‘I never knew them,’ said Bel, with a shrug. ‘I doubt things would be any different if they were still alive. Whatever Great-Uncle says goes for everybody, so when he wanted me out that was it. I’m supposed to be an ambassador from the Abhorsen to the city, a presence here when such is needed. Only ceremonially, of course, not for anything important. There’s not even much ceremony now the King is … avoiding everyone.’

‘But you do things with Magister Kargrin,’ said Clariel.

‘I’m a student of Magister Kargrin’s,’ said Bel, his pale face lighting up. ‘He’s about the only person who’s ever taught me anything useful. I mean, I’ve had to learn everything else by myself, from books, and from asking Mog— … from asking someone, but that’s never straightforward. Kargrin shows me the marks, and how to put them together, and to swim in the flow of the Charter. I’ve learned more Charter Magic from him in the last six months than from all my relatives in ten years!’

‘My best teachers are far away,’ said Clariel. ‘Sergeant Penreth and the Oddsby Beacon Hunters and Aunt Lemmin and her herbs. But I’ll see them soon.’

She stood up and went over to the window, looking out. They were still high up, some fifty feet or more, and the view was into an interior courtyard and across to a wall on the other side, rather than the gardens she had hoped to see.

‘I hope you can get away,’ said Bel. ‘From Kilp and Aronzo, I mean. It’s a pity you aren’t going to stay though, since I’m sure there will be more trouble and we need everyone. But at least we got that Free Magic creature.’

‘What?’ asked Clariel, spinning around in surprise. ‘But we didn’t!’

Bel laughed, then grimaced as he reached for a grape, the movement pulling his wounded shoulder.

‘Well, when I say we, I mean Kargrin’s people in general.’

‘What happened?’ asked Clariel. ‘No one told … Gullaine didn’t tell me.’

‘Kargrin’s a sly one,’ said Bel, tossing a grape up to catch in his mouth, and missing so that it rolled down his chest. ‘Oops. He had Mistress Ader and that snaggle-toothed servant of hers hidden on the beach –’

‘Mistress Ader! From the Academy?’

‘Yes,’ said Bel. He paused in the act of popping the recalcitrant grape in his mouth. ‘She’s a mighty Charter Mage. Didn’t you know?’

‘No,’ said Clariel. ‘I don’t even know who her snaggle-toothed servant is. I guess I don’t know very much.’

‘You’ve only been here a little while,’ said Bel, reaching for another grape and wincing again. ‘City’s complicated. Very complicated.’

‘Yes,’ said Clariel grimly. ‘Too complicated for me. So Mistress Ader ambushed Az— … the creature.’