'Many sages say a dragon's outline in the clouds presages disaster driven by discontent and false reasoning,' Ulla Safar interjected darkly.

'Poets weave dragons into their epics as a symbol of untrammelled power choosing a capricious path that leads to destruction.' Coron was still following Prai's every move. 'Whatever prompted those beasts to come to Chazen last year led directly to their deaths. Since then, Chazen has prospered. I felt it right to address various discontents within Redigal, both in the wider domain and in my own household. 'He smiled as Prai wheeled stylishly around the Ulla slave's rapid sword strokes and left the man baffled, unable to keep up. 'Now we all seek a fresh direction under the new year's stars in hopes that we might prosper.'

'Who knows what the new year will bring.' There was no mistaking the menace in Ulla Safar's words.

Sirket spoke up unexpectedly. 'I hope it will bring a visit from Ulla Orhan to Daish.'

'What?' Safar's head whipped round to stare at the young warlord. He swiftly recollected himself. 'I think not. My son is unwell with a most debilitating fever.'

'I am sorry to hear that.' Redigal Coron dragged his eyes away from Prai to show every appearance of concern. 'What are his symptoms?'

'We will all be happy to share our healing lore, my lord,' Ritsem Caid chimed in with spurious sympathy.

'There are no symptoms of particular significance,' Ulla Safar said curtly. 'Which is what makes it so difficult to treat,' he added with spiteful satisfaction.

'Is there much fever on Hakere?' Sirket asked. 'Perhaps some village healer there has had success treating the sickness.'

'What has that to do with anything?' Ulla Safar's eyes fixed on the young warlord.

'That's where his last letter came from.' Sirket looked uncertain. 'If there's no other disease in Derasulla, he must have caught the contagion there.'

'He sent you a letter?' Ulla Safar took a step towards Sirket, his face ugly.

Kheda moved to block his path. 'I trust there is no widespread fever in Derasulla, my lord Safar,' he said sternly. 'If that were the case, you and your wives visiting this domain when our daughters are still so young and vulnerable would be a most unfriendly act.'

Give me that justification for throwing your fat carcass back onto your galley, with orders to quit my waters by sunset, taking your vile wives with you.

'What?' Safar was momentarily distracted. 'No, it's only Orhan who's ill.' He looked back at Sirket, pale eyes

narrowing. 'And he's been kept apart from everyone else for a full cycle of the Lesser Moon.'

'But his letter arrived just before we set sail.' The young warlord looked quite bemused.

'Was it dated?' Ulla Safar asked quickly.

'I don't think so.' Sirket sounded unconvincing.

'Ridu has concluded this practice session,' Ritsem Caid said loudly, gesturing towards the youths appearing at the far end of the practice ground carrying brightly polished brass water jars.

'If you'll excuse me, my lords, I should return to my lady mother.' Sirket raised a hand to Telouet, who made a brief bow to Ridu and disappeared between two huts.

Kheda noted a swift look of complicity pass between Redigal Coron and Sirket.

What is this all about? I can't ask you directly because me never discuss such things openly, do we? And one never questions another warlord's management of his own affairs.

'1 low do you rate them, my lord of Chazen?' Ritsem Caid nodded towards the sweating swordsmen now quenching their thirsts.

'You'll excuse me as well.' Ulla Safar watched Sirket's rapid departure with a glower. 'I should join my beloved wives for breakfast.' He snapped his fingers at his thickset slave and hurried after the youthful Daish warlord.

'You don't think his presence in that black mood will give them all indigestion?' quipped Ritsem Caid. 'Kheda, do you see a slave to your liking?'

Kheda fell back on the excuse he'd been using to fend off Beqau, 'Given what has befallen my previous personal slaves, I don't want to make this choice lightly.'

'You don't think you'll be seeing a dragon here again, surely?' wolfed Caid.' When every scale of the beasts who died here is a talisman to ward them off.'

You can believe that if you like, Caid. I don't and I don't suppose Velindre does either, curse her. If she did, she wouldn't be here plaguing me.

'You should look for a portent to help guide your choice,' Redigal Coron said seriously.

'The simplest augury would be just spinning a blade between them and seeing where it falls,' Ritsem Caid suggested.

Coron looked askance at him. 'You don't think a blade-bone divination would be more fitting? This is a weighty decision.'

You don't seriously think any truth can be read in the patterns of cracks appearing on some animal's shoulder blade laid across a fire? I might as well be landed with a slave on the haphazard fall of a sword.

Kheda tried to hide his growing irritation. 'It is indeed, so I will take my time to consider it.'

Redigal Coron frowned. 'It would be best if we hunted a deer specifically for such a divination. Then you could read its entrails as well.'

'There are no deer on any island closer than a day's hard rowing for a fast trireme and I don't see how we can take ourselves off on a hunt without annoying all our lady wives,' Kheda said apologetically. 'Not to mention disrupting my lady Itrac's plans for the new-year festivities.'

'Let's go to the observatory,' Caid suggested with a shrug. 'If there's a relevant omen, it should be plain to see.'

Velindre will be plain to see if we go over to the observatory now. You 've spent your life surrounded byzamorin, Coron. I don't imagine her disguise will fool you.

Kheda cleared his throat. 'The new-year stars aren't yet fully aligned. That must surely be the best time to consider my choice of a new body slave and look for omens to guide me. Let's breakfast, my lords, and see

what entertainments my lady Itrac has planned for our day. Our work tonight will come soon enough.'

When every interpretation will be as open to debate as the maze of cracks appearing on a blade bone set over afire and I'll have had some time to consider what lies I can get away with to justify my refusal to burden myself with a slave.

'It'll be the omens around the earthly compass that will be crucial for all our domains.' Redigal Coron abandoned the subject of the slaves. 'There are no patterns being drawn in the heavens, in triune, square or any other figure.'

'I'm inclined towards hope nevertheless.' Ritsem Caid's expression lightened. 'The Topaz is moving into the arc of life and self to join the stars of the Bowl. With both moons all but full, we can look to the positive aspects of faithfulness that Bowl and Topaz both share.'

'The Diamond is in the arc of children.' Redigal Coron smiled at Kheda. 'With the twin moons meeting at their full three times this year, such aspects are propitious for you and your daughters.'

Will you still be so optimistic if some new invasion washes up on Chazen 's shores or another dragon blights our skies?

'Go and breakfast with your lady wives, my lords.' Kheda smiled. 'I'll see if my guard captain has anything to say that has a bearing on my choice of a slave.' As he looked towards Ridu, deep in conversation with Prai, the Redigal slave noticed his movement and promptly headed towards them.

'I hope Taisia's stomach is a little more settled or I'll be breakfasting on dry sailer and cold water. I'll see you when my lady Itrac summons us all.' Ritsem Caid nodded to Ganil and departed without further ceremony.

'You fought well, Prai.' Redigal Coron greeted his approaching slave with a faint smile.

'Thank you, my lord.' Prai's gaze lingered on his master's face, his eyes fond.