As the two of them departed, Prai barely the requisite pace behind his master, Ridu walked across the sand to join Kheda. His bow wasn't deep enough to hide his chagrin. 'I don't know that we learned a lot from that, my lord. I'm sorry—'

'You've nothing to apologise for,' said Kheda firmly, 'not if Redigal and Daish choose to take the opportunity to settle some score with Ulla Safar. That alone makes me disinclined to accept any of these slaves.'

Ridu was taken aback. 'My lord, you must have a new slave—'

'Bloodshed on the practice sand is hardly a good omen.' Kheda shook his head, feigning concern. 'I'm going over to the observatory. I may see matters more clearly for some solitude. Tell Itrac to send Jevin to fetch me when she wants me.'

'Yes, my lord,' said Ridu unhappily.

'This practice may have been ill-omened but that's not your fault,' Kheda said firmly. 'Put it behind you and ready the guard for the rest of the day.'

'Yes, my lord.' Ridu bowed again, still looking unconvinced.

Kheda left the practice ground and made his way over the bridges linking the scatter of islands. Overhead, coral gulls wheeled and mewed across the lagoon.

Courier doves mil soon be flying north as Vila Safar tries to find out just how Orhan could have sent Sirkel a letter. Is Orhan ill or imprisoned? What are Redigal Coron and Sirket up to? There's plainly some agreement between them. Could Janne Daish shed any light on this if I could secure her goodwill? What would her price he? How can I possibly leave on some voyage with Velindre with so many questions unanswered? And I still have to find some justification to

avoid being lumbered with a new body slave without offering insult to Redigal or Ritsem.

Frustration quickened his pace sufficiently that he was grateful for the cool within the half-circle halls when he finally reached the observatory.

'My lord Chazen Kheda.' Velindre appeared in the arch leading to the east-facing library and bowed low with all dutiful courtesy.

'We'll be reading the new-year stars from the tower this evening,' Kheda said bluntly. 'You'd better make yourself scarce. I doubt Caid will give you a second glance but Ulla Safar is a notorious lecher and Redigal Coron might well see through your pretence given his long familiarity with zamorin.''

'Surely he only has eyes for that new slave of his.' Velindre was amused. 'I had no idea he sharpened his sword on both edges.'

'I had no idea you listened to gossiping maidservants,' said Kheda curtly. 'Regardless, we don't want to be taking any chances.'

'I'll hide myself away on the ReteuV Velindre dismissed the matter with a flick of a long-fingered hand. 'How long before we can set sail for the west? You do realise you have no real choice in this?'

'Everyone else is trying to force me to choose a new body slave.' Kheda scowled. 'At least Dev could pretend to be a swordsman and play that part.'

'I apologise for my lack of forethought in being a Woman,' Velindre said sardonically. She paused for a moment, 'You know all manner of herb lore. Dose these slaves with an emetic to lay them low or something to raise a rash., That would be an ill omen and you'd be freeto refuse them.'

'Which would lender those slaves valueless at best and suspect at worst,' Kheda retorted. 'What have they done

to deserve that? Besides, Janne would smell something fishy and so would Itrac. They were both there when Ulla Safar poisoned Telouet to leave my back unprotected.'

Velindre gnawed at an already bitten thumbnail. 'Very well, then. Choose a slave and we'll get rid of him on our way.' '

Wizards. Though you 're not quite as callous as Dev. He would have suggested that from the start.

'You'll cut an innocent man's throat?' retorted Kheda. 'That's the only way to be certain he won't make his way back here or to Redigal or Ritsem and tell everyone exactly what I'm doing and who I'm with. Besides, I haven't even agreed to come with you. As matters stand—'

'There must be some barren rock where we can strand him where he won't be found.' Velindre spat out a fragment of nail.

'Without water or food?' Kheda challenged. 'Why not just cut his throat and be done with it?'

'You have the power of life and death over your slaves, don't you?' Velindre said with reluctant distaste. 'Besides, wouldn't his fate lie in his stars?'

'You don't believe that any more than I do,' Kheda snapped. 'And a warlord's power of life and death over his slaves is a responsibility he accepts because their fortunes and choices have brought them so low that they cannot be masters of their own future. Hasn't travelling the Archipelago this last year taught you that much?'

'I've learned more than you know, and I've seen more than a few domains where such niceties are barely observed.' Velindre coloured beneath her tan. 'Then find some way to put off making a choice, as well as an excuse for leaving as soon as possible. We don't want to delay and find that whatever prompted last year's dragon to fly has come again while we've been dithering. That would make all Redigal and Ritsem's manoeuvrings look pretty

trivial, along with whatever quarrel Daish is looking to foment with Ulla Safar.'

'You have been gossiping with the maidservants.' Kheda shook his head obstinately. 'I am not about to consider leaving until I'm sure Itrac and the domain will be secure without me. Which would be a lot easier to ascertain if Risala were here,' he growled.

'Risala considers the wild men and their dragons a more pressing priority than your neighbouring warlords' bickering.' Velindre shook her head. 'Besides, she's more use keeping my .. . associate company.'

'You've brought another barbarian into the Archipelago?' Kheda stared at this unexpected revelation. His blood ran cold. 'Another wizard?'

'Who might possibly betray that fact, left unchaperoned.' Velindre raised her chin defiantly.

'Who might betray you, at the threat of the flensing knife?' spat Kheda. 'Is that why you're in such a hurry to leave?'

'There's nothing to be gained by delay.' The mage-woman looked back at him, unblinking. 'And if he's taken for a wizard, what do you suppose will happen to Risala?'

Curse you, wizard, you know exactly where to stick your knife. Well, perhaps I will come with you, just far enough to get Risala out of your clutches..

'Supposing I can come up with some excuse to leave, we will have to move fast.' Kheda tried to sound as if he were genuinely capitulating as he reached for the chain of keys threaded on his belt. 'You had better stow a few things aboard the Reteul, if you can manage that without being caught for a thief.' He walked round the curve of the inner wall to a wide, deep chest and unlocked it. He threw open the lid and lifted out a small silver-bound ebony COffer. 'This is my travelling physic chest, and no one will miss these swords. They're not my best blades.'

Velindre took the scabbarded weapons and looked closely at one. 'Wasn't this Dev's?'

'Yes.' Kheda wondered if he was imagining the gleam of a tear in her eye. He dismissed the notion and reached into the chest to pick up a small circular brass box. Opening the physic chest, he tucked it between the tight-packed, tightly sealed vials and little lacquer containers.

'You can spend the rest of the day in the library before hiding on the boat tonight,' he ordered her brusquely. 'You've been brushing up on your stargazing, haven't you? Look for any justification in the current state of the heavenly compass for using more methods of divination - candles, mirrors, molten metal in water, the more obscure the better. The more predictions we seek, the more contradictory answers we can concoct.'

'How will that help us?' Velindre was curious.

'The more uncertainty I can stir up—' Kheda hesitated. 'I might just be able to argue that I need to travel somewhere else in the domain to look for greater clarity.'