'I wanted to walk with you,' Lythande said.

Wess scowled at him. 'You thought I hadn't enough sense to get back by myself.'

'This is a strange place for you. It isn't safe even for people who have alwayslived here.'

'You -' Wess stopped. Because she had promised to safeguard his true identity,she could not say what she wished: that Lythande was treating her as Lythandehimself did not wish to be treated.

Wess shook her head, flinging aside her anger. Stronger than her anger inLythande's lack of confidence in her, stronger than her disappointment thatLythande was going away, was her surprise that Lythande had pretended to hint atfinding Satan. She did not wish to think too deeply on the sorcerer's motives.

'You have my promise,' she said bitterly. 'You may be sure that my word isimportant to me. May your business be profitable.' She turned away and fumbledfor the latch, her vision blurry.

'Westerly,' Lythande said gently, 'do you think I came back last night only tocoerce an oath from you?'

'It doesn't matter.'

'Well, perhaps not, since I have so little to give in return.'

Wess turned around. 'And do you think I made that promise only because I hopedyou could help us?'

'No,' Lythande said. 'Frejojan, I wish I had more time - but what I came to tellyou is this. I spoke with Jubal last night.'

'Why didn't you tell me? What did he say? Does he know where Satan is?' But sheknew she would have no pleasure from the answer. Lythande would not have put offgood news. 'Will he see us?'

'He has not seen your friend, little sister. He said he had no time to see you.'

'Oh.'

'I did press him. He owes me, but he has been acting peculiar lately. He's moreafraid of something else than he is of me, and that is very strange.' Lythandelooked away.

'Didn't he say anything?'

'He said ... this evening, you should go to the grounds of the governor'spalace.'

'Why?'

'Westerly ... this may have nothing to do with Satan. But the auction block isthere.'

Wess shook her head, confused.

'Where slaves are offered for sale.'

Fury and humiliation and hope: Wess's reaction was so strong that she could notanswer. Lythande came up the steps in one

stride and put his arms around her. Wess held him, trembling, and Lythandestroked her hair.

'If he's there - is there no law, Lythande? Can a free person be stolen fromtheir home, and ... and ...'

Lythande looked at the sky. The sun's light showed over the roof of theeasternmost building.

'Frejojan, I must go. If your friend is to be sold, you can try to buy him. Themerchants here are not so rich as the merchants in the capital, but they arerich enough. You'd need a great deal of money. I think you should, instead,apply to the governor. He is a young man, and a fool - but he is not evil.'Lythande hugged Wess one last time and stepped away. 'Good-bye, little sister.Please believe I'd stay if I could.'

'I know,' she whispered.

Lythande strode away without looking back, leaving Wess alone among the earlymorning shadows.

Wess returned to the room at the top of the stairs. When she entered, Chanpropped himself up on one elbow.

'I was getting worried,' he said.

'I can take care of myself!' Wess snapped.

'Wess, love, what's the matter?'

She tried to tell him, but she could not. Wess stood, silent, staring at thefloor, with her back turned on her best friend.

She glanced over her shoulder when Chan stood up. The ripped curtain let inshards of light that cascaded over his body. He had changed, like all of them,on the long journey. He was still beautiful, but he was thinner and harder.

He touched her shoulder gently. She shrank away.

He saw the bloodstains on her collar. 'You're hurt!' he said, startled.'Quartz!'

Quartz muttered sleepily from the bed. Chan tried to lead Wess over to thewindow, where there was more light.

'Just don't touch me!'

'Wess-'

'What's wrong?' Quartz said.

'Wess is injured.' Quartz padded barefoot towards them and Wess burst into tearsand flung herself into her arms.

Quartz held Wess, as Wess had held her a few nights before, when Quartz hadcried silently in bed, homesick, missing her children. 'Tell me what happened,'she said softly.

What Wess managed to say was less about the attack than about Lythande'sexplanations of it, and of Sanctuary.

'I understand,' Quartz said after Wess had told her only a little. She strokedWess's hair and brushed the tears from her cheeks.

'I don't,' Wess said. 'I must be going crazy, to act like this!' She started tocry again. Quartz led her to the blankets, where Aerie sat up, blinking andconfused. Chan followed, equally bewildered. Quartz made Wess sit down, satbeside her and hugged her. Aerie rubbed her back and neck and let her wingsunfold around them.

'You aren't going crazy,' Quartz said. 'It's that you aren't used to the waythings are here.'

'I don't want to get used to things here, I hate this place, I want to findSatan, I want to go home.'

'I know,' Quartz whispered. 'I know.'

'But I don't,' Chan said.

Wess huddled against Quartz, unable to say anything that would ease the hurt shehad given Chan.

'Just leave her alone for a little while, Chan,' Quartz said to him. 'Let herrest. Everything will be all right.'

Quartz eased Wess down and lay beside her. Cuddled between Quartz and Aerie,with Aerie's wing spread over them all, Wess fell asleep.

At midmoming, Wess awoke. Her head ached fiercely and the black bruise acrossher side hurt every time she took a breath. She looked around the room. Sittingbeside her, mending a strap on her pack, Quartz smiled down at her. Aerie wasbrushing her short smooth fur, and Chan stared out of the window, his arm on thesill and his chin resting on his arm, his other shirt abandoned unpatched on hisknee.

Wess got up and crossed the room. She sat on her heels near Chan. He glanced ather, and out of the window, and at her again.

'Quartz explained, a little ...'

'I was angry,' Wess said.

'Just because barbarians act like... like barbarians, isn't a good reason to beangry with me.'

He was right. Wess knew it. But the fury and bewilderment mixed up in her werestill too strong to shrug off with easy words.

'You know -' he said, 'you do know I couldn't act like that...'

Just for an instant Wess actually tried to imagine Chan acting like theinnkeeper, or Bauchle Meyne, arrogantly, blindly, with his self-interest and hispleasure considered above everything and everyone else. The idea was soludicrous that she burst out in sudden laughter.

'I know you wouldn't,' she said. She had been angry at the person he might havebeen, had all the circumstances of his life been different. She had been angryat the person she might have been, even more. She hugged Chan quickly. 'Chan,I've got to get free of this place.' She took his hand and stood up. 'Come, Isaw Lythande last night, I have to tell you what he said.'

They did not wait till evening to go to the governor's palace, but set outearlier, hoping to gain an audience with the prince and persuade him not to letSatan be sold.

But no one else was waiting till evening to go to the palace, either. Theyjoined a crowd of people streaming towards the gate. Wess's attempt to slipthrough the throng earned her an elbow in her sore ribs.

'Don't push, girl,' said the ragged creature she had jostled. 'He shook hisstaff at her. 'Would you knock over an old cripple? I'd never get up again,after I'd been trampled.'