‘All right,’ Sparhawk said. He glanced at Talen, who was riding a tired-looking bay horse beside Sephrenia’s white palfrey The boy kept looking back over his shoulder apprehensively ‘You’re being awfully quiet,’ he said.

‘Young people aren’t supposed to talk in the presence of their elders, Sparhawk,’ Talen replied glibly. ‘That’s one of the things they taught me in that school Kurik sent me to. I try to obey the rules – when it doesn’t inconvenience me too much.’

‘The young man is pert,’ Dolmant observed.

‘He’s also a thief, your Grace,’ Kalten warned. ‘Don’t get too close to him if you have any valuables about you.’

Dolmant looked sternly at the boy ‘Aren’t you aware of the fact that thievery is frowned upon by the Church?’

‘Yes,’ Talen sighed, ‘I know The Church is very straitlaced about things like that.’

‘Watch your mouth, Talen,’ Kurik snapped.

‘I can’t, Kurik. My nose gets in the way’

‘The lad’s depravity is perhaps understandable,’ Dolmant said tolerantly. ‘I doubt that he’s received much instruction in doctrine or morality.’ He sighed. ‘In many ways, the poor children of the streets are as pagan as the Styrics.’ He smiled slyly at Sephrenia, who rode with Flute bundled up in an old cloak in front of her saddle.

‘Actually, your Grace,’ Talen disagreed, ‘I attend Church services regularly and I always pay close attention to the sermons.’

That’s surprising,’ the Patriarch said.

‘Not really, your Grace,’ Talen said. ‘Most thieves go to church. The offertory provides all sorts of splendid opportunities.’

Dolmant looked suddenly aghast.

‘Look at it this way, your Grace,’ Talen explained with mock seriousness. The Church distributes money to the poor, doesn’t she?’

‘Of course.’

‘Well, I’m one of the poor, so I take my share when the plate goes by. It saves the Church all the time and trouble of looking me up to give me the money I like to be helpful when I can.’

Dolmant stared at him, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Some few miles further along, they encountered a small band of people dressed in the crude, homespun tunics that identified them as Styrics. They were on foot and, as soon as they saw Sparhawk and the others, they ran fearfully out into a nearby field.

‘Why are they so frightened?’ Talen asked, puzzled.

‘News travels very rapidly in Styricum,’ Sephrenia replied, ‘and there have been incidents lately’

‘Incidents?’

Briefly, Sparhawk told him what had happened in the Styric village in Arcium. Talen’s face went very pale. ‘That’s awful!’ he exclaimed.

‘The Church has tried for hundreds of years to stamp out that sort of thing,’ Dolmant said sadly

‘I think we stamped it out fairly completely in that part of Arcium,’ Sparhawk assured him. ‘I sent some men out to deal with the peasants who were responsible.’

‘Did you hang them?’ Talen asked fiercely.