He jerked the valve closed. ‘We won’t make it! More fuel, S’lound!’

S’lound scampered up the ladder and crammed the brazier full of pitch, but Nish knew it was too late. It took ages for the stove to lift the balloon when it was already going down.

‘We’re going to hit the trees!’

A panting S’lound heaved something over the side.

‘What was that?’ said Nish.

‘One of the soldiers’ packs.’

Between them they sent the other packs after it, except for S’lound’s. There was no pack for the scrutator. Had he been planning to come at all? Maybe it was another of his tests. If so, had Nish passed or failed?

The balloon slowly began to creep up. The treetops rushed towards them. ‘Hang on,’ yelled Nish.

The basket struck the top of a tree, drifted into another and snagged on a branch. The balloon tilted right over. Nish and S’lound threw their weight from side to side. The treetop bent, a strip of weave tore from the side of the basket and they were free.

‘Close!’ said S’lound.

‘Ain’t it,’ Nish replied, gently mocking the soldier. ‘We’ll have to keep going now.’

They saw no other landing place before it grew dark. It was eerie, drifting along in black silence, having no idea whether they were mountain-high or just spans from the ground, or even which way the wind was taking them. The brazier cast odd-shaped patterns of light on their faces.

Ullii came creeping out of her basket, exclaiming at the strangeness of it all. S’lound grilled antelope steaks on the top of the brazier. They were delicious, though with a tarry flavour.

It became extremely cold. They climbed up and down to feed the fire, lingering there to warm themselves. In the early hours S’lound sprang into the basket, dusting his hands. ‘All the fuel’s gone. Anything else we can burn?’

‘We’ve a couple of flasks of tar spirits but I daren’t use it. The mechanician was designing pipework to feed it slowly into the brazier but it wasn’t ready in time.’

‘Might as well chuck it over, then.’

‘It could be handy, if we can’t find any dry wood.’

They drifted along for another hour, falling but having no idea how fast. ‘Tarralladell is covered in forest,’ Nish observed gloomily. ‘We’ll be wrecked in the trees.’

‘And lakes,’ S’lound replied. ‘More likely we’ll end up in a lake.’

‘With luck a frozen one.’ Nish stared into the darkness. ‘I hope …’

‘What?’ said Ullii.

‘I hope we haven’t drifted as far as the sea. If we have, we’re dead!’

No sooner had he spoken than they went smack into something. Water gushed in through the sides and bottom of the basket.

FIFTY-SIX

Despite Minis’s warning, Tiaan had no choice but to use the amplimet and call him again. Haani looked on, fascinated. Previously Tiaan had waited until the child was asleep.

He was even slower to answer this time, and fainter, despite the undoubted power of the amplimet here. When Minis finally appeared, he looked drawn. His cheeks were dark with stubble, his face soot-stained.

Tiaan, he said after a long interval when he seemed to be looking for her but not seeing her. His voice was hoarse; it sounded as if it hurt to speak. What’s wrong? he said in that strange, letter-by-letter way of speaking. Can you not find the way?

‘I’ve been inside Tirthrax for a day and a half.’ She visualised the vast oval hall for him. ‘I’ve struck the gong a hundred times. All the alarms have gone off but no one came. Tirthrax is empty. What do I do now, my love?’

He threw his hands up around his face. His eyes were staring. I don’t know. He disappeared.

‘Who was that man?’ asked Haani.

‘What?’ It took a while for her to realise that the child had spoken.

‘I said, who was that man?’

Tiaan hugged her tightly. ‘Did you see him too?’

‘He was inside my head. He looked sad.’

The amplimet must be incredibly powerful here, if it could induce images in an ordinary mind. ‘That is my lover, Minis.’

‘Lover?’ Haani sounded puzzled.

‘He is the man I am going to bond with. We have come all this way to find him and help him, for he is in bad trouble. Is he not the most handsome man you ever saw?’

Politely, Haani did not answer that.

Minis was back, a little stronger now. Tiaan, this is what you must do. Somewhere in Tirthrax there will be a room guarded by a triplet of sentinels, the little black devices like witches’ hats that sound the alarm. It may even be on the level you are on. We don’t know. None of us has seen it. All we have here are ancient records; very ancient! The room will have this kind of symbol on the door.

He drew a swirling pattern in the air, with neither beginning nor end, inside nor outside. Fire followed his finger, reminding Tiaan of shapes she had seen on the hyperplane.

Touch the symbol with your crystal and you should see a mind-map of the lock. Work it and the door will open. Inside will be devices of metal, wire, crystal and glass. Minis described a variety of objects the like of which she had never seen before.

You must take them apart and put them together into a larger device, like this. Minis put a plan into her mind, like a three-dimensional blueprint, rotating it so she could see exactly how it was structured.

When that is done you must test it, thus! What’s that? He looked away.

It can’t be done! came a harsh male voice. She’ll ruin the amplimet.

No matter to us if we’re extinct, Vithis, a woman replied. The voice was familiar though Tiaan had forgotten the name.

They moved out where Tiaan could see them. Vithis was tall, long in the face but haggard-looking, with deep creases etched into his cheeks.

I say we face our fate on our own world. He bit off each word as if he wanted to spit it in their faces. No good has ever come out of Santhenar. There is still a chance in the polar catacombs. I would take my clan there, even if we go alone!

Then you will go alone, said Tirior, a handsome woman with black curly hair. The Ten Clans are behind me, Vithis. Santhenar is our sole hope.

I will not be bowed, he said.

There is no chance, Vithis, said Tirior. Tell him, Luxor! You’re the only one he’ll listen to.

Luxor could not be seen, though Tiaan remembered his dead voice.

Vithis, even in the catacombs the temperature is rising fast. The polar ice is melting; if you don’t bake there, you’ll drown. There’s no way to keep the sea out. The gate is our only chance.

I would sooner take Clan Inthis to the Well of Echoes!

It has not come to that! cried Luxor, clearly shocked.

It is the noble way out.

Tirior appeared to relent. Not that, Vithis. Inthis is, as you remind us, First Clan. I will humble myself. I beg you, come with us.

Ha! cried Vithis. I never thought I’d see it.

He stalked back and forth for several minutes, whereupon he whirled and returned to the group. His face had set hard as congealed lava. Very well. Clan Inthis will join the Ten; but only if I am leader.

You, Vithis? cried Tirior. But you have always been against this venture. Folly, you’ve called it from the first.

Aye, I did, and still do. But if we are to take this path, I must lead the Clans.

Why? she said imperiously.

Because I do not believe. I always question. And because only I of all the clan leaders have truly thrown off the slave’s mindset.

We were slaves for thousands of years, Vithis. It has changed us forever. We cannot go back to what we once were.