Theyre not finished but they should do. Shall I have someone take your horses and give you a hand with your things?

Yes. Of course. Kind of you. She did some trick with her eyes. The prince went shy. There are some men I want to see. She named names unfamiliar to Croaker. Send them to my quarters. Ram will entertain them till Im cleaned up.

Of course. The prince summoned his hangerson, sent them to find the men she wanted.

At Catchers gesture Croaker dismounted and handed his horse over. He followed her as she followed the prince. The crows did a good job scouting, he admitted. Grudgingly. She was pulling it off without a hitch.

In Ladys quarters he discovered why he could be called Ram, why no one knew him. He encountered a mirror. He did not see himself in it. He saw a big, dirty Shadar with hair enough for a gorilla.

She had laid a glamor on him.

The men Catcher asked for were low caste, skin and bone, nervous little creatures unable to meet her eye. As he introduced himself each added words in cant that Croaker did not recognize. The honorifics were puzzling enough. Daughter of Night? What did that mean? Too much was happening and he had no way of knowing what, nor any control.

Catcher told those men, I want you to watch the wizard Smoke. At least two of you should be within sight of him all the time. I especially want to know if he goes near the Street of the Dead Lamps. If he enters it, stop him. By whatever means necessary, though Id rather he didnt make an early entrance into paradise.

The men all plucked at bits of colored cloth peeking from their loincloths. One said, As you will, so shall it be, Mistress.

Of course. Get on with it. Find him. Stick tight. Hes dangerous to us.

The men hurried out, obviously eager to be away from her. Theyre terrified of you, Croaker observed. His voice came back when he was alone with her.

Naturally. They think Im the daughter of their goddess. Why dont you get cleaned up? I can smell you from here. Ill have them bring you new clothes.

The bath and clothes were the only good things that happened that day.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Eight

I did not get the sleep I needed. The dreams were bad. I wandered the caverns under the earth, awash in the stench of decay. The caverns were no longer cold. The old men were rotting. They were still alive but decaying. When I passed through their line of sight I felt their appeal, their blame. I really tried. But I could get no nearer whatever my destination was supposed to be.

The thing trying to recruit me was getting impatient.

Narayan wakened me. Im sorry, Mistress. Its important. He looked like he had seen a ghost.