what had particular significance for them. The scant evidence they left, the fragments of their knowledge, seem to back that.’
‘What does it look like? This evidence they left.’
‘Well, it isn’t in its original form. These scraps, which is all we’re really talking about, have been copied many times over the centuries. We’ve got them on paper; we don’t know what their original form would have been. As to the language…well, language probably isn’t the right word. The Founders’ writings are a mixture of symbols, mathematical allusions and…magicky stuff.’
‘Your use of the correct technical terms must make Phoenix proud.’
They all laughed, though there was a nervy edge to it.
Kutch was red-faced. ‘I just didn’t want to bore everybody.’
‘We know,’ Serrah mouthed kindly.
‘The Founders might not have left names for these islands,’ Caldason reminded them, ‘but they could have left something else.’
‘Like booby-traps,’ Serrah offered, sobering.
Caldason nodded. ‘If the prize is as important as a lot of people think, it’ll be guarded. The question is, with what?’
‘Magic,’ Kutch stated matter-of-factly. ‘We’re talking about the Founders, remember.’
‘What form could it take?’
‘Who knows?’
‘Would it still be potent after all this time?’ Serrah wondered.
‘I can’t answer these questions,’ Kutch admitted. ‘All I can do is try to detect any magic with evil intent.’
‘With all this other background magic going on?’
‘I’ve been trained to filter it out. Besides, it’s of a different nature. The textures vary.’
‘As to the matter at hand,’ Cheross said, ‘we’ll keep a skeleton crew here and send the majority of the men with you.’
‘Thanks,’ Caldason replied, ‘but no. All we need is a rowing party to get us over there.’
‘But surely, in the face of-’
‘I don’t want to put your crew in greater danger. And unless any of them happen to be master wizards, or have a spotting talent like Kutch’s, there’s not much they can do to help us. Whatever’s out there, Serrah, Kutch and I are going to be looking for it alone.’
‘Every member of my crew would gladly volunteer to go with you.’
‘I know, and we’re grateful. If we need them, they can come later, when we’re certain everything’s clear, but we take the initial risk.’
‘And you’re sure this is the island?’ The Captain nodded at the looming rock.
‘We can’t be sure,’ Kutch replied, ‘but this is where the magic feels strongest.’
‘Let’s not get too carried away,’ Serrah cautioned. ‘The very first island we land on? And the most conspicuous? It’s unlikely to be that easy.’
‘We have to start somewhere,’ Caldason told her. ‘And I’ve got an instinct about this island too.’
She gave him a curious look, but said nothing.
‘I’ll arrange to have you taken across right away,’ Cheross announced. ‘Once you’ve disembarked, the boat will wait for a couple of hours. If you need us after that, we’ll come at your signal. But if we’ve heard nothing from you after twelve hours, this ship sails back to the Diamond Isle.’
Caldason nodded. ‘Fair enough.’
‘Then let’s get things moving.’ Cheross turned away to give out orders.
‘All right, you two?’ Caldason asked, keeping his voice low.
‘I’m fine,’ Serrah replied.
‘I’m quite excited,’ Kutch admitted.
The crew were scattering to various tasks, and the noise level went up a notch.
‘It could be an idea to take some extra weaponry along,’ Caldason suggested.
‘Against magic?’ Serrah said.
‘That might not be all we run into.’
‘I’m taking a set of throwing knives, along with a couple of my usual blades,’ she said, eyeing him. ‘If that’s not enough, nothing will be.’
‘What about you, Kutch? Can I persuade you to carry another weapon?’
‘I already do, Reeth.’ The boy slipped a hand into his fur jerkin and brought out a dagger. ‘Recognise this, Serrah? You gave it to me the day we got out of Bhealfa.’
‘I’d forgotten it. You didn’t have to use it that day, thank the gods. But be prepared to.’ She looked to Caldason. ‘What about supplies? Are we going to load ourselves down with those, too?’
‘A canteen of water each and a little hardtack. Not much point in taking more.’
‘You don’t expect us to be there very long?’ Kutch supposed.
‘We’ll return soon, or we’ll be dead. Either way, there’s no sense in burdening ourselves.’
They were called. The boat had been lowered, and its eight rowers waited. Caldason led Serrah and Kutch to the rail, where they collected water pouches. Then they descended rope ladders to the bobbing craft.
Their journey across was short, and the sea had settled down, but they were tense, expecting some kind of ambush or trick to foil them. Although the biggest of the group, the island was of a modest size. Serrah, the urban dweller, would have described it as being equivalent to nine or ten city blocks. Kutch would have seen it in terms of so many fields for ploughing. To Caldason, its widest point corresponded to three good spear throws.
There were cliffs at one end of the island, and a couple of modest rocky crests further inland, but basically it was flat, with shingle beaches fronting most of its shoreline.
They landed without incident. The rowers were thanked and left on the beach. Caldason, Serrah and Kutch could feel the crew’s eyes boring into their backs as they set out.
Out of the men’s hearing, Kutch said, ‘The magic…I can feel it. It’s very intense.’
Serrah shot him a concerned glance. ‘Are you all right to go on?’
‘Yes. Yes, I’ll be fine.’
They came to the top of the beach. Over a ridge, where they couldn’t be seen by the nervous band of rowers, lay a scrubby plain.
‘Which way?’ Serrah wondered.
Reeth and Kutch pointed simultaneously, and unerringly. North. Towards the interior.
‘Well,’ she said, ‘that seems fairly clear.’
‘It’s where the magic’s coming from,’ Kutch explained.
Caldason said nothing.
As they travelled, the scrub gave way to grass, and bushes and trees started to appear.
‘You wouldn’t have thought vegetation could take hold in a place like this,’ Serrah remarked.
‘It’s the magic,’ Kutch told her. ‘There are very strong energy channels running through these islands. They bring fecundity, particularly where one or more cross. Haven’t you noticed how mild the temperature is?’
‘Now that you come to mention it-’
‘What’s that?’ Caldason said.
In the undergrowth there were fragments of whitish stone.
‘Could be a path of some kind,’ Serrah decided.
‘It’s the remains of a road,’ Kutch confirmed, ‘and it looks really old. What sort of stone is that?’
‘One I’ve never seen before,’ Serrah replied, excavating it with the toe of her boot. ‘If it is a road, it seems to start about here; and it’s going the same way we are.’
They followed it. The landscape became increasingly lush, and the air warmer. Bizarrely, trees were in leaf, and there was an abundance of unseasonable wild flowers.
At length, they saw the road’s destination. It terminated at a tall outcropping, and there was an opening in the rock. Not a natural fissure, of the sort leading to a cave, but a cut entrance, large enough to comfortably drive a wagon through. If there had ever been doors, they had rotted away long ago.
A jumble of debris was scattered around the outcrop. As they approached, they could make out fallen pillars, broken plinths, and what might have been the remnants of an arch.
