They crept back down the stairs and into the kitchen again. Sparhawk carefully closed the door leading into the main part of the house. ‘Wait here,’ he breathed to Kurik. ‘Let me check the garden. I’ll whistle if it’s clear.’ He slipped out into the shadowed garden and carefully moved from tree to tree, his eyes alert. He suddenly realized that he was enjoying himself immensely. He hadn’t had so much pure fun since he and Kalten had been boys and had regularly slipped out of his father’s house in the middle of the night bent on mischief.

He whistled a very poor imitation of a nightingale.

After a moment, he heard Kurik’s hoarse whisper coming from the kitchen door. ‘is that you?’

For an instant, he was tempted to whisper back, ‘No,’ but then he got himself under control again.

They had some difficulty getting the inert body of the consul up the fig tree, but finally managed by main strength. Then they crossed their makeshift bridge and pulled the beams back onto the roof.

‘She’s still there,’ Kurik whispered.

‘Who is?’

The naked lady’

‘It’s her roof.’

They dragged the beams back to the far side of the roof and lowered them again. Then Sparhawk climbed down and caught the consul’s body when Kurik lowered it to him. Kurik joined him a moment later, and they restacked the beams against the wall.

‘All nice and neat,’ Sparhawk said with satisfaction, brushing his hands together.

Kurik hefted the body up onto his shoulder again. ‘Won’t his wife miss him?’ he asked.

‘Not very much, I wouldn’t think – if that was her in the bedroom at the other end of the hall. Why don’t we go back to the monastery?’

They trudged off carrying the body and reached the outskirts of town in about half an hour, dodging several watchmen along the way The consul, draped over Sparhawk’s shoulder, groaned and stirred weakly

Kurik rapped him on the head again.

When they entered the abbot’s study, Kurik unceremoniously dumped the unconscious man on the floor. He and Sparhawk looked at each other for a moment, then they both burst into uncontrollable laughter.

‘What’s so funny?’ the abbot demanded.

‘You should have come along, my Lord,’ Kurik gasped. ‘I haven’t had so much fun in years.’ He began laughing again. ‘The bridge was the best, I think.’

‘I sort of liked the naked lady,’ Sparhawk disagreed.

‘Have you two been drinking?’ the abbot asked suspiciously

‘Not a drop, my Lord,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘It’s a thought, though, if you’ve got anything handy. Where’s Sephrenia?’

‘I persuaded her that she and the child should get some sleep.’ The abbot paused. ‘What naked lady?’ he demanded, his eyes afire with curiosity