“Yes, I came this way. Now, follow me.”

It was an easy climb. Easier than what faced them on the other side. Storm was glad of the moon’s light as she stumbled and scuffed through tangled plants and rubble. Bamboo grew head-high but someone had beaten a winding path through its stems.

They had only travelled a few paces when Mer stopped. “We can talk here.” They were in a small clearing, just large enough for two people to stand face to face. “Promise me!” said Mer without any preamble. “Promise that you won’t ever work for Talon against the people!”

Storm winced: the other girl’s passion was like a furnace blast. “Slow down! First, you tell me why you hate him so much. You’re from the Fifteen. Your family is rich. Why do you care?”

“Have you seen the poverty on this island? The desperation of the people? You’ve been spending too much time with Betaan!” Mer’s voice was scathing. “You have no idea how much it has cost me, pretending to be her friend. At least she’s so self-obsessed that it was easy to trick her into thinking I actually like her. She expects everyone to fall at her feet in adoration!”

“All right,” said Storm. “Maybe you aren’t as selfish as Talon and his daughter, but you can’t tell me this isn’t personal. If you want me to trust you – to be open about my plans – tell me why you are working against your own kind.”

Mer hesitated, eyes narrowed. Then she shrugged. “It is personal. They killed my father.”

“Who did?”

“Talon and that unnatural demon, Waffa!”

“The tally-keeper?”

“My mother.”

Storm rubbed her nose, hard, waiting for the shock to lessen. There was no physical resemblance between the sour-faced Waffa and graceful, tall Mer, but now that Mer was no longer acting a part Storm could see a similar ruthlessness in the daughter’s eyes. “Your mother murdered your father?”

“She betrayed him to his death. For profit!” Mer’s lip curled. “The Fifteen would eat their own children if there was enough profit in it. When I was small the old chief councillor died, and my father decided to compete with Talon for leadership of the Pact.

“He was an honourable man, my da. Which did not make him popular with the Fifteen. He saw that the ordinary people of Bellum were growing rebellious. Our island’s makers were dying off and the Pact did not bother to organise apprenticeships for the newly Chosen. ‘Why go to the bother?’ they asked, ‘when we get all the goods we need from other islands?’ Even the fisher-folk were no longer going out with their nets. The Fifteen grew richer and richer while every year the people became poorer and more resentful. My father foresaw trouble and wanted to guide the Pact into a new path – one of sharing wealth and power.”