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His features flinched in surprise, then clouded with anger

"Pardon, sir," Maruha cried hurriedly "She is a child and has been injured by the Witch Let us in, we beg you The Ravenna…"

"Has seen no one from outside the Dome in a thousand years" The man’s black eyes turned on her impatiendy "Now be off I will not ad her teeth, the girl prepared to fly at hiain

"But you an

"Yes, Melkior," another voice cut in quietly "You must" The words were low and irl relaxed even as the three duaroughs started and cast about, for the speaker was nowhere to be seen The ilanced startled to one side "Admit them, Melkior," the deep, sweet voice of the unseen speaker said "I will aid the since she had entered the great hall through the black doorway, she did not know--an hour? Two? After the wo force diat had buzzed and barred diem abrupdy vanished Presendy Melkior--the reatover the pale girl The duaroughs cah, but with his irl followed hialleries In so patterns: rose, yellow, violet, green Nowhere were any lamps lit or any s to be seen, but the darkness of the hall did not unease her They met no one

Abruptly, their guide had halted, turning toward one wall It parted like a curtain as he touched it, and the girl moved past him into the chaely scented, but the floor beneath her feet arm It was utterly black, like noon sky between the stars Curtains of pale gauze draped the less walls As with the rest of the palace, the walls were lass: dark blue and rippled, it seeain coalesced into little strands of burning color

The Call was overwhel on every side She waited now, only rehs fro her, of Maruha’s startled protests, broken off as the wall sea the coolness of the air and the war absently at the colored sparks winking and darting through the ultramarine walls

The air in the roo the chamber The portal closed soundlessly behind the woman Her silver slippers whispered on the floor She stood even taller than the dark h cheekbones, a broad flat nose and generous mouth, but her skin was dusky, not black Her eyes were deeply blue She earing a robe of jet and indigo Her hair, dark and wavy, with silver threads, hung unbound behind her She paused just inside the cha moment with blue and lionlike eyes

"Do you know me, child?" she said at last, her voice very low and full of the reathall’s outer door The tall woh unlined, gave the ireat weariness "So the pilgrilad you have coirl looked at her The other’s face, full of welco beneath your hand?"

The girl felt not the slightest fear or urge to draay She considered only aher hand froh the fabric of her gown Around thehtening The dark lady s," she murmured, "already kindled! Oh, that is well, for none but a corunduive you May I see it?"

Without hesitation, the pale girl drew out the shining thing The dusky woman took it in her palirl started, frowning, stared Her pearl had vanished

"Don’t fear," said the other gently "I have it safe, and you will have it back soon, I promise Now let me look at your head I want to see what the Witch has done to you"

The pale girl did not flinch but bowed her head and let the lady’s great, delicate hands coh her hair They stopped suddenly She heard the other’s indrawn breath

"I see it now"

The irl than water She kept her eyes closed, her forehead resting against the tall wohed She did not touch the pin, only kept one hand lightly on the girl’s head, cradling it The dark, rare fragrance that cairl from the other’s hair, her robe, was like damp earth and flowers never before scented or known

"But tell me how it came to pass that you allowed the Witch to put a pin behind your ear You uard very low to have allowed her that--for she is terrified of you, els in Avaric and h softly, stroking her brow The words evoked no memories, but she loved the touch of those hands They were cool and silky dry and smelled of myrrh This heavier air bore scents--sounds, too--so much more richly than the thin stuff outside the Dome

Gently, the woirl’s

"Such green eyes you have, child Corunduic is as drawn to you as beebirds to wedding tru in the heady fragrance of the lady and the room

"Can you talk at all, child?" the dark lady asked her

The girl ducked her head She could not speak, did not want to, did not want to try

"Try," the tall woirl shivered "Uh," she ly sound "Uhn, irl h"

One hand left her cheek She sensed it hovering above the pin