‘It wasn’t anything, Prozor. Not compared to what happened to the others, or to Garval and Adrana. I don’t even miss the old hand. It wasn’t anything special, but this is. I’ve got a part of the Eleventh in me now, and it’ll always be there.’ I smiled. ‘Anyway, I don’t mind that it hurts a little now and then. Takes my mind off the itch from the glowy, and even that isn’t as bad as it was to begin with.’

‘They don’t know what to make of you,’ Prozor said, with an admiring shake of her head. ‘You’re a puzzle with too many bits, and they don’t all fit together. They all think you seem too young to have been on all those ships, but on the other hand, you talk a good talk. Then there’s the manners, which you keep tryin’ to hide, but which you can’t quite manage. They think: posh girl, runnin’ away from home. And that’s no good to anyone, because posh coves are a liability out here. But then they clamp their lamps onto your tin hand, or your glowy, and they think: she can’t be makin’ it all up, can she, or how did she end up like that? Then there’s that glimmer in your eyes. You look like you’ve got a score to settle, Fura.’

‘I have.’

‘Just keep it stoppered for the time. We got to bide ourselves. If you’re still set on this mad course . . .’

‘You know I am.’

‘Then there’s work that needs to be done. I still think it’s madness, mind. Even thinkin’ of going back to that place . . .’ She looked at me sharply. ‘But the way you’re turning, the greater madness would be getting in your way. Heaven help the cove that gets twixt you and Bosa Sennen.’

‘Heaven help us both, Prozor.’

‘I had myself a squint at the auguries for the Fang. There’s an opening in five weeks, and if I know my celestial mechanics we could make the crossing in time, if Trusko put his mind to it. But we’d need to leave soon if we wasn’t to miss the end of that window.’

‘How soon?’

‘He can have this bauble. I’ll give this one to ’im. But we ain’t got time to spend on the third. Not that that’s going to be any great loss to anyone, the way things went with the first.’ Prozor paused. ‘The Fang’s a dicey one. If we miss this opening, ain’t another one for two years.’

‘I’m not waiting two years.’