He smiled at her, but it was an ugly expression; not quite a sneer, but something with a dash of madness buried deep. “You can't read,” he said.

“Beko's back,” Noon called.

Nomi turned around and Noon, Ramin and Lulah were watching her and Ramus curiously. She tried not to catch their eyes.

Beko and the others arrived, and the captain dismounted. “The place I mentioned is just up ahead, on the other side of that low hill. It's even better than it was last time.”

“Better?” Nomi asked.

Beko smiled. “You'll see. It's the last night we'll be camping in Marrakash, so I think it's only fair we take advantage of the safety.”

They mounted up and rode, and Nomi kept pace with Beko. She did not look back to see where Ramus was. She felt certain that she was being watched, but it could have been the Serians' curiosity about their employers' exchange.

Let him play his games, she thought. Let him see doom in every tumbled wall. This will be the voyage of my life, and I intend to enjoy it.

She looked sideways at Beko and he grinned. And she wondered just what he had planned for that evening's campfire entertainment.

NOMI HAD BEEN determined to cook their meal that evening. But when she mentioned it to Beko, he shook his head.

“Believe me, let Rhiana cook tonight. We've been here before, and she knows what she's doing.”

“What's so special about here and tonight?” Nomi asked.

“Rhiana?” Beko said.

The tall Serian dropped gracefully from her horse. “It's a meal you'll remember for a long time,” she said. “Or maybe not at all.”

Beko had certainly found them a beautiful place. Shielded from the cool evening breeze by a rocky outcrop, the level area was perfect for camping, with a soft bed of short grass and a scattering of stones with which to build a fire pit. A stream sprang from the ground to one side, gurgling merrily as though relieved to have found its way out of subterranean darkness. The marshy ground around the stream's birthplace was home to a profusion of small trees, bushes, orchids and a mix of berry shrubs. Some of them hung heavy with early fruit, while others rustled and shimmied with life. Nomi clapped her hands and watched small birds take flight. Lizards darted away into the cover of rocks, and a larger, more cautious creature went deeper into the undergrowth.

“You sure you want us to camp this near to so much wildlife?” Nomi said dubiously.

“I've camped here before,” Beko said. “I've never seen anything poisonous or harmful.”

Ramus sat across the clearing, leaning against a tree with hands on knees and eyes closed. He kept his backpack close. Let him play his games, she thought again.

She turned back to Beko. “So, what are we eating?”

“That's up to you and me.”