Chapter 27.

Elcho Falling and Surrounds.

Eleanon and the five Lealfast with him circled high above the reed beds. It was just on dawn, and they could easily make out Axis and Inardle lying together by the dish of coals in the midst of the reed bed.

Eleanon thought they must have come back from the dead minus their wits.

"He is the StarMan," one the Lealfast said. "We should be careful."

"We will be careful," Eleanon said, "but remember also that we are at one with Infinity as well as controlling the Star Dance. He has nothing -- look, a mere dagger. He may try and hide . . . but he cannot harm us."

"And Inardle?"

Eleanon made a dismissive gesture. "She has always been weak. Come, it is time."

Axis woke slowly, using these early waking moments to remember the night and to smile as he stretched along Inardle's body.

Then he opened his eyes, and saw Eleanon and five other Lealfast standing on the other side of the fire, and adrenalin rushed through his system. He gave Inardle a shake, then rose to his feet, glancing at the pile of his and Inardle's jumbled clothes lying a few paces away.

Eleanon gave a cold smile, moved his hand, and the clothing burst into flames.

"How did you get Inardle out?" Eleanon said.

She was on her feet, too, standing close to Axis.

"He dragged me out through sheer force of love," she said. "You wouldn't understand it."

"Oh, what trite words you spout these days, Inardle!" Eleanon said. "I was always wary of sending you to Axis' side, but, oh no, you said you were strong enough. Well, you weren't, Inardle. You were weak. So tell me, and this time I demand it, how did you get her out alive, Axis?"

"I didn't," Axis said. "I got her out dead. It was what happened after that was the interesting bit."

Eleanon frowned. Neither of them appeared particularly worried. Both stood, relaxed, confident. "And that was . . . ?"

Axis waggled a hand. "A little bit of water, a little bit of heart, a little bit of eagle, and a little bit of --"

"Take them," Eleanon snapped, gesturing to his five companions as he lost patience.

The five fanned out, moving around the fire on both sides toward Axis and Inardle.

"Stand back," she murmured, and Axis felt a frisson of excitement in his belly as he took two steps back.

The moment he moved, so the five rushed them, but Inardle was faster.

She changed in an instant, losing her form of a winged woman to become what Axis could only describe later as a column of water with a vague humanoid shape.

I could see a head, he was later to say to Isaiah, and I could see shoulders and two appendages that must have been arms, but there were no other features. Just a thick winding column of blue-white water the height of a woman.

Axis took a moment to glance at Eleanon's face. The Lealfast man was astounded.

As well he might be, for he would have no idea of his own River Angel heritage.

The five Lealfast had been very close when Inardle changed. Before they could stand back, or lift into the air, she leaned forward and the two arm-like appendages swept out before her, lengthening until they were three or four times their original length.

First one, then two, then all five were swept up. Axis, watching, didn't know quite what happened, but one moment they were taken and the next moment they were lying dismembered in the nearby water.

Inardle took a step toward Eleanon, but he was already gone, lifting high into the sky.

"Later," Inardle said, returning to her fleshed form. Then she looked at their pile of smouldering clothes. "I can see I need to make us both some new attire."

Axis just stood, looking at her. He almost could not believe what he had just witnessed.

Inardle smiled, her eyes cold.

The guard a.s.signed to keep an eye on Axis and Inardle was standing, staring open-mouthed at the scene.

He, too, could not believe his eyes.

He turned to the balcony doorway which led to a short corridor off a main pa.s.sageway, trying to catch the attention of one of the soldiers hurrying to and fro.

Isaiah needed to know about what he'd just seen!

It took the guard long minutes to attract anyone's attention with his calls -- unable to desert his post lest anything else noteworthy occurred on the reed bank -- and when someone finally did appear, it was a fl.u.s.tered sergeant-at-arms who was none too pleased that a more lowly ranked guard wanted him to take a message to Isaiah.

"I have better things to do than run messages to the d.a.m.ned Tyrant," the sergeant said.

"It is important!" the balcony guard said.

"You want me to tell him that the woman Inardle turned into a murderous column of water and slaughtered five Lealfast?"

The guard nodded.

"For the love of the G.o.ds!" the sergeant said. "We have a full-blown crisis happening inside and you want me to tell the Tyrant that --"

He stopped, looking at the guard's face. "Oh, very well. But I am going to have your b.a.l.l.s if the Tyrant snaps at me for wasting his time."

The guard thanked him, then turned to look at the reed bank.

Axis and Inardle had vanished.

Chapter 28.

Elcho Falling.

Elcho Falling was in total panic. StarDrifter, Salome and every other Icarii within the citadel were searching high and low for StarDancer. No one knew what had happened -- the baby had been there one moment and gone the next. The Icarii Enchanters, and most particularly his two powerful parents, could sense him, and occasionally hear his cries, but they could not locate him.

A powerful enchantment, dark and sinister, concealed him.

Isaiah was at his wits' end. Quite frankly, he could have done without this latest drama. He was sick with worry about the Dark Spire, with wondering where Maximilian was, with what Eleanon and the Lealfast might be planning, and with what Axis and Inardle might be up to as they lounged in the reed beds.

The last thing he needed to fret about was a baby. StarDrifter and Salome were turning the citadel upside down. Isaiah had organised search parties, but most of all he wanted StarDrifter and Salome to calm down and let the the rest of them carry out a systematic and organised exploration of the citadel.

Isaiah hoped this was just a case of baby-s.n.a.t.c.hing and not something more sinister.

"Isaiah?"

Isaiah turned from talking to Georgdi, almost snarling at the interruption.

d.a.m.n it, the last thing he needed was a rampant StarDrifter riling up the entire citadel!

It was Garth Baxtor, and Isaiah subsided, apologising for his black look.

"It's about the baby, StarDancer," Garth said.

"Yes?" Isaiah said, all his bad temper returning.

"I think it might have something to do with Ravenna," Garth said.

Ravenna! Isaiah had forgotten all about her, and he realised that had been a stupid thing to do. "Ravenna?" he said.

Garth made a helpless gesture. "It is just a feeling, Isaiah, and I am sorry to trouble you with it. But if she had taken the baby . . . no one can see her ."

"Why would she take the baby?" Isaiah said.

"Maybe it is part of Eleanon's plan. If he could see this amount of disruption ."

Isaiah took a moment to think it through. Maybe Garth had a good point. "So, if Ravenna did have the child, how would we find it?"

"I don't know. No one can see Ravenna, and if StarDrifter and Salome can't scry out their own son with their powers ."

Then what good is any of this? Isaiah thought, but discarded the thought. Garth was only trying to help and none of this current consternation, or the lost baby, was his fault.

Isaiah rested a hand on Garth's shoulder. "Thank you, Garth. I'll --"

He was interrupted by the approach of a sergeant-at-arms from the Isembaardian forces.

"Yes?" Isaiah snapped, not liking the look on the man's face. More bad news.

"Excellency," the man said, "I have news from the guard on the balcony."

"Yes?"

"He said, um ."

"Oh, spit it out, man!"

The sergeant major took a deep breath. "He said that Axis and Inardle were attacked by six Lealfast. He said that Inardle turned herself into a column of murderous water and slaughtered five of the Lealfast. The sixth escaped."

Isaiah stared at the sergeant, and then burst into laughter. He clapped the man on the shoulder. "Thank the G.o.ds for some good news!" he said. "Tell the guard he is due some goodwill on my part, and you, too, for relaying this news."

The sergeant-at-arms bowed and retreated, the fact that his head remained on his shoulders goodwill enough for him.

Axis' head broke the surface and he blinked the water out of his eyes, taking several deep breaths. That journey had been far better than the last.

Beside him Inardle emerged, not in the least out of breath.

There were several soldiers standing in the small chamber which held the entrance pool, and two of them held out their hands to help Axis and Inardle out of the water.

"I hope you didn't want a welcome home party, StarMan," one of them said. "There's a bit of a fuss happening right now."

Ravenna sat behind a tall stack of boxes in a storage chamber. She held StarDancer in her arms, but loosely, and the baby was calm now, regarding her with curious violet eyes.

Who are you? he asked her.

"My name is Ravenna," she said.

I have heard of you. You were once a marsh witch, yes? Very powerful.

"Once."

Now many have wrapped you in their curses.

Tears slipped down Ravenna's cheeks. She knew she had to kill the baby, the One demanded it of her, but she couldn't . . . she couldn't .

Why do you want to kill me?

"I do not wish to, but I am obliged to by one of the curses placed upon me."

Cursed by whom?

"By the One."

Now StarDancer wriggled a little in his excitement. Of course! Now it was all making sense! He must have dreamed of the One! The One is here, in the citadel?