The Last Of The Sky Pirates Part 4

Partifule nodded and lowered his head. aI have already come closer to the Twilight Woods than I like.a He looked up ahead at the line of trees, bathed in their alluring half-light, which signified the end of the Mire and the beginning of the treacherous woods. aEven at this distance, the twilight glow fills my head with the strangest visions a and voices aa He shook his head. aAnd for a waif, that is dangerous indeed.a aGo, then,a said Magda. aAnd thank you.a aYes, thank you, Partifule,a said Rook.

The pair of them turned to Stob. aThanks,a he muttered. Partifule nodded to each of them in turn. aAhead of you lies great danger. But you will not be alone. There is a guide waiting for you in the Eastern Roost. He is one of the greatest and bravest of us all. You will be in good hands, believe me.a He turned away, tears welling in his dark eyes. His ears fluttered. aEarth and Sky be with you,a he said softly. aFarewell.a As they approached the tally-hut, Rook could see the road ahead disappearing into the Twilight Woods. It s.h.i.+mmered and swayed, as if under water, before losing itself in the miasmic gloom beyond. Where it did so, Rook noticed that the very construction of the road seemed to alter.

It became narrow beyond the tally-hut, and the bal.u.s.trades seemed to be closer together. They curved up like the bars of a cage. Above, there were two long cables a" one on each side of the road a" slung through great hanging hoops and snaking off into the distance.

The gnokgoblins emerged from the tally-hut with lengths of rope, which they threw over the cable-hooks above their heads. Then they attached both ends to their belts.

aKnot them firmly!a screeched a shryke guard, looking on. aAnd keep moving, if you know whatas good for you.a Alone amongst the creatures of the Edge, shrykes were impervious to the effects of the treacherous forest. Their double eyelids ensured that its seductive visions had no power over them. It was this immunity which had enabled them to build the Great Mire Road, and now meant that any who crossed the Twilight Woods were dependent on the callous and unpredictable bird-creatures for safe pa.s.sage.

aNext!a came the rasping voice of a tally-hen from the hut.

Rook, Stob and Magda got down from the cart and entered the hut. A large speckled tally-hen sat in the dimly lit interior behind an ornately carved lectern. She looked up.

aThree is it?a she squawked. aThatall be nine gold pieces for the rope and three more for the cart. Hurry up, hurry up! Havenat got all day aa Magda paid and the shryke handed them each a length of rope from a sack hanging from the side of the lectern, and a sc.r.a.p of barkpaper with a symbol scrawled on it in brown ink.

aFor the cart!a she snapped as Rook took it gingerly from her talons. aNext!a Outside, a shryke guard met them and s.n.a.t.c.hed the barkpaper from Rook. She examined it with unblinking yellow eyes, handed it back and clicked her bone-flail. A second shryke appeared and climbed up into the driveras seat. With a vicious snap of the reins, she drove the hammelhorn on. The wagon clattered off along the timbered road and into the Twilight Woods in a cloud of glittering dust.

aCentral Market, Holding Pens,a squawked the guard. aItall be waiting for you there.a She jerked her head to one side. aWell, what are you waiting for?a Magda stepped forward. She flung her rope up into the air and over the cable-hook. Stob and Rook followed suit. Rook flushed crimson as he fumbled with his leash-rope, making the knots round his belt as tight as possible.

aTie them firmly!a commanded the guard. aAnd keep moving.a With a deep breath Rook plunged into the rippling twilight after the others. He felt the rope go taut and tug on him. Straining with exertion, he pushed on; the hook, rasping on the cable above, like a leadwood anchor-weight, pulling him back. Every movement was an effort. Every step, an achievement.

He struggled after the other two. Up ahead, the gnokgoblins laboured with their handcarts, their ropes swaying as they pulled at them. Behind him, Rook could see a small group of cloddertrogs milling round the tally-hut.

aKeep moving!a screeched the guard behind him. aIf one stops, you all stop! Any hold-ups and youall be cut loose! Remember!a Rook pressed resolutely on. Soon his lungs were on fire, his legs ached and he found himself gulping in the thick, humid air as fast as he could. His head was swimming, and everything swayed and swirled in front of his eyes. I canat keep going! he thought, fear churning in the pit of his stomach.

Behind him, the cloddertrogs panted and groaned. In front, Stobas back s.h.i.+mmered, sometimes close, sometimes impossibly far away. Then, just as Rook thought he was going to faint with exhaustion and be trampled on by the following cloddertrogs, the panic and fatigue suddenly seemed to disappear. He felt strength returning to his limbs. The rope seemed less like an anchor and more like a string holding a balloon. A sense of elation began to course through his body.

It was, Rook thought, like being immersed in a pool of warm, golden water which swirled round his body and made him feel oddly buoyant. It poured into his ears, his eyes, his nose, drowning out the grunts and groans of the cloddertrogs and turning the toasted-almond scented air to s.h.i.+mmering liquid. And when he went to speak, it filled his mouth with forgotten tastes of his earliest childhood, before the slave-takers had stolen his parents away a" oak-flake rusks, smoky woodbee honey, delberry linctus a There were voices too, calling from the shadowy depths. aCome,a they called, their honeyed tones matching the thick, dappled light. aRook. Rook!a Rook trembled. That voice, so familiar a He felt his throat aching with loss, with longing. aMother?a he said tremulously. aIs that you?a The woods swallowed up his words. Ahead of him, he was dimly aware of Stob waving his arms and laughing hysterically, and of Magdaas great, gulping sobs. aKeep moving,a he told himself. aKeep moving.a Rook tried to clear his mind, to ignore the voices and just look ahead a" but the Twilight Woods seemed to have a hypnotic hold over him that he could not shake free.

He found himself looking into the endless expanse of golden forest. The trees, sparkling with a strange sepia dust, creaked and groaned with age as the soft, warm breeze stirred their branches. The air twisted and sighed. Something a" or someone a" flitted between the shadowy tree-trunks.

All at once a strange, spectral figure was emerging from the gloom. Rook stared with fascinated horror as it approached the road. Mounted on a prowlgrin, the apparition wore the tarnished antique armour of an ancient Knight Academic. It was as if an ill.u.s.tration in one of the library scrolls had come to life. The gauges and pipes, bolts and levers covering the rusting armour were all there; even in the twilight Rook could make them out quite clearly. He reached out and tapped Stob on the shoulder.

aDo you see it?a Rook called. Stob kept on walking and made no reply. Rook hurried after him. aA Knight Academic! Stob! Out there in the woods! Heas getting closer!a aShut up and keep moving!a Stob growled back. aOr a shryke guard will cut you loose. You heard what they said.a aHeas right, Rook,a Magda called back. Her voice was thick from crying. aItall soon be over if we just keep moving and donat lose our heads.a Rook glanced back; the knight had vanished. He could hear m.u.f.fled sighs and taunting whispers and, whichever way he looked, he caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye a" though when he tried to focus in on it, the movement ceased and he saw nothing.

Was anything real in the Twilight Woods? he wondered. Or was it inhabited solely by phantasms and ghosts a" the spirits of those who had fallen victim to the seductive charms of the dimly lit forest?

Just then there was a loud crash. One of the gnokgoblinsa handcarts had overturned, sending its cargo of metal pots clattering and clanging across the narrow road. The group came to a halt, twisting round on their leash-ropes as they attempted to right the cart and rescue its spilt contents. Soon they were all hopelessly tangled, and shouting at each other.

aTurn this way, Morkbuff!a wheezed their elderly leader. aYou, Pegg! Help him out a No, not like that!a Magda, Stob and Rook came to a halt a few strides away. Behind them, the cloddertrogs approached.

aKeep moving!a they bellowed. aWe canat!a Rook called back. aOr weall get caught up with that lot.a He pointed at the tangle of goblins.

Another handcart crashed over.

aSomebody do something!a shouted Stob above the din.

aThatas really helpful!a said Magda. aWhat do you suggest?a Around them, the Twilight Woods seemed to be listening. From the shadows, Rook was aware of movement. The Knight Academic reappeared.

aLook,a he whispered excitedly to the other two. aHeas back.a They followed Rookas gaze.

aHeas not the only one,a said Stob.

Sure enough, other figures were emerging from the shadowy gloom, as if drawn by the gnokgoblinsa commotion. Rook shuddered. There were ragged, half-dead trogs, skeletal leaguesmen, several desperate-looking goblins, some with missing limbs and many bearing terrible wounds. They stood all round them; hollow-eyed, staring, silent.

The gnokgoblins saw the ghostly crowd they had attracted and fell still. The two groups watched each other in absolute silence; the living and the undead.

Despite the clammy heat, Rook felt icy sweat run over his face, into his eyes, down his back. aThis is a dreadful place,a he whispered.

Suddenly, there came the sound of furious screeching and squawking, and a squadron of shryke guards appeared through the gloom, glittering dust flying in their wake. Just as suddenly, the ghostly apparitions melted back into the woods.

aWhatas going on?a squawked the shrykesa leader, an imposing female with bright yellow plumage and a purple crest. aWhy is no-one moving?a Everybody started talking at once.

aSilence!a roared the shryke, the feathers round her neck ruffling ominously. aTwilight-crazy, the lot of you!a She turned to her second-in-command. aClear this featherless vermin off my road, Magclaw, and get the rest moving!a aYou heard what Sister Featherslash said!a rasped Magclaw, with a click of her bone-flail. aCut them loose! Now!a The gnokgoblins began wailing, and Rook flinched as the shrykes began slas.h.i.+ng at the snarled ropes with their razor-sharp scythes. The ropes fell to the ground. The shrykes chased the weeping goblins into the woods.

aGet moving, the rest of you!a ordered Sister Featherslash. aIam sure youave all got important business in the beautiful Eastern Roost!a She cackled unpleasantly. aIf you ever get there.a Magda, Stob and Rook set off quickly.

aI donat care what the Eastern Roost is like, it canat be worse than this,a said Magda. aCan it?a aJust keep moving,a said Stob. aAnd try not to think about it.a Rook looked back over his shoulder. In the eerie, dappled light, the elderly gnokgoblin was sitting on a tree-root, waving his arms and protesting loudly to thin air.

ut of the swirling twilight loomed a lufwood tree, so enormous that a gateway had been tunnelled through the middle of its vast trunk. It straddled the road, separating the Twilight Woods from the Eastern Roost beyond. High up, above the arched entrance, the cable to which the leash-ropes were attached came to an end.

Two shryke guards stood sentry, one on either side of the gateway. aUntie your ropes!a one of them commanded harshly as Magda, Stob and Rook approached.

They quickly did as they were told. Already, the cloddertrogs were arriving behind them.

aProceed by the Lower Levels to the Central Market!a barked the other guard. aThe upper roosts are for shrykes onlya Her yellow eyes glinted menacingly. aYou have been warned!a Rookas head was beginning to clear as the strange, penetrating atmosphere of the Twilight Woods released its grip. He squinted into the gloom beyond the Lufwood Gate.

The first thing that struck him was the smell. Beneath the roasting pinecoffee and sizzling tilder sausages, beneath the odours and scents, of leatherware, incense and the greasy smell of oil lamps, there was another smell. A rank and rancid smell. A smell that, as the wind stirred, grew more pungent, then less a" but never faded completely.

Rook s.h.i.+vered.

aWeare going to be fine,a Magda whispered, and squeezed his hand rea.s.suringly. aIf we all stick together. We must head for the Central Market.a Rook nodded. It wasnat only his sense of smell which had become so acute. After the sensory deprivation and confusion of the Twilight Woods, his senses were blazing. The air felt greasy, dirty. He could taste it in his mouth. His ears heard every screech, every squeal; every barked order and crack of the whip a" every heartrending cry of despair. And as for his eyes a aIave never seen anything like it,a Rook muttered, as they started along one of a series of walkways strung out between the trees, which led deeper and deeper into the thronging city.

Lights. Colour. Faces. Movement a Everywhere he looked, Rook was bombarded by a confusing ma.s.s of strange and disturbing sights. It was like a great patchwork quilt which, as he pa.s.sed through it, threw up image after individual image.

A caged banderbear. A chained vulpoon. Tethered rotsuckers. Betting posts and gambling tables. Itinerants hawking lucky charms. A pair of shrykes, their flails clacking. Two more a" one armed with a great studded club. An animated argument between a gnokgoblin and a cloddertrog. A lost woodtroll, screaming for its mother. Leather dealers, paper merchants, chandlers and coopers. Refreshment stalls selling snacks and beverages that Rook didnat even know existed. What was a wood-toad shake? Or a hot-bod? And what in Skyas name might gloamglozer tea taste of?

aItas this way,a he heard Stob saying, pointing up at a painted sign above their heads.

They descended three flights of rickety steps, zigzagging downwards until they arrived at a bustling walkway in the trees. Burdened with its heavy load of merchants and marketeers, goblins, trogs and trolls streaming in both directions, the walkway dipped and bounced, creaking ominously as it swayed. Rook gripped the safety-rail anxiously.

aDonat look down,a Magda whispered, sensing Rookas nervousness.

But Rook couldnat help himself. He peered down into the depths below. Three levels beneath him, in the dark, acrid gloom, was the forest floor. It s.h.i.+mmered and writhed as if the earth itself were somehow alive. With a jolt, Rook realized that that was precisely what it was a" for the forest floor was a living ma.s.s of tiny orange creatures.

aWig-wigs,a he muttered uneasily.

Although head never seen one before, Rook had read about them in Varis Loddas treatise on banderbears. They hunted in huge packs and could devour a creature as big as a banderbear in an instant a" flesh, hair, bones, tusks; everything. Rook shuddered as it occurred to him that this vast city in the trees a" the Eastern Roost a" must provide an abundance of food for so many bloodthirsty scavengers to have congregated underneath. Giddy with foreboding, he gripped the rail tightly.

aCome on, knife-grinder,a said Stob nastily. aWe donat have time for sightseeing.a He pushed Rook roughly in the back and strode off along the walkway. Magda and a trembling Rook followed.

As the Central Market drew closer, the walkway grew broader a" though no less congested. It became louder than ever and, with all the constant coming and going and general milling about, the three librarian apprentices were hard pushed to fight their way through.

aStick together,a Stob called back as he reached the narrow entrance to the market.

aEasier said than done,a Magda grumbled, as the surging crowd threatened to separate them. aHold my hand, Stob,a she said. aAnd you, too, Rook.a With Stob in front, the three of them forged onwards. The gateway came closer. They were shuffling now, with bodies all round them, pressing in tightly. Through the archway and a inside.

Rook took a deep breath as the crowd released its grip. He looked round at the others and smiled. They had made it to the Central Market.

Built on a platform which was supported by a scaffolding of trees, sawn off where they stood, the Central Market was open to the elements. The starry canopy looked almost close enough to touch as the stars s.h.i.+mmered in the heat thrown off by the braziers and spits.

Rook took out the sc.r.a.p of barkpaper the shryke had given them and examined it.

aNow what?a said Stob, looking around.

aWe find the cart,a said Magda, aand then aa aYes?a said Stob meanly.

aOne thing at a time,a said Magda, frowning and looking around. aOver there, I think.a They made their way across the bustling Central Market. There was everything there, and more a" stuffed, pickled, roasted and tanned; woven, gilded and carved. They pa.s.sed slaughterers with their hammelhorn enclosures and overflowing displays of leatherwear; woodtrolls at their timber stalls and goblin tinkers and ironmongers, all bargaining, bartering and hawking their wares. And as they got close to the Holding Pens, they became aware also of the constant flow of shryke-driven carts and heavy wagons arriving from the Twilight Woods. The drivers waved flaming torches to ward off the wig-wigs before climbing the swaying ramp that snaked up to the Central Market platform where the wagon owners waited anxiously by the stalls.

Rook stared in amazement at the sprawling Holding Pens before him. The atmosphere was urgent a" and smelly. A vast sea of carts and wagons, and pack-animals tugging on their leashes, guarded by burly, sullen shrykes, was waiting to be reclaimed. The air resounded with discordant cries and voices raised in protest.

aBut half my cargo has been stolen!a shouted a gnokgoblin.

aIave lost two hammelhorns!a a cloddertrog complained.

aShryke tax!a laughed one of the guards. aPerhaps youad like to take your wagon through the Twilight Woods yourself next time? No? Didnat think so!a She cackled unpleasantly.

aTypical shryke robbery,a moaned a goblin as he barged past Rook. aJust acause theyare not affected by the Twilight Woods, they think they can rob us blind!a Magda matched a sign above one of the pens with the scrawl on the barkpaper. aHere!a she shouted excitedly to the other two. aOver here!a Stob and Rook joined her as she presented the paper to a scruffy, bored-looking shryke leaning against a fencepost.

aOver there,a said the shryke, waving a talon.

In the corner of the pen was a small, broken-down cart with a thin, ill-looking prowlgrin in harness.

aBut thatas not our cart,a Magda protested. aOurs was a four-seater, pulled by a hammelhorn aa aTake it or leave it,a sneered the shryke. She yawned and inspected her talons.

aTheyall take it, mistress. A thousand thank-yous,a came a squeaky voice. A small, tatty shryke-mate stepped forward and took Magda by the arm.

aButa"a said Magda.

aNo buts, my child,a squeaked the shryke-mate. aWe have urgent business, and we mustnat take up any more of the generous mistressas valuable time.a He bowed low to the shryke guard and ushered Magda away. The other two followed.

aWhatas the big idea?a said Stob, grabbing the shryke-mateas puny wing and pulling the grasping talons from Magdaas arm.

The shryke-mate cringed. aA thousand apologies,a he whispered. aBut we canat speak here. Itas too dangerous. Follow me.a He reached inside his filthy tunic and flashed a bloodoak-tooth pendant at Stob, before turning and hurrying into the crowd.

aWait for us!a said Stob. aCome on, you two. Stop dithering! You heard what the shryke said.a Magda and Rook exchanged quizzical glances before following Stob as he pushed through the crowd after the small, scruffy figure of the shryke-mate.

They caught up with him by a stall in the slaughterers area. Everything a" from tooled amulets, breast-plates and leather gauntlets, to great hanging carcases of hammelhorn, woodhog and tilder a" was on offer. Stob stood at the middle of it all, scratching his head and looking round.

aHe was here one second and gone the next,a he muttered angrily. aHey, you there!a he said, turning to a short, flame-haired slaughterer who was laying out smoked tilder hams on a nearby table. aDid you see him? A mangy little shryke-mate aa The slaughterer turned his back on Stob and looked right and left furtively.

aI saida"a Stobas voice was raised in anger.

aI heard what you said,a the slaughterer replied softly, without turning. aYouall find Hekkle round the back, behind the curtain. And donat let appearances deceive you.a Stob pushed rudely past the slaughterer and pulled aside the leather curtain at the back of the stall to reveal a small concealed chamber behind. Magda and Rook went with him.

aThank you,a whispered Rook as they pa.s.sed the slaughterer.

aGood luck,a came the gruff reply.

Sitting by a small lufwood stove on a tilderskin rug was the shryke-mate. As the curtain fell back into place, the flames of the burning lufwood bathed everything in a soft purple glow.

aPlease, my brave and intrepid friends,a said the shryke, abe seated. We must hurry, for every moment you spend here in the Eastern Roost your lives are in danger.a aWell, this place of yours looks nice and cosy,a said Stob, casually reaching out to stroke a hammelhornskin wall-hanging. As his fingers touched the fur, it instantly bristled, becoming as sharp as needles to the touch. aOuch!a he cried out in alarm.

aDonat be fooled,a said the shryke. aThere are shryke guards all around us, and they raid the lower roosts constantly on the look-out for contraband or aa He hesitated. aSpies.a Rook gulped. Was that what they were to these terrifying feathered creatures? He remembered the terrible cages on the Mire road and suddenly felt very weak.

aAre you the guide we were told would meet us?a asked Magda.

Stob, sucking his finger, looked at the shryke-mate with open contempt.

aIndeed I am, most merciful mistress, indeed I am,a trilled the shryke-mate. aMy name is Hekkle, and you do me a thousand honours to allow me to serve you.a aYes, yes,a said Stob. aBut if weare in danger, why are we standing around here?a aPatience, brave master,a said Hekkle, rummaging in a large trunk in the corner, aand I will explain everything.a Rook dropped to his knees. His head felt strangely light, and the lufwood glow was making him sleepy.

aThe Eastern Roost is a closed city, my brave friends,a said Hekkle, pulling a bundle of dark robes from the trunk and laying them out. aFor visitors, there is only one way in and one way out and that, as you have seen, is by the eastern Lufwood Gate. The Undertown merchants a" such as you pretend to be a" arrive, sell their wares and return on the Great Mire Road back to Undertown, bearing the goods from the Deepwoods they have bought in the Central Market.a aSo, how do we get out of this accursed city and into the Deepwoods?a asked Stob impatiently.

aOnly shrykes may leave or enter the Eastern Roost on the Deepwoods side of the city,a Hekkle continued. aThat way merciful master, the Shryke Sisterhood controls all the trade between Undertown and the Deepwoods settlements. Itas beautifully simple. The shrykes buy goods from the Deepwoods and bring them into the Roost, where they trade them for Undertown goods, which they use to buy more Deepwoods goods a" thus making a profit from Undertowners and Deepwooders alike. That is why there is no way through the Eastern Roost for anyone who isnat a shryke.a aSo, youare saying weare trapped here?a said Magda, a hint of panic in her voice. aThat the only way out is back to Undertown the way we came?a aNo, not quite, merciful mistress,a said Hekkle, returning to the trunk.

aThen how do we get out of the Roost and into the Deepwoods?a Stob persisted.

aSimple,a said Hekkle, turning round. aIf only shrykes are permitted to leave by the western Deepwoods Gate, then you shall become shrykes!a He held up three crude feathered masks, each with a curved, serrated beak and black staring eye-sockets.

aYou canat be serious,a scoffed Stob. aItall never work!a aOh, but it has before,a said Hekkle, his voice suddenly serious and with a brittle, harsh edge to it. aAnd it will again.a Looking at the three earnest faces in front of him, he suddenly laughed. aYou, my fine brave friends, will be sooth-sisters a" the venerated priestesses of the Golden Nest. Here are your robes.a He held up the heavy black garments, plain and drab compared to the gaudy costumes most shrykes loved. aAnd here are your masks.a He handed them each a feathered head-dress. aHurry now. Time is short.a They put Hekkleas costumes on over their merchantsa clothes, fastening up the robes at the front and securing the masks on their heads. Hekkle slipped out of the room, returning a moment later with a burnished milk-wood mirror.

Rook turned and looked at himself. In the heavy robes and ornate mask he looked the part a" but for one thing. aBut, Hekkle,a he began, his voice m.u.f.fled beneath the beaked mask. aThe eyes. Surely our eyes will give us away. I mean, look. Theyare not yellow, or fierce-looking, ora"a aSilly me, oh merciful master,a laughed Hekkle. aI was forgetting. Here, take these. No self-respecting sooth-sister would dream of appearing in public without them.a He handed Rook a pair of spectacles with thick, black lenses. Rook put them on over his mask with difficulty, and clipped the nose-piece onto the false beak.

aBut I canat see a thing!a he protested. aOf course not,a chuckled Hekkle indulgently. aSooth-sisters only permit themselves to look upon the clutch of eggs in the Golden Nest, laid by the Roost Mother herself. The rest of the time, they wear spectacles of coal-gla.s.s to blot out impure sights.a aBut if we canat seea"a began Rook.

aThatas what Iam here for,a said Hekkle, bowing low. aI shall be your guide. All sooth-sisters have them a" at the end of a golden chain. But I must warn you.a Hekkle was suddenly solemn again, the harsh edge back in his voice. aOn no account are you to remove the spectacles. Just keep silent, and trust me. For if we are caught, the penalty for impersonating a shryke a" and a sooth-sister at that a" is terrible indeed, brave friends.a aWhat is it?a Stob asked, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.

aRoasting,a said Hekkle simply. aRoasting alive, on a spit in the Central Market. Now, letas go.a When Rook thought back to the ensuing journey to the Deepwoods Gate of the Eastern Roost, he could scarcely believe he had survived the terrifying experience. The sound of his own breathing inside the mask, the inky blackness of the coal-gla.s.s spectacles and the noises of the upper roosts a" unfamiliar, and all the more sinister for that a" haunted him in dreams for months afterwards. They were climbing, climbing, constantly climbing. Even inside the mask, Rook sensed the air becoming fresher the higher they went. The cacophony of the lower roosts receded, to be replaced with the strange disturbing calls of the shrykes promenading along the upper walkways. There were coos, shrieks, and odd staccato throat-throbbings which built up to a sudden hooting scream.

aSteady,a whispered Hekkle, leading them on the end of his golden chain, like a tame lemkin. aThe sisters are just singing to one another. Nothing to worry about.a But the sounds made Rookas blood run cold. How long had they been walking? In his growing panic it seemed like hours a" although it could only have been minutes; half an hour at the most. He wanted to ask Hekkle, but he knew that it would be madness to utter so much as a single word. Behind him, Stob trod on the backs of his heels, and Rook bit his lip hard.

aSteady, your gracious holinesses,a cooed Hekkle, then, in a louder voice, aMake way for the sooth-sisters! Make way!a Rook was aware of the clattering of claws on the wooden walkway as respectful shryke-matrons moved aside.

aGive our blessings to the Golden Nest,a came a harsh shryke voice.

aMay the egg-clutch prosper, sisters,a came another.

aFruitful hatching!a The calls sounded all round them. Rookas heart was thumping like a hammer. He battled to control his churning stomach and the panic rising in his throat.