It only made him more certain of what he had to do. He had been shown too much. Vassili had known things he couldn’t possibly have known, had seen things he couldn’t possibly have seen, unless. . . Well, whatever magic had given the man that sight, it was far beyond Erlan’s ken. A curse.

Was he cursed?

He almost dared not answer his own question.

More words came to his mind: ‘The blood of the demon. . . The king of kings. . . Beyond the Friendly Sea. . .’

Gods, it was a damned thin thread to follow.

He tossed the ale-skin he’d swiped under the thwarts and was about to sling his boot over the gunwale when Aska gave a low growl. Erlan turned to see what had got his hackles up.

Two tall silhouettes were coming down the path. They were armed with spears. Watchmen. He cursed. That was all he needed. He squared off to them, scouring his mind for some plausible explanation.

‘Bit dark for fishing, ain’t it?’ said one.

He recognized the voice, and saw now the two silhouettes were identical. ‘What are you jokers doing here?’

‘We could ask you the same—’

‘We’re coming with you,’ Adalrik said, cutting off his brother.

‘Like Hel you are. Go back to bed and forget you ever saw me.’

‘Our father’s been sailing us up and down this river since we could fit in his boot. The only fella knows it better than us is him.’

‘I don’t need to know the river. I’m heading west across the Gulf, then south. To Rerik.’

‘Aye, and then?’

Erlan didn’t answer because he didn’t know. Admittedly his plan needed a little refining. He meant to reach Rerik, the biggest market harbour on the south shore of the East Sea, then find a skipper who could take him to the Black Sea. For the right price.

‘The holy man said the Black Sea, didn’t he?’

‘Beyond the Black Sea.’

‘Well,’ said Leikr, pointing upstream, ‘the quickest way to the Black Sea’s that way. Up the Dagava, far as you can go, a four-day portage that’ll break your back, then three weeks with your feet up floating down the Dnipar.’

‘That’s the easy part,’ added his twin.

Erlan looked east where the first rumours of dawn were breaking up the horizon. ‘Upstream, huh? Who told you all this?’

‘Our father, of course. He’s the only man in Dunsgard ever been to the Black Sea.’

‘Does he know you’re here?’

‘Are you crazy?’ The twins looked at each other and laughed. ‘He’d flay our hides if he thought we were even thinking of it.’

‘Then go home.’

‘And if we did, how’re you planning on shifting that thing upstream?’

‘I’ve got a sail.’

‘A sail won’t get you there, bonehead! What happens when the wind turns against you?’