‘Well, I had better go. Again my thanks for the gifts,’ I said rising. Then another thought came to me. ‘I don’t suppose any of your people have lately dreamed of Miryum or Straaka.’

The futureteller frowned. ‘I recollect there were one or two dreams a while back, an’ I might have missed more recent entries that refer to them. What makes ye ask?’

I told her the whole of what Bruna had said of Straaka and Miryum and she looked intrigued. ‘I have never communed with the spirit of a dead person. I would not have thought it possible. But mayhap the tribeswoman misunderstood what th’ Temple guardian told her. Maybe the seer saw that a past-dream would come to ye of Straaka, which would reveal what happened to him an’ Miryum.’

Ceirwan had made a similar suggestion and all at once I felt relieved, certain they were right. In truth I had no desire to seek out the dreamtrails, given Atthis’s warnings, and especially not without Maruman to guide and guard me. Gahltha could have served as a guardian in the old cat’s absence, of course, but he had not Maruman’s gifts in that strange realm.

‘Just the same, I would be glad if you would try scrying for Miryum again,’ I said. ‘It is hard to imagine she could be anyone’s captive all this time without any of your guild seeing it, but you said yourself futuretellers do not see everything.’

Maryon nodded thoughtfully.

I went to the door, turning as I opened it to say, ‘There is one other thing. It is only idle curiosity but I have been wondering what you foresaw that made you change your mind about allowing Jacob Obernewtyn’s tomb to be opened.’

Maryon laid aside her sewing and rose. ‘I had a past-dream of Jacob Obernewtyn puttin’ th’ journal into th’ grave,’ she said simply.

I stared at her. ‘You saw his face? What did he look like?’

The futureteller tilted her head, thinking. ‘He was a tall, lean, slightly bent man with grey hair and a kindly, much-lined face. He spoke a few words to himself as he closed the tomb. He had a strong highland accent.’

‘What did he say?’ I asked, curiously.

‘He asked Hannah to forgive him,’ the futureteller answered.

I nodded and went out, shamed by how relieved I was to close a door between us.

‘Any news of Maruman?’ Ceirwan asked when I farsent him to say I was leaving the Futuretellers hall. He had finished his midmeal with Freya and was on his way back to the Farseekers hall.