“Captain, I terminate my employ here and now. My apologies, and I hope we can serve together again. But it's the start of a voyage, not the end. I don't feel that my absence will trouble you in any way.”

“I do,” Beko said.

Lulah did not reply. She had not even glanced at Ramus yet, but she stared at her captain until he sighed and relented.

Beko stepped forward and clasped Lulah's hands. “Good journeys, Lulah.”

“And to you, Beko.”

She walked to Ramus then, her one eye giving nothing away.

“Thank you,” Ramus said. “We can discuss—”

“Plenty of time for that,” Lulah said. Noon arrived with Ramus's horse then, smiling sadly at Lulah. “Pack your horse,” Lulah said. “I need to gather my things and say my good-byes, and then we'll be on the trail.”

“It's still dark,” Ramin said.

“There's no danger here.” Lulah went back to her tent and started packing. Ramin, Rhiana and Konrad went to her while Noon went for her horse. They helped her pack and saddle her mount, and all the time they whispered things Ramus could not hear.

“Ramus . . .” Nomi began, her voice small and lost.

Ramus shook his head and turned away.

“The pages,” she said. Her voice was still weak, but she was not about to ask for mercy. Not now. Things were said and decisions made.

“The parchment pages?” Ramus said. He touched the backpack already slung over his shoulder. “In here. Come and take them.”

“They're mine. I paid Ten for them.”

“You don't have the first idea what they say. You can't even read!”

“They belong to me, and I want them back.”

Ramus posed mock-thoughtful for a while, tapping his foot and looking up at the death moon. “Well, perhaps we can perform an exchange,” he said. “My life for the parchment pages.”

Nomi shook her head sadly and turned away.

Ramus saw her talking to Beko, both of them looking past the horses into the darkness that still surrounded them.

“I'll fight whoever comes for them!” Ramus said. He drew his knife and shifted it slightly so that it reflected firelight.

Beko turned and watched Ramus, completely unconcerned. If he wants the pages, he'll take them, Ramus thought. I'm being a fool.

“You'll have to kill me,” he said. “I'm dying already. If Hyden tells you to take the pages by force, you'll have my blood on your sword before they're in her hands. You want that?”

Beko moved away from Nomi, shaking his head at her insistence. He stood six paces from Ramus, looking at the backpack.

“Nomi says they're hers,” he said. “I don't know what's on the pages, nor do I care right now. But she'd like them back.”

Ramus's lip bled from where Nomi had punched him. He sucked in a dribble of blood and spat it out. “You heard me,” he said, turning the knife to throw a reflection at Beko's face.