scold.’Martin waded into the

water, slowly, so as not tosplash.Barufollowed.Jimmy

took a deep breath andfollowed,wincing every stepas the water reached higher.Whenhesteppedoffaledge,heplunged inup tohiswaistand opened his mouth in asilentgaspofpain.Upon theshore, Laurie winced insympathy. Arutha and Roaldkept watch for any sign ofalarmonthebridge.Allthreecrouched low, behind thegentle slope down to the

water. The night was quiet,andmostofthemoredhelandhumanrenegadessleptonthefar side of the bridge. Theyhad decided towait until thehoursjustbeforedawn.Itwaslikely the guards would behalf-asleep if they werehumans, and even moredhelwere likely to make theassumption that nothingwould occur just beforesunrise.

Faint sounds ofmovementinthewaterwerefollowedbya gasp as Jimmy ducked hishead underwater for the firsttimeandcamerightupagain.Gulping air, he ducked backunder. Like the others, heworked blind, feeling along.Suddenlyhishandsmartedashe stuck himself onsomething sharp among themoss-coveredrocks.Hecameupwithwhatseemedanoisy

gasp, but nothing at thebridge indicated he washeard.Duckingunder,hefeltthe slimy rocks. He locatedthe thorny plant by stickinghimself again, but he didn’tjump up. He took two morepunctures getting a grip onthe plant and pulling, butsuddenly it came up.Breaking the surface, hewhispered, ‘I’ve gotsomething.’

Grinning, he held up aplant that gleamed almostwhite in the lightof the littlemoon. It looked like redberries stuck onto thebranches of a rose branchwith silver thorns. Jimmyturneditinappreciation.Witha tiny ‘Ah’ of triumph, hesaid,‘I’vegotit.’Martin and Baru waded

over and inspected the plant.‘Is this enough?’ asked the

Hadati.Arutha said, ‘The elves

nevertoldus.Getsomemoreifyoucan,butwewaitonlyafewmoreminutes.’Gingerlyhe wrapped the plant in acloth and stowed it in hispack.In ten minutes they had

found three more plants.Arutha was convinced thiswas enough and signalled itwastimetoreturntothecave.

Jimmy, Martin, and Baru,dripping and chilled, hurriedto the crevice and entered,with the others keepingwatch.Inside the cave, Arutha

looked a man reborn as heinspectedtheplantsunderthefaint light of a small brandRoald held aloft. Jimmycouldn’t keep his teeth fromchattering as he grinned atMartin.Aruthacouldnottake

his eyes from the plant. Hemarvelled at the oddsensations that coursedthrough his body as heregarded the branches withtheirsilverthorns,redberries,andgreenleaves.Forbeyondthe branches, in a place onlyhe could see, he knew a softlaughmightbeheardagain,asoft hand might touch hisface, and the embodiment ofevery happiness he had

knownmightsomehowbehisagain.Jimmy looked at Laurie.

‘Damn me if I don’t thinkwe’regoingtodoit.’Laurie threw Jimmy his

tunic.‘Nowallwehavetodoisgetbackdown.’Arutha’s head came up.

‘Dress quickly. We leave atonce.’

AsAruthabreastedtherimof

the canyon, Galain said, ‘Iwasabouttopulltheropesupagain.Youcut it fine,PrinceArutha.’‘I thought it best to be

downthemountainassoonaspossible, rather than waitanotherday.’‘That I cannot argue,’

agreed the elf. ‘Last nightthere was some argumentbetween the chief of therenegades and the moredhel

leaders. I couldn’t get closeenough to hear, but as thedark ones and humans don’tget along very well, I judgethisarrangementsoontoend.If that happens, this Muradmay decide to cease waitingand begin looking oncemore.’‘Then we had best get as

far from here as we canbeforelight.’Already the sky was

turning grey as false dawnvisited the mountains.Fortune was with them inpart, for on this side of themountains they would haveshadows to hide withinawhile longer than had theyfacedthesunrise.Itwouldbeonlyalittlehelp,butanywaswelcome.Martin, Baru, and Roald

were quickly up the ropes.Laurie struggled a little, not

havingtheknackofclimbing,a fact he had failed tomention to the others. Withsilent urging from hiscompanions, he finallyclearedtherim.Jimmy scampered quickly

upwards. The morning lightwas growing. Jimmy fearedbeing seen against the rockface of the canyon shouldanyonemovefromthebridge.In his haste, he became

incautious and slipped on anoutcropping, the toe of hisbootskiddingofftherock.Hegripped the rope as he fell afew feet and grunted as heslammed into the face of thecanyon. Then pain explodedalonghissideandhebitbacka shout. Gasping silently forbreath, he turned his back tothewallofthecanyon.Withaspasm of movement hewrapped the rope under his

leftarmandgrippedittightly.Gingerly he reached insidehistunicandfelttheknifehehad pilfered from the deadman.When dressing, he hadhastilyreturnedittohis tunicratherthanplaceitinhispackasheshouldhavedone.Nowat least two inches of steelstuckinhisside.Keepinghisvoice in control, hewhispered,‘Pullmeup.’Jimmy nearly lost his grip

with the first wave of painthatstruckastheyhauledtheropeupwards.Heslippedandgrittedhisteeth.Thenhewasovertherim.‘What happened?’ asked

thePrince.‘I got careless,’ answered

theboy.‘Liftmytunic.’Laurie did so and swore.

Martin nodded at the boy,who returned the gesture.Thenhepulled theknife and

Jimmyalmostfainted.Martincut a section of a cloak andbound the boy’s side. Hemotioned to Laurie andRoald,whosupportedtheboybetween themas theymovedaway from the canyon. Asthey hurried through thequickly brightening morning,Laurie said, ‘You justcouldn’t do it the easy way,couldyou?’

They had managed to avoiddetection while carryingJimmy,forthefirsthalfoftheday. The moredhel still didnot knowMoraelin had beeninvaded, and lookedoutwards, awaiting theapproach of those who nowsoughttoescape.But now they watched a

moredhel lookout. He satperchedupontheoutcroppingthat had caused so much

trouble getting past before,and under which they mustagainpass. Itwasnearnoon,andtheyhuddleddowninsidea depression, barely out ofsight. Martin signalled toGalain, asking if the elfwanted to move first orsecond. The elf moved out,letting Martin follow. Theafternoon was still, the daylackingeventheslightbreezethat had covered small

movements when they hadpassed three nights earlier.Now it took all the skill theelf and Martin possessed tomove a scant twenty feetwithoutalertingthesentry.Martin nocked an arrow

and took aim over Galain’sshoulder. Galain pulled hishunting knife and rose upbeside the moredhel. Galaintapped him on the shoulder.The dark elf spun at the

unexpected contact, andGalain slashed his knifeacross his throat. Themoredhel reared up andMartin’s arrow took him inthechest.Galaingrabbedhimabouttheknees,loweringhimback to his sitting position.He twisted Martin’s arrow,breaking it off rather thantryingtopulloutthebarb.Inonly moments the moredhelhad been killed and still

seemedathispost.Martin and Galain ducked

back down and faced theothers. ‘He’ll be discoveredin a few hours. They maythink us on our way in andsearchaboveusfirst,butthenthey’llbedownthemountain.Nowwemustfly.We’retwodays to the outer reaches ofthe elven forests if we don’tstop.Come.’They scrambled down the

trail, Jimmy wincing as hewashalfcarriedbyLaurie.‘Ifthe horses are still there,’mutteredRoald.‘Ifthey’renot,’saidJimmy

weakly, ‘at least it’s alldownhill.’

They stopped only to let thehorses get the minimal restthey required to survive across-countryrun.Itwouldbelikely the animals would not

be usable after the dash, butthat could not be helped.Arutha would let nothingpreventhisreturnnowthathepossessed the means forAnita’s cure. Before, he hadbeen a man on the edge ofdespair; now a flame burnedwithin, and he would letnothing extinguish it.Throughthenighttheyrode.

Lathered,pantinghorseswere

ledbyexhaustedridersdownthewoodland trail. They hadentered deep forest, still inthefoothillsofthemountains,but close to the boundary ofthe elven forests. Jimmywashalf-conscious from loss ofblood, fatigue, and pain. Thewound had opened againsometime during the nightandhehadbeenunabletodomore than clutch his side.Thentheboy’seyesrolledup

and he fell face down ontothetrail.When he regained

consciousness,hesatup,heldby Laurie and Baru whileMartin and Roald wrappedhim in fresh bandages cutfromMartin’s cloak. ‘This’llhave to do until we reachElvandar,’saidMartin.Arutha said, ‘If it opens

again,saysomething.Galain,ride double with him, and

don’tlethimfalloff.’Once again they were in

the saddle, and once againthey endured the nightmareride.

Near sundown of the secondday, the first horse faltered.Martin put it down quicklyand said, ‘I’ll run for awhile.’For nearly three miles the

Dukeran;thoughthefatigued

horses’pacewasslower thannormal, this was still animpressive feat.Baru took tothe trail for a while, thenGalain, but still they werereaching their limit. Thehorses were reduced to aloping canter and trotting.Thentheycouldonlywalk.In silence they moved

through the night, simplycountingthepassingyardsaseachminutetookthemcloser

to safety, knowing that,somewhere behind, the mutemoredhel captain and hisBlackSlayers followed.Nearmorningtheycrossedasmalltrail and Martin said, ‘Herethey must split forces, forthey can’t know we haven’tturned east for StoneMountain.’Arutha said, ‘Everyone

dismount.’They did and the Prince

said, ‘Martin, lead thehorsestowardsStoneMountainforawhile, then turn them loose.We’llcontinueonfoot.’Martin did as he was

bidden while Baru maskedthe tracks of those on foot.Martin caught up with themanhourlater.Asherandowna woodland trail towardsthem,hesaid,‘IthinkIheardsomething behind. I can’t besure. Thewind is picking up

andthenoisewasfaint.’Arutha said, ‘We continue

towards Elvandar, but keepalert for a defensibleposition.’ He started astagger-legged run, and theothers took off after him,Jimmy supported in part byMartin.For nearly an hour they

halfran,halfstumbledalong,until the sounds of pursuitcould be heard echoing

through thewoods.They felta surge of energy as feardrove them onwards. ThenArutha pointed towards anoutcropping of rock, in asemicircle that formed analmost perfect naturalbreastwork.HeaskedGalain,‘Howfaruntilhelp?’The elf studied the woods

intheearlymorninglightandsaid,‘Weareneartheedgeofourforests.Mypeoplewillbe

anhouraway,perhapstwo.’Aruthaquicklygavetheelf

the pack containing theSilverthorn and said, ‘TakeJimmy.We’llholdthemhereuntil you return.’ They allknew the pack was againstthe possibility the elf didn’treturn in time.At leastAnitacouldstillbecured.Jimmy sat down on the

rock. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Iwould double the time he’ll

take to find help. I can fightstandingstillbetterthanIcanrun.’ With that he crawledoverthestonebreastworkandpulledouthisdirk.Arutha looked at the boy:

tired, bleeding again, almostcollapsing from fatigue andblood loss, but grinning athim while holding his dirk.Arutha gave a curt nod andthe elfwas off.Quickly theygot behind the rocks, drew

weapons,andwaited.

For long minutes theyhuddled down behind therocks, knowing that as eachminute passed, their chancesof rescue increased. Almostwith each breath they couldfeel rescue and obliterationracing towards them.Chanceas much as anything woulddetermine their survival. IfCalin and his warriors were

waiting close to the edge ofthe forest, and Galain couldquickly locate them, therewashope; ifnot,nohope. Inthe distance the sound ofriders grew louder. Eachmoment passed slowly, eachinstant of possible discoverydraggingby,andtheagonyofwaiting increased. Then, inalmost welcome relief, ashout was sounded and themoredhelwereuponthem.

Martin rose up, his bowalreadydrawnbythetimehehad a target. The firstmoredhel to see them waspropelled backwards out ofhissaddlebytheforceof thearrowtakinghiminthechest.Arutha and the others madeready. A dozen moredhelridersmilledabout,startledatthe sudden bow fire. Beforethey could react, Martin hadanother down. Three turned

androdeaway,buttheotherscharged.The outcropping reared up

and spread out, making itimpossible for the moredhelto overrun them, but theycame at full gallop anyway,their horses’ hooves makingdull thunder upon the still-damp ground. Though theyrode close to the necks oftheir horses, two more weretakenbyMartin’sbowbefore

they reached the stoneredoubt. Then the moredhelwere upon them. Baru leaptatoptherocks,hislongswordablurasheslicedthroughtheair.Amoredhel fell, his armseveredfromhisbody.Arutha ran up and jumped

from the rocks, dragging aDarkBrotherfromthesaddle.Themoredhel died under hisknife. He spun in place, hisrapiercomingfromitssheath

asanother ridercharged.ThePrince stoodhis grounduntilthelast,thenwithasidewaysleapanda slashunseated therider.Aquick thrust, and themoredheldied.Roald pulled one from his

saddle and they both sliddown into the protection ofthe rocks. Jimmy waited astheyrolledabout, then,whenhe saw an opening, anotherDarkBrotherdiedas theboy

usedhisdirk.The two remaining saw

LaurieandMartin ready,andchosetoretreat.BothdiedasMartin’s bow sang in themorning light. As soon asthey were out of the saddle,Martin was over the rocks.He quickly scavenged thebodies and returned with ashortbowandtwoquiversofarrows. ‘I’m almost out,’ hesaid, indicating his depleted

quiver. ‘These are no cloth-yardshafts,butIcanusethislittlehorsebowifIneed.’Arutha looked about.

‘There’ll be more alongsoon.’‘Dowerun?’askedJimmy.‘No.Wewouldonlygaina

little,andwemightnotfindaplace nearly as defensible.Wewait.’Minutes passed and all

waited with eyes turned

towards the trail they knewthe moredhel would use toattack them. Lauriewhispered, ‘Run, Galain,run.’For what seemed an

eternity the woods weresilent.Thenincloudsofdust,with hooves pounding theground, horsemen came intoview.The giant mute, Murad,

rode in the van, a dozen

Black Slayers behind him.Other moredhel and humanrenegades followed. Muradreined in, signalling for theotherstohalt.Jimmygroaned. ‘There’sa

hundredofthem.’Roaldsaid,‘Notahundred,

morelikethirty.’Laurie said, ‘That’s

enough.’Arutha looked over the

rock, saying, ‘We may be

able to hold for a fewminutes.’ They all knew itwashopeless.Then Baru stood. And

before anyone could preventhim,hestartedshoutingatthemoredhel, in a languageunknown to Jimmy, thePrince, and Martin. LaurieandRoaldshooktheirheads.Arutha began to reach for

the hillman, but Laurie said,‘Don’t. He’s challenging

Muradtopersonalcombat.Amatterofhonour.’‘Willheaccept?’Roaldshrugged.‘They’rea

funny lot. I’ve fought theDark Brothers before. Someof them are cut-throatrenegades. But most arecaughtupinhonourandritualand the like. Depends onwhere you find them. If thatlot’sagangofmoss-troopersfrom north Yabon, they’ll

simplyattack.ButifMurad’sgot a band of old-fashioneddeep-forest Dark Brothersunderhiscommand,theymaynottakekindlytohimsayingno. If he’s trying to showsome magic powers arebackinghim, he can’t rightlyrefuseandkeep their loyalty.But mostly it depends onwhat Murad thinks aboutmattersofhonour.’‘Whatever’s the outcome,

Baru’s thrown them intoconfusion,’observedMartin.Arutha could see the

moredhel standing aboutwhile the mute staredimpassively at Baru. ThenMurad waved his handtowardsBaru and the others.A moredhel in a cloak rodeforward, turning his horse toface Murad, and saidsomething in a questioningtone.

The mute motioned again,and the moredhel whoconfronted him waved theother away. The moredhelriders, except for thosewearing black armour,retreatedtheirmountsseveralyards. One of the humansrode up and turned his horseto face Murad. He shoutedsomething at the moredhelleader, several other humansbehindechoingthetones.

‘Martin,’ saidArutha, ‘canyou make out what’s beingsaid?’‘No. But whatever it is, it

isn’t flattering, that’s forcertain.’Suddenly Murad drew his

own sword and struck theoffending human. Anotherhuman shouted somethingand seemed ready to rideforward, but two moredhelrode to intercepthim.Witha

sullen expression the firstbrigand turned his horse androde back to join the otherhumans.Murad again gestured

towards the humans, andchargedhishorse.Baru leapt from the rocks

and ran a short way forwardto takeupposition.He stoodhis ground, his sword drawnback to strike. As the horsewas almost upon him, Baru

lashedoutwithacirclingstepthat took him from harm’sway, and the horse nickeredinpainasitstumbled.Thewounded animalwent

down. Murad, despite hisbulk, rolled from the fallinganimal and came up, swordstill in hand. He was quickand turned in time to meetBaru’s attack. The twocombatants clashed, steelringingonsteel.

Arutha looked about. Thedozen Black Slayers waitedquietly, though for how longArutha did not know. WithMuradinvolvedinamatterofhonour, theymightwaituntilthe issue was decided. ThePrinceferventlyhopedso.All eyes watched; Martin

said, ‘Don’t let down yourguard.Assoonasthisisover,either way, they’ll hit usagain.’

‘At least I can catch mybreath,’saidJimmy.Arutha surveyed the area.

Twentymoremoredhel wereapproaching the area. AllBarudidwasbuythemtime.Murad struck out and was

struck in return. Withinminutes both combatantswere a mass of bleedingwounds, testimony to howeach was able almost todeliver a death blow, but not

quite. Cut and parry, lungeand riposte, slash anddodge,the struggle went on. TheHadatiwasequalinheighttothemoredhel,butthedarkelfbulked larger. With a seriesof overhead, clubbing blows,Murad began to drive Baruback.Martin brought his sword

to the ready. ‘Baru’s tiring.It’llbeoversoon.’Butlikeadancertiminghis

moves to themusic,Baru letMurad fall into apattern.Upanddowntheswordroseandfell, then,whenitwasrising,Baru ceased his retreat,instead stepping forward andto the side.With a sweepingcut,heslicedMurad’sribs.Itwas a deep cut that bledfiercely.‘That’s a surprise,’ Martin

saidcalmly.‘Damn fine move,’ said

Roald in professionalappreciation.But Murad didn’t let the

surprising blow finish him.He turned in place andgrabbed the Hadati’s swordarm.Muradwas off balance,buthepulledBarudownwithhim. They grappled androlled down the hill towardstherockswhereAruthastood.Weaponsslippedfromblood-wet fingers and the two

combatants struck at eachotherwithfists.Then they were up again,

butMuradhadhisarmsaboutBaru’s waist. Hoisting theHadati into the air, themoredhel placed interlockedhands in the small of Baru’sback, squeezing to break hisspine.Baru’sheadwentbackashecriedout inpain.Thenhebroughthishandstogetherina thunderous slapover the

moredhel’sears,rupturinghiseardrums.Murad gave a warbling,

gurgling cry of pain as hedropped Baru. The creaturecovered his ears with hishands, blinded by pain for amoment. Baru reared backand struck the moredhel inthe face with his fist, astaggering blow that pulpedMurad’s nose, broke someteeth,andsplithislip.

Again Baru struck him inthe face, jerking his headback, and again. The Hadatiseemed on the verge ofclubbing the moredhel todeath. But Murad grippedBaru’s wrist and pulled himdown, and again they rolledupontheground.Then Murad was atop

Baru,andeachhadhishandsaroundtheother’sneck.Withgrunts of pain and exertion,

the two began choking eachother.Jimmy reached down and

took a dagger from the bodyof the dead moredhel at hisfeet, to supplement his dirk.Martinsaid,‘Soon.Soon.’Murad bore downwith all

his weight, his face turningred, as did Baru’s. Neithercouldbreathe,anditwasonlyaquestionofwhosuccumbedfirst. Baru bore the bulk of

the moredhel atop him, butMurad had a deep wound inhis side, which still bled,weakening him as everysecondpassed.Then, with a grunt and

sigh, Murad fell forwardsontoBaru.Therewas silencein the woods for a longmoment before Muradmoved. With a roll he fellover, off Baru. The Hadatislowly rose. Taking a knife

from the moredhel’s ownbelt, he slowly cut Murad’sthroat. Sitting back upon hisheels, Baru breathed deeply.Then, with deliberatecontemptforhisowndanger,heplungedhisknifedeepintoMurad’schest.‘What’s he doing?’ asked

Roald.Martin said, ‘Remember

what Tathar said about theBlack Slayers. He’s cutting

Murad’s heart out, just incase he might try to riseagain.’More moredhel and

renegades had joined thecompany overlooking thecombat, and now more thanfifty riders watched theHadati butcher the moredhelchieftain. The Hadati cutdown into the chest, then hishandplungeddeepwithinthewoundandwithasingle jerk

hepulledMurad’sheart free.Holding his hand up, so thatallmight see, he showed theassembled moredhel andhumans that Murad’s heartbeat no longer. Then hetossed it aside and rosedrunkenlytohisfeet.With a staggering,

wobblingrun,hetriedfortherocks,onlytenyardsaway.Amoredhel rider moved tostrikehim from the side, and

Jimmythrewhisdagger.Thepoint took thecreature in theeye,causinghimtoscreamashefellbackoutofthesaddle.ButanothercameatBaruandcut at him. The sword tookhim in the side, and theHadatifellforward.‘Damn you!’ shouted

Jimmy, near tears. ‘He won.Youcouldhavelethimcomeback!’He threwhisdirk,butthe other rider dodged. The

moredhel who had struckBaru stiffened and turned,and Arutha and hiscompanions saw an arrow inhis back. Another moredhelshouted something as he putaway his bow. This broughtan angry shout from a thirdandoneofthehumans.‘What is all this?’ asked

Arutha.Roald said, ‘The one who

killedBaru is a renegade:no

honour. That fellow on thehorse seems to have had thesame opinion as Jimmy. TheHadati won, he should havebeenallowed to return todiewith his companions. Nowthe slayer, another renegade,andthehumanbanditsareallshouting at one another. Wemightgaina little time,oratleasthavesomeofthemquit,nowthattheirbigchieftainisdead.’

Then the Black Slayerscharged.Martinrearedupandbegan

firing.Thearcher’sspeedwasphenomenal, and three riderswere unhorsed before theyreachedtherockabutment.Steel clashed upon steel

and the battle was joined.Roald leapt atop the rock, ashad Baru before, and hissword also struck out at allwho came within his reach.

No moredhel could ride inclose enough to strike himwiththeirshortswords,whilehis broadsword delivereddeathtowhoeverrodewithinreach.Arutha parried a blow

aimed at Laurie, then struckupwards from a crouch totake a rider. Roald leapt anddragged one from the saddleandclubbedhimwiththehiltofhissword.Sevenmoredhel

died before the otherswithdrew.Arutha said, ‘They didn’t

allcharge.’The others could see that

some of the moredhel hadheld back, and others werestill arguing, along with twohuman renegades. A few ofthe Black Slayers were stillmounted, and they wereignoringwhattranspiredwiththeircompanions,formingfor

anothercharge.Jimmy liberated another

dagger from a moredhel justat theedgeof therocks, thennoticedsomething.Hetuggedat Martin’s sleeve. ‘See thatugly-looking fellow with thefancy red breastplate and allthosegoldringsandthings?’Martin saw such a one

sitting at the head of thehumanriders.‘Yes.’‘Canyoukillhimnow?’

‘It’sadifficultshot.Why?’‘Becauseassureasthere’s

elves in the woods, that’sReitz. He’s captain of thatband of outlaws. You knockhim off and the others willmost likely run away, or atleast keep holding back untilanewcaptain’selected.’Martin rose up, took aim,

and let fly. The shaft spedbetweenthebolesofthetreesandtooktheindicatedriderin

the throat. With a snap hishead came up and hesomersaulted backwards outofhissaddle.‘Amazing,’saidJimmy.Martinsaid,‘Ihadtoclear

thetopofthatbreastplate.’Laurie said dryly, ‘Not

very sporting, shootingwithoutwarning.’‘You may convey my

apologies,’ said Martin. ‘Iforgot you singers always

have the heroes acting thatwayinyoursagas.’‘If we’re the heroes,’ said

Jimmy, ‘the outlaws shouldrunaway.’True to Jimmy’s

prediction, the humanrenegades began mutteringamong themselves, and weresuddenly riding away. Onemoredhel shouted after themangrily, then waved anotherattack upon the Prince’s

party.Anothermoredhel spatonthegroundbeforethefirstand turned his horse,motioning some companionsaway as well. Twenty or sorodeafterthehumans.Arutha counted. ‘Fewer

thantwentythistime,andtheSlayers.’The riders dismounted,

includingthosewhohadheldback during the previousattack. They had discovered

they couldn’t close in to therocks while on horseback.They ran close, using thetreesascoverandfannedout,tosurroundArutha’sposition.Roald said, ‘This is what

they should have done thefirsttime.’‘They’re a little slow, but

not entirely stupid,’commentedLaurie.Jimmyclutchedhisdagger

astheDarkBrotherscharged.

‘I’dhavepreferredstupidity.’The moredhel came in a

wave,andsuddenlytherewasfighting on all sides. Jimmyleapt away as a sword camecrashing down from above.He thrust upwards with hisdaggerandtookthemoredhelinthestomach.Roald and Laurie battled,

back to back, surrounded byDark Brothers. Martin shotuntil he was out of arrows,

when he grabbed up themoredhel bow and arrows.His firing was rapid andaccurate and a dozen moreDark Brothers were struckbefore he dropped the bowandpulledhissword.Arutha fought like a man

possessed, his rapierdelivering injury at everyquarter. No moredhel couldget close and remain free ofwounds.ButthePrinceknew

time would eventually win.The defenders would fatigueandslowandthentheywoulddie.Arutha could feel the

strength drain from his armsasthecertaintyofdeathcametohim.Therewaslittlepointin hoping. There were morethan twenty moredhel stillstanding, and they were butfive.Martin hewed with his

sword, cutting all who camebeforehim.RoaldandLaurielungedandparried,givinguponlyinches,butslowlybeingworndownbytheattackers.Amoredhel leapt over the

stonebreastworkandspun toface Jimmy. Jimmy actedwithout hesitation, his stiffside slowing him onlyslightly. He lashed out andsliced the moredhel’s hand,causing it to drop its sword.

TheDark Brother yanked itsbelt knife loose as Jimmyslashed again. But themoredhel leapt back,avoiding the boy’s cut. Thenit closed and was uponJimmy. The boy slashedwildly,losinghisbalanceandhis knife, and the moredhelwas atop him. A knife bladecame rushing towards theboy’sface,buthedodgedanditstruckrock.Jimmygripped

at the creature’s wrist,holding the blade away. Theblade came towards his face,for the weakened boy couldnotholdback themoredhel’ssuperiorstrength.Then the moredhel’s head

snapped backwards andJimmy could see a knifedrawn across the dark elf’sthroat,leavingabloodytrack.Themoredhelwas pulled offbythehandgrippinghishair,

thenthehandwasextendedtoJimmy.Galain stood over the boy

and helped him to his feet.Stunned, Jimmy lookedabout.Huntinghornssoundedin the forestsand theairwasfilled with arrows. Themoredhel retreatedbefore theattackingelves.MartinandAruthadropped

their weapons, slumping inexhaustion.RoaldandLaurie

collapsed where they stood.Calin ran towards them,directinghiselvenwarriorsinpursuit.Arutha looked up, relief

bringingtearsunbiddentohiseyes. In a hoarse voice hesaid,‘Isitover?’Calin said, ‘It is, Arutha.

Forawhile.They’llbeback,but by then we will all besafelywithintheboundaryofour forests. Unless they plan

invasion, the moredhel willnot cross that border. Ourmagic is still too strongthere.’Anelf leantover thebody

ofBaru.‘Calin!Thisonestilllives!’Martin lay back on the

rocks, panting. ‘That Hadatiistough.’Arutha waved away

Galain’shandashestood,hislegs feeling likewater. ‘How

far?’‘Lessthanamile.Weneed

only to cross a small stream,andweareinourforests.’Slowlythesurvivorsofthe

attack felt a lifting of theirhopelessness, for they knewtheir chances now wereexcellent. With the elvenescort, it would be unlikelythe moredhel would musterenough strength tooverwhelmthem,evenshould

they mount another attack.AndwithMuraddead,itwaslikely their leadership wouldcrumble. From the behaviourofmanyoftheDarkBrothersit was clear he had been ofmajor importance to them.His death would surelyweaken Murmandamus’splansforsometime.Jimmy hugged himself,

wonderingatthechillhefelt,for suddenlyhewas returned

tothemomenthestoodinthecave atMoraelin.He felt thestrange dislocation in time,and knew where he hadexperienced that chill before– twice before, in the palaceandinthecellaroftheHouseof Willows. He felt the haironthebackofhisneckstandon end and knewwith dreadcertainty that some magicwasbeingvisitedupon them.He leapt away from the rock

and looked about the glade.Pointing, he shouted, ‘Thenwe’dbetterstartnow!Look!’ThebodyofaBlackSlayer

begantomove.Martin said, ‘Can we cut

theirheartsout?’‘Too late,’ cried Laurie.

‘They’re armoured, and weshouldhaveactedatonce.’A dozen Black Slayers

were slowly rising andturning to face Arutha’s

party,weaponsinhand.Withtentative steps they began toadvance upon the Prince.Calin shouted orders andelves grabbed up the near-exhaustedandwoundedmen.Two carried Baru betweenthem,andtheystartedtorun.The dead warriors

staggered after, theirwoundsstill bleeding, and as theymoved, their movementssmoothed out, as if some

agency was perfecting itscontroloverthem.With increasing speed the

undead followed. Elvenbowmen ran, halted, turned,and fired, to no effect. Theshafts struck the deadmoredhel and would rockthem, knocking a few to theground, but they would onlyriseagain.Jimmy looked back, and

somehow the view of these

creatures running through thebright morning light in thelovely forests was far morehorriblethananythinghehadseen at the palace or in thesewers of Krondor. Theirmovementswere surprisinglysmooth as they ran after,weaponsattheready.Those elves carrying the

injured and fatigued humanskept running while Calinordered others to slow the

moredhel. Elven warriorsdrewswordsandengagedtheundead creatures; after a fewparries, they would retreat.The rear guard slowed theBlackSlayers,buttheycouldnotbehalted.The elves worked

themselves into a pattern.They would turn, fight,retreat a little, fight again,then flee.But the inability tovisit harm on their foes

served only to delay these,not to end their threat.Panting, fatigued elveslabouredtohaltaninexorableflood. After several minutesthe humans were being halfcarried,halfdraggedacrossasmallstream.Calin said, ‘We enter our

forests.Herewewillstand.’Theelvesdrewswordsand

waited. Arutha, Martin,Laurie, and Roald readied

weaponsandwaited.Thefirstmoredhel entered the water,sword in hand, splashingtowardsthem.Hereachedtheshoreasanelfmadereadytostrike, but the moment theundead creature placed hisfootupontheshore,itseemedtosensesomethingbehindtheelves. The elf struck it to noeffect, but the dead BlackSlayerstaggeredback,raisingits hands, as if seeking

protection.Suddenly a rider sped past

the defenders, a figureresplendentinwhiteandgold.Upon thebackof awhite elfsteed, a legendary mystichorse of Elvandar, Tomaschargedthemoredhel.Theelfsteedreared,andTomasleaptdownfromitsbackand,witha golden arc of his sword,nearly split the Black Slayerintwain.

Like a raging flameincarnate, Tomas sped alongtheshore,visitingdestructionupon each Black Slayer asthey set foot across thestream. Despite their arcaneorigin, each was helplessbeforethecombinedmightofhis arm and Valheru power.Several managed singleblows,whichheeasilyturnedaside,answeringwithterribleswiftness. His golden sword

lashed out and black armourwas cracked as if little morethanbrittlehide.Butnoneofthe undead sought to flee;each came on, and eachwasquickly dispatched. Of thosewith Arutha, only Martinalone had seen Tomas inbattlebefore,andevenhehadnever seen such a display.Soon it was over, and onlyTomasstoodupontheedgeofthe stream. Then came the

soundofmorehorses.Aruthalooked behind and sawmoreelfsteedsapproaching,riddenby Tathar and the otherSpellweavers.Tathar said, ‘Greetings,

PrinceofKrondor.’Arutha looked up and

smiled weakly. ‘Thanks toyouall.’Tomas resheathed his

sword and said, ‘I could nottravel with you, but once

these dared cross theboundaries of our forest, Icouldact.Elvandarisminetopreserve. Any who daresinvade will be treated asthese.’ To Calin he said,‘Build a funeral pyre. Thoseblackdemonsshallneverriseagain.’ And he said to theothers, ‘When it is done, weshallreturntoElvandar.’Jimmy fell back upon the

grass of the stream bank, his

body too sore and tired tomove. Within moments hewasasleep.They feasted the next

night. Queen Aglaranna andPrince Tomas hosted Aruthaand his companions. GalainapproachedwhereMartinandArutha sat and said, ‘Baruwilllive.Ourhealersayshe’sthe toughest human he’sseen.’‘How long before he’s up

again?’askedArutha.‘Alongtime,’saidGalain.

‘You’ll have to leave himwith us. By rights he shouldhave died an hour beforewegot here. He’s lost a lot ofblood,andsomeofthosecutsare severe. Murad almostcrushed his spine and hiswindpipe.’‘But other than that, he’ll

be as good as new,’ saidRoaldacrossthetable.

Laurie said, ‘When I gethome to Carline, I promisenevertoleaveagain.’Jimmy came to sit next to

the Prince. ‘You lookthoughtful for one who’spulledoff the impossible. I’dthoughtyou’dbehappy.’Aruthaventuredasmile.‘I

won’tbeuntilAnitaiscured.’‘Whendoweridehome?’‘We go to Crydee in the

morning;theelveswillescort

usthere.ThenwetakeshiptoKrondor.We should be backin time for the Festival ofBanapis. If Murmandamuscan’tfindmewithhismagic,ashipshouldbesafeenough.Unless you’d prefer ridingbackthewaywecame?’Jimmy said, ‘Not likely.

There might still be more ofthoseBlackSlayersabout.I’lltake drowning over anotherrun-inwiththem,anytime.’

Martin said, ‘It will begoodtoseeCrydeeagain.I’llhave much to see to, gettingmy house in order. OldSamuel will be at wits’ endwith the estate management,though I’m sure the BaronBellamy has done wellenough running things inmyabsence. But there will bemuchtodobeforeweleave.’‘Leave for where?’ said

Arutha.

Inan innocent toneMartinsaid, ‘Why for Krondor, ofcourse.’ But his gazetravelled northwards, andsilently he echoed hisbrother’s thoughts. Up therewas Murmandamus, and abattleyetunjoined.Theissuewasnotdecided,onlythefirstskirmish. With the death ofMurad the forces of theDarkness had lost a captain,had been pushed back,

retiring in disorder, but theywere not vanquished, andthey would return, if nottomorrow, then some otherday.Arutha said, ‘Jimmy, you

have acted with wit andbravery beyond what isrequired of a squire. Whatrewardshallyouhave?’Bitingalargeribofelk,the

boy replied, ‘Well, you stillneedaDukeofKrondor.’

•ChapterNineteen•Continuation

Theridersreinedin.Staring upwards, they

studied themountaintops thatmarked theboundaryof theirlands, the great peaks of theHigh Wall. For two weekstwelveridershadpickedtheirway through the mountains,until they had journeyed

beyond the normal limits ofTsurani patrols, above thetimberline. They movedslowly through a pass it hadtaken days to locate. Theywere seeking something noTsurani had searched for inages,awaythroughtheHighWallintothenortherntundra.It was cold in the

mountains, an alienexperience for most of theriders, except those who had

served on Midkemia duringthe years of the Riftwar. Tothe younger soldiers of theShinzawai Household Guard,this cold was a strange andalmost frightening thing. Butthey showed no sign of theirdiscomfort,excepttoabsentlydrawtheircloaksmoretightlyabout their shoulders as theystudied theoddwhiteness onthe peaks, hundreds of feetyet above their heads. They

wereTsurani.Pug,stillintheblackrobes

ofaGreatOne, turned tohiscompanion. ‘A short wayfromhere,Ithink,Hokanu.’The young officer nodded

and signalled his patrolforward. For weeks theyounger son of the Lord ofthe Shinzawai had led thisescort beyond the limits ofthe Empire’s northernborders. Following the river

Gagajin to itshighest source,a nameless lake in themountains, the hand-pickedwarriorshadpassed the trailsfollowed by patrols of theEmpireofTsuranuanni.Herewere the wild, rock-strewn,seemingly desolate landsbetween the Empire and thetundra of the north, home oftheThun nomads. Evenwitha Great One in attendance,Hokanu felt vulnerable.

Should a Thun tribe bemigrating nearby when theycame out of the mountains,there would be a score ormore of their youngwarriorsrunning as flankers, seekingany excuse to take a Tsuraniheadasatrophy.Theyroundedabendinthe

trail and a narrowgap in themountainsprovidedaglimpseof the lands beyond. For thefirst time they could see the

vast expanse of the tundra.Vaguely perceived in thedistance, a long, low whitebarrier could be made out.‘Whatisthat?’saidPug.Hokanu shrugged, his face

an implacable Tsurani mask.‘Idonotknow,GreatOne. Isuspect it is another rangeofmountains, across the tundra.Orperhapsitisthatthingyoudescribed,thewallofice.’‘Aglacier.’

Hokanusaid,‘Whatever;itlies to the north, where yousaidtheWatchersmaybe.’Pug looked behind him at

the ten silent riders. Then heasked,‘Howfar?’Hokanu laughed. ‘Farther

than we can ride in anothermonth without starving. Weshallhavetostoptohunt.’‘I doubt there is a great

dealofgameabout.’‘More than one would

think, Great One. The Thunstruggle to reach theirtraditional southern rangesevery winter, the lands wehaveheldforoverathousandyears,but theystill somehowsurvive the winters here.Those of us who havewinteredonyourworldknowhow to forage in snowcountry. There will becreatures like your rabbitsand deer once we drop back

down below the timberline.Weshallsurvive.’Pug weighed his choices.

After a moment of silentconsiderationhesaid,‘Idon’tthink so, Hokanu. You mayberight,butifwhatIhopetofindisonlyalegend,thenweshall have all come for nogood reason. Imay return toyour father’s home by myarts, and I could manage totake a few of you with me,

three or even four, but therest?No,Ithinkitistimeforaparting.’Hokanu began to object,

forhisfatherhadorderedhimto protect Pug, but Pugworethe black robe. ‘Your will,Great One.’ He signalled tohis men. ‘Pass up half yourfood.’HesaidtoPug,‘Therewill be enough here to keepyou fed for a fewmore daysif you eat sparingly, Great

One.’ When the food hadbeen gathered in two largetravel bags and hung behindPug’s saddle, Hokanumotionedhismentowait.The magician and the

officer rode forward a shortway, and the son of theShinzawaisaid,‘GreatOne,Ihave given thought to thewarning you bring and yourquest.’ He seemed to find itdifficult to speak his mind.

‘Youhavebroughtmuchintomy family’s life,not allof itgood,butlikemyfather,I’vealways believed you to be aman of honour, one withoutguile. If you believe thislegendary Enemy to be thecause behind all the troublesonyourhomeworldyouhavespokenof,andifyouthinkitabout to findyourworld andours, I must also believe. Iadmittofear,GreatOne.Iam

ashamed.’Pugshookhishead.‘There

is no shame, Hokanu. TheEnemy is something beyondany of our understanding. Iknow you think it a thing oflegend, something spoken ofwhen you were a small boyand your teachers began toinstruct you in the history oftheEmpire.EvenI,whohaveseenit inmysticvision,evenI do not fathom it, save to

count it the greatest threat toour worlds imaginable. No,Hokanu, there isno shame. Ifear its coming. I fear itspower,anditsmadness,foritis a thing mindless in rageandhate.Idoubtthesanityofanywhodidnotfearit.’Hokanu lowered his head

inagreement,thenlookedthemagician in the eyes.‘Milamber … Pug. I thankyou for the easeyoubrought

tomyfather.’Hespokeofthemessage Pug had carriedfromKasumi. ‘May thegodsof both worlds watch overyou, Great One.’ He bowedhis head as a sign of respectand then silently turned hismountaround.In a short while Pug sat

alone atop the pass throughwhich no Tsurani had riddenin ages. Below him lay theforests of the north slope of

the High Wall, and beyondthem the rangesof theThun.And beyond the tundra? Adreamorlegendperhaps.Thealiencreaturesseenbrieflyina vision each magicianenduredashepassedhisfinaltesting for the black robe.Those creatures known onlyastheWatchers.ItwasPug’shope they possessed someknowledge of the Enemy,some knowledge that might

prove the difference in thecomingbattle.ForasPugsatatop his tired mount, on thewind-swept heights of thegreatest mountains onKelewan’s largest continent,he was certain some greatstrugglehadbegun,astrugglethat could mean thedestructionoftwoworlds.Pug urged his horse

forward, and the animalbegan moving downwards,

towards the tundra and theunknown.

Pugpulledbackonthereins.Since leaving Hokanu’spatrolhehadseennothing inthe hills as he rode downtowards the tundra. Now, aday out of the foothills, aband of Thun were speedingtomeethim.Thecentaur-likecreatures hooted their battlesongs as they ran, their

powerful hooves beating thetundra in rhythmicconcussion. But unlike thelegendary centaur, the upperportion of this creaturelooked as if some form oflizard had grown to manshape above the torso of aheavyhorseormule.Likeallother native life forms onKelewan, they werehexapedal, and as with theother intelligent native race,

theinsectoidcho-ja,theupperlimbs had developed intoarms. Unlike humans, theyhadsixfingers.Pugwaitedquietlyuntilthe

Thunwere almost upon him,then he erected a mysticbarrier and watched as theycrashed into it. The Thunwereall large,warriormales,though Pug couldn’t reallyimaginewhatafemaleof thespecies must look like. Still,

these creatures, for all theiralien appearance, acted asPug would have expectedyoung humanwarriors to actunderthesamecircumstance,confused and angry. Severalbeat ineffectively against thebarrier while the othersretreated a short way off toobserve. Then Pug removedthe cape the Shinzawai lordhad given him for thejourney.Through thehazeof

themysticbarrier,oneof theyoungThunsawhimwearingtheblackrobeandshoutedtohis companions. They turnedandfled.For three days they

followed him at a respectfuldistance. Some ran off, andfor a time those remainingwere joined by other Thun.This leaving and returning,with some Thun alwaysbehind him, continued

unabated. At night, Pugerected a circle of protectionabouthimself andhismount,andwhen he awoke the nextmorning, the Thun stillwatched.Then, on the fourthday, the Thun finally madepeacefulcontact.A single Thun trotted

towards him, awkwardlyholding his hands above hishead, palms together in theTsurani parley sign. Pug

could see as he came up tohim that they had sent anelder.‘Honours to your tribe,’

saidPug,hoping thecreaturecouldspeakTsurani.An almost human chuckle

answered. ‘A first that is,blackone.Neverhonourhavemangiventome.’Thespeechwas heavily accented, butunderstandable, and thestrange,saurianfeatureswere

surprisingly expressive. TheThun was unarmed, but oldscarsshowedithadoncebeenapowerfulwarrior.Nowagehad robbed it ofmuch of itsvigour.Pugexpresseda suspicion.

‘Youarethesacrifice?’‘My life is yours to take.

Bring down your sky fire, ifthat is your wish. But not, Ithink, your wish.’ Again thechuckle. ‘Black ones the

Thunhave faced.Andwhyaone near the age of leavingshould you take, when skyfire can a whole band burn?No, you move for purposesyour own, do you not?Troubling those soon left tofacetheicehunters, thepackkillers, a purpose of yours isnot.’ Pug studied the Thun.He was almost at the daywhenhewouldbe tooold tokeep pace with the moving

band, when the tribe wouldabandonhimto thepredatorsofthetundra.‘Youragebringswisdom.I

have no contention with theThun.Isimplyseektopasstothenorth.’‘ThunaTsuraniword.We

areLasura, thepeople.Blackones have I seen. You atroublesomelot.Fightalmostwon,thenblackonesskyfirebring. Tsurani fight bravely,

and Tsurani head a greattrophy is, but black ones?Leaving Lasura in peace,your business usually is not.Why our ranges seek you tocross?’‘There is a grave danger,

from ages long gone. It is adanger to all onKelewan, toThun as well as Tsurani. Ithinktherearethosewhomayknowhowthatdangermaybemet, those who live high in

the ice.’ He pointed to thenorth.The oldwarrior reared up,

like a startled horse, andPug’sownmountshiedaway.‘Then, mad black one,northwards go. Death waitsthere.Findthatoutyoushall.Those who in the ice livenone welcome, and theLasura no contest withmadmenseek.Thosewhodoa mad one harm are by the

godsharmdone.Touchedbythegodsyouare.’Hedashedoff.Pug felt both relief and

fear. For the Thun to know‘those who live in the ice’showed there was a chancethe Watchers were neitherfictionnorlongvanishedintothe past. But the Thun’swarning caused him to fearfor hismission.Whatwaitedforhimhighintheiceofthe

north?Pug moved away as the

Thunbandvanishedover thehorizon. Winds blew downoff the ice, andhepulledhiscloak about him. Never hadhefeltthisalone.

Moreweeks had passed, andthehorsehaddied.Itwasnotthe first time Pug hadsubsisted on horsemeat. Pugused his arts to transport

himself short distances, butmostlyhewalked.Vaguenessabout time disturbed himmorethananydanger.Hehadno sense of the Enemy’simminent attack. For all heknew, theEnemymightneedyears to actually enterMidkemia.Whatever else,heknew it couldn’t still possessthe power it displayed in thevision of the time of thegolden bridge, otherwise it

would have swept intoMidkemia and no power ontheplanetcouldhavestoppedit.Pug’sroutinebecamedully

monotonous as he continuednorthwards. He would walkuntil he topped some slightrise andwould fix his visionon a distant point. Withconcentration, he couldtransporthimself there,but itwas tiring and a little

dangerous.Fatiguedulledthemind,andanymistake in thespell used to gather theenergy needed to move himcould cause him harm, oreven kill him. So he wouldwalk,untilhefeltsufficientlyalertandataplaceconducivetosuchspellcasting.Then one day he had seen

something strange in thedistance. An odd featureseemed to rear up above the

icy cliff. It appeared vague,too far away to be seenclearly. He sat down. Therewasaspelloffarseeing,oneused by magicians of theLesser Path. He rememberedit as if he had read it amoment before, a faculty ofhis mind that had somehowbeen enhanced by his tortureby the Warlord and the oddspell fashioned to keep himfromhismagic.Buthelacked

thestrenuousstimulation, thefear of death, that hadallowed him to use a LesserMagic, and he could notcause the spell to work forhim. Sighing, he stood andbegan again to trudgenorthwards.

For three days he had seenthe ice spire, rising high intothe sky above the leadingedge of a great glacier.Now

he trudged up to a high riseand gauged his distance.Transporting himself withoutaknownlocation,apatterntofocus his mind upon, wasdangerousunlesshecouldseehis destination. He picked asmall outcropping of rockbeforewhat seemed to be anentranceandincantedaspell.Suddenly he stood before

what was clearly a door intoan ice tower, fashioned by

some arcane art. At the doorappeared a robed figure. Itmoved silently and withgrace, and was tall, butnothing of its features couldbeseeninthedeepdarkofitshood.Pug waited and said

nothing. The Thun wereobviously frightened of thesecreatures, andwhile Pug hadlittle fear for himself, ablunder could cost him the

only source of aid he couldthink of to help stem theEnemy.Still,hewasreadytodefend himself instantly ifnecessary.As winds whipped

snowflakes in swirls abouthim, the robed figuremotioned for Pug to followandturnedbackintothedoor.Pughesitatedamoment,thenfollowedtherobedfigureintothespire.

Insidethespirewerestairs,carved into its walls. Thespire itself seemed to befashioned from ice, butsomehow there was no coldhere;infact,thespireseemedalmost warm after the bitterwindofthetundra.Thestairsled up, towards the pinnacleof the spire, and down, intothe ice. The figure wasvanishing down the stairs,almostoutofsightwhenPug

entered. Pug followed. Theydescended what seemed animpossible distance, as iftheirdestinationlayfarbelowtheglacier.Whentheyhalted,Pug was certain they weremanyhundredsof feetbelowthesurface.At thebottomof the stairs

they came to a large door,fashioned from the samewarm ice as the walls. Thefigure moved through the

door,andagainPugfollowed.Whathesawontheothersidecaused him to halt,dumbfounded.Below the mighty edifice

ofice,inthefrozenwastesoftheArcticofKelewan,wasaforest. Moreover, it was aforest like none uponKelewan, and Pug’s heartraced as he beheld mightyoaks and elms, ash and pine.Dirt, not ice, lay under his

boots, and all around a soft,gentle light was diffused bythe green branches andbowers. Pug’s guide pointedtowardsapathandagaintookthe lead. Deep in the foresttheycametoalargeclearing.Pughadneverseenthelikeofthe sight before him, but heknewtherewasanotherplace,afardistantplace,thatlookedmuchasthisdid.Inthecentreof theclearing,gigantic trees

rose, with mighty platformserectedamidthem,connectedby roads upon the backs ofbranches. Silver,white, gold,and green leaves all seemedtoglowwithmysticlight.Pug’s guide raised his

handstohishoodandslowlylowered it. Pug’s eyeswidened in wonder, forbefore him stood a creatureunmistakable to one rearedupon Midkemia. Pug’s

expression was one of opendisbelief and he was nearlyspeechless.Before him stoodan old elf, whowith a slightsmile said, ‘Welcome toElvardein, Milamber of theAssembly. Or would youprefer to be called Pug ofCrydee? We have beenexpectingyou.’‘I prefer Pug,’ he half

whispered. He was able tomusteruponlyashredofhis

composure, so shocked washetofindMidkemia’ssecondmost ancient race livingamong this impossible forest,deep in the ice of an alienplanet. ‘What is this place?Who are you, and how didyou know I was cominghere?’‘We know many things,

son of Crydee. You are herebecause it is time for you toface that greatest of terrors,

what you call the Enemy.Youareheretolearn.Weareheretoteach.’‘Whoareyou?’The elf motioned Pug

towards a gigantic platform.‘There is much you mustlearn.Ayear shall youabidewithus,andwhenyouleave,you will come to power andunderstanding you onlyglimpse now. Without thatteaching,youwillnotbeable

to survive the coming battle.With it, you may save twoworlds.’ Nodding as Pugmoved forwards, the elf fellinbesidehim.‘Wearearaceof elvenkind long vanishedfrom Midkemia. We are theeldest race of that world,servantstotheValheru,thosewhommencalledtheDragonLords.Longagodidwecometothisworld,andforreasonsyou shall learn we chose to

abidehere.Wewatch for thereturn of that which hasbrought you to us. Weprepare against the day wesee the return of the Enemy.Wearetheeldar.’Stunnedbythis,Pugcould

only wonder. Silently heenteredthetwinofthecityofelves, Elvandar, the placedeep in the ice that the eldarhadcalledElvardein.

Arutha strode down the hall.Lyam walked at his side.Behind themhurriedVolney,Father Nathan, and FatherTully. Fannon, Gardan andKasumi, Jimmy and Martin,Roald and Dominic, LaurieandCarline all followed in apack.ThePrince still had onthestainedandtatteredtravelclothing he had worn on theship from Crydee. They hadhad a fast, and blessedly

uneventful,journey.Two guards still waited

without the room Pug hadensorcelled.Aruthamotionedfor them to open the door.When itwasopen,hewavedthem aside, andwith the hiltofhissword,hesmashed thesealasPughadinstructed.The Prince and the two

priests hurried to thePrincess’sbedside.LyamandVolney kept the rest outside.

Nathan opened the vialcontaining the curativefashioned by the elvenSpellweavers. As instructed,he poured a drop uponAnita’s lips. For a momentnothing happened, then thePrincess’s lips flickered. Hermouthmoved,andshelickedthe drop from her lips. Tullyand Arutha held her up;Nathan raised the vial to hermouthandpoured.Shedrank

itall.Before their eyes colour

returned to Anita’s cheeks.As Arutha knelt at her side,hereyesflutteredandopened.She turned her head slightly,and said, ‘Arutha,’ in almosta silent whisper. Her handgently came and touched hischeek as tears of thanks ranunashamedly down his face.He took her hand and kissedit.

Then Lyam and the otherswere in the room. FatherNathan rose and Tullybarked,‘Onlyaminute,now!Shehastorest.’Lyam laughed, his loud

happy laugh. ‘Listen to him.Tully,I’mstilltheKing.’Tully said, ‘They may

make you Emperor of Kesh,King of Queg, and GrandMasterof theBrothersof theShieldofDalaaswell,forall

I care. To me you’ll alwaysbe one of my less-giftedstudents.Amoment,thenoutyougo.’Heturnedaway,butas with the others, his facewaswet.The Princess Anita looked

aroundatallthesmilingfacesand said, ‘What happened?’She sat up andwith awincesaid,‘Oh,Ihurt,’thensmiledan embarrassed smile.‘Arutha, what did happen?

All I remember was turningtoyouatthewedding…’‘I’llexplainlater.Yourest,

andI’llseeyouagainsoon.’She smiled and yawned,

covering her mouth. ‘Excuseme. But I am sleepy.’ Shesnuggleddownandwassoonasleep.Tully began shooing them

from the room. Outside,Lyamsaid,‘Father,howsoonbefore we can finish this

wedding?’‘Inafewdays,’saidTully.

‘The restorative powers ofthatmixturearephenomenal.’‘Two weddings,’ said

Carline.Lyamsaid,‘Iwasgoingto

wait until we returned toRillanon.’‘Not on your best horse’s

rump,’ snappedCarline. ‘I’mtakingnochances.’‘Well, Your Grace,’ said

the King to Laurie, ‘I guessit’sbeendecided.’Laurie said, ‘“Your

Grace”?’With a laugh and a wave,

as he walked away, Lyamsaid, ‘Of course, didn’t shetell you? I can’t have mysistermarriedtoacommoner.I’m naming you Duke ofSalador.’Laurielookedmoreshaken

than before. ‘Come along,

love,’ said Carline, takinghim by the hand. ‘You’llsurvive.’Arutha and Martin

laughed, and Martin said,‘Have you noticed thepeerage has been going tohelllately?’Arutha turned to Roald.

‘You were in this for gold,but my thanks go beyondmeregold.Abonusyoushallhave. Volney, this man is to

haveabagofahundredgoldsovereigns, our agreed-uponprice.Then he is to have tentimesthatasbonus.Andthenanotherthousandforthanks.’Roald grinned. ‘You are

generous,Highness.’‘And if you’ll accept,

you’re welcome to be myguest here as long as youwish.Youmight even find itin your heart to considerjoining my guard. I’ve a

captaincyabouttoopen.’Roaldsaluted.‘Thanks,but

no, Your Highness. I’vethoughtof late itwas time tosettle down, especially afterthis last business, but I havenoambitionstoenlist.’‘Then feel free to guest

withusaslongasyoudesire.I’ll instruct the RoyalStewardtoprepareasuiteforyouruse.’With a grin, Roald said,

‘Mythanks,Highness.’Gardan said, ‘Does that

remarkaboutanewcaptaincymean I’m finally done withthis duty and can return toCrydeewithHisGrace?’Arutha shook his head.

‘Sorry, Gardan. SergeantValdiswillbecomecaptainofmy guard, but no retirementfor you yet. From thosereports of Pug’s you broughtfrom Stardock, I’m going to

need you around. Lyam isabout to name you Knight-MarshalofKrondor.’Kasumi clapped Gardan

upon the back.‘Congratulations,Marshal.’Gardansaid,‘But…’Jimmyclearedhisthroatin

expectation. Arutha turnedandsaid,‘Yes,Squire?’‘Well,Ithought…’‘You had something to

ask?’

Jimmy looked fromArutha’s face to Martin’s.‘Well, I just thought as longas you were passing outrewards…’‘Oh yes, of course.’

Turning, Arutha spotted oneof the squires and shouted,‘Locklear!’The young squire came

running to bow before hisPrince.‘Highness?’‘EscortSquireJimmyback

toMasterdeLacyand informthe Master of Ceremoniesthat Jimmy is now SeniorSquire.’Jimmy grinned as he and

Locklear walked away. Heseemed about to saysomething, then thoughtbetter of it and followedLocklear.Martin put his hand on

Arutha’s shoulder. ‘Keep aneyeonthatboy.Heseriously

meanstobeDukeofKrondorsomeday.’Arutha said, ‘Damn me if

hejustmightnotdoit.’

•Epilogue•Retreat

Themoredhelsilentlyraged.To the three chieftains

before him he betrayed nohint of his anger. Theywereleadersofthemostimportantlowland confederations. Asthey approached, he knew

whattheywouldsaybeforeitwas spoken. He listenedpatiently, the light from thelarge bonfire before histhronecastingaflickeracrosshis chest, giving the illusionofmovementtothebirthmarkdragonthere.‘Master,’ said the

centremost chieftain, ‘mywarriors grow restless. Theychafe and they complain.When shall we invade the

southlands?’The Pantathian hissed, but

arestraininggesturefromtheleader quieted him.Murmandamussatbackinhisthrone and silently broodedon his setback. His finestgenerallaydead,irretrievableeven to those powers at hiscommand. The balking clansof the northwere demandingaction, while the mountainclans were drifting away by

the day, confounded byMurad’s death. Those whohad come from the southernforests whispered amongthemselves of travelling thelesser passes back into thelands of men and dwarves,seeking to return to theirhomelands in the foothillsnear the Green Heart andamongthehighlandmeadowsoftheGreyTowers.Onlythehill clans and the Black

Slayers remained steadfast,and they were too small aforce, despite their ferocity.No, the first battle had beenlost. The chieftains beforehimdemandedsomepromise,some sign or portent, toreassure their nervousalliances, before old feudserupted.Murmandamusknewhecouldholdthearmiesherefor only a few more weekswithout marching. This far

north, there were only twoshort months of warmweather left before the fall,then quickly the harshnorthernwinterwould strike.If war was not forthcoming,to bring booty and plunder,thewarriorswouldsoonneedto return to their homes.FinallyMurmandamusspoke.‘O my children, the

auguries are not in fruition.’Pointing above, to stars seen

faintlyagainsttheglareofthecamp’s fires, he continued.‘The Cross of Fire heraldsonly the beginning. But wehave not reached the time.Cathos says the fourthBloodstone is not yetproperly aligned. The loweststarwillbeinproperpositionat the summer solstice, nextyear. We cannot hurry thestars.’ Inwardly he raged atthe dead Murad for having

failed him in so critical amission. ‘We trustedour fatetoonewhoactedtooswiftly,whomayhavebeenuncertaininhisresolve.’Thechieftainsexchangedglances.AllknewMuradasoneabovereproachin visiting destruction on thehated humans. As if readingtheir minds, Murmandamussaid, ‘For all his might,Murad underestimated theLordoftheWest.Thatiswhy

this human is to be feared,why he must be destroyed.Withhisdeath,thewaysouthbecomes open, for then shallwe visit destruction upon allwhoopposeourwill.’Standing,he said, ‘But the

timeisnotyet.Weshallwait.Sendhomeyourwarriors.Letthem prepare against winter.But carry forth the word: letallthetribesandclansgatherhere next summer, let the

confederations march withthe sunwhen it again beginsits journey south. For nextMidsummer’s Day, the Lordof the West shall die.’ Hisvoice rose in volume. ‘Wewere tested against thepowersofourforefathersandfound wanting. We werejudgedguiltyoffailinginourresolve.Weshallnotagainsofail.’ He struck fist to palm,his voice rising to a near-

shriek. ‘In a year’s time weshallbringforththenewsthatthehatedLordoftheWestisdestroyed. Then shall wemarch. And we shall notmarch alone. We shall callour servants, the goblins, themountain trolls, the land-stridinggiants.Allshallcometo serve us. We shall marchinto human lands and burntheir cities. I shall erect mythrone upon a mountain of

their bodies. Then, O mychildren, shall we spillblood.’Murmandamus gave

permission for the chieftainsto withdraw. This year’scampaign was at an end.Murmandamus signalled tohisguardstoattendhimasheswept past the crooked formof the serpent priest. Silentlyhe brooded upon Murad’sdeath and the loss that death

hadcaused.TheCrossofFirewould look much as it didnow for the next year and abitmore, so the lieabout theconfiguration would hold.But timewasnowanenemy.A winter would be spent inpreparation, andremembrance.No, thisdefeatwould rankle as the freezingnights of winter slowlypassed, but those nightswouldseethebirthofanother

plan, which would bring thedeathoftheLordoftheWest,he who was the Bane ofDarkness. And with thatdeath, the onslaught againstthe nations of men wouldbegin, and the killing wouldnothaltuntilall layprostrateatthefeetofthemoredhel,aswas proper. And themoredhel would serve onemaster, Murmandamus. Heturned and faced those most

loyaltohim.Intheflickeringlightoftheirtorches,madnessdancedinhiseyes.Hisvoicewas the only sound in theancienthalls,aharshwhisperthat grated upon the ear.‘How many human slaveshave our raiders captured topulloursiegeengines?’One of the captains said,

‘Severalhundred,Master.’‘Killthemall.Atonce.’Thecaptainrantocarryout

theorder,andMurmandamusfelt a lessening of the ragewithin as the prisoners’deaths atoned for Murad’sfailure. In near-hissing tones,Murmandamus said, ‘Wehave erred, O my children.Too soon did we gather toregainthatwhichisrightfullyourheritage. In ayear,whenthe snows again havemeltedfromthepeaks,weagainwillgather,andthenshallallwho

oppose us know terror.’ Hepacedabout thehall,afigureof stunning power, a feybrilliance surrounding him inan almost perceptible halo.His magnetism was nearlypalpable. After a silent time,he spun towards thePantathian. ‘We leave.Preparethegate.’The serpent nodded,while

the Black Slayers took theirpositions along the wall.

When eachwas situated in aniche,afieldofgreenenergysurrounded them. Eachbecame rigid, a statue in hisprivate nook, awaiting thesummons that would comenextsummer.The Pantathian finished a

long incantation and ashimmering silver fieldappeared in the air. Withoutanotherword,Murmandamusand the Pantathian stepped

throughthegate,leavingSar-Sargoth for some placeknown only to himself andCathos. The gatewinked outofexistence.Silencedominatedthehall.

Then,outside, thescreamsofthe dying prisoners began tofillthenight.

End

The final confrontation

between Arutha andMurmandamus, as well asPug and Tomas’s search forMacros the Black, ischronicled in A Darkness atSethanon, published byVoyager.

Acknowledgements

I am once moreindebted to manypeople for thisbook’s existence.Mydeepthanksto:The Friday

Nighters:April andStephen Abrams,

SteveBarrett,Anitaand Jon Everson,Dave Guinasso,Conan LaMotte,TimLaSelle, EthanMunson, BobPotter, Rich Spahl,Alan Springer, andLori and JeffVelten, for toomany reasons tolist.Susan Avery,

David Brin, KathieBuford and JannyWurts, for givingme their thoughtson a work inprogress.My friends at

Granada, especiallyNickAustin.Al Sarantonio,

for playing thejukeboxinChicago.Again, Harold

Matson,myagent.Abner Stein, my

Britishagent.And, as always,

Barbara A. Feist,mymother.

RAYMONDE.FEISTSanDiego,CaliforniaDecember1983

AbouttheAuthor

RAYMOND E. FEIST wasborn and raised in southernCalifornia. He was educatedat the University ofCalifornia, SanDiego,wherehegraduatedwithhonours inCommunication Arts. He istheauthorofninebestselling

and critically acclaimedseries:TheRiftwarSaga,TheEmpire Trilogy (with JannyWurts),Krondor’s Sons, TheSerpentwar Saga, TheRiftwar Legacy, Legends ofthe Riftwar,Conclave of theShadows, Darkwar Saga,Demonwar Saga andChaoswarSaga.

Copyright

Thisnovelisentirelyaworkoffiction.Thenames,charactersandincidents

portrayedinitaretheworkoftheauthor’simagination.

Anyresemblancetoactualpersons,eventsorlocalitieslivingor

dead,isentirelycoincidental.

HarperVoyagerAnimprintofHarperCollinsPublishers

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PreviouslypublishedinpaperbackbyGraftonBooks1986

AndbyHarperCollinsScienceFictionandFantasy1995ReprintedtentimesAndbyVoyager1997

Reprintedthirty-twotimes

FirstpublishedinGreatBritainbyGraftonbyGraftonBooks1986

Copyright©RaymondE.Feist1986

RaymondE.Feistassertsthemoralrighttobeidentifiedastheauthorof

thiswork

AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary

AllrightsreservedunderInternationalandPan-AmericanCopyright

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