‘I don’t know!’ His throat was dry; he swallowed a few drops of rain from the ends of his fingers. ‘I don’t know how to tell.’

Galen was silent. ‘Once I knew when people were lying to me.’

Raffi winced. The keeper turned on him suddenly, as the horse-harness clinked in the dark. ‘One thing. She’s not to know about what happened to me. Understand? She’s not to know!’

Sadly, Raffi nodded.

Journal of Carys Arrin

Agramonight

9.16.546

The boy’s asleep. Harn has drifted into some sort of trance; he sways and murmurs prayers in the dimness. I’m taking a chance, but this book’s small and easy to hide. It may be my last chance to write for a while.

First of all, the tree. I was lying out in the long grass – it was dark, but it seemed to me the boy was speaking to the tree and it was answering. I heard no words, but there was a sort of… tingle. I know this is heresy and I know it can’t be real. But why make an illusion if they didn’t know I was there? And the boy believed it.

I heard one thing that puzzled me. The boy distinctly said the Crow was in Tasceron. I remember the stories of the Crow from my training, but I’d always thought it was a figure of myth, a bird that talked. The bolt was on the crossbow; I had it aimed right at the middle of the keeper’s back – but those words stopped me. After all, dead or alive are the orders. And they know something about this Crow. It may be the name of someone real, high in the Order, like an Archkeeper. A code name. It seemed worth a risk to find out.

So I let them see me. Harn is wary; he asked a lot of questions. I told them a story that would get them on my side, make us all enemies of the Watch. I was surprised how easy they were to deceive. The boy looked ill; they both seem half-starved.

(Note for Jellie – the psychic defences the records mention can’t exist. I’m certain they didn’t know I was there.)

I’ll try and stay with them as long as possible – to Tasceron, because I’m sure that’s where they’re going. I know the city is enormous, but if they find this Crow I’ll be with them. To catch Harn and his boy would be good, but someone higher, a real chance to get into the secrets of the Order – that would make old Jeltok sit up. He always said I’d never make an agent.

I’m hungry, and the rain’s started again. On foot we’ll be slow. But they won’t get rid of me now.

Chapter 12

12