He had forgotten. In three months he had forgotten the wildness in Keiro, his arrogance, his utter wilfulness. How he had always been scared of what Keiro would do.

A woman’s scream of fury jerked his head up. It cut the morning like a knife, and it came from the Queen’s pavilion.

Well, at least that was one message that had gone home. 

The very air was freezing.

Huddled at the feet of the winged Sapphique, Attia could not stop shivering. Knees up, arms wrapped round herself, she suffered the numbing agony of cold. Her shoulders were white, her arms, her back. Snow made the miserable heap that was Rix into an albino wizard, his straggly hair glistening with half-melted slush. ‘We’ll die,’ he croaked.

‘No.’ The Warden had not stopped pacing. His footsteps made a complete circle about the base of the statue. ‘No. This is a bluff. The Prison is computing a solution. I know how its mind works. It’s trying out every plot and plan can devise, and in the meantime it hopes to force us to give it the Glove.’

‘But you can’t!’ Rix groaned.

‘Do you think I can’t speak to the Outside?’ Claudia was standing right behind him. She said, ‘Can you? Or are you bluffing too? Is this part of the game you’ve spent your life playing?’ Her father stopped and turned to her. Pinched with cold, his face was deathly pale against the high dark collar. ‘You still hate me then?’

‘I don’t hate you. But I can’t forgive you.’ He smiled. ‘For rescuing you from a life in hell? For giving you everything you could ever want — money, education, great estates? Betrothal to a prince?’ He always did this to her. Made her feel foolish and ungrateful. But still she said, ‘All that yes. But you never really loved me.’

‘How do you know?’ His face was close to hers.

‘I would have known. I would have felt...’

‘Ah, but I play games, remember?’ His eyes were clear and grey. ‘With the Queen. With the Prison. It has taught me to be careful what I show to the world He took a slow breath, the snow catching on his narrow beard. ‘Perhaps I loved you more than you knew. But if we come to accusations, Claudia, I might say this. You love only Jared.’

‘Don’t bring Jared into this! You wanted your daughter to be Queen. Any daughter would do. I could have been anyone.’ The Warden stepped back, as if her anger was a wave that pushed him away.

Rix chuckled. ‘A puppet,’ he said.

‘What?’

‘A puppet. Carved perfectly by a lonely man from wood.

And yet the puppet comes alive and torments him.’ John Arlex frowned. ‘Keep your stories for your act, magician.’

‘This is my act, sire.’ For a moment the voice was changed; it became the soft voice of Sapphique, so that they all stared at him through the falling snow. But Rix just grinned his gap-toothed grin.

The Prison howled. It gusted the snow against them in an angry scream. Attia glanced up and saw that the statue was crusted with icicles. Snow whitened the crevices of its hand, clogged the plumage of its coat. Sapphique’s eyes were glinting with ice; over his face a frost spread almost as she looked, stars of crystal joining up like some inhuman virus.

She was too cold to bear it. She jumped up. ‘We’ll freeze here. And god knows what’s happening elsewhere’ Claudia nodded gloomily. ‘Putting Keiro in the middle of a seige is a recipe for disaster. If only I knew where Jared is.’ I have come to my decision. The Prison’s venomous whisper was all around them.

‘Excellent The Warden glared up into the snowfall. ‘I was sure you’d come to your senses. Show me the Door. I’ll ensure the Glove is returned to you.’ Silence.

Then, with a snigger that sent shivers down Attia’s spine, Incarceron said, I am not such a fool,John. The Glove first.

‘We leave first.’ I don’t trust you.

‘Very wise,’ Rix muttered.

I was made by the Wise.

The Warden smiled coldly. ‘Nor do I trust you.’ Then you will not be surprised at what I do next. You think I cannot reach the Glove. But I have spent centuries investigating my own power and its sources. I have discovered things that astonished me. I assure you, John, I can suck the life out of your pretty Realm.

Claudia said, ‘What do you mean? You can’t …’ Ask your father. How pale he looks now. I will show all of you who is the true Prince of the Realm.

The Warden seemed shaken. ‘Tell me what you mean to do. Tell me!’ But only the snow fell, icy and relentless.

Attia said, ‘You’re scared. It’s scared you.’ They all saw his consternation. ‘I don’t understand what it means,’ he whispered.

Dismay struck Claudia like a blow. ‘But you’re the Warden…‘

‘I have lost control, Claudia. I told you, we’re all Prisoners It was Attia who said, ‘Do you hear that?’ A low thudding. It came from across the hail, and as they stared out they realized that the snow had stopped falling.

The electric snakes slid silently into the black tiles of the floor, which clicked across and became solid again.

‘Hammering,’ Rix said.

Attia shook her head. ‘More than that.’ Blows against the door, far off in the suddenly frosty air of the great hail. Blows of axes and sledgehammers and fists.

‘Prisoners,’ the Warden said. And then, ‘A riot.’ When Jared walked into the Great Chamber Finn turned in relief. ‘Any progress?’

‘The Portal is working. But the screen shows only snow.’

‘Snow!’ Jared sat, wrapping his Sapient coat around him. ’It seems to be snowing in the Prison. The temperature is five degrees below zero and dropping.’ Finn jumped up and paced in despair. ‘It’s taking its revenge.’

‘So it seems. For this.’ Jared took the Glove out and placed it carefully on the table. Finn came and touched its scaly skin.

‘Is it really Sapphique’s?’ Jared sighed. ‘I have tried every analysis I know. It just seems to be what it looks like. Reptile skin. Claws. Much of it is recycled matter.’ He looked baffled and anxious. ‘I have no idea how it works, Finn.’ They were silent. The shutters had been drawn back and sunlight slanted in. A wasp murmured in the window panes.

It was hard to believe a besieging army was encamped outside.

‘Have they made any move?’ Jared said.

‘None. It’s a stand-off. But they may attack and try to rescue Caspar.’

‘Where is he?’

‘In there.’ Finn nodded at the door to the next chamber. ‘It’s locked, and that’s the only way in.’ He leant against the empty fireplace. ‘I’m lost without Claudia, Master. She’d know what to do.’

‘You have Keiro instead. As you wanted.’ Finn smiled, wan. ‘Not instead. As for Keiro ... I’m beginning to wish—’

‘Don’t say that.’ Jared’s green eyes watched him. ‘He’s your brother.’

‘Only when it suits him.’ As if the words had summoned him like a spell, a soldier flung the door open and Keiro walked in.

He was breathless and exhilarated and looked every inch a prince. His coat was deepest midnight blue, his blond hair shone clean. Rings glinted on his fingers. He sprawled on the bench, admiring his expensive leather boots. ‘This is fantastic he said. ‘I can’t believe it’s real.’

‘It’s not,’ Jared said quietly. ‘Keiro, tell us about the situation Inside.’ Keiro laughed and poured some wine. ‘I can only guess that the Prison is furious, Master Sapient. I suggest you destroy your machines and nail up the door that leads there and forget all about it. No one can save the Prisoners now’ Jared watched him. ‘You sound just like its builders,’ he said.

‘Claudia’ Finn said.

‘Oh yes, well I’m sorry about the Princess. But it was me you wanted to rescue, wasn’t it? And I’m here. So let’s win our little war, brother, and enjoy our perfect kingdom.’ Finn stood over him. ‘Why did I ever make an oath with you?’