A loud bubbling and hissing assaulted his senses, and clouds of hot steam rolled at him, so that for a moment he couldn't see.

The glowing line broke into strands, each strand running into a tank. As Leptar looked on, his mouth agape, the sides of the tank closest to him began to glow.

About the same time Leptar realised it wasn't the glow of magic — it was the glow of heat — the tank melted from the intense temperature as the salted water vaporised to steam, and the superheated steam reached higher and higher pressures in the sealed tank.

Leptar opened his mouth to scream as a river of molten stone poured past his legs, but there was a series of explosions, and flying slag splattered into his face and chest.

He didn't make a sound.

33

33

ELLA chanted constantly as she transferred the heat of the lake into the tanks under the barracks in Torlac.

This lore was far too powerful for a single activation sequence, and her lips moved continually as she called the names of the runes, reading the colours of the symbols on the thick shaft sunk into the lake, noting which were brightest and which grew dim.

Cracks appeared under the surface of the lake, and Ella heard murmurs behind her; cries of wonder.

Deciding it was time, Ella called forth the final activation. "Luktar-loklur!"

With a mighty crack like thunder, Lake Halapusa froze as the water turned solid at Ella's command.

Ella's arms flopped back to her sides, and she turned back to where Jehral and Prince Ilathor sat astride their horses watching her. Shani stood nearby. Ella smiled — a weary smile of triumph.

"I should never have doubted you," the prince breathed, awe-struck. "Both of you," he said, turning to Shani.

"How long will it last?" Jehral asked.

"The heat has been sunk into salted tanks of water underneath the barracks in Torlac," Ella said. "If my and Shani's calculations are correct, they should hold enough heat for the lake to stay frozen for at least a day."

"And if they are not?" Jehral said. "Sorry, Ella, but I have to ask."

"Then, man of the desert," Shani said. "You'll be swimming in boiling water before the day is out."

"My prince," Jehral said, suddenly urgent, "the Petryans will know what we have done. It is time."

The tall leader of the Hazarans shook himself as if out of a trance. His horse turned as he wheeled it around. The prince signalled to his men and they galloped up the slope towards where the Hazaran warriors lay in hiding, calling out to initiate the attack.

Ella turned to Shani. "Where should we watch from?" she asked.

"Watch?" Shani said. "I don't plan to watch."

Ella then noticed the Petryan held reins in her hands. Beside Shani's horse was Ella's own horse, Afiri.

"It will be dangerous," Ella said.

"Life is dangerous."