he Kingdom, they would spend the rest of the day, and the next day as well if they returned late in the evening, drinking, celebrating and indulging in general ho

bit as they sat upright in the chairs of the common room, still wearing their travel stained uniforms, but barely a sip had been taken and the beer was well on the way to going flat. A fly that had landed i

his hands. "What a bastard thing to do! Who did It

near here!" added Cowley. "Not if

here," said Spooner. "Someone

. "No soldier of the city would d

the Princess," said Smith. "That's the palace guard, her ma

s," pointed out Cowley. "In that carriag

yone for yards in all directions would have been affected. Not just the Princess herself. For her to be the only one affected, the

d in alarm. "The Kin

ryone in the palace, anyone who's been in the palace at any time in the last six m

his daughter. I saw the King angry once, back in sixty one. When he found that the Sell

dozen people nodded their agreement, sitting more upright in th

himself. None other. Be sure you remember that." They nodded again, accepting his correction, but Blane suspected that bad things might happen to the traitor if any of his men should lay hands on him. Accid

ier?" wondered Cowley. "Does he think the

'd seen out of the corner of his eye through the win

, and the members of his patrol dashed out

t they had a new mission. "We leave a dawn tomorrow," he said. "I'm s

ir!" interrupted Cowley. "We're

"Keep your mouth shut whil

leeway under the circumstances. I suggest you spend the rest of the day getting what rest you can. We leave at sunrise."

☆

d ready when the bugle call blew across the barracks. "About bloody time!" said C

eks to get to where we're going, and it'll be years before the Princesses cond

re, but it's the politics that's more urgent. Carrow won't wait months. Sooner or later w

place!" said Harper, struggling to do up the top button of

he offer of marriage without giving away his intentions. T

d and may distract attention from the real culprit. The King will get to the bottom of it,

and the stables were surrounded by a sea of grey uniform

called back Smith. "I doubt the King'll

he were neatly trimmed, and his greying temples gave him a look of authority that he would have had even in civilian clothes. There was, as ever, no expression on his face. He looked his men over as they presented themselves before him, and there was nothing in his eyes to tell them whether he was

e dozens of others who were gathering around to see them off. "The stakes have never been higher. To save Princess Ardria, beloved of

ce George!" someone shouted

this. Also, we are loyal to the King. He has decreed that this marriage

. That is the purpose of the mission we are about to undertake. It will be perilous. We may not all survive, but if we find the cure and return it to the palace before her condition has progressed too far, we will have done a

f mind, Quill muttering under his breath as he did so. When he was satisfied the wizard nodded to the others and they led

He looked around to make sure they were all ready, then pointed forward, through the gates

of the city ahead of them. Outside, a column of merchants and travellers waiting to enter the city drew aside to let them pass, and he frowned doubtfully when he saw that some of them were Carrowmen, wearing the distinctive striped robes and turbans that were the traditional garb of that country. The people o

the city," agreed the other man, stroking hi

t with relief. Crows stared at them from their perches on railings and tree branches, cawing indignantly at this intrusion into their territory and leaping into the sky to circle overhead like black buzzards. They saw more travellers on the road, and these pe

a group of good looking women working a field and would give a grunt to attract the attentions of his fellows, followed by a nod of his head towards the objects of interests, bringing smiles and chuckles of appreciation, or one of them would scowl at a fly buzzing around his head, waving at it with his hand, causing the others to exchange amused glan

l days travel apart and suspicious of strangers, heavily defended against the wild tribes and bands of outlaws that preyed upon the weak and unprepared. Soon they found themselves passing beneath the dense canopy of the Great Southern Forest and felt the air growing heavy about them, humid and filled with clouds of biting insects. Every man kept hi

ounding fence had been hastily repaired some time in the recent past, indicating that other travellers came this way on occasion, probably passing to and from t

ned as the Brigadier bent over the cook pot. "Probably used to

the Brigadier muttered to

cally live on them. My dad said they're ubi... ubi... What

te in. Potato peelings, carrot leaves, all the animal bits we didn't eat. The globs ate it all and multiplied like rabbits. They split in half when they get too big, you know. Then, anytime one of us fancied a snack we just scooped out a

rane, looking around at

t of the stew with the ladle. It's original transparency was turning a mi

d with horror. "Little fly wings! I ain'

the batman replied curtly,

e funny. I ate one that had turned hal

k how you know what g

ve started to turn! They're no good fo

ay," put in another of the men, chewing the end of his pencil. "

thousands get adopt

. "The glob gets adopted by the spi-der. The spider gets adopted by the field mous

" pointed out Harper. "T

t a stupid

ding the horses, then went to stand by the ruined gates leading out into the countryside. He pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders against the chill and stood there for a while, listening to the star

ad takes us pretty close to Radiant territory.

guy. Tiny little eyes, always darting all over the place. Always ha

. Wasn't sure yo

the ones who died under m

hat place. People stayed well away from it. Those who got too close said they saw things. Lights in the sky. Not Radiants, other kinds of lights. And they said they heard vo

for a superstitio

all have." The Brigadier nodded. "I was thinking we could tur

ur journey. Princess Ardria

t there late t

g the Bailey incident. I actually came within sight of a Radiant city, and I know of others who've done the same t

thing behind the stori

things. As it happens, I wasn't thinking of taking the silk ro

him. "Through R

done it. I've done

or killed for trespassing." The Brigadier made no comment, and Blane sighed. "If yo

eeks. That could make

men." The Brigadier nodded, and