‘Of course,’ Perraine replied. ‘He trained me with the lance. Hello, Kurik. How’s Aslade?’

‘Very well, Sir Perraine,’ Kurik said. ‘I’ll tell her you asked. What was that business back there all about-with Ulesim, I mean?’

‘He’s one of the officious toads who’ve attached themselves to Arasham.’

‘Is he really a disciple?’

Perraine snorted. ‘I doubt that Arasham even knows his name,’ he said. ‘Of course there are days when Arasham doesn’t even know his own. There are dozens like Ulesim – self-appointed disciples who go around bothering honest people. He’s probably five miles out into the desert by now and riding very hard to get away. Arasham is very firm with people who overstep what little authority he gives them. Why don’t we all sit down?’

‘How did you manage to accumulate so much power, Perraine?’ Sephrenia asked him. ‘Ulesim behaved as if you were some king or something.’

‘It wasn’t really too hard,’ he replied. ‘Arasham has only two teeth in his head – and they don’t meet. I give him a tender, milk-fed veal every other week as a token of my unspeakable regard for him. Old men are very interested in their bellies, so Arasham is profuse in his thanks. The disciples aren’t blind, so they defer to me because of Arasham’s supposed favour. Now, what brings you to Dabour?’

‘Voren suggested that we look you up,’ Sparhawk said. ‘We need to talk with someone here, and we didn’t want to attract too much attention.’

‘My house is yours,’ Perraine said ironically, ‘such as it is. Who is it you need to talk with?’

‘A physician named Tanjin,’ Sephrenia told him, removing her veil.

Perraine looked at her rather closely ‘You are looking a bit unwell, Sephrenia,’ he said, ‘but couldn’t you find a physician in Jiroch?’

She smiled briefly. ‘It’s not for me, Perraine,’ she told him. ‘It has to do with someone else. Do you know this Tanjin?’

‘Everybody in Dabour knows him. He keeps quarters in the back of an apothecary shop in the central square. His house is being watched, though. There are rumours going about that he dabbles in magic sometimes, and the zealots have been trying to catch him at it.’

‘It might be better to walk to the square, wouldn’t you say?’ Sparhawk asked.

Perraine nodded.

‘And I think we’ll wait until just before the sun goes down. That way we’ll have some darkness when we come out – just in case we need it.’

‘You want me to go with you?’

‘It might be better if Sephrenia and I went alone,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘You have to stay here, and we don’t. If Tanjin’s under suspicion, visiting him could jeopardize your position here in Dabour.’

‘Stay out of alleys, Sparhawk,’ Kurik growled.