What he’d left for me was a little statue, transparent crystal, not very valuable at all, though its long semi-circular eyes were a massed iridescence of tiny points of crystal and jewels. It was heavy, and what made me keep it was the least valuablelooking thing about it—perfect and unwithered in the vacuum of-the statue’s inside was a real flower, not artificial, but a kind I’d never seen before. It had a lot of curved, folded petals like glossy but very soft silk, shading from completely pure white to drowningly deep blue, flat violet leaves, and a central petal folded right over and so fine it was like a bubble with purple veins in it. I couldn’t imagine where he’d go. this statuette, possibly some temple. I wrapped it with the Diary in my cloak, in the inside top pocket he’d never reached, and I hurried on up the glaring cacophonous street.

I came to the inn. It had not been deserted. In fact it was crowded to overflowing. I went in and sat down.

I looked round and wondered who to approach. The tapsters were all busy and would it be stupid to trust them?

There was talk of the eruption, the battle and the dangerous streets. Everyone knew it was the end of an era for the Capital. Presently a big man walked in from outside. He had only red wounds where his eyes had been and he was beserk angry with the world about it. He lurched straight to the long barcounter and with his hand oblivious of cuts swept all the glass tumblers and metal tankards off it to the floor. One of the customers put a hand on his shoulder and he bellowed and turned on him. A free-for-all started, I’ll never know how they do. people are just eager and being the very first is the only thing the’’ don’t like but if someone else will begin they’re fine. The tapsters waded in, clonking everyone on the head with brooms and shoving them outside where the fight continued.

Someone came up to me. “Out of here, girlie.”

“I was doing no harm—and I want to talk to the inn-master.”

“You all do. No, we’ve had enough.”

He hustled me to the door and felt the bulges in my cloak. “Ho, what have we here?”

“Nothing of yours.”

“We have to make sure—” He gaped at the statuette. Then I was very glad I hadn’t cringed and sworn innocence, which is always a temptation when one’s been pushed around as much as I have. He at once leapt to the right conclusion I (though actually the wrong one) and respectfully asked me to sit down again.

“I’m sorry, please forgive me, it’s so easy to suspect the wrong people nowadays. Boss! There’s a lady co see you.”