‘Danae!’

‘What?’ She looked up at him. ‘Why are you blushing, father?’

‘Never mind. You just watch what you say, young lady, or I will tell your mother who you really are.’

‘Fine,’ she said serenely, ‘and then I’ll tell her about Lillias. How would you like that?’

They looked at each other, and then they laughed.

It was about a week later. Sparhawk was hunched over a desk in the room he used as an office glaring at the Earl of Lenda’s latest proposal, an absurd idea which would quite nearly double the government payroll. He scribbled an angry note at the bottom. ‘Why not just make everyone in the whole kingdom a government employee, Lenda? Then we can all starve together.’

The door opened, and his daughter entered, carrying a rather disreputable-looking stuffed toy animal by one leg.

‘I’m busy, Danae,’ he said shortly.

She closed the door firmly. ‘You’re a grouch, Sparhawk,’ she said crisply.

He looked around quickly, went to the door to the adjoining room and carefully closed it. ‘Sorry, Aphrael,’ he apologized. ‘I’m a little out of sorts.’

‘I noticed that. Everybody in the palace has noticed that.’ She held out her toy. ‘Would you like to kick Rollo across the room? He won’t mind, and it might make you feel better.’

He laughed, feeling just a little silly. ‘That is Rollo, isn’t it? Your mother used to carry him in exactly the same way – before his stuffing fell out.’

‘She had him restuffed and gave him to me,’ Aphrael said. ‘I guess I’m supposed to carry him around, though I can’t for the life of me think why. I’d really much rather have a baby goat.’

‘This is something important, I take it?’

‘Yes. I had a long talk with the others.’

His mind shied away from the implications contained in that simple statement. ‘What did they say?’

‘They weren’t really very nice, father. They’re all blaming me for what happened in Zemoch. They wouldn’t even listen to me when I tried to tell them that it was all your fault.’

‘My fault? Thanks.’

‘They’re not going to help at all,’ she continued, ‘so it’s going to be up to you and me, I’m afraid.’

‘We’re going to go fix the world? All by ourselves?’

‘It’s not really all that difficult, father. I’ve made some arrangements. Our friends will begin arriving very soon. Act as if you’re surprised to see them, and then don’t let them leave.’

‘Are they going to help us?’

‘They’re going to help me, father. I’ll need them around me when I do this. I’m going to need a great deal of love to make it work. Hello, mother.’ She said it without even turning towards the door.