‘She already has! Long before she met you!’ It sprang up, a lean agitated shape. ‘My people know of these Watchhouses. They take children young, feed them, teach them, train them. For years. How can all that be taken out of her? She is the Watch, she thinks like they think, hunts like they hunt. She’ll have seen things you can’t imagine – have practised cruelties and spite. Her soma – her soul, – will have been changed by that! Don’t trust her, Raffi!’

Raffi sat still, though its fear terrified him, made him restless. ‘Yes, but what about Galen?’

‘Galen is lost! And they’ll make him talk.’

‘He wouldn’t.’

The Sekoi sat down. ‘He will,’ it said softly. ‘Everyone does, in the end.’

Raffi couldn’t answer. The helplessness and doubt swept over him again; he had no idea what to do. They should go, should run, and yet… part of him wanted to stay, to believe she’d come.

‘We need to get to the Crow,’ the Sekoi urged. ‘The Crow was a great power. If he lives he can help us. But we need to go now, Raffi, before she brings the Watch and they take the map and the globe! That’s all they need!’

Raffi stared at it. Then he got up again and gazed down the dark, empty street.

‘This is all very interesting,’ the Castellan said, refilling her cup. ‘So this man Harn has knowledge of this relic … you didn’t say what it was, by the way.’

Carys smiled. ‘No. I’m not completely sure, and besides that –’

‘You want to keep it secret.’

‘My orders are to be as discreet as possible.’

He nodded. ‘I see. But look, Carys, we can get any information you want out of this man by our own methods. Not that he’d be much good to you afterwards, of course.’ He sipped the sweet wine and looked at her. ‘Wouldn’t that be easier?’

She pulled a face. ‘In a way it would. But it would break my cover – I’ve worked hard to be accepted by them, and now I think they trust me. No, I think it would be best if I helped him to escape.’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘If you agree, of course. He’s your prisoner.’

He paused a moment, stoking the fire with fresh coals; then turned and picked up the insignia, dangling the silver chain over his fingers. ‘Who am I to stand in the way of the Watchlords?’ He handed it back to her, and she slipped it on, feeling the cold discs slide against her skin. ‘But there’ll be a price.’

She looked up, sharply. She’d been expecting this.

‘How much?’

‘Half. Half of the reward for the keeper, and the others, and half of whatever they give you for finding this relic’

She thought, briefly. ‘All right. I’ve no choice.’