The sun rose above the woodland mists, revealing another hot summer day. Patterns of water light played along the bulkheads, leaf and branch shadow mottled the decks. The oars pulled strong against the deep slow current as the big ship nosed its course, further into the depths of Mossflower.

Brogg watched Tsarmina as she lay flat upon the parade ground with her ear to the floor.

One of Bane’s former mercenaries, a rat named Chinwart, tugged at Brogg’s cloak and asked, “What’s she up to, Cap’n?”

“Can’t you see, she’s listening for water.”

“Water?”

“Aye, water, wormbrain. What d’you suppose she’d be listening for, strawberry cordial?”

Tsarmina sprang up, hurried across the parade ground and lay near the wall of the building. Listening intently, she waved a paw.

“Brogg, over here!”

“Yes, Milady.”

“Get down, press your ear to the wall—not up there, down here by the ground.”

“Oh, right. Here, Milady?”

“That’s it. Tell me what you can hear.”

“Er, nothing, Milady.”

“Are you sure, Brogg?”

“I’m certain, Milady.”

“Well, I can hear water running.”

“But I can’t, Milady.”

“Hmm, perhaps it’s my imagination.”

“Strange thing the imagination, Milady.”

“Are you sure you searched below the cells last night?”

“Positive, Milady.”

“Brogg, if I thought you were lying to me . . . You did search there, didn’t you?”

The weasel Captain noted the look of fear that flitted across Tsarmina’s features. He took full advantage of it.

“Your Majesty, I personally went alone to the place beneath the cells where it’s all damp and green with slime and fungus. I searched around that underground lake where the Gloomer lived. The place was full of strange echoes and dripping sounds. Maybe that’s what you’ve heard. The place is always full of odd echoes and dripping noises down there in the blackness. Shall we go down there together and recheck it, Milady?”

Tsarmina could not stop her whole body shaking; she sat on the ground, unconsciously wiping her paws across her coat. “No, no, Brogg,” she said nervously. “I won’t be going down there. I’ll be up in my chamber if you need me for anything.”

She hurried indoors, brushing roughly past Chinwart, who had been lingering nearby, eavesdropping on the conversation.

He winked knowingly at Brogg. “I was with you last night. We never went anywhere near that place under the cells. What a pack of old fibs you fed her there, mate.”

Brogg grabbed the rat savagely by his ear and pulled him close, twisting hard.

“Listen to me, bonebrain. You keep your skinny mouth shut. I’m giving the orders now, not Bane.”

“Owowowow, leggo, you’re pulling me lug off!” Chinwart whined pitifully.

Brogg twisted the ear more cruelly.

“I’ll rip your tongue out too if I hear another word from you,” he said menacingly. “Let her go and search the deep dark places if she wants to. I’m not going down there, not for all the cider in Kotir. Unless, of course, you’re volunteering to go down there alone?”