'What do you mean, Gilhaelith?'

He strode away without answering, already so caught up in the problem that Tiaan was an irrelevance.

She ran and took him by the arm, so outraged by his arrogance that she wanted to unsettle him, shock him. 'The lyrinx were using you!' she cried. 'I can't believe you didn't realise that. You were just the bait to lure me and the thapter to Alcifer.'

His mouth opened and closed, and Tiaan could see the calculations running. He'd been manipulated from the beginning, all unknowing. Panic flared in his eyes but he controlled it and turned away.

Yggur took his place, and to Tiaan he seemed equally forbidding. 'May I ask what that dispute was about?' he said pleasantly.

'It seems that Gilhaelith chose to live in Alcifer, under the protection of the lyrinx, and I've ruined his life's work.'

Yggur frowned. 'Is that so? I'd hate to think I've allowed a cuckoo into my nest. What is his life's work?'

'To master geomancy and understand all the forces that move and shape the world.'

'To what end?'

'He maintains it's for the noblest purpose of all — simply to understand the material world — but Gilhaelith has a compulsion to control everything around him.'

A dangerous man. You'd better tell me everything you know about Gilhaelith, Tiaan.'

The air-floater flew directly to Hripton, setting down outside the healer's house. Nish, Irisis and Flangers carried Flydd in. He was still breathing, though his chest barely moved and his lips were blue.

'What's the matter with him?' asked the healer, a woman of advanced years with a dowager's hump and white hair so thin that Irisis could see her scalp through it.

She explained as best she could without giving away any secrets. The healer lifted Flydd's shirt and drew in a sharp breath at the sight of his emaciated chest, practically bare of flesh, and the ancient scars crisscrossing his body. She laid hands on him, up and down. They turned him over and she did the same for his back.

'Something is damaged inside,' she said to Irisis. 'In his belly.'

'Is he going to die?' said Nish, who'd been silent for hours. He looked shattered.

'He may,' said the healer. 'Tonight will tell. He's dangerously ill.'

'Are there medicines? Potions? Herbs?' said Irisis. 'I have coin enough—'

'It's not a matter of coin,' replied the healer. 'He'll have the best treatment I can give, and besides, it will be to Fiz Gorgo's account. After that it will be up to him. Go now.'

But I want to sit by him,' said Irisis.

I can't work with people looking on. His life is wasting while I'm talking to you. Come back in the morning.'

They went out to the air-floater. 'You can fly,' Irisis said to Nish and Flangers. 'I'm going to walk. I need to think.'

Nish began to say something, searched her face then plodded across to the machine. He was taking it hard and Irisis could not comfort him. She just had to be alone. She headed down the road into the darkness.

Flangers spoke to Nish and Inouye, then the air-floater lifted off without him.

Alone,' said Irisis. 'That means by myself.'

You can't walk back by yourself at night. It's not safe.'

Flangers eased his sword in its scabbard.

"In the mood I'm in, I could take on a lyrinx with either hand. All right, Flangers, but don't talk to me.'

They paced side by side along the rutted track that wound along the side of the bay towards Fiz Gorgo. It was so dark that they could not see each other. The many potholes were full of muddy water. She tramped through them, oblivious. Irisis could think of nothing but Flydd in that dingy little room, probably dying — and for what?

They passed by a pungent field of turnips, and another that reeked of freshly spread manure, before the track turned along the tidal flats. The tide was low and the strand stank of rotting seaweed and decaying fish.

'Flangers?' she said after they'd gone a good league.

'Yes, Irisis?'

'What if he dies? What are we going to do?'

'I'll be asking you to release me from my promise.'

'Does your honour mean so much to you?'

'I betrayed my oath, Irisis.'

She moved closer, taking his arm. 'He's a good man, Flangers. Without him, we're lost.'

'Do you love him?'

'As a friend and a guide.'

'I can't think of anyone better to have beside me in a dark hour' said Flangers.

'Have you spoken to him?'

'What about?'

'Shooting down the air-floater.'

'How could I bother him about such a trivial thing?'

'It's your life, Flangers! He'd be angry if he knew you'd kept silent.'

'He'll never hear it from me. The scrutator will have enough problems of his own, if he recovers.'

'He'll hear from me the instant he's well enough.'

'No!' he cried.

Then I'll tell him. If you don't, I will.'

He did not reply. They trudged another league or two and, long after midnight, saw the gate lanterns of Fiz Gorgo in the distance. 'Flangers?'

All right; he said softly. 'I'll speak to him, once he's well enough.'

'You think he's going to die, don't you.' 'We're all going to die.'

Irisis rose before dawn, roused Inouye out of bed and they rotored back to Hripton. Irisis leapt out of the air-floater before it touched the ground and ran inside. Flydd's bed was empty. Her heart froze over. She stood there, staring down at his small indentation in the mattress.

'It's not what you think.' The healer had come in silently and the pouches under her eyes were like black bruises. She'd been up all night. 'I've moved him out the back. It's warmer there.'

'How is he?'

'A little better, though there's still some bleeding inside. He's not out of danger yet.'

'Can I see him?'

'Just for a minute.'

She led Irisis out to the back room. Flydd lay on the stretcher, staring blankly at the ceiling. He was so still that she thought he must have died after all, but then his eyes moved.

'You're an idiot; she said fondly, taking his hand. 'Why did you go, when you'd done yourself such harm? You could have stayed behind.'

'I didn't realise I'd hurt myself.' His voice was like a breeze blowing through gossamer. 'When Yggur took over the little flier I felt a sharp pain in my belly, but it went away.'

'Why did you have to resist him? You're an overly proud man, Xervish.'

'I admit to a certain . . , rivalry,' he said hoarsely, 'but do you really think me so shallow? He asked me to fight him to he limit of my strength. It had to be a true test, otherwise he would not have known that he could take over the thapter when the time came.'

'That doesn't make up for his neglect of you,' she snapped. 'I meant what I said up there, Irisis- I would have done the same, even had it been you. What else could any good leader do? Would you not sacrifice one or two people, if by doing so you would be saving the whole of humanity?'

'I could not sacrifice my friends,' she said stubbornly. 'Not even for the sake of humanity.'

'That's the trouble with being a leader. You're always sacrificing someone. Or something.' He closed his eyes.

'Come away now,' said the healer. 'You can see him again tomorrow. He's got the constitution of a lyrinx. Two hours ago I'd have sworn he was dead, but he's looking better already.'

On her return, Irisis shook Nish awake. 'The healer thinks he's going to be all right.'

Nish sat up, rubbing red crusted eyes. He clutched her hands in silent thanks.

'You look as though you've had a hard night, Nish.' Despite only having a few hours' sleep she was as immaculate, and as beautiful, as ever.

'I've been having trouble sleeping lately. Flydd has been so good to me, Irisis. A hundred times he could have sent me to the front-lines for my follies, but he never did. He believed in me. Without him I'd be nothing. I couldn't face the thought of him dying.'