Soulcatcher shuddered like a wet dog, drew himself together. Without looking at us, he gestured, said, Come, and started walking.

Raven turned. He yelled, Darling, you get back in there like I told you. Go on now.

How is she supposed to hear you? I asked, looking back at the child watching from a shadowed doorway.

She wont. But the Captain will. Go on now. He gestured violently. The Captain appeared momentarily. Darling vanished. We followed Soulcatcher. Raven muttered to himself. He worried about the child.

Soulcatcher set a brisk pace, out of the compound, out of Lords itself, across fields, never looking back. He led us to a large woodlot several bowshots from the wall, to a glade at the lots heart. There, on the bank of a creek, lay a ragged carpet stretched on a crude wooden frame about a foot high and six feet by eight. Soulcatcher said something. The carpet twitched, wriggled a little, stretched itself taut.

Raven, you sit here. Catcher indicated the right-hand corner nearest us. Croaker, over here. He indicated the left corner.

Raven placed a foot on the carpet gingerly, seemed surprised that the works did not collapse.

Sit down. Soulcatcher placed him just so, with his legs crossed and his weapons lying beside him near the carpets edge. He did the same with me. I was surprised to find the carpet rigid. Ft was like sitting on a tabletop. Its imperative that you dont move around, Catcher said, wriggling himself into position ahead of us, centered a foot forward of the carpets midline. If we dont stay balanced, we fall off. Understand?

I did not, but I agreed with Raven when he said yes.

Ready?

Raven said yes again. I guess he knew what was happening-I was taken by surprise.

Soulcatcher laid his hands out palms upward beside him, said a few strange words, raised his hands slowly. I gasped, leaned. The ground was receding.

Sit still! Raven snarled. You trying to kill us?

The ground was only six feet down. Then. I straightened up and went rigid. But I did turn my head enough to check a movement in the brush.

Yes. Darling. With mouth an O of amazement. I faced forward, gripped my bow so tightly I thought I would crush handprints into it. I wished I dared finger my amulet. Raven, did you make arrangements for Darling? In case, you know....

The Captain will look out for her.

I forgot to fix it with somebody for the Annals.

Dont be so optimistic, he said sarcastically. I shivered uncontrollably.

Soulcatcher did something. We started gliding over the treetops. Chill air whispered past us. I glanced over the side. We were a good five stories high and climbing.

The stars twisted overhead as Catcher changed course. The wind rose till we seemed to be flying into the face of a gale. I leaned farther and farther forward, afraid it would push me off. There was nothing behind me but several hundred feet and an abrupt stop. My fingers ached from gripping my bow.