A long silence. Then, “Be a good day to ride out and visit the locals,” Grim said. “Sun shining and all. Might be more forthcoming than these monks.”

“They might and they might not. It’s too soon to go to the settlements; we haven’t decided when to hold the ritual yet, or where. And I do need time to prepare myself. You walk up and have a look at what needs doing at St. Olcan’s first. If the job turns out to be too much for one man, or too much to do by midsummer, then tell them so.”

“If that’s what you want.”

My sigh was no doubt audible to him. “It would be useful. In several ways. You’re a good listener, and there may be someone up there who can give us some insights. St. Olcan’s has a famous collection of books and manuscripts. It’s full of scholars. And people trust monks; they confide in them. If there’s a written version of the tale about the monster in the tower, it may be in their library somewhere. Or one of the monks may remember it. One of us needs to go in there, make some friends and get chatting, and if anything’s certain, it’s that it won’t be me.”

Grim looked up at last. His expression could only be described as shuttered: the look of a man who does not want you to know what he’s thinking. “Thing is,” he said, “Flannan’s clever. A scholar. Writing a book about old tales, isn’t he? And he’s staying at St. Olcan’s. What’s certain is you’re asking the wrong man.”

“Morrigan’s britches, Grim, what’s got into you? Flannan is nothing to do with this. He just happens to be here at the same time we are. Geiléis didn’t ask him to solve her problem; she asked us.” Not quite accurate, and certainly not fair. I had asked Flannan to talk to the monks; I had told him what it was I needed to know. He just hadn’t brought me any answers, or shown much interest in finding them. “I’m asking you because I trust you to do the job and do it well,” I said. “And I’m not talking about the thatching. I know, and you know, that you could do that standing on your head.”

His mouth twitched in the ghost of a smile. “That’d be a sight to see,” he said.

“So, will you go? Today?”

Another weighty pause. He had stopped eating. “Got to, don’t I?”

“In fact, no. I don’t give you orders; I ask for your help.” This must be the result of that strange episode on the day we arrived; he was afraid the monster’s voice would play havoc with his mind and drive him off the path. And he was too proud to say so. Men could be infuriating. “You should take someone with you.”

“Or I’ll go crazy, even with my ears blocked,” Grim said. “That’s what you think.”

“Lady Geiléis did warn us. On the other hand, we’ve been out and about since then, including our trip to the island, and you’ve shown no signs of losing your mind.”