It was decided that Swallow and I would wait by the fire with Darga and Ahmedri concealed close by. Since we had all come separately or in twos or threes to the mountains, we reasoned that there should be more than one of us waiting in case the man had seen tracks, and since he would be expecting to see me, I must be one of them. Analivia volunteered to go back along the trail and hide in a small cave she remembered noticing on the way up, just beneath the saddle. It would give her an unobstructed view of the long ridgeline leading to the pass, without any risk of being seen. I could farseek her regularly and when she told me that she could see Dragon and the man, Ahmedri and Darga would have plenty of time to conceal themselves. Dameon was to go with Maruman and the horses down to the remnant of the road below the plateau, where they could not be seen from above.

Rasial said that she and Gavyn would go with them. Sensing my surprise, she explained that there was no predicting how the boy would react when he saw the man, and she might be affected enough by the boy’s rage to be compelled to attack. I agreed that they should go with Dameon, though I wondered if she truly was capable of being so affected by Gavyn’s feelings that she would act on them even against her own desires.

The only thing the man should see when he came through the weeping arch was a fire, a man, a woman and a horse. Gahltha had insisted on remaining close by the campsite and we had all agreed it would look suspicious if we had no mounts. Maruman had refused to leave, too, but he was so small that it was unlikely the man would notice him or be troubled if he did.

By the time we had finished making our preparations, the sun had set and the full moon was rising, but fortunately there was a ragged cloud cover that allowed it to show only partially and intermittently. The darker the better, for our plan to work.

Analivia took a bottle of water and some food, and hurried off to take up her position. Although there was no call for him to go at once, Dameon decided he would go down to the road and set up a makeshift camp, since he might be waiting for some time. Ahmedri offered to go down with him and to help him light a fire before doubling back, and the empath accepted his help with thanks, though at the last minute he said, ‘Perhaps I should remain. I could calm this man using empathy.’

‘Better that he should find fewer people here,’ I said firmly. ‘Besides, I am not sure empathy will have much effect on someone whose mind is addled with taint sickness.’