‘Splendid. I’m rather proud of the way I cured those, you know. A lesser physician would have lost you. Well, I must be off now I have a full day ahead of me tomorrow.’ He wrapped his cloak about him.

‘Thank you, Doctor Voldi,’ the abbot said. ‘The brother at the door will escort you home again.’

‘My pleasure, my Lord Abbot. It’s been a stimulating discussion.’ Voldi bowed and left the room.

‘Pompous little ass, isn’t he?’ Kurik muttered.

‘Yes, he is,’ the abbot agreed. ‘He’s very good, though.’

‘It’s thin, Sparhawk,’ Sephrenia sighed, ‘very, very thin. All we have are rumours, and we don’t have time for wild goose chases.’

‘I don’t see that we have any choice, do you? We have to go to Dabour. We can’t ignore the slightest chance.’

‘It may not be quite as thin as you think, Lady Sephrenia,’ the abbot said. ‘I know Voldi very well. He wouldn’t confirm anything he hasn’t seen with his own eyes, but I’ve heard a few rumours myself to the effect that some members of the family of the King of Rendor fell ill and then recovered.’

‘It’s all we’ve got,’ Sparhawk said. ‘We’ve got to follow through on it.’

‘The fastest way to Dabour is by sea along the coast and then up the Gule River,’ the abbot suggested.

‘No,’ Sephrenia said firmly. ‘The creature that’s been trying to kill Sparhawk has probably realized by now that it failed last time. I don’t think we want to be looking over our shoulders for waterspouts every foot of the way.’

‘You’ll have to go to Dabour by way of Jiroch anyway,’ the abbot told them. ‘You can’t go overland. No one crosses the desert between here and Dabour, even at this time of year. It’s totally impassable.’

‘If that’s the way we have to do it, then that’s the way we’ll do it,’ Sparhawk said.

‘Be careful out there,’ the abbot cautioned seriously. ‘The Rendors are in a state of turmoil right now.’

‘They’re always in a state of turmoil, my Lord.’

‘This is a bit different. Arasham’s at Dabour preaching up a new holy war.’

‘He’s been doing that for over twenty years now, hasn’t he? He stirs up the desert people all winter, and then in the summer they go back to their flocks.’

‘That’s what’s different about this time, Sparhawk. Nobody pays much attention to the nomads, but somehow the old lunatic’s beginning to sway the people who live in the cities, and that makes it a little more serious. Arasham’s elated, of course, and he’s holding his desert nomads firmly at Dabour He’s got quite an army.’

‘The city people in Rendor aren’t all that stupid. What’s impressing them so much?’