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No other guard crossed his path, and soon he was vaulting over Capricorn’s wall The scent of thyreeted him, a heavy scent that usually filled the air only by day But everything seeht, even the torew in the bed just outside the house These the Magpie tended herself Many a dead body in the village had smelled of oleander or henbane

Theof the rooer i a hand waved froainst the grating over the door and waited The sky above him was sprinkled with so many stars there hardly seemed to be any space left for the darkness She’s sure to have found out soht, but suppose she tells me Capricorn has locked the book in one of his safes?

The door behind the grating opened It always squealed, as if coer turned, and looked into a strange girl’s face She was young, perhaps fifteen or sixteen years old, her cheeks still chubby like a child’s

‘Where’s Resa?’ Dustfinger clutched the grating ‘What’s happened to her?’

The girl see at him as if she had never seen a scarred face before

‘Did she send you down here?’ Dustfinger wished he could put his hands through the grating and shake this silly little goose ‘Tell ht not to have asked Resa to help hi for the book hiered her? ‘Have they shut her up so over his shoulders, and took a step back Dustfinger spun round, to see whatever she had seen – and found hier’s ? Basta was notorious for his silent tread, but Flatnose, ith hiht so beside hi last night Or had Resa betrayed him to her? The idea hurt

‘I really didn’t expect you to venture here again,’ purred Basta, pushing hier felt the iron bars pressing into his back

Flatnose was grinning as broadly as a child at Christrinned like that when he was allowed to put the fear of death into someone

‘And what have you to do with the lovely Resa?’ Basta snapped his knife open, and Flatnose’s ser’s forehead ‘I always said so!’ continued Basta as he slowly brought the tip of the knife closer to Dustfinger’s chest ‘The fire-eater’s in love with Resa, I said, he’d devour her with his eyes if he could, but the others wouldn’t believe me All the same – to think of a lily-livered coward like you venturing here!’

‘Ah, but he’s in love,’ said Flatnose, laughing

But Basta ered friend wouldn’t have come here for love, he’s far too cold a fish He’s here for the book A fairies and stinking trolls’ Aler’s throat

Dustfinger forgot how to breathe The trick of it seemed to have escaped him