For some reason a vivid image came into my mind from my past-dream of the weapons emerging slowly from the opening under the Skylake. But I looked at Dameon, knowing his empathy would tell him that I was addressing him, and said, ‘Tell me what you learned of Dragon when you were in the Westland. I know that Dell saw that she had been there in a vision, but did she see what Dragon had been seeking?’

‘She said Dragon was seeking her past,’ Dameon answered.

I frowned and turned my attention to Analivia. ‘You heard no rumour of her when you travelled to Sawlney?’

Analivia shook her head. ‘But why do you ask about her? Has she some part to play in this as well?’

‘The futuretellers saw us together in the Red Land and I am sure you have heard that she is its rightful queen,’ I said.

Analivia shook her head impatiently. ‘You wish to know what to do next, but surely the answer is simple. The voice will tell us. Either through the wolf or it will speak to you directly.’

Her words told me that neither she nor any of the others, even Swallow, truly understood the nature and complexity of my quest. None of them had any idea of how long I had been travelling along the road to get to this point, nor of how many others had travelled that same road before me, labouring to ensure that I would fulfil my quest. If they were truly to walk that road with me, eventually I would need to tell them about all that Cassy and Hannah had done to prepare the way for me. I would have to tell them of the Govamen compound in Scotia where the Sentinel program had been developed, and of the permanent Sentinel complex that had been established elsewhere. I would have to speak of images of the Great White that I had seen in the Earthtemple, and I would need to explain that Swallow’s ancestor was the Cassy of my past-dreams and had later become the revered Kasanda of Sador. I would have to tell them about Ariel, who was the Destroyer, destined to evoke the dreadful power controlled by Sentinel and the BOT computers if I failed in my quest. And I would need to tell them of the roles played by Maruman and Gahltha.

There was so much to be imparted that it exhausted me merely to think of it, and despite the revelations of the last hour, my habit of secrecy was so deeply ingrained that I was drained from fighting my own reluctance.

A movement caught my eye and I looked around to see Ahmedri striding towards me, arms piled high with what looked to be apple-sized balls of mud. He bent to set down his burden then gave me a challenging look.