Page 238 (1/2)

‘Then why is she still the guardian?’

‘She may not be, Brys She waits in order to deal with those who are about to escape the grounds’ The Ceda’s gaze returned to Kettle ‘Child, is that why you re now’

‘And the one the Azath chose to help you, Kettle, will he ee in time?’

‘I don’t know I hope so’

‘So do I,’ Kuru Qan said ‘Thank you, child, for the tile Still, I wonder at your knowledge of this new Hold’

Kettle pulled an insect from her hair and tossed it aside ‘The pretty man told me all about it,’ she said

‘Another visitor?’

‘Only once Mostly he just stands in the shadows, across the street So, but he never said anything Not until today, when he came over and we talked’

‘Did he tell you his name?’ the Ceda asked

‘No But he was very handsoirlfriend Lots Boyfriends, too Besides, I shouldn’t give my heart away That’s what he said He never does Never ever’

‘And this man told you all about the Hold of Death?’

‘Yes, Grandfather He knew all about it He said it doesn’t need a new guardian, because the throne is already occupied, at least everywhere else Here too, soon I’ now’

‘Of course, Kettle,’ Kuru Qan said ‘We shall take our leave of you, then’

‘Goodbye Oh, don’t forget the tile!’

‘We will send soht’

She watched theht she headed over to her friend’s barrow, and felt hi me this ti on a low hill, and before them was a vast, shallow valley, filled with corpses

It was dusk, a layer of s over the vista Just above the horizon opposite, a suspended , coluashed flanks Below, the bodies were e ar-snouted, their forled heaps Here and there in their rey skins, so beside her, he spoke, ‘Over four hundred thousand, Kettle Here in this valley alone There are other… valleys Like this one’

A score of leathery-winged beasts were crossing the valley at one end, far to their right

‘Ooh, are those dragons?’