'dressed?' the prince asked, looking around.

the first eunuch's eyes had widened. 'how far along, merchant buruk?'

'the coins, first eunuch. and the wax.'

'errant defend,' nifadas whispered. 'and this sword - he will not yield it?'

seren shook her head. 'we don't know, first eunuch.'

'describe the weapon, if you would, acquitor.'

'two-handed grip, but a thin blade. some kind of alloy, yet reluctant to fuse. there is iron, and some sort of black metal that appears in elongated shards.'

'origin? can you discern anything from the style?'

'not much, first eunuch. the bell-hilt bears some resemblance to the drawn twist technique used by the meckros-'

'the meckros?' quillas asked. 'those traders from the floating cities?'

'yes, although the pattern on that bell-hilt has been shaped to resemble links of chain.'

buruk faced her with a wry expression, 'you've sharp eyes, acquitor. all i saw was a sword.'

'i suggest,' nifadas said, 'we retire to the merchant's camp.'

quillas hissed, 'you will swallow this insult, first eunuch?'

'there is no insult,' nifadas replied easily, striding past the prince to hook arms with a surprised seren pedac. 'escort me, please, acquitor.'

'of course, first eunuch.'

the others had no choice but to trail after them.

nifadas walked quickly. after a dozen or so paces, he asked in a quiet, conversational tone, 'was hull beddict witness to all this?'

'no. at least i don't think so. he's been gone for some time.'

'but he will return.'

'yes.'

'i have left the majority of my guard aboard the risen pale , including finadd gerun eberict.'

'gerun - oh.'

'indeed. would it be, do you think, propitious that i send for him?'

'i - i am not sure, first eunuch. it depends, i imagine, on what you would have him do.'

'perhaps a word or two with hull, upon his return?'

'is the finadd a persuasive man?'

'not by way of personality, no...'

she nodded, struggled to repress a shiver - unsuccessfully, it turned out.

'chilled, acquitor?'

'the rain.'

'of course. i trust buruk's servants are feeding a fire of some sort?'

'rather too eagerly.'

'well, i doubt if anyone will complain. you and buruk have waited here some time, i take it.'

'yes. some time. there was an audience with the warlock king, but in keeping with my role i departed before anything of substance was discussed. and as to what was said, neither hull nor buruk has revealed anything.'

'hull was there for that, was he?' he swung a faint smile on her. 'nothing of substance was revealed to you, acquitor? i admit to having trouble quite believing that assertion.'

seren pedac hesitated.

'acquitor,' nifadas said in a low voice, 'the privilege of neutrality no longer exists in this matter. make your choice.'

'it is not that, first eunuch,' she said, knowing her claim was untrue. 'i have a fear that whatever position the warlock king may have chosen back then is no longer relevant.' she glanced over at him. 'i do not think rhulad will relinquish that sword.'

'rhulad. what can you tell me of this rhulad?'

'youngest son of a noble family, the sengar.'

'the sengar? eldest son is fear, yes? commander of the edur warriors. prestigious blood, then.'

'yes. another brother is binadas, who is blood-sworn with hull beddict.'

'interesting. i begin to grasp the complexity awaiting us, acquitor.'

and so, it seems, do i. for i appear to have made my choice.

as if nifadas gave me any other option, as i walk here arm in arm with the first eunuch...

'wake up, udinaas.'

lids slid back from stinging, burning eyes. udinaas stared up at the angled wall above him. 'no. i need to sleep-'

'not so loud. what you need, fool, is to walk to the citadel.'

'why? they'll cut my throat for intruding-'

'no, they won't. rhulad won't let them, for you are his slave now, and no-one else's. they must be informed. the letherii delegation awaits.'