But something deeper than cowardice told him he could not run. And not just from himself. A creature from the black castle had appeared in Meadenvil. Two men who had had dealings with the castle had come here. That could not be coincidence. Suppose he moved on? What was to keep the creatures from turning up again, wherever he went?

He had made a deal with a devil. On a gut level he sensed that the net in which he had been taken had to be unwoven strand by strand.

He moved the every-day, cowardly Shed to a throne far behind his eyes and brought forward the Shed who had hunted with Krage and eventually killed his tormentor.

He did not recall the cock-and-bull story he used to get past the wards, but did bullshit his way in to see Bullock.

The Inquisitor had lost none of his spirit. He came to the bars spitting and cursing and promising Shed an excruciating death.

Shed countered, "You ain't never going to punish nobody but maybe a cockroach in there. Shut up and listen. Forget who you were and remember where you are. I'm the only hope you got of getting out." Shed was amazed. Could he have been half as firm without the intervening bars?

Bullock's face went blank. "Go ahead. Talk."

"I don't know how much you hear in here. Probably nothing. I'll run it down. After you left Juniper, the rest of the Black Company showed up. They took over. Their Lady and what-not came to town. They attacked the black castle. I don't know how that turned out. What word there is makes it sound like the city was wiped out. During the fighting some of the Company guys grabbed a ship and got out on account of their masters were going to turn on them. Why I don't know."

Bullock stared at him, considering. "That's the truth?"

"From what I've heard second-hand."

"It was those Black Company bastards got me in here. Framed me. I only had a fight with Raven. Hell, he almost killed me."

"He's dead now." Shed described what Asa had seen. "I have a notion what killed him and why. What I need to know is where it happened. So I can make sure. You tell me that and I'll try to get you out."

"I only know approximately. I know where I caught up with him and which way him and Asa went when they got away. That should pin it down pretty close. Why do you want to know?"

"I think the castle creatures planted something on Raven. Like a seed. I think that's why he died. Like the man who brought the original seed to Juniper.''

Bullock frowned.

"Yeah. Sounds tall. But listen to this. The other day I saw one of the creatures near where I'm staying. Watching me. Wait! I know what they look like. I met them. Also, people are disappearing. Not too many yet. Not enough to cause a big stink. But enough to scare people."