'He wouldn't say where you were or what you were doing. He told me that Altair had turned up and to stay in the apartment and not to come out for any reason.'
'He was trying to protect you.'
'Well, he failed. I checked the mirrors in the apartment. They were cold, much colder than the room. They were listening to everything. It wasn't safe. They were just waiting for an opportunity.'
'So where are you now? Wait! Don't tell me. They could be listening to us now.'
'Let them. I'm with Claire Raddison, the Remembrancer's clerk. No one thought to tell her the Untainted were in town, did they? She's not protected by the Warders or the Courts. We have all the protection we need now. We have all six horseshoes here and if they come for us they're going to get a beating they'll never forget.'
'Iron horseshoes? Isn't that difficult for you?'
'You forget. I don't have any magic. There's nothing to react with the iron. I can pick them up and hold them.'
The connection suddenly wavered, a strange whining sound coming from the mirror like distorted static. 'I'm losing you. Are you there?'
'Sorry, I've put it down again now. They're heavy enough to slug a troll with. We had to carry them between us to get them back to Claire's flat.'
'Not exactly a handy weapon.'
'It'll do the job, if it comes to it. They won't be able to cross the doorways and if they get inside they'll get a surprise they won't believe. We have more than horseshoes to defend ourselves.'
I told Blackbird about Raffmir's visit and Deefnir being Altair's grandson.
'I don't care if he's the Prince of Persia, if he comes near my baby I'll nail him to a doorpost.'
I smiled. I should have known she'd find a way to protect herself. 'Just be careful. We don't know where they've gone or what they're doing. You'd better warn the Highsmiths at the farm in Shropshire as well, just to be on the safe side.'
'It's already done. I spoke to Meg earlier. She said they would take suitable precautions, and they still have the broken Quick Knife. That alone should discourage visitors.'
'I'm sorry. I should have warned you myself.'
'I will admit, it was a shock. Why are they here?'
'Negotiating a peace settlement. At least that's what Altair says they're doing. Garvin thinks they're here for some other reason.'
'Does he know what?'
'No, but Altair asked to have me as his personal Warder. That's why Garvin assigned me here with this mess.'
'How is it going?'
I explained about my success in finding the missing girls and my encounter in the cave.
'You went in blind. That was… bold.'
'Garvin was good enough not to point that out.'
'It's your life you're risking, Niall. A visit from the Warders isn't generally a social call. What were you expecting, a welcome mat?'
'I'll be better prepared next time.'
'You're lucky there is a next time. You need to find out what you're dealing with before you go poking about in someone's cave.'
'Yeah, I think I got that. I guess I was thinking it was all nothing. The girls weren't missing, they were just somewhere else, doing something else.'
'And there were many skulls?'
'Thirty or so, maybe more. Some of them looked really old. This isn't new. It's been going on for a while.'
'Then why doesn't anyone know about it?'
'They do. It's in the papers. There are missing posters all over town.'
'No, that's for the five or six missing now. Where are the others? If this has been going on all this time, why aren't there records of missing women going back fifty, a hundred, two hundred years? Those skulls could be anyone's. They could be missing sailors, washed up on the beach, for all you know.'
'No. Maids, mothers and daughters, he said. They were all women.'
'Then they came from somewhere, Niall. Find them.'
Another thought occurred to me, sparked by the memory of my stay at Claire's apartment the previous year.
'Do you think Claire would do me a favour?'
'She might. Hang on, I'll get her.'
There was a rustling sound and then receding footfalls. Then voices returned.
'And I just talk to the mirror, do I?' It was Claire's voice.
'Just like a phone,' Blackbird confirmed.
'Hello?'
'Claire, this is Niall.'
'Yes, I remember. How are you?' The polite greeting was typical.
I smiled. 'I'm a little bruised at the moment, but well, thanks, and you?'
'We're a little jumpy.' That was understandable.
'I wanted to ask you a favour.'
'Yes, Veronica said.' She used the name Blackbird had given herself when they first met.
'You have a friend who works for the government, in the area covered by the Official Secrets Act, by the name of Sam?'
'Sam? I haven't spoken to Sam since that night in the hospital. I think I made it clear that it was over between us.'
'I know, I remember. It's just that I need someone who knows that world. It's about my daughter. Black… Veronica will explain. I've lost her and I think the government have taken her. There must be records. Maybe he would be able to find out where they've taken her?'
'I don't even know if he would have access to that information. It's probably not his department.'
'It's certainly not mine. I need all the help I can get and I need someone who can make discreet enquiries without setting off alarm bells.'
'I don't know, Niall. He probably won't even speak to me.'
'Or someone else in that line of work. Is there someone else you know who might be able to find out where they've taken her?'
'No, I don't know any of Sam's colleagues. He never talked about work. Then again, I didn't tell him anything either – not really. We're both quite secretive people.'
'Could you ask him for me?'
'It's not that I don't want to, Niall. Without you… well, I don't know where we'd be. But I can't promise anything. He can be really stubborn.'
'I really appreciate that, Claire. Thanks.'
'I'll see what I can do.'
'I'd better go. I have more to do before I can rest.'
'I'll let you say goodbye to Veronica, then.' Her footsteps receded.
'What makes you think that Sam can help you, Niall?' said Blackbird.
'Maybe he can't, but at least he will know how to find things without drawing attention to me. They don't know there's any connection between us, so even if they find out he's been asking questions, they won't tie it back to me.'
'He has no reason to help us, you know that.'
'I know, but it's worth a try. The only other option is Raffmir.'
'Raffmir?'
I described our encounter on the beach. 'He said he was the only one who could show me how to reach her.'
