in walk the road that leads to the Limbreth, to be blessed by the Jewels.’

      ‘Your legends leave little hope for us to get through the Gate.’

      ‘Legends do not always tell all there is to know.’

      ‘The innmaster’s cellar was cooler than this place.’ Chess broke the conversation. ‘I liked being down there during the day. Usually he left me alone down there for all the hot light time. I wish I were there now.’

      ‘Hush!’ Jace rebuked him. ‘At least we’re together now. And we have a friend.’

      The silence that followed weighed awkwardly on Vandien. He fumbled in the darkness, found the loaves of bread and the dried fish. ‘I brought food,’ he announced in a falsely hearty voice. ‘I thought you might be hungry.’

      Chess immediately reached for a loaf and broke an end off. He was already nibbling at it while Jace took a piece of salt fish from Vandien’s hand. He heard her sniff at it cautiously.

      ‘What is this made from? I do not mean to seem ungrateful, but it smells spoiled.’

      ‘Let me see it.’ Vandien nibbled a piece off, swallowed it. Immediately his drink-soured stomach offered it back to him, but he managed to keep his throat closed. After a moment’s struggle, ‘It’s fine,’ he managed. ‘Smoked a little heavily for my taste, but good river fish. This spring’s catch, or so the monger claimed.’

      ‘You ate a fish?’ It was Chess’s shocked voice coming in the brooding silence. ‘You ate a moving, alive thing?’ There was horror in the voice, and hurt.

      ‘Such is our custom.’ It sounded stiff, even to Vandien. But how could he have known that there were Humans who ate like Dene, refusing all food that didn’t grow from a root? Vandien heard a scuffling as Chess crept to his mother’s side.

      ‘He’s as horrid as the rest of them,’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘As bad as the innmaster … who sometimes did not leave me alone in the cellar.’

      To Vandien the stuffy little coop was suddenly as cold and dank as some evil well. ‘I …’ he choked. ‘Among our people, it is not a custom … not acceptable to force … never a child …’ He could find no words of defense and his own bile rose at what Chess had implied. Soured Alys and acid scorched the back of his throat. He wished he could be sick, alone somewhere. But he could not open the door and let light fall on them. He breathed deep, his lips and eyes tight. He heard Jace whispering words of comfort to her son, but for his own soul there was no comfort. He got up, paced two steps and flung himself into the far corner of the coop. ‘I am sorry.’ Empty words. ‘There will always be those who prey on the defenseless. There will always be the occasional one who is twisted, a disgrace to the whole species.’

      ‘Not in my world.’ Jace’s voice was firm now, but Vandien sensed the thinness of her control. ‘Not in my land. I hunger so for its peace now. This is horror and evil beyond my wildest fears. My Chess will have much to forget. If he can. I know I cannot.’