What would I tell them if I knew the savages were about to invade again, with or without a dragon? What could they do? Wouldn't they be better left in ignorance?

As they crossed the walkways towards the tent, Redigal Litai and Ritsem Zorat appeared, running across a beach of white coral sand and stripping off their tunics. They dived into the sea barely a breath apart. As their dark arms cut the water to white foam, the Redigal wives abandoned their cushions within the shade of the breakfast tent and came to shout their encouragement.

'Who won?' Itrac shaded her eyes with one hand as she tried to follow the swimmers disappearing under a bridge.

'Litai.' As the boys clambered up onto the planks, Kheda saw the taller boy bow low to the younger.

'That's a pleasant portent for him,' Itrac said cautiously as they walked on. 'Could you and the other lords truly make nothing of the new-year stars?'

'A lack of omens isn't necessarily bad news. It may just mean one has to look further afield for guidance.' Kheda did his best to make this sound like an idea that had just occurred to him.

'You see nothing to guide you close at hand?' Itrac sounded more surprised than alarmed.

'Until I do, I must let my duty guide me—' Kheda broke off as he saw Sirket leaving the Daish contingent's luxurious accommodations.

And my duty has always been to safeguard my people, my family. All of my family.

Itrac looked at Sirket with keen pity. 'The omens for Daish are clear enough and surely undeserved.'

'Has anyone deserved the sufferings visited on us all these past two years?' Kheda said unguardedly.

We delude ourselves looking for signs in the sky that promise certainty for the days ahead when the only certainty we might

have, for good or ill, can only come through me associating yet again with wizards. What am I to do, beyond getting Risala out of their clutches?

'My lord?' Itrac was looking at him, taken aback.

Kheda tried for a reassuring smile. 'Perhaps we will see something in the earthly compass today to clarify the puzzles of the heavens.'

'Let's hope so, my lord.' Itrac quickened her pace on the white path they had reached. 'We have had many wider portents of good fortune to sustain the whole domain,' she said bracingly, 'and there will be omens in the gifts our friends have brought for our daughters.'

'Indeed.' The warlord watched Redigal Litai and Ritsem Zorat dive into the water again, swimming across the narrow strait to beckon to Sirket as he walked across a bridge. Sirket turned to say something to Telouet, his hand going to the gold chain belting his violet tunic. The slave shook his head firmly and Sirket waved Litai and Zorat away with a rueful shrug.

You 're playing very different games, my son, while they 're still free to enjoy their boyhood.

'I hope Mirrel Ulla remembered to do her duty by little Olkai and Sekni before Safar dragged her away,' Kheda asked suddenly.

'Grudgingly.' Itrac frowned.

'What was Ulla's gift?' asked Kheda.

'A pair of swords and daggers for each of them to bestow upon their body slaves when that day comes,' Itrac said thoughtfully.

'The blades are watered steel, my lord,' volunteered Jevin, 'as fine as any Ulla swordsmiths have ever made.'

'I will have to see what can be read in the patterns in the metal,' Kheda said neutrally.

A double-edged gift in every sense, given the vast and contrary breadth of lore concerning blades.

'Let's hope our daughters both grow to such beautiful girlhood that they warrant body slaves to match such handsome swords,' Itrac said resolutely.

'To remind their many suitors to pay them all due courtesies.' Kheda managed a wry smile.

'I shall drive a dagger into the nursery doorpost for each of them,' Jevin assured him, 'for the protection that bestows.'

They reached the bridge leading to the isle with the blush-coloured tent. Itrac stopped and looked Kheda straight in the eye. 'Ulla Safar is gone, taking all his vile-ness with him. Our other guests wish our daughters nothing but good, so let's enjoy this breakfast and the rest of the day.'

'As you command, my lady.' Kheda looked away to search the inner islands. 'It seems we're still waiting for Redigal Coron and Ritsem Caid.'

'There's Coron.' Itrac pointed and Redigal Coron waved back blithely, faithful Prai one pace behind.

'And Ganil's got Caid out of bed.' Kheda saw Telouet draw Sirket's attention to the approaching Ritsem warlord and Sirket slowed to allow him to catch up. The two men walked on more slowly, dark heads close in conversation. Litai and Zorat followed with discreet interest.

How easy it proved to leave our debate last night so inconclusive. Coron has never yet taken the initiative in any such discussion, while Sirket was too preoccupied as well as too conscious of his recent elevation to warlord to insist on his interpretations. I only hope Caid wasn 't too irritated with me casting doubts on all his efforts to read some meaning into the sky.

He was relieved to hear that the Ritsem warlord was talking about something entirely different as he approached with Sirket.

'. .. And now we have Barbak Moro's wives making overtures. They're eager to work their alchemy on our iron and give us a handsome share in the steel they win from it,' Caid concluded triumphantly.

Sirket looked more cautious. 'Looking to the south is a new twist for Barbak.'

'Because Toc Faile has married another of his sisters into Barbak's household.' Ritsem Caid grew still more animated. 'I know Sain Daish has largely withdrawn from trade to attend to Daish's younger children but she's another of Toc Faile's sisters and ties of blood are never broken. Use her good offices to renew your links to Toc and come to an understanding with Barbak through Faile. Then we can persuade Endit Fel to turn his back on Ulla—'

'We can discuss this later.' Sirket cut Caid off apologetically. 'My lady Itrac.' He bowed low.

'Good morning.' The Ritsem warlord bowed in turn and then grinned at Kheda. 'If we can bring the Mivai domain into line, we'd have a solid bulwark all along Ulla Safar's eastern sea lanes. What do you say to that?'

Redigal Coron arrived in time to hear this suggestion. 'Have Taisia talk to Hinai Redigal.' He waved a hand towards the women laughing together in the roseate shade of the pavilion.

Kheda nodded his understanding. 'One of her sisters married out of the Seik domain into Mivai.'

Threaten Ulla Safar's eastern borders all you want, Ritsem Caid, and do it with my blessing. I want as many things as possible distracting him before he thinks to look south and sees me gone, even for a little while.

'You can discuss such things after breakfast.' Smiling, Itrac nevertheless ordered an end to the men's discussion.

As they entered the open-sided tent ideally placed to catch the morning's cooling breeze, Kheda noted Janne's

absence from the gathering of wives. 'I hope your lady mother isn't indisposed this morning, Daish Sirket.'

'No.' Sirket's face was as unemotional as his father's. 'Here she comes.'

Everyone turned to watch Janne and her slave crossing the lagoon. Birut was carrying something large and square wrapped in white cloth. Janne swept ahead of him, elegant in a plain grey silk dress. As she moved, the side-slit skirt revealed her elegant legs and Kheda noted how the gathered bodice subtly enhanced her voluptuous bosom.

After playing the dowdy dowager, you 've decided to remind everyone just how stunning you could look at the height of your influence. Why is that?

'What do you suppose she's got there?' Ritsem Zorat speculated incautiously as he and Redigal Litai helped themselves to skewers of spiced turtle meat.

'Daish's gifts to Chazen's new daughters.' Taisia Ritsem surprised her son with a minatory glare. Her misty mantle embroidered with butterflies fluttered over a sleeveless tunic and wide trousers of pale-yellow silk. The Redigal wives wore flowing gowns in differing shades of blue brocaded with emerald vines, their jewels discreet gold-mounted sapphires.