'What happened? Kanseen cried.

'Dear Lady, they are waiting for us. Edeard pulled his perception down to find Dinlay emerging from the end of Macoun Street. 'Stop! Dinlay, for the Lady's sake, I'm begging you. He pushed his tired legs harder, sprinting for the end of the street. Thirty yards.

'I see them, Dinlay replied gleefully. He gifted the squad, who saw the three gang members clustering above one of the moorings. They grinned barbarously. For the first time, there was a pulse of uncertainty in Dinlay's mind. He slowed to a halt, ten yards away, on the edge of the pool. Still the gang members did nothing but wait. 'Stay there, Dinlay told them, taking big gulps of air after his helter-skelter dash, and waving a finger like an ancient schoolmaster dealing with a naughty class. They laughed at him.

Edeard burst out of Macoun Street. Directly to his left was the Outer Circle Canal, with the silver-blue bridge ahead, arching over the side of the pool directly into Golden Park. On his right, the buildings ended to provide a curving alameda round the side of Birmingham Pool. Neat stacks of crates were piled up above the various moorings, with shopkeepers and ge-monkeys sorting out their goods with the gondoliers. Tall weeping hasfol trees formed a long line between the edge of the pool and the alameda $ crescent facade, their blue and yellow tiger-stripe leaves starting to crisp with the end of summer. A lot of pedestrians were strolling around.

'Dinlay, Edeard shouted as he ran as fast as he could towards his isolated squadmate.

Dinlay glanced round, a hand adjusting his glasses.

Arminel stepped out from behind one of the hasfol trees, fifteen yards from Dinlay. He had a revolver in his right hand. Edeard watched helplessly as Dinlay finally realized the danger, and began to turn. Arminel brought the pistol up.

'No! Edeard bellowed at his adversary. 'It's me you want.

Dinlay opened his mouth to cry out in horror.

Arminel fired. He was smiling as he pulled the trigger.

Dinlay's shield wasn't strong enough to ward off a pistol shot. Arminel's aim was excellent. The bullet struck Dinlay in the hip, just below his drosilk waistcoat. Half of the pedestrians around Birmingham Pool yelped at the blast of pain flooding out from Dinlay. Then the vile heat of the bullet's penetration faded rapidly. Dinlay looked down disbelievingly at the blood pumping out of the wound. He collapsed.

Edeard was with him in seconds, falling to his knees, skidding into his limp friend. Dinlay's eyes were wide, he was panting in short gulps, one hand clasped over the bullet hole, skin covered in blood. 'I'm sorry, he whimpered.

A mass of screaming had broken out along the alameda. People were racing for cover. Families hugged each other, cowering away from the gunman.

Right in the centre of all the commotion, Edeard heard the revolver's mechanism snik. He widened his shield to encompass Dinlay. The bullet smacked into his side, shunting them over the rough ground. But his shield held. He snapped his head round to snarl at a disconcerted Arminel. 'Not so fucking easy, is it? he yelled defiantly. Arminel fired again. Edeard groaned in effort as the bullet hit his neck. The shield held. Just. Then someone else fired a shot.

Bastards. I knew this was an ambush.

Amazingly, his shield held. If anything it was easier to maintain now. His heart was pounding hard. Anger had washed every other sensation away, making it simple to concentrate on the shield, to see his mind's power, to channel it correctly.

Two more revolver shots thudded into his shield as he lay there, arms hugging Dinlay protectively. They shunted the pair of them a few inches over the ground, but that was all.

'Die, you little shit, Arminel shouted.

Edeard felt the man's third hand shove against him. He wasn't nearly powerful enough to get through Edeard's shielding. Edeard laughed. Then another third hand was pushing, a third. The three gang members they'd chased joined in. Edeard gasped as he and Dinlay started to slither over the ground.

'Edeard, Kanseen cried.

'Stay back, he commanded.

The gang members gave a final push. Edeard and Dinlay were propelled over the edge of the pool, and dropped three yards into the water. The impact broke Edeard's grip on Dinlay. He thrashed about just under the surface, trying to catch his friend again. Water occluded his farsight, making it difficult to perceive. He just made out Dinlay's wretched thoughts drifting down below him, close to extinction. His own clothes were saturated, weighing him down. It was relatively easy to swim downwards, following Dinlay's slow descent to the bottom of the pool.

'Edeard. Dinlay's thoughts were weakening.

It was dark. Cold. Edeard could make out a shadowy mass, or maybe he was perceiving it. He pushed himself further down, kicking with boots as heavy as lead. His lungs were burning now, making every stroke painful. He would have called the city to help, but he knew it could do nothing. Water was pushing into his nostrils, scaring him.

His hand snagged something. Through the gloom he could see faint dots of light. Dinlay's polished tunic buttons! His fingers groped frantically and he got a grip on some fabric.

Now all I've got to do is get to the surface.

When he tilted his head up, he could see the silver-mirror surface. It seemed a long way above him. And his lungs didn't hurt quite so much any more. His vision was surrounded by red speckling, pulsing in time with his heart. When he kicked his legs they barely moved. His boots were pulling him down.

Oh Lady, help.

Something knocked into his shoulder. His farsight perceived it as a slim black line.

'Edeard, the combined longtalk of Kanseen, Macsen and Boyd shouted at him. 'Edeard, grab the pole. They were a long way off.

The end of the punt thumped into his shoulder again. Edeard seized it. Abruptly he was moving upwards. It was a huge effort not to let go of Dinlay. Then the water was growing brighter.

He broke surface with an almighty gasp of air. Someone jumped in beside him, and held on to Dinlay. They were right beside a mooring platform. Hands clutched at his uniform, and he was hauled on to the planks, coughing and spluttering.

Kanseen's incredibly anxious face loomed large over him. 'Oh Lady. Edeard, are you okay?

He nodded, which set off another bout of coughing. Hands slapped hard on his back as he rolled over onto his side, and vomited up a thin disgusting liquid.

Macsen and a couple of gondoliers were dragging Dinlay dragged onto the platform, blood still pumping out of his hip wound. Boyd was in the water, his face pale.

'Dinlay, Edeard called weakly.

'We've longshouted for a doctor, Kanseen assured him. 'You just lie back.

Edeard didn't. He watched Macsen start giving Dinlay the kiss of life. This was the third time his life had been struck by the force of anarchy and destruction. First the ambush in the forest on the way back from Witham. Then the death of Ashwell. Now this. And that was too many.

'No, he spat. Not again. I will not allow this to happen. People cannot live like this.

'Edeard sit back, Kanseen ordered sternly.

'Where is he? Where's Arminel?

'Stop it.

He clambered to his feet, swaying slightly as he looked round, taking deep breaths. The edge of the pool was crowded with people, all looking down at the mooring platform. He turned towards Birmingham Pool itself. Most of the gondolas had come to a halt as the drama played out.

One was moving. Fast.

Edeard blinked the salty pool water from his eyes, sending his farsight lashing out.

Arminel was standing on the gondola's middle bench. He gave Edeard a rueful shrug, his thoughts glowing with a cheery regret. It was as if he'd lost a football game. Nothing more. Certainly nothing important. They'd play another game one day, and that time the result might be different.