Alec told him of the ghostly woman, his vision and the dream, and the sight of the dead owl hanging from the bed, just as this one was. “It’s even the same kind of owl: a bar tail.”

“So the dream had nothing to do with this place?”

“No.”

“What is the significance of a hanged owl?” asked Klia.

“My guess it’s a curse or charm against the powers of Illior.” Thero closed his eyes again. “Necromancy was used here, but there’s something else, something strong and strange that partially masks it.”

“So we are looking for a necromancer?” said Micum.

“And one who was able to get close enough to the governor to bring this down upon him,” noted Seregil.

“Yes.” Thero wove another orange sigil, and they watched it dissipate meaninglessly in the fetid air.

“No guidance there,” said Seregil.

“Not entirely true,” Thero replied, frowning. “It does show that there’s no kind of magical item or telesm in the room.”

“A locked, bolted room,” Klia reminded him. “He or she must have translocated somehow, as you do.”

“I’ve never heard of a necromancer being able to do that,” Thero replied. “He could have sent in a dra’gorgos if he had the power and skill. And yet …” He closed his eyes again. “I don’t sense any trace of one, even though the sense of destructive magic is strong.”

“Brescia, have that owl cut down and respectfully burned,” Klia ordered. “I think we’ve seen enough here for now. On to the oracle’s shrine.”

Mika took his master’s orders very seriously. As soon as Thero was gone, he located the wagon master who’d carried their baggage and talked him into bringing the wagon to the large purple tent they’d been assigned, then enlisted the aid of two passing soldiers to help unload the heavy equipment chest.

“Be very careful with that,” he cautioned. “It has things inside that will break, and Master Thero would be very angry.”

“Not to worry, boy,” the older soldier said as he and his mate heaved the chest down and carried it into the tent. They helped him with the rest of the scant baggage, just two packs of clothing and a bag of herbs, then clapped him on the shoulder and went on about their business.

The tent was large, about the size of the tower sitting room, and carpets had been laid over the grass to form a sort of floor. Two cots were prepared, as well as a washstand and a small folding desk. Lanterns hung from the roof poles, too high for Mika to reach without standing on tiptoe on a chair.

There wasn’t much to put in order, so Mika set about his next assignment: to explore the rest of the encampment.