At one point I noticed Ahmedri bent over a scrap of parchment scribing, which puzzled me, given the Gadfian repudiation of scribing and reading. But when I asked what he was doing the tribesman explained that he was making notations from which he would later create a map, for it was clear to him that the maps of his people needed correcting. They showed the mountains we had come through as having an arm that ran north-east, when in fact his own eyes had shown him that the mountains curved right around to run almost directly east where they rose above or maybe even formed the soaring black escarpment that bounded the desert lands of Sador to the eastern coast. The maps also failed to show the width of the Blacklands Range or to clearly identify the great spine of high peaks that ran down the centre of it. Land maps were equally inaccurate, for they showed the other arm of the range curving to the north-west, but in fact the mountains marched almost exactly north, though obviously it would be a mistake to assume that they went on in that way.

‘A mapmaker should never assume,’ the tribesman said severely. ‘Our maps show the whole of the territory beyond the mountains as Blacklands and yet no one can have been there, so why include it? A map should end where knowledge ends. Besides correcting the maps, I will show where clean water can be found and where the observatory and the ancient roads are located, and the valley of the Skylake.’ As he spoke, Ahmedri pointed to the list of lines and cryptic markings he had made on the parchment, showing an enthusiasm and animation I had not so far seen in him.

I felt unexpectedly cheered as I left him to finish his notes, because what purpose could there be in such a map save that it be taken back to the Land? On the other hand, he of all of us had a task that was not connected directly to my quest and which actually required him to return to Sador with his brother’s bones.

At midday, Ahmedri set aside his parchment and he and Swallow went to explore to the north, to see if there might not be another body of water and food fit for humans as well as beasts. Gavyn and Rasial had gone off again to the north soon after sunrise to get more firenuts. The ridgeback still limped though less than she had.

Only Darga, Analivia and I were left in our makeshift camp when Dragon woke in the middle of the afternoon. Swallow and Ahmedri had dragged the travois into shade on the southern side of the rocks when they left, but the sun had moved and we were trying to shift her again when Dragon opened her eyes and squinted up at us in confusion.