'No,' Haught said, quietly, a small, lost voice. 'No. Don't.'

But Ischade had no glance for him. She began to speak, whispering, as if sheshared secrets with the man. His lips began to move, mouthing words she spoke.

Mradhon seized Haught's arm, for Haught stood closest, drew him back, and Haughtgot back against the wall. Moria came close. Mor-am sought their corner, thefurthest that there was.

'What's she doing?' Mradhon asked, tried to ask, but the room drank up sound andnothing at all came out.

She dreamed, deeply dreamed. The man who touched her -Stilcho. He had been deepwithin that territory of dreams, as deep as it was possible to go and still comeback. He wanted it now: his mind wanted to go fleeting away down those darkcorridors and bright - Sjekso, she chanted, over and over: that was the easiestto call of all her many ghosts. Sjekso. She had his attention now. Sjekso. Thisis Stilcho. Follow him. Come up to me.

The young rowdy was there, just verging the light. He attempted his oldnonchalance, but he was shivering in the cold of a remembered alleyway, in theviolence of her wrath.

She named other names and called them; she sent them deep, deep into the depths,remembering them - all her men, most ruffians, a few gentle, a few obsessed withhate. One had been a robber, dumped his victims in the harbour after carving uptheir faces. One had been a Hell Hound: Rynner was his name; he used to playgames with prostitutes - his commander never knew. They were hate, raw hate:there were some souls that responded best to them. There was a boy, come withtears on his face; one of Moruth's beggars; one ofKadakithis's court, silvertongued, with honey hair and the blackest, vilest heart. Up and up they came,swirled near, a veritable cloud.

She spoke, through Stilcho's lips, words in a language Stilcho would not haveknown, that few living did. "Til dawn, 'til dawn, 'til dawn -'

The dream stretched wide, passed beyond her control in a moment of panic. Shetried to call them back, but that would have been dangerous.

'Til dawn, she had said.

There were so many pressing at the gates, so very many - Sanctuary, the whisperwent. Sanctuary's open - and some went in simple longing for home, for wives,husbands, children; some in anger, many, many in anger - the town inspired that,in those it trapped.

A wealthy widow turned in bed from the slave she kept and stared into a deadhusband's reproachful eyes: a yell rang out through marble halls, high on thehill.

A judge waked, feeling something cold, and stared round at all the ghosts whohad cause to remember him. He did not scream; he joined them, for his heartfailed him on the spot.

In the Maze there was the sound of children's voices, running frenzied throughthe streets - 0 Mama, Papa! Here I am! One such wandered alone, among themerchants' fine houses, and rapped on a door. I'm home - o Mama, let me in!

A thief stirred in his sleep, rubbed his eyes and rubbed them twice. 'Cudget,'he said, knowing that he was dreaming, and yet he felt the cold drifting fromthe old man. 'Cudget?' The old man swore at him just as he used to do, and HanseShadowspawn sat up in bed, petrified as his old mentor gazed on him, sitting onhis foot.

Outside, the streets rustled with the gathering of the dead. One hammered at adoor with thin rattling result; Where's my money? it wailed. One-Thumb, where'smy money?

The booths at the Vulgar Unicorn grew crowded, buzzed with whispers, and the fewdiehard patrons went fleeing out the door.

Brother, a ghost said to the fat man in an uptown bed, and to the woman besidehim - is he worth it, Thea?

Screams rose, long ones, echoing above the streets, a thin clamouring that thewind took and carried through the air.

A Beysib woman felt the stirring of the snake that shared her bed, opened darkstrange eyes and stared in wonder at the pale night-gowned figure that stoodwithin the room: Usurper, it said. Get out of my bed. Get out of my house. Youhave no right.

No one had ever told her that. She blinked, confused, hearing the screams, as ifthe town were being sacked.

Across the river Moruth hurried along, hastening in the night for a newer, moresecure place, in the madness of the hour, in streets insane with screams.

He stopped, seeing the way closed off. They were hawkmasks. four of them, whobegan to come towards him; he turned, and there were Stepsons, armed withswords.

In the guardroom a Hell Hound wakened, bleary-eyed from drink, looked up withthe interest of one who hears the step of a friend returning, a singularpattern, so familiar and loved among a thousand others; and then with a sinkingof the heart remembered it impossible. But Zaibar looked all the same, and stoodup, overturning the chair with a crash.

Raskuli was standing there, unmarred, his head firmly on his shoulders. I can'tstay long, he said.

And higher in the palace, Kadakithis screamed and yelled for guards, waking tofind strangers in his room, a horde of ghosts. some with ropes about theirnecks; and soldiers all dusty in tattered armour; and his grandfather, who didnot belong in Sanctuary, wearing a shadow-crown.

Shame, his grandfather said.

Walegrin sat up in bed, in the barracks below the wall - heard the clash ofbracelets, ominous and clear. He reached for his knife, beneath the pillow. Butas the sound ceased, faint as it was, he heard screams from beyond the walls,and leapt up, knife in hand, to fling the window wide.

Jubal the ex-slaver waked, hearing the murmur of a sea - and not a sea, but ahorde of slaves about his bed, lacking limbs, with scars, some clutching theirentrails to them. He spat at them, and felt the cold at the same time.

It's your fault, Kurd said, and from that ghost the others fled, deserting theplace, leaving only the pale old man, the visitor with hollow eyes. We shouldsit and talk, Kurd said.

S/r? asked a wan, lost ghost, accosting a drunk who staggered by the Unicorn,stopping up his ears. Sir? What street is this? I got to get home, me wife 'IIkill me, sure.

On the street of gods a priestess screamed, waking to find a tiny ghost lying ather breast, all wet and dripping with riverweed, an infant of dark and accusingeyes.

A clatter of hooves rang through the Stepson barracks courtyard, a rattle ofarmour, a breath of cold wind.

And in the headquarters in the town, Dolon gave orders, dispatched men here andthere - stopped cold as, alone, he realized other men had come, with theirblackened skin and flesh hanging from their limbs.

We've lost, Erato said.

Fool! A different presence burst among them, whose armour shone, whose look wasbronze and gold; he came striding in from out of the wall itself and the othersfled. The air smelled suddenly of dust and heat. Ofool, what have you done?

And Dolon backed away, knowing legend when he saw it.

The presence faded and left cold in its stead.

Ischade stirred, feeling the pain of long-rigid limbs. A heavy weight pouredagainst her, Stilcho in collapse. And one last thing she did, without thinkingof it, holding the Stepson in her arms: 'Come back,' she said, knowing it wasdawn.

No, the almost-ghost said, weeping, but she compelled it. The body grew warmagain. Moaned with pain.

'Help me,' she said, looking up at the others who sat huddled in the corner.

It was Haught who came. Even Mor-am was too afraid; but Haught - who touchedher, with his hands and in a different way, like the flickering of a fire. Hetook Stilcho up; Mor-am helped, and Vis, and Moria last of all.