The buzzing sound of insect wings was suddenly joined by a tiny, piping voice that sang joyously in a tongue unknown to man. Sparhawk looked quickly at the dust-clouded window. The bumblebee was gone, and in its place there hovered a tiny female figure directly out of folklore. Her pale hair cascaded down her back between rapidly beating gossamer wings. Her little nude body was perfectly formed, and her minuscule face was so lovely as to stop the breath.

That is how bumblebees think of themselves,’ Sephrenia said quite calmly, ‘and perhaps that is what they truly are – by day a common insect, but by night a creature of wonder.’

Tanjin had fallen back on his shabby couch with his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

‘Come here, little sister,’ Sephrenia crooned to the fairy, extending one hand.

The fairy swooped about the room, her transparent wings buzzing and her tiny voice soaring. Then she delicately settled on Sephrenia’s outstretched palm with her wings still fanning at the air. Sephrenia turned and stretched her hand out to the shaking physician. ‘Isn’t she beautiful?’ she asked. ‘You may hold her if you like – but be wary of her sting.’ She pointed at the tiny rapier in the fairy’s hand.

Tanjin shrank away with his hands behind his back. ‘How did you do that?’ he asked in a trembling voice.

‘Do you mean that you can’t? The charges against you must be false then. This is a very simple spell – quite rudimentary, actually.’

‘As you can see, Doctor,’ Sparhawk said, ‘we have no qualms about magic. You can speak freely to us with no fear of being denounced to Arasham or his fanatic followers.’

Tanjin tightly clamped his lips shut, continuing to stare at the fairy seated sedately on Sephrenia’s palm with fluttering wings.

‘Don’t be tiresome, Doctor,’ Sephrenia said. ‘Just tell us how you cured the king’s brother, and we’ll be on our way.’

Tanjin began to edge away from her.

‘I think, dear brother, that we’re wasting our time here,’ she said to Sparhawk. ‘The good doctor refuses to co-operate.’ She raised her hand. ‘Fly, little sister,’ she told the fairy, and the tiny creature soared once again into the air. ‘We’ll be going now, Tanjin,’ she said.

Sparhawk started to object, but she laid one restraining hand on his arm and started towards the door.

‘What are you going to do about that?’ Tanjin cried, pointing at the circling fairy

‘Do?’ Sephrenia said, ‘why nothing, Doctor She’s quite happy here. Feed her sugar from time to time, and put out a small dish of water for her. In return, she’ll sing for you. Don’t try to catch her, though. That would make her very angry’

‘You can’t leave her here!’ he exclaimed in anguish. ‘If anyone sees her here, I’ll be burned at the stake for witchcraft.’