‘There was a lot the CIS kept from you.’
‘Yes. But if there’s some kind of truth here, I don’t think Praltor knows all of it.’
‘Are you also sceptical about whether I’ve got some malign Founder canker inside me?’
‘I…don’t know, Reeth. But I’m inclined to think that in that respect the old man could be right.’
‘I was afraid you’d say that.’
She shrugged. ‘Actually, most of this is academic. Don’t look at me that way. It’s academic in the sense that it doesn’t help us now, does it? I mean, take a look at what’s coming.’ She nodded in the direction of the invasion fleet. ‘What does any of this matter when the chances are we’re sailing to our graves?’
28
They got into port safely, but only just ahead of the combined fleets’ vanguard. With the enemy ships standing offshore, and arriving in ever greater numbers, reunions were passionate but necessarily brief.
Frantic preparations were underway. Warriors ran to defensive positions. Arms were being distributed and guardposts manned. Hundreds streamed to the nearly completed fortress, churning the frozen ground to mud.
‘Did you hear?’ Serrah yelled as they pushed their way along the crowded quayside. ‘Tanalvah’s here!’
‘I heard,’ Caldason told her. ‘Apparently Karr and Disgleirio made it too, along with a few hundred others from Bhealfa.’
‘Talking of which…’ She nodded at a wagon drawing up.
Disgleirio was driving, with Karr at his side. They were transporting a group of defenders who quickly dismounted and sped to their duties. Disgleirio helped Karr to clamber down and the pair approached.
‘Thank the gods,’ Karr exclaimed. ‘I was beginning to fear we wouldn’t see you again.’
‘You don’t get rid of us that easily,’ Serrah replied as they hugged.
‘Though you might have jumped from the proverbial frying pan into the fire,’ Disgleirio observed, offering Caldason his hand.
‘I’ve always enjoyed a little warmth,’ the Qalochian told him.
‘Well, things look set to get hotter around here any time now.’
‘We heard that Tan’s on the island,’ Serrah said.
‘Yes, and we have Quinn to thank for bringing her back into the fold,’ Karr explained.
‘Is that so? Well done, Quinn.’
The Righteous Blade man merely smiled, a little bashfully.
‘And how’s Kinsel?’
Disgleirio was glad to shift attention from himself. ‘He’s doing well physically.’
‘Which implies ways in which he’s not doing well,’ she returned.
‘His ordeal’s left marks on him you can’t see straightaway. Understandably.’
‘Where’s Darrok?’ Caldason wanted to know.
‘He’s supervising defences on the other side of the island,’ Karr said. ‘As to the others…Ah, here’s Phoenix now.’
The elderly wizard was marching through the press, accompanied by a couple of acolytes almost obscured by his fluttering cloak. ‘Welcome back!’ he rumbled. ‘How did your mission fare?’
‘It turned out…interesting,’ Reeth answered.
‘Nothing ever goes simply with you, does it, Reeth? So you didn’t see the Clepsydra?’
‘Oh, we saw it all right.’
His eyes widened. ‘What about the Source?’
‘We found it.’
The wizard looked like a child who’d been handed a large bag of sweets then locked in a toyshop. ‘Gods, Reeth! What form does it take? Was it defended in any way? Did you have to-I don’t like your expression. Have you brought something to help us or not?’
‘Perhaps.’
‘Best not to tease him, Reeth,’ Disgleirio cautioned.
‘I’m not trying to be awkward. It’s just…I don’t know.’
‘Where is it? Show it to me,’ Phoenix insisted.
Caldason thrust a thumb in the direction of the brig’s gangway. Kutch and Wendah were making their way down it, leading the obviously blind Mahaganis.
Phoenix was puzzled. ‘They have it?’
‘Kutch will explain. And the girl, her name’s Wendah, shouldn’t be messed with.’
‘I hate to break this up,’ Disgleirio interrupted, ‘but we have an invasion to repel.’
All around, the atmosphere was growing increasingly frenzied. More people were rushing by, many beachward, while defenders arrived on horseback and in carriages. People were chaining crates and barrels.
‘Reeth, Serrah; we need you. Badly,’ Karr said. ‘We haven’t many with your skills and experience. I want to put you both in charge of warbands.’
‘Whatever we can do,’ Caldason responded. ‘But in these initial stages, we want to be freelances, going where needed. We think we can be more useful that way.’
‘All right. Though what you call initial stages might not last too long if they throw everything at us in one go.’
‘All the more reason for us not to be tied down to any one detail. And if they have any sense they’ll test our defences before committing their entire force. They can’t know what we might have in reserve.’
‘No, but they can guess.’ Karr turned to the sorcerer. ‘Phoenix, do what you can with whatever it is Reeth’s brought back. If you can make some kind of weapon out of it-’
‘We can’t promise anything like that, particularly with time so obviously short. But we’ll do our best.’
‘I can’t ask more of you than that.’
‘I want to see Tanalvah,’ Serrah declared.
‘She’s all right,’ Disgleirio assured her, ‘and so are the children. There’s no need to worry about her.’
‘I’m sure she is. But I’d still like to see her.’
‘She’s over in the redoubt with Kinsel,’ Karr explained. ‘Perhaps you could make yourself useful and bring them back here to the fortress.’
‘What was the point of building the central redoubt if you don’t intend using it?’ Caldason asked.
‘It’s been a bone of contention while you’ve been away. How it should be best used, I mean.’
‘I suggest you put all those incapable of fighting up there; the old and feeble, the young and the sick. Allocate a minimum number of the fit to defend it. That’ll keep the invaders guessing at the garrison’s strength, and if we’re overrun, maybe the enemy will show mercy to the non-combatants.’
‘Where does that leave Tan and Kinsel?’ Serrah wanted to know.
‘By rights, with the non-combatants. But maybe we should leave the choice to them.’
‘Tan’s got to be near her time by now. The safer she is, the better.’
‘Safe just became a practically meaningless term in these parts,’ Disgleirio reminded her.
‘Then I’m going over there now. Coming, Reeth?’
‘I need to stay here and take a look at the defences. Do you mind?’
‘You do that.’
‘I could take you in the wagon,’ Disgleirio offered. ‘I need to be in those parts anyway. And I could bring you all back, if that’s needed.’
‘Fine.’
‘But don’t linger,’ Caldason warned them. ‘We’ve no way of knowing how long a reprieve we’ve got before the attack starts.’
Serrah kissed him. ‘See you back here.’
She and Disgleirio ran for the wagon and clambered aboard.
Hardly was the port out of sight than Serrah felt tiny cold pinpricks on her face. She looked up to see
