'Not a happy family.' Jezal had never seen eye to eye with his own brothers, but this seemed to him a little excessive. He ducked away from the outstretched fingers of a giant hand, standing upright on its severed wrist, a ragged symbol chiselled savagely out of the palm.

'What does it say?'

Bayaz frowned. 'Believe me, it is better you do not know.'

A colossal building, even by the standards of this giant's graveyard, towered over the army of sculptures at one side. Its steps were high as a city wall, the columns of its façade as thick as towers, its monstrous pediment encrusted with faded carvings. Bayaz reined his horse up before it and stared up. Jezal stopped behind him, glancing nervously at the others.

'Let's keep on.' Ninefingers scratched at his face and stared round anxiously. 'Let's leave this place as quickly as we can, and never come back.'

Bayaz chuckled. 'The Bloody-Nine, scared of shadows? I'd never have believed it.'

'Every shadow's cast by something,' growled the Northman, but the First of the Magi was not to be put off.

'We have time enough to stop,' he said as he struggled from the saddle. 'We are close to the edge of the city, now. An hour at the most and we are out and on our way. You might find this interesting, Captain Luthar. As would anyone else who would care to join me.'

Ninefingers cursed under his breath in his own tongue. 'Alright, then. I'd rather walk than wait.'

'You have quite piqued my curiosity,' said Brother Longfoot as he jumped down next to them. 'I must confess that the city does not seem so daunting in the light as it did in the rain of yesterday. Indeed, it is hard now to see why it has such a black reputation. Nowhere in all the Circle of the World can there be such a collection of fascinating relics, and I am a curious man, and unashamed to admit it. Yes indeed, I have always been a—'

'We know what you are,' hissed Ferro. 'I'll wait here.'

'Please yourself.' Bayaz dragged his staff from his saddle. 'As always. You and Master Quai can no doubt each delight the other with comical tales while we are gone. I am almost sorry to miss the banter.' Ferro and the apprentice frowned at each other as the rest of them made their way between the ruined statues and up the wide steps, Jezal limping and wincing on his bad leg. They passed through a doorway as big as a house and into a cool, dim, silent space.