Longfoot frowned. 'Then where is it?'

Bayaz pointed to the length of wood he used for a stick, lying on the ground beside him, rough and unadorned. 'That's it?' muttered Luthar, sounding more than a little disappointed.

'What did you expect, Captain?' Bayaz grinned sideways at him. 'Ten feet of polished gold, inlaid with runes of crystal, topped by a diamond the size of your head?' The Magus snorted. 'Even I have never seen a gem that big. A simple stick was good enough for my master. He needed nothing more. A length of wood does not by itself make a man wise, or noble, or powerful, any more than a length of steel does. Power comes from the flesh, my boy, and from the heart, and from the head. From the head most of all.'

'I love this pool!' cackled Ninefingers, tossing another fish out onto the rocks.

'Juvens,' murmured Longfoot softly, 'and his brothers, powerful beyond guessing, between men and gods. Even they feared this thing. They went to such pains to put it beyond use. Should we not fear it, as they did?'

Bayaz stared at Ferro, his eyes glittering, and she stared back. Beads of sweat stood from his wrinkled skin, darkened the hairs of his beard, but his face was flat as a closed door. 'Weapons are dangerous, to those who do not understand them. With Ferro Maljinn's bow I might shoot myself in the foot, if I did not know how to use it. With Captain Luthar's steel I might cut my ally, had I not the skill. The greater the weapon, the greater the danger. I have the proper respect for this thing, believe me, but to fight our enemies we need a powerful weapon indeed.'

Ferro frowned. She was yet to be convinced that her enemies and his were quite the same, but she would let it sleep, for now. She had come too far, and got too close, not to see this business through. She glanced over at Ninefingers and caught him staring at her. His eyes flicked away, back to the water. She frowned deeper. He was always looking at her lately. Staring, and grinning, and making bad jokes. And now she found herself looking at him more often than there was any need for. Patterns of light flowed across his face, reflected from the rippling water. He looked up again, and their eyes met, and he grinned at her, just for an instant.

Ferro's frown grew deeper yet. She pulled her knife out, snatched up one of the fish and took its head off, slit it open and flicked its slimy guts out, plopping down into the water next to Ninefingers' leg. It had been a mistake to fuck him, of course, but things had not turned out so very badly after all.