‘Mogget! What does it mean, that Free Magic creatures are inimical to life?’

‘Bah! An exaggeration,’ said Mogget. He hesitated for a moment, twisting his neck as if his collar had caught on something, before adding more quietly, ‘I suppose it is true that their substance, the manifestation of their flesh, is corrosive to living things. But it can be contained, avoided, taken care of in numerous ways. Why, the Abhorsens use a kind of Free Magic all the time, in their bells and spells in Death. They used to use it more freely still. You would be no different.’

Clariel nodded. She’d been wondering how Kilp and Aronzo had survived if Aziminil really was so dangerous. They hadn’t even bound her to their service; she had just agreed to serve them. That didn’t sound like a creature ‘inimical’ to all life.

Against that, though, she had to balance the fact that her mother had died fighting against the very idea of working with a Free Magic creature. Jaciel had even slain one before who had assumed the shape of her brother. But then, Clariel thought, Jaciel was not like other people. She never compromised; she would not depart from her chosen path, no matter what. Perhaps if she had talked to Kilp, taken the more sensible approach, then she would still be alive, and Harven too, and Clariel would be on her way to Estwael …

Clariel shook her head. There was no point in thinking over might-have-beens. She had to work out what to do now, deal with the situation as it was.

‘If a Free Magic creature’s touch is corrosive, how can Aziminil take me through the waterfall?’

‘The swift water will lessen the effect,’ said Mogget.

‘Lessen?’ asked Clariel. ‘That doesn’t sound very good. Is there anything else I can do? I remember Kargrin said something about the Abhorsens having special robes …’

Again, Mogget was slow to answer. It looked to Clariel as if he was struggling with a desire not to answer at all, or perhaps to lie. Even though he was a cat, she’d seen merchants behave similarly, shifting where they looked, hunching their shoulders, even nervously clawing at their collars, as Mogget was doing …

‘There are garments, robes, masks and suchlike that provide protection for a time,’ said Mogget. ‘For when the Abhorsens used to deal more closely with their prisoners. There should be some such stuff below.’

‘Should be?’ asked Clariel. ‘I’m not risking a “should be”. And what does “for a time” mean?’

‘They are there,’ said Mogget grumpily. ‘Old, but serviceable. I presume you would not be able to renew the marks within them?’

‘No,’ said Clariel shortly.

‘Then once put in use, they will fail at the next full moon.’