“He knows that the time is now, and that Bexoi must be awakened before the birth, and he hasn’t got the power to waken her, and I do.”

“So you say,” said Wad.

“I came here, didn’t I?” said Danny North. “And you couldn’t detect my coming, or send me away, or even understand how I came. I will do this, Loki. If you try to stop me, then I’ll take away from you the power to interfere.”

“Come with me, Wad,” said Prayard. “This is a mighty mage, young though he seems to be. Old men like us need to recognize when someone else has the mastery of us.”

“King Prayard speaks wisely,” said Danny, “and he’s leaving. Now, Loki—will you go or will you stay?”

“I’ll stay.”

“I’ll go,” said Prayard. And he did. Because he wore slippers to keep the cold of the stone from his feet, there was a hushing sound as his steps took him from the room. Then the door swung shut and Wad was alone with Danny.

“The last thing that Westil needs,” said Wad very softly, “is this bitch awake again, to do more killing.”

“I agree,” said Danny. “But that’s only half the story. You want the firemage to stay powerless. But what about the manmage?”

Wad felt a flood of relief. “So she died with her ba inside the Queen,” he said.

“No,” said Danny. “She is inside this body, ka and ba, and she and the Queen struggle equally for control.”

“Manmages can’t send their ka,” said Wad.

“Except for the ones who can,” said Danny. “Anonoei’s boys, Eluik and Enopp? I’ve seen what’s really happening there—it’s Enopp who is inside Eluik; that’s why Eluik is silent. Enopp’s ka is inside him, and all that remains in Enopp’s own body is his outself, as if his own body were his heartbeast.”

“Not possible,” said Wad.

“I agree. And yet my friend Pat has just drawn Enopp out of his brother, and now she and Eluik are trying to keep Enopp from dying.”

“And by ‘dying’ you mean—”

“I mean going back to Duat,” said Danny North.

“And is that what you plan to do here?” asked Wad.

“This case isn’t simple, because where Enopp and Eluik love each other, these two are at war. A constant bitter stalemate which neither of them can win.”

“Two kas in the same body,” said Wad.

“Of course the manmage has no right to be there. The body belongs to Bexoi, and Anonoei is a thief.”

“If that’s what you think—”