Ignoring his look, she went on. ‘The news was passed on. But listen, Raffi, I’m sure they don’t know who Galen is. That rat-trap was just bad luck; there are probably hundreds like that around the old citadel – aren’t there?’

She glared at the Sekoi; it nodded, reluctant.

‘So we could get him out, Raffi; get him out before they realise who they’ve got!’

‘But why? Why do you want to get him out? Why don’t you go back to them and give them all the things you know – where the Sekoi live, the sky-road, Lerin, the Pyramid!’ He sounded harsh, like Galen. ‘Haven’t you got enough from us, Carys!’

‘That’s not it. I don’t want Galen tortured.’

‘Might that not be because he may give them all the information you’ve worked so hard for?’ the Sekoi asked, acidly.

‘NO! Why won’t you listen! I like Galen. Like a fool I’ve got to like you all!’

She stood up, pushing back her hair, angry with herself. ‘I know you can’t trust me now. If you want, I’ll go away. But first I’m going to get him out, Raffi, and if I have to I’ll go by myself.’ Picking up the crossbow, she checked it over, her hands shaking.

Raffi stared at her. He felt bewildered and utterly betrayed. He wished he could hate her, that it was that simple, but she was still Carys, still the same.

He looked at the Sekoi. ‘What should we do?’

‘Your choice, small keeper. I’ll stay with you, whatever you decide.’ It rubbed its furred face with one long finger.

‘She may be able to get him out,’ Raffi said, with difficulty.

‘She may. Or she may just be taking us back to them. More prisoners to her credit.’ It gazed at her, narrow-eyed.

Silent, Raffi stared down at his hands. He prayed silently, asking for knowledge, for the way to go, but his mind was as dark as the cloister, and the Makers were silent.

Then, without knowing he’d decided, he stood up.

‘All right. We’ll take the chance.’

Carys smiled at him but he ignored that; he looked away, furious with her. ‘If you betray us … I still don’t know if I should be trusting you.’

‘You never will know,’ she said, ‘until you do. Galen would tell you that.’

He took out the chart. ‘Where do we go?’

‘They’ll have taken him to the nearest Watch-tower. Is it on there?’

‘There’s one marked.’

‘That’ll be it. Lead on, Raffi.’

With a glance at the Sekoi, who shrugged, he turned uneasily away and crawled through the hole in the wall.