That wouldn’t really pay him, Father. Khwaj was outraged when he heard about Mother, so he’s going to be lurking in No-Time. If Zalasta tries to follow Ulath and Tynian, Khwaj will set him on fire – and the fire won’t ever go out.’

‘I could learn to grow fond of Khwaj.’

‘Sephrenia and Xanetia are in Delphaeus,’ Aphrael continued. ‘Edaemus is being tiresome, but the news about Klæl shook his tree, so I’ll probably be able to coax him down out of the branches. He knows that Mother’s captivity puts the arrangement you have with Cedon at risk, so he’s agreed to help us rescue her. I’ll keep working on him. If I can push him just a little further, he might agree to let the Delphae come out of their valley. They could be enormously helpful to us.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me about all of this earlier?’

‘What would you have done if I had, Sparhawk? Jumped over the side of Sorgi’s ship and swum ashore?’

‘I need to know these things when they happen, Aphrael.’

‘Why? Let me take care of the fretting and worrying, Sparhawk. All it does is make you foul-tempered.’

He let that pass. ‘I’ll tell this to Bhelliom.’

‘Absolutely not! We don’t dare open that box. Cyrgon or Klæl will feel Bhelliom instantly if we do.’

‘Didn’t you know?’ he asked her mildly. I don’t have to open the box to speak with Bhelliom. We can talk with each other right through the gold.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘What would you have done if I had? Jumped into the sea and come swimming after Sorgi’s ship?’

There was a long moment of silence. ‘You really enjoy turning my own words around and throwing them back in my teeth like that, don’t you, Sparhawk?’

‘Naturally. Was there anything else you’d like to share with me, Divine One?’

But the sense of her presence was gone, leaving only a slightly huffy silence behind.

‘Where’s – ah – Vymer?’ Sparhawk asked Talen as the boy entered the room a few minutes later.

‘He’s out attending to something,’ Talen replied evasively.

‘Attending to what?’

‘He asked me not to tell you.’

‘All right. I’m asking you to ignore him – and I’m right here where I can get my hands on you.’

‘That’s a crude way to put it.’

‘Nobody’s perfect. What’s he up to?’

Talen sighed. ‘One of Estokin’s men stopped by – just after you came up to go to bed. He said that there are three Elenes in town who are letting it be known they’ll pay good money for information about any strangers who seem to be settling in for a long stay. Vymer decided to look them up.’ Talen glanced meaningfully at the walls of their small room. ‘I’d guess that he probably wants to find out just exactly what they mean by “good money”. You know Vymer when there’s some profit to be made.’

‘He should have told me,’ Sparhawk said cautiously. ‘I’m not any more allergic to a quick profit than he is.’

‘Sharing isn’t one of Vymer’s strong points, Fron.’ Talen touched his ear and then laid a finger to his lips. ‘Why don’t we go out and see if we can find him?’

‘Good idea.’ Sparhawk quickly pulled on his clothes, and the two of them clattered down the stairs and out into the street.

‘I just had a religious experience,’ Sparhawk murmured as they walked into the noisy area near the docks.

‘Oh?’

‘One of those Divine visitations.’

‘Ah. What did your Divine visitor have to say?’

‘A broken-nosed friend of ours got another one of those notes. He’s been told to go to Sopal instead of coming here.’

Talen muttered a fairly vile oath.

‘My feelings exactly. Isn’t that Vymer coming up the street?’ Sparhawk pointed at a blond man in a tar-smeared smock who was lurching unsteadily toward them.

Talen peered at the fellow. I think you’re right.’ He made a face. ‘The ladies who changed things around may have gone a little far. He doesn’t even walk the same any more.’

‘What are you two doing out this late?’ Stragen asked as he joined them.

‘We got lonesome,’ Sparhawk replied in a flat tone of voice.

‘For me? I’m touched. Let’s go for a walk on the beach, my friends. I find myself yearning for the smell of salt water – and the nice loud sound of waves crashing on the sand.’

They went on past the last of the wharves and then out onto the sand. The clouds had blown off, and there was a bright moon. They reached the water’s edge and stood looking out at the long combers rolling in off the south Tamul Sea to hammer noisily on the wet sand.

‘What have you been up to, Stragen?’ Sparhawk demanded bluntly.

‘Business, old boy. I just enlisted us in the intelligence service of the other side.’

‘You did what?’

‘The three you sensed when we first got here needed a few good men. I volunteered our services.’

‘Are you out of your mind?’

‘Of course not. Think about it for a while, Sparhawk. What better way is there to gather information? Our celebration of the Harvest Festival thinned their ranks drastically, so they can’t afford to be choosy. I paid Estokin to vouch for us, and then I told them a few lies. They’re expecting a certain Sir Sparhawk to flood the town with sharp-eyed people. We’re supposed to report anybody we see who’s acting a little suspicious. I provided them with a prime suspect.’

‘Oh? Who was that?’

‘Captain Sorgi’s bo’sun – you know, the fellow with the whip.’

Sparhawk suddenly laughed. ‘That was a truly vicious thing to do, Stragen.’

‘I rather liked it, myself.’

‘Aphrael came by to call,’ Talen said. ‘She told Sparhawk that Berit and my brother have been ordered to change direction. Now they’re supposed to go to Sopal on the coast of the Sea of Arjun.’

Stragen swore.

‘I already said that,’ Talen told him.

‘We probably should have expected it,’ Sparhawk said. ‘Krager’s working for the other side, and he knows us well enough to anticipate some of the things we might try to do.’ He suddenly banged his fist into the palm of his hand. I wish I could talk with Sephrenia!’ he burst out.