The Black Raven. Katharine Kerr

gone mad,’ Marka said. ‘It’s been coming on for a long time, but now – it’s – it’s taken him over.’

      Salamander watched the roof spin and tried to think. He could hear Marka and Evandar talking, but their words made no sense. Was he mad, then? Were the marvels he’d been seeing signs of madness and naught more?

      ‘It’s the curse,’ he whispered. ‘When Jill left us she cursed me. That much I can remember.’

      Evandar dropped to one knee next to him and caught his hand.

      ‘Try to remember. Why would Jill –’

      ‘I don’t know. Something about dweomer.’

      The tent spun to match the roof and dropped him into darkness.

      With Kwinto’s help Marka got Ebañy settled, then left the boy there to watch his father and followed Evandar out of the tent. Sun and air had never seemed so wholesome, nor a breeze so clean. Together they walked to the edge of the caravanserai and stood in the shade of the rustling trees. Far below them on its rocks the ocean boomed and hissed.

      ‘Good sir,’ Marka said. ‘You seem to know a lot about all these strange things. Is Jill really working a curse against my husband?’

      ‘Hardly.’ Evandar paused for a short bark of a laugh. ‘She’s dead.’

      Marka felt hot blood rush into her face. She could think of no apology that would matter.

      ‘I’m very very sorry to see your husband in this state,’ Evandar said after a moment. ‘I’ll have to do something about this.’

      ‘Can you help him? Oh, if you only could, I’d – well, I don’t know how we’d repay you, but we do have coin.’

      ‘Hush! No payment needed. I made his father a promise, and I intend to keep it. I can’t cure your husband, no. But I might know someone who can.’

      Marka wept in sheer relief.

      ‘But it’s not going to be such an easy thing,’ Evandar went on. ‘This person is far away in your husband’s homeland. The kingdom of Deverry. Do you know about it?’

      ‘Well, a little. It’s supposed to be a horrible place where everyone’s a barbarian, and all the men carry swords and get drunk and chop each other to pieces.’

      ‘A slight exaggeration.’ Evandar grinned at her. ‘Be that as it may, Deverry’s also a wretchedly long way away, across a mighty ocean and all that, and I’m not truly sure of how we’ll get there, or if she – the person I’m thinking of – can truly heal him once we do.’

      Hope sank and left her exhausted. She rubbed her face with both hands and tried to think.

      ‘My apologies,’ Evandar said. ‘I wish I could offer you a certainty. Although, don’t lose heart! If the person I’m thinking of can’t help, there may be others.’

      ‘If anyone could do something – I’m just so frightened.’

      ‘No doubt. Well, I’ll be off then to see what I can find.’

      Evandar bowed to her, then turned and began to walk toward the cliff’s edge. He stopped and glanced back.

      ‘Take care of my horse, will you?’ he called out. ‘I won’t be needing him.’

      He walked two paces more, then set one foot on the air as if it were as solid as a step, hauled himself up, and disappeared.