Somewhat to Camwyn’s surprise, Mikeli did negotiate the slant of the roof and then lean back on the chimney stack. Only one of his guards followed; the others clustered near the way out. Mikeli looked up at the sky, the clouds moving slowly and steadily westward, their shadows patterning the roofs and land beyond, following their movement with his eyes and then taking a long look in each direction. “It’s beautiful,” he said again. “I had imagined something like this, but—it’s even better.” He gave Camwyn a long look. “I changed my mind. I won’t forbid your coming up here, Cam, but bring someone with you. Don’t do it alone. A fall, a slip, could kill you, and I don’t want to lose you.”

“Does it have to be a guard?” Cam said. The guard still standing where Mikeli had stood looked uncomfortable, even frightened.

“No,” Mikeli said. “If you’ve got a friend with a head for heights and some sense—both—that would do. No hanging from gutters or climbing drainpipes, though.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Camwyn said. “They might come loose.”

“So they might. And if an enemy realizes you like to lark about up here, they might loosen one. Or set an ambush. Consider that, Cam. We still have enemies. Be careful. Promise me?”

“I promise,” Camwyn said.

“I must go back—work. And you, as well. When you find your companion in roof exploration, tell me who it is.”

“Yes, sir king,” Camwyn said with a little bow to prove he meant it.

All the way back down he was considering which of his friends was most apt for such adventures. Not the real adventure, of course: he would not risk any of his friends with knowledge of his candle-lighting. But which of his friends, if something should happen … if his hand should start to glow, for instance … would not panic and fall off the roof?

The obvious candidate was—naturally—the first he saw after leaving Mikeli at a branch in the passages, Aris Marrakai.

“You’re late for our class,” Aris said. “Marshal-Judicar sent me to find out—”

“I was with the king,” Camwyn said.

“Good. Then you’ll get off the scolding he wants to give you for indolence.”

“I wasn’t sleeping later,” Camwyn said, stung. “I was up betimes, but Mikeli—the king—and I had—had something to do.”

“Lucky for you,” Aris said, grinning. He led off at a brisk pace.

“Slow down,” Camwyn said. “I wanted to ask you—”

“Yes?”

“Did you ever get up on the roof of your house—or anything else?”