Her mind-voice muttered irritably: The song of the ke-ke should be a rare gift from the Tortoise, chanced upon in a forest glade. She longed to open the cages and let the birds fly free, but she did not dare. Instead, Storm stared at the half-eaten pastry in front of her and felt slightly sick. It was time.

“Have more tea!” Betaan poured perfumed liquid into their cups. It was delicious, but Storm had drunk four cups, eaten three and a half pastries.

“You must excuse me.” She rose to her feet. “Please, don’t get up. I will return shortly, but I am feeling slightly unwell. The latrine…”

“Ah, poor you,” cried Betaan. “Not used to rich food, I suppose. Landlady!” At once, the old woman who ran the tea shop appeared, hands clasped tightly.

“Yes, Mistress?” The old woman bowed deeply, then, as if fearing she had not been obsequious enough, bowed even lower.

“Show my friend to the necessary! Guard, go with her.” Betaan motioned to the woman guard, and Storm kept her face frozen in an apologetic smile to hide her disappointment. Well, she had not expected it to be easy.

“Left down the street and along to the city wall, Honoured Mistress,” the shop owner said, pointing out of the doorway of her tea shop with a long, tea-stained fingernail.

“If you will lead, Mistress.” The guard motioned to Storm.

“Oh,” Storm said, with a helpless smile. “The city is so big and scary. I would prefer to follow you, Tolbar, if you don’t mind.”

The guard stared at her, obviously disconcerted that Storm had called her by her name. “Um, if you want.” For a moment, she looked like a person instead of a function. Then the mask dropped: “Just keep close!”

“I will.” Storm felt guilty already. Would the woman be punished? But she had to meet Lake, and this was the only way…

The street was long, twisting, and crowded. At first, Tolbar kept turning around to make sure that Storm was at her heels, but soon the checks became less frequent. As they neared a crossroads where two alleys led in opposite directions, Storm dropped further back. The ever-present crowd thickened around them helpfully. Tolbar continued past the crossroads, but Storm darted into the left-hand passage and ran for her life. She prayed to the Ancestors that the guard would not look back for a few breaths yet, and that when she did, the crowd would delay her search. Please! Storm prayed. Let her choose the right-hand alley! And then she was too busy dodging past strangers and trying to remember the way to the main square to think of anything else.

The Merry Whale was an old twisted timber building on a narrow street a few hundred paces from the main square. Storm had had to ask three people for directions before she found it.