Sarn said rather dreamily, ‘I have always wondered about Salamander and what he wants. After slaving and raiding ships for so many years, he must be wealthy beyond the wishful dreams of ordinary men and women, yet still he slaves. Can he truly want more and ever more wealth?’

Tomash said, ‘Maybe he gets the same nasty pleasure as Ariel does out of causing pain to other living things. That is an appetite slaving could feed very well.’

‘I think we would know what Salamander wants if we knew why he hides his face,’ Wila murmured.

‘The White-faced Lords would probably like him if ever they met him, because he wears a mask, too,’ Tomash said.

I stood up and turned my back to the fire to look at them. ‘Perhaps you have hit upon the perfect solution for crossing the Clouded Sea, Tomash,’ I said. ‘Since we are to go to the Spit, why not wait there until one of the slavemasters weighs anchor and coerce him into leading us across the Clouded Sea? Dragon and I could actually move to the slavemaster’s ship and get ashore before anyone realises it. If Dragon can rouse up her people, the slavemasters would then have too much on their hands to worry about four ships sailing in. We will make a point of suggesting it to the guildmerge later today.’

‘I heard that you and Dragon were to travel with the expedition, but I am afraid that everyone is so focused on the final destination that they are underestimating the difficulties you will face at the Spit,’ Sarn said drily. ‘Those who travel there are slave traders first and foremost, whether or not they have other goods to trade. If you want to avoid being seen as potential slaves, you will have to bring your own goods to offer.’

‘I am assuming that those of us who are not shipfolk will pretend to be slaves. In fact that might work perfectly if we coerce a slavemaster, since we can make sure he buys us!’

‘If a slavemaster happens to come in while you are there,’ Sarn said. ‘And you should not discount the difficulties of the journey from here to the Spit. Once the weather worsens, it will be a rough passage. Remember that Maryon spoke of four ships setting out for the Red Land, not of four ships arriving there safely.’

‘I do not make light of any of it, Sarn, but truly there is little we can do about the journey to the Spit, or across the Clouded Sea, for we will all be in the hands of the shipfolk. Do we know how long it will take to make that final crossing?’

Tomash answered. ‘Matthew mentions in one dream that it took Salamander three days in calm seas, so far as he could tell from inside the hold.’

‘All right, let’s move on to what you know of the Red Land,’ I said.