Leagh dropped to her husband's side, shooting Caelum a hard look. At the same time Zenith knelt by Drago, her joy at seeing StarDrifter alive completely forgotten in her concern 36.for her brother. She grabbed at the hem of her cloak, tearing a section free, and folded the material into a thick square, using it to try to stifle the blood seeping from Drago's throat. Everyone else stood, helpless and unsure, wondering who was right, wondering what could be done, wondering whether or not another death would truly help.

Axis recovered his balance from Faraday's attempt to push him over, drew his arm back - and found it seized from behind in sharp, murderous teeth.

Sicarius. The leader of Azhure's Alaunt. No-one had seen him move, and no-one knew where he'd come from, but now the hound pulled Axis to the ground, and stood over him, snarling and snapping.

"Sicarius!" Azhure buried her hands in the loose skin of the hound's neck and tried to pull him off, but the hound would not budge.

Azhure tugged desperately, unable to believe Sicarius' savage a.s.sault. What was the hound doing? To attack Axis?

"Drop the knife, Axis!" StarDrifter yelled. "Drop the d.a.m.ned knife or that dog is going to kill you!"

Then, ignoring Axis completely, he fell to his knees beside Drago, adding the weight of his hands to those of Zenith to try and stop the bleeding. He locked eyes briefly with Zenith, then turned slightly to Faraday who was now at Drago's side also.

"What were you thinking of to enter this glade with Drago at your side?" StarDrifter hissed. "Didn't you even think that Axis might not welcome his son home with open arms?"

Faraday shook her head helplessly, and StarDrifter made a small sound of disgust. She should have known better.

Zenith, absolutely shaken at the violence, drew comfort from the weight of StarDrifter's hands over hers, and hoped they would staunch the bleeding enough to give Drago a chance of life.

StarDrifter lifted his eyes to hers and, although he did not smile, the lines about his eyes crinkled slightly in warmth.

37.

"I am more than pleased to see you again, beloved Zenith," StarDrifter murmured. "You are well?" She nodded, and StarDrifter looked back to Drago. The bleeding was slowing - Axis' knife must have struck his son's clavicle rather than one of the neck veins. If he'd managed that, Drago would be dead already, for even the pressure of a thousand hands at his throat could not have stemmed the damage.

He gestured to Faraday to help Zenith apply pressure to the wound, touched Zenith's cheek briefly in rea.s.surance, then slowly stood and walked over to Axis.

His son had dropped the knife, and Sicarius had retreated to sit tense and watchful several paces away. His golden eyes flickered between Axis and Drago.

Everyone else was absolutely still, as watchful as the hound.

Azhure was down by her husband, her arms about him, supporting him into a sitting position. "StarDrifter,"

she began, "what -"

StarDrifter ignored her. He thrust his right hand forward into Axis' face. It was smeared with Drago's blood.

"Look at this!" he said. "Your son's blood, Axis, by your hand!"

"Did you never see the wounds on Caelum's body once Azhure rescued him from Gorgrael?" Axis said quietly. "Did you never see his blood? And now, look upon the blood smeared across this land, StarDrifter, and tell me that my 'son'," he spat the word, "does not deserve to die for it."

Drago cleared his throat. "I have come back to help," he said in a hoa.r.s.e whisper.

"Then die!" Axis threw back at him, pushing Azhure's arms aside and rising to his feet. "That would help considerably."

The wound in Drago's neck had now almost stopped bleeding, and Faraday left Drago's care to Zenith. She rose and walked slowly forward. "There has been too much death in this world, Axis, for you to want to add to it."

38 .

"Have you ever thought that by killing Drago now we might stop further death?" he snarled back.

In response, Faraday lifted her head and stared about at each and every person present. "I want you all to know, and this I pledge on the blood that / shed for Tencendor, and for you, Axis and Azhure, that I will stand responsible for Drago's actions. I trust him, and I ask that you give him the benefit of the doubt.

Drago wants to help, he can help. Let him."

"He murdered RiverStar!" Caelum said, stabbing a ringer at Drago. "And stole the Sceptre and provided the means whereby this land now stands decimated. Trust him?"

Faraday looked at him, then turned to StarDrifter standing beside her. "StarDrifter? I -"

"And I," Zenith put in fiercely from where she knelt by Drago's side.

"We both," Faraday corrected herself, "believe Drago deserves a chance to prove his worth, and his loyalty.

He did not murder RiverStar, and if he fled with the Sceptre, then that was at the Sceptre's doing, not his. It needed to go to the Demons and so it manipulated Drago's mind to get there. Drago has done regrettable things in the past, but he deserves a chance to redeem himself."

"Redeem himself?" Axis said. "Stars, Faraday! How can you stand there, protecting this misbegotten evil?

No doubt he has regained his Icarii powers in return for aiding the Demons - how else could he have manipulated Sicarius into defending him? Does he now covet the Throne of the Stars itself? Has he promised you a place beside him? Is that why you aid him?"

"Believe me, father," Drago said, his voice a little stronger now, "all my Icarii power has been burned completely away. I have nothing left save my need to help right the wrongs I have done."

Axis ignored him. He stepped forward to stand belligerently in front of Faraday. "How can you aid him?"

he repeated. Sicarius shifted forward slightly, and noticeably tensed.

39.

"You go too far, Axis!" StarDrifter put his hand on his son's shoulder, and wrenched him back a pace.

Faraday had suffered too much violence in her life to have more visited upon her now.

"How can you accuse this woman, of all people, of aligning herself with the Demons?" StarDrifter continued. "Must I remind you that she died for you?"

He whipped about and stared now at Azhure, her face as cold as Axis'. "And you, Azhure. Have you forgotten?"

StarDrifter turned back and looked at Drago. "If Faraday walked in here with Qeteb himself and said that a spark of goodness rested in his breast, and that she would support him, then that would be enough for me.

Drago, do you truly repent for what you did to Caelum?"

"Yes." Drago's eyes were on Caelum standing rigid eight or nine paces away, not StarDrifter. "I am not the hunter you fear, Caelum," he said. "I come here to offer you my aid in whatever you have to do to defeat the Demons as some recompense for my actions against you so many years ago." "And why should I believe that?" asked Caelum.

"None of us believe that," Axis said.

Azhure opened her mouth to speak, but was forestalled by Zared.

"I believe Drago deserves the chance," he said. "Axis, have you or Caelum even thought of the fact that Drago is the only one among us who has had any firsthand experience of these Demons? Dammit, why kill that knowledge and potential help?"

"I think Zared speaks some sense," DareWing FullHeart said, finally braving his say. "Faraday, you ask a great deal of everyone here. I do not think," his mouth quirked and he gestured about the gathering, "that many here are ready to place their trust in Drago. Most of us have troublesome doubts. But most of us are prepared to trust you. Of everyone within this clearing, you are the one who deserves our full trust."

Axis' mouth hardened, and he turned his face away.

40."If you say you will stand responsible for Drago's actions," DareWing finished, "and that he deserves the chance to finally help instead of hinder, then I will trust you and I will give Drago that chance."

"And I," StarDrifter said quietly, looking Faraday directly in the eye. Then he dropped his gaze to Drago.

"Don't fail her."

Be his trust, the Survivor had said, be his trust. Suddenly Faraday knew what he had meant.

Axis started to say something, stopped himself, then stared at the ground for several moments, battling his fury.

Finally he raised his eyes. "Where is the Sceptre?" he said flatly. "If Drago hands the Sceptre to Caelum, then I will give him his chance. "

"I do not know the Sceptre's will, nor do I know its location," Faraday said. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Axis stared at her. "Sorry! A trifling word to use as excuse for defending a traitor and a murderer!"

"No! Wait!" Drago struggled to his feet, the front of his tunic horribly bloodstained, his face white. He leaned heavily on Zenith, and looked about.

Where was the staff? Surely that was the Sceptre, transformed?

"Well?" said Axis.

"Wait ..." Drago cast his eyes frantically about. He had it when he stepped into the clearing, he was sure . . .

had it fallen from his hand when Axis attacked him? Where . . .

"You were ever the consummate play-actor," Axis said, hate and sarcasm infusing his voice and face.

Drago stopped his search to stare at his father. "I - "

"/ have had enough of you and your lies!" Axis said, and turned back to Caelum.

He took a deep breath, and calmed himself. "We still have hope, Caelum. Adamon and the other G.o.ds have gone to Star Finger and await us there. If we go to the mountain we will have the advice and knowledge of the past six or seven thousand years that is stored there. There must be something 41.secreted in the d.a.m.ned mountain that can help us! Besides, I cannot help but believe the Sceptre will find its way to the StarSon in time. It is fated thus, and thus it must be."

Unnoticed, the donkeys twitched their ears slightly, and one of them dipped her head to the ground, as if trying to hide unwanted mirth.

Caelum nodded, comforted by the surety in his father's voice. "And now that the Demons are through and no longer blocking the Star Gate, there's every chance that we might be able to regain a part of the Star -"

"The Star Gate has been destroyed," Zenith said, wishing she did not have to say it. "We will never hear the Star Dance again."

To one side StarDrifter groaned and sank to one knee, head in hand.

Axis' face worked, and he shot Drago a look of such utter malevolence that his son had to turn his face aside, but Axis finally managed to speak relatively calmly.

"Then there is no point in lingering here. StarDrifter, I say to you, and to you, Dare Wing, and to you, Zared, that if you want to believe Faraday's a.s.surances then I cannot stop you - but don't try to stop my efforts to help this land! Azhure and I will take Caelum back to Star Finger. Already, Adamon and the others who were once G.o.ds gather there.

"Zared, in Caelum's absence I need you to take command of the army. DareWing, through you Zared will command the Strike Force as well - support him."

DareWing nodded.

"And my task while you and Caelum are in Star Finger?" Zared said. "Perhaps the worst task of all," Axis responded. "Deal with the devastation as best you can. Save as much and as many as best you can. Save a Tencendor for my son ... for us all."

"I will do my best, StarMan."

"Do not call me that," Axis said dryly. "Now I am no more the StarMan than you."

.42 .

He turned about, meaning to talk to Azhure, but his eye was caught once more by Drago, and his face darkened.

"Drago," Axis thrust a finger at him, "come within shouting distance of Star Finger and no-one will be able to stop me killing you. Do you understand?"

Drago was standing still, patiently enduring Zenith's bandaging of his throat. "I, like you," he said, "will do whatever I have to in order to right the wrongs done to this land, father. I wish you would believe me. / will do anything I can."

"Neither I nor this land nor Caelum needs your aid," Axis said. "You are filth! I disowned you as a child, Drago, and there is nothing in this life that will ever make me accept you now. I do not love you, and I never will, and I swear before every Star that can still hear me that I wish you the death you deserve for your misdeeds. d.a.m.n you! You are nothing but worm-filled s.h.i.t in my eyes!"

Drago flinched and his already white face went whiter. Axis spun about on his heel. "Zared, may Azhure and I requisition a horse apiece? We must ride our way north as Spiredore is undoubtedly useless now the Star Dance is dead."

Zared nodded. "I will also send a unit of men with you. You will surely need some protection wandering north - G.o.ds know where the TimeKeepers are now."

"Good. Azhure, my love," Axis held out his hand to her. "Say your goodbyes ... to whoever deserves it.

Caelum, fetch whatever you need to bring with you."

"Axis?"

Axis turned to look at Faraday.

"Axis, keep to shelter - whether beneath trees or inside houses - during the Demonic Hours. You will remain safe that way."

Axis continued to stare at her, then he spun about and walked away. Faraday turned her attention back to Drago's wound.

*43.

The gathering slowly dissipated as people drifted off, to prepare for departure or to sink back before fires and mull over the scene they'd just witnessed.

Sicarius melted back into the shadows, rejoining the pack of Alaunt.

Faraday pushed Drago back to the ground and helped Zenith more securely bind his neck.

"The staff!" Drago said. "It was here I know it! Where -"

"Hush," Faraday said, and laid gentle fingers on his lips. "Hush now, please."

"I have to help," Drago said. "I must"

"I know," Faraday whispered. "I know."