He started awake, knowing he wasn’t going to sleep again until this was over. Micum was standing by the skull, yawning.

“You were whimpering in your sleep, Seregil. Anything I should know about?”

“Just a bad dream. Get some rest. I’ll take over now.”

Micum went to the wall near Thero, rested his sword across his knees, and closed his eyes. It was only a moment before he was snoring softly.

Seregil’s watch was uneventful. Micum woke and went above to see what time of day it was.

Tonight it had been Vhadä who wasn’t ready to go to sleep. “Tell me more about your ghost, Mika,” he asked.

“He’s nice. There was another one who broke my arm, though.”

“So that’s what happened!” Vhadä’s eyes widened in the light from the night lamp. “I didn’t think ghosts could really hurt anyone.”

“This one did. But all the others I’ve seen didn’t pay much attention to me.”

“Others? How many have you seen?”

Mika realized he’d probably said too much again.

“Come on, Mika, we’re friends, too, aren’t we?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you tell me about the other ghosts? I promise I won’t tell.”

Mika still hesitated, but he didn’t want to hurt his friend’s feelings. “Well, I guess you know that the old governor was killed by ghosts.”

“Everyone knows that.”

“So that’s why my master came here: to try and find out how it all happened.”

“What about the barons? Why did they go with him, and that big fellow with the red-and-silver moustache?”

“They’re helping my master, but that’s all I can say.”

“Are they really going to the oracle’s cave? What does that have to do with the ghost at the palace?”

Mika had really talked himself into a corner now. “Can you really keep a secret?”

Vhadä put his hand on his heart. “I swear by Illior’s owls.”

“You just found out about them.”

“Yes, but you said they’re sacred to the Immortal who watches over my people, so that’s a very serious oath. Come on, Mika, you’re making me itch I’m so curious.”

“You really, really can’t tell anyone. There’s a bad thing at the palace, a sort of monster, and my master and his friends are going to kill it. But they have to go to the cave to do it.”

“What kind of monster?”

Mika shook his head. “I’ve already said too much. But they are very brave, and …” To his horror, his lower lip began to tremble as he thought of Princess Klia still caught in that bad place. “They’re very brave.”

Vhadä patted his shoulder. “Don’t cry. Are you scared they’ll get hurt?”