The Outlands and Isembaard.

Isaiah sat cross-legged before Hereward. He held her chin in his hand with a tight grip and her eyes with his own fierce gaze.

Did Hereward harbour the One?

Hereward stared back, both with anger and with fright. Isaiah had retreated into his full aloofness and power as G.o.d-Tyrant -- any closeness they had once shared was completely gone and utterly forgotten.

Would he kill her?

Isaiah could see that Hereward thought he would. There was terror and resignation in her eyes, along with all that anger, and he didn't know what to make of it. He tightened his fingers slightly, sending his power deeper and deeper into her being . . . and yet still he encountered nothing but unbroachable walls and dead ends.

Was she hiding something? Or was it that Hereward had somehow managed to block him out through sheer force of will? Heavens alone knew she disliked him enough for such to be the case.

There were others in the tent: Lamiah and several of his senior captains. They stood restlessly, shifting occasionally from foot to foot, glancing among themselves before looking back at Isaiah and Hereward sitting close together. They, too, thought Isaiah would likely kill her.

They wanted it over and done with, so they could go back to the business of rallying the army against the Skraelings ma.s.sing to the south. Hereward wasn't worth the trouble . . . if Isaiah wanted her dead, so be it.

"She's Ezekiel's daughter," Isaiah said, quite suddenly, and Lamiah and the other men blinked.

Ah, no wonder he hesitated . . . or was it due to something that had grown between them on their journey from the Lhyl into the Salamaan Pa.s.s?

Isaiah simply did not know what to do. He was now certain the One had escaped whatever destruction Ishbel and Maximilian had wrought at DarkGla.s.s Mountain . . . and the Skraeling seemed to believe that the One had taken up residence within Hereward. There had been that strange re-opening of Hereward's neck wound at a particularly crucial moment, and her tarter-than-normal demeanour afterward.

Did that mean the One had taken refuge within her, or were all of these clues a subterfuge? Did the One simply want Isaiah to believe he'd taken up residence within Hereward? Wanted Isaiah to waste his time on the woman while the One lurked elsewhere?

Isaiah hissed in exasperation, and released Hereward's chin with a little shake.

She leaned back from him, trembling in a release of tension.

Isaiah rose to his feet in a fluid movement and turned to Lamiah. "Guard her with several men. She is not to be left alone at any point. She is to have no privacy afforded her, and every word she says is to be reported to me. Tell those men who guard her to do so as if their lives depended on it, for well they might."

With that he was gone.

Maximilian rose toward wakefulness, enough to feel Ishbel beside him and tighten his arm about her so that they cuddled tighter together. The reed boat rocked gently in the night breeze and Maximilian spared a thought for Serge whose turn it was to sit by the tiller and watch their way upriver.

He sighed, comfortably warm, and sank deeper into sleep.

After a few minutes he began to dream.

Maximilian found himself walking atop a cliff. To one side the cliff plummeted down into a placid sea, to the other, hills rolled away into infinity. Gra.s.s and meadow flowers cushioned the pa.s.sage of his feet.

Maximilian walked on, enjoying the breeze and the scent, but feeling a trace of anxiety which he could not define.

Time pa.s.sed.

As he walked, so his anxiety levels increased. Now he could recognise the feeling. He was here to meet someone, but they were out of reach.

Not yet here.

But coming.

Maximilian began to feel ever more fretful. He sensed no danger from this person, but he did understand that he needed to meet with him (him, it was a man) as soon as possible.

The man had a message of great import for Maximilian.

Maximilian began to toss and turn in his sleep, finally jerking fully awake.

He lay on his back for a long time, staring at the beams of the deck above him.

He did not sleep again that night.

In the morning Maximilian sat by Avaldamon as they ate breakfast. He waited until the others were chatting between themselves, then, in low tones, told Avaldamon of what he had dreamed.

Avaldamon frowned. "You dreamed of the Otherworld," he said. "Someone who has pa.s.sed over needs to speak with you."

"But they could not reach me," Maximilian said. "I felt they were struggling to do so, but could not. What does that mean?"

Avaldamon thought for a moment. "Possibly that they have not yet completed their journey into the Otherworld. It takes a while, sometimes. Nonetheless they are terribly anxious to meet with you, and it is their tension that has pulled you into the Otherworld to wait for them in your dreams."

Maximilian sat, his empty bowl held loosely in his hands, watching the land slip past. They still had not seen any live animals or people on the land, although the river was full of frogs and fish and eels, and even one or two of the great water lizards.

"Who has died and wants to contact me?" he said, softly. "Why?"

"Someone with a powerful reason," Avaldamon said. "This is not ever done lightly."

Chapter 10.

Elcho Falling.

The Lealfast Nation landed in a ma.s.sive swarm of wings and greetings and drifting frost. They revisibled themselves a few paces above the ground so that it appeared to anyone watching (and that was most of those within Elcho Falling) as if a great wave of snowy wings suddenly appeared rolling and breaking along the far sh.o.r.e of the lake surrounding the citadel. There were hundreds of thousands of them, almost a quarter of a million, and within an hour of the first one landing the Lealfast Nation took up the entire western sh.o.r.e of the lake where the abandoned camp of Armat's army stood.

"How much gear and food did you bring in with you?" Georgdi asked Insharah as they stood on a balcony watching.

"Absolutely none of it," Insharah said.

"Then the Lealfast will be well fed," Georgdi said dryly, and Insharah nodded in agreement. "What did you leave behind that can be used against us?"

Insharah thought a moment. "We brought in most of our hand weapons . . . but there are engines of siege there, Georgdi, and military supplies . . . G.o.ds alone know what they can find useful."

Georgdi sighed.

Eleanon and Bingaleal spent most of the first part of the night in greeting their fellows and helping to organise them into the abandoned encampment. They had recognised its potential and, while the Lealfast could indeed live on wing and air for extended periods, they vastly preferred more corporeal accommodations and comforts.

And comforts they had aplenty. There were tens of thousands of tents fully equipped with bedding, supply dumps of food and clothing and medicines and other sundries, stocks of fuel and water. Neither Bingaleal nor Eleanon felt there was any real threat from Elcho Falling: after the debacle of the Strike Force, and after that the horror and deaths in getting the Isembaardian army inside Elcho Falling, both felt it was highly unlikely either of those forces might a.s.say back out of Elcho Falling in the near future.

Not against the Lealfast.

Everyone within Elcho Falling was well and truly trapped.

Late in the night, a few hours before dawn, Eleanon and Bingaleal were sprawled before a large fire with several other of the most senior Lealfast. They had eaten well, and were getting slightly inebriated on some of the liquor that the Isembaardians had left behind.

The Lealfast rarely drank alcohol, and when they did it did not make them drunk in the same manner as humans or the Icarii. Rather, it gave them a sense akin to s.e.xual arousal -- a mildly erotic sensation that tingled up and down their nerves and left thick trails of frost over their bodies.

Eleanon was feeling very mellow, pleased with himself and the situation. He and Bingaleal had told their fellows -- Falayal, Sonorai and Kalanute -- what had transpired since last they met, and Sonorai had told them what news the Nation had, as well.

"Have you heard from the One?" Falayal asked Eleanon and Bingaleal.

Both birdmen narrowed their eyes, then Eleanon spoke. "No. He remains quiet . . . lest he be discovered, I suppose."

"What should we do?" Kalanute said, his words very slightly thickened with alcohol-induced arousal.

"As we always planned," Eleanon said. "Within Elcho Falling rests the Dark Spire." He held out his hands, and for a moment an image of the crazed twisted form of the Dark Spire appeared between them. "We can use it to destroy the citadel -- if we wish -- or to take it for ourselves . . . and the One, of course. The spire is growing with the power of Infinity, but under my direction."

It wasn't quite what Eleanon had planned for the Dark Spire, but it was enough for his fellows. He could take them further into his confidence later.

"And when will we be taking Elcho Falling?" Sonorai said. He spoke this with no impatience or ill-will, merely a languid curiosity.

"When we can be utterly certain of victory," Eleanon said. "We tried once and failed . . . Elcho Falling even rejected the One. The next time we attempt to take the citadel, we must be certain of victory. The One, even now, works his way with the unwitting occupants of Elcho Falling. We will take our time, brothers, but we will succeed."

"And where is our dear sister, Inardle?" Kalanute asked. "I miss her and this wine," he made a lewd gesture, "is making me think most ardently of her."

"Inardle preferred to throw in her lot with the StarMan and Lord of Elcho Falling," Bingaleal said. "She is lost to us. You must sate your desire on another of our sisters this night, Kalanute."

Kalanute laughed softly, now stretching a little. "Such a shame, for I particularly desired Inardle. but, as you say, there are others."

"Then perhaps Inardle is inside Elcho Falling slaking her l.u.s.t with the StarMan," Sonorai said.

Eleanon and Bingaleal exchanged a glance and a small smile.

"What?" Sonorai said. "A secret? Share, do!"

"Inardle and Axis may well be slaking their l.u.s.t somewhere -- although personally I think they might still be trembling in too much fear to even think of it -- but I can a.s.sure you they are not doing it inside Elcho Falling," Eleanon said.

Falayal, Sonorai and Kalanute all raised their eyebrows.

Eleanon gave a soft laugh. "Axis and Inardle 'escaped' Elcho Falling this evening, slipping out under the cloak of Inardle's power. She thought I could not see through it . . . but I am aided by the power of Infinity, and they were immediately apparent to me. The moment they left Elcho Falling I knew of their presence."

"You allowed them to escape?" Kalanute said, all amorous thoughts driven from his mind.

"Why not?" Eleanon said. "I am curious as to what they might do . . . although I, as Bingaleal, am certain where they go."

"And that is .?" Sonorai said.

"To offer their aid to Isaiah," Bingaleal said. "Isaiah and his army are two weeks or so distant. Isaiah leads them straight for Elcho Falling, believing he can be of some a.s.sistance." He uttered a soft, mocking laugh. "Our 'allies', the Skraelings --"everyone smiled derisively"-- are with him now, although they seem to be dilly-dallying in some confusion. Isaiah has many things to worry him."

"We saw the Skraelings on our flight here," said Falayal. "I have no idea why they don't attack. They must outnumber the Isembaardians ten to one."

"They are likely missing the direction of the One," said Bingaleal, and the others nodded.

The Skraelings would have no idea what to do now that their master had fallen silent.

"I am a.s.suming you will keep Axis and Inardle under observation," Kalanute said to Eleanon.

"Naturally," Eleanon replied, and the conversation drifted on to other matters.

Eleanon leaned back against the pile of blankets he was using as a cushion and tuned out the conversation. He was feeling mellow indeed: happy to have the Lealfast Nation here, happy that Axis and Inardle -- the fools -- had had no idea he was aware of them the entire time (stars, Eleanon did not know how he had not burst out laughing while they were edging around behind his back), and just happy with the entire situation. The One was safe in his hidey hole where he could work the most damage (and yet not interfere with Eleanon's plans), the Dark Spire still throbbed in the heart of Elcho Falling and all would be well in time.

Then Eleanon's senses sharpened as he saw a movement at the corner of his eye.

He rose, drawing queries from the others about the fire.

"It is nothing to be worried about," Eleanon said. "Forgive my absence for an hour or two."

Then he was gone, skirting the fire as he stared intently at something at the edge of the camp and walking into the night.

Chapter 11.

Elcho Falling.

Eleanon reached out and caught at Ravenna's elbow. "My dear," he said.

She tried, and failed, to pull away from him. "Leave me be."

"No. You fascinate me." As indeed she did, although Eleanon was aware that currently his fascination was due more to the effects of the alcohol than anything else.

They were just outside the camp, and Eleanon led Ravenna further into the night, putting distance between them and the Lealfast Nation.

"What do you want?" she said.

"To talk. To investigate a little more deeply this curse Ishbel has cast on you. If I know how it works, then I understand Ishbel a little better."