The darkness had hidden the exact nature of the room she was in. The dark forms shead assumed were bookcases were filled with a wide variety of antiques, each neatly labeled by a piece of parchment tied by wire to the artifacts. At another time, she would have been fascinated and covetousa"particularly of the fine dagger display.

Unfortunately, there were several items radiating magic, a few as strongly as her flute. She was going to have to sneak through the dark house hoping no one heard her until she could get far enough away to find any other magic.

Sham called her magelight, restored the shutters to their former position, and opened the only door in the room. Rather than a hall, she found herself in a large bedroom. The bed was neatly turned back and a bed warmer was set near the banked coals of the fireplace.

She walked through the room and opened a door into a dimly lit hall, deserted except for a yellow-eyed tomcat. The cat stared at her indifferently from its perch on an open window sill before returning its gaze to the night.

A dark stairway broke off from the hall, too narrow to be anything but the servantas staircase. Sham crouched low and listened for any sound that might indicate that it was in use.

She counted slowly to twenty before creeping quietly down the wooden stairs, walking as close to the edge as she could so the stair wouldnat flex and squeak. Pausing briefly on the first floor, Sham decided to continue to the basement before trying to scry magic again. The further she was from the little collection room the better her chances of making the spell work would be.

She traveled down several steps when something both soft and sharp touched her gently on the back of the neck.

Stifling a scream, Sham jumped down two more stairs and turned, knife in hand to confront her attacker. She stared into the darkness, but saw nothing. Holding absolutely still, she listened for the sound of breathing.

The cat, sitting on a narrow shelf in the wall of the stairwell, purred smugly. She could hear it lick its foot in the darkness. Sham had passed by the animal without seeing it, and it had batted her gently with its paw.

Biting back her relieved laughter, she continued into the cellar. The temperature dropped noticeably as the last faint light faded behind her. She stopped and scried for the fragmented magic of the workroom again, though she didnat close her eyes this timea"it would have been pointless in the utter blackness of the cellar. She could still sense the spells tangled in the collection of antiques, but this time the stronger pull by far lay ahead of her, slightly to the left.

She decided the risk of someone seeing her light was less than the risk of someone hearing her as she tripped over the cat in the darkness, so she called her magelight once more. She kept it dim, so it wouldnat spoil her night vision. The cat, with typical contrariness, was nowhere to be seen.

The first door that she came to opened into a storage area filled with foodstuffs. The second room was obviously a workshopa"the wrong kind. Bits and pieces of broken or unfinished furniture were set in an organized fashion around the room. There was no third door, though she could feel the pulse of magic quite strongly when she tried.

Frowning, she tapped one foot with silent impatience and stared into the workroom. She inhaled and detected, underneath the smell of the lemon oil and varnish, the tang of herbs and the acrid scent of burned hair. Mentally she compared the size of the food storage room and the wood-shop. The storage room had been significantly narrower.

Back in the storage room, behind a shelf of dried parsley and fresh vegetables, she found a plain door that opened into Lord Halvokas workshopa"this one scented with magic rather than varnish. Stepping into the room gave her an odd feeling of going back in time. This was what the old manas workshop in the Castle had looked like.

There was no trace of black magic here, as there had been none in the hut in Purgatory; but she hadnat expected to find any. A magician who practiced the forbidden arts would hardly have done so in his own house. She began to search his books.

All magic had a certain signature that identified itself to a wizard. Because of that signature it was possible to tell what a spell would do, even if it were unfamiliar to the magician looking at it. Rather than waste time looking through each book, Sham touched the books in turn using her magic to search out the tomes that might contain black magic.

After twenty minutes of work, she laid three books on the smooth surface of a marble table. The first was an old copy of an even older text. It had several spells that called for the use of various body parts . . . athe forefinger of a man hanged on the vernal equinox,a athe eye of a man who died in his sleep.a Enough for the spells to be black magic, but a farseeing spell was not what Sham was looking for. She set it aside.

The second book, bound in butter-soft leather, was embossed with the enlightening title, Majik Boke. Unlike the first one, it was spelled shut so no unsuspecting person could casually open it. It took Sham some time to dismantle the protection spells, as they were old and powerfula"also vaguely familiar. As soon as the spells lost their hold, the book fluttered open and the signature of evil increased tenfold.

aI found that in the ashes of the bonfire where they burnt the library of the Kingas Sorcerer,a Lord Halvok spoke quietly from behind her.

Sham turned to him and nodded, with a casualness she didnat feel. Never show fear or let them know theyave surprised you. aI thought that I recognized the Old Manas work in the warding. You havenat opened this?a Lord Halvokas blunt fingers stroked behind the ears of the yellow-eyed cat that was draped limply over his shoulders. The cat purred. aNo, I have one just like ita"though I believe Mauras copy is somewhat older than mine.a He strode casually to the table where the books rested and picked up the one she hadnat had time to examine. He unworked the spells that kept it closed and opened it to display essentially the same text as the page her book was opened toa"although written in a different hand. aThis is my copy. As Mauras apprentice, I suspect the one you opened should be yours. I advise you to keep it somewhere no one will find it. Texts that deal with black magic are forbidden, Lady Shamera.a He snapped the book shut and met her gaze. aTell me, how did you know that I was the wizard this afternoon? The illusion of the old wizard has fooled many mages who, forgive me, were more powerful than you are.a She shrugged. aHow long have you known I was a sorcerer searching for a demon rather than just the Reeveas mistress?a aAfter all these years Lord Kerim chooses a mistressa"not just any mistress, but a native.a He closed his eyes briefly. aWe have been without hope for so long. Holding on to our lands by the thread of Lord Kerimas honor.a He opened his Southwood blue eyes and met hers. aWhen I realized something was going on, it was easy to connect it with you. Why would he choose an unknown Southwood lady of, youall forgive me, more style than beauty, when he could have his pick of court ladiesa"including Southwood women like Lady Sky if his tastes were so inclined?a aMy scintillating intellect, of course,a she offered in Lady Shameraas vacuous style.

He laughed involuntarily. aRight. I had already begun to rethink your intelligence, based on the reports of my fosterlings. Siven said he thought you used your stupidity with great skill and shrewdness.a Halvok shook his head. aAll that aside, you had to be a wizard helping the Reeve track down the demona"he would never have risked taking up with a Southwood lady in this political climate for anything less. Now, you answer my question, how did you recognize me?a aMaur always said that illusions are an unreliable spella"they are one of the few spells that can lose effect without the spellcaster being aware of it.a aYou arenat going to tell me.a aNo. Itas not my secret to tell.a He stared at her for a moment, then nodded his head. aFair enough.a Sham pursed her lips and tapped her fingers lightly on the table. aYou sound as if you value Lord Kerim.a He frowned sharply. aOf course I do. Why do you ask?a She looked up from the table and narrowed her eyes at him. aBecause some idiot summoned the Reeve through the worst corner of Purgatory just to recite an old story that could have been told to the Whisper.a Halvokas eyebrows flew up at the tone of her voice. aIt was an opportunity I could not resist. Purgatory is a black hole where our people disappear. The Easterners like to forget that it existsa"or they pretend that it is nothing more than a slum like most cities of any size have. You were safe with the Shark beside you, no one would risk his wratha"a aa"To kill the Cybellian Lord who is given primary credit for putting down any hope that Southwood had of shaking off Altisa yoke? You are the one who needs to visit Purgatory, if thatas what you think,a snarled Sham. aThe Shark, despite his own belief, is neither omnipotent nor omniscient and there are any number of people in Purgatory who would be happy to give their miserable lives to prove it.a aAre youa"a said Halvok softly, obviously keeping a firm hold on his temper, aa"speaking as a concerned citizen or as the Reeveas mistress?a aDoes it matter?a she returned roundly. aWhat you did was stupid and unnecessary. The Reeve knows all he needs to about Purgatory; where do you think he found me?a Halvok stilled. aYou were in Purgatory?a Sham nodded. aThe Reeve saved my life. Why do you think I am working for him, an Altis-worshipping Cybellian?a Twisting the truth was one of her many talents.

aLord Ervan was hardly so poor that his widowa"a he hesitated, then said in the manner of one stating an obvious fact he had overlooked, aYouare not his widow.a aI,a said Shamera, losing enough of her annoyance to grin at him. aa"am a thief, and have lived in Purgatory since the Castle fell. Look, I need to know everything you can tell me about demons.a Suddenly he grinned as well. aNow that Iam feeling guilty enough to risk talking about them? All right, I admit, it was a stupid impulse to insist that the Reeve come to my workshopa"especially as weak as he is. Although heas been getting better ever since Ven died, hasnat he?a aActually,a she said, anot quite. Heas been getting better since we discovered Venas body, though one had little to do with the other. That night I found a number of runes on and about the Reeveas person that tied him to the demon. Apparently the demon was responsible for Lord Kerimas illnessa"Iam not sure why, or even exactly what it was doing. The runes it was using are odd forms of the masterpatterns.a Lord Halvok looked around until he found a pair of stools. He gave one to Sham and sat upon the other. aWhy donat you tell me what you know about this demon, and Iall tell you anything I can.a aVery well.a She perched on the proffered seat. aThe demon is killing people every seven to eight days and has been for the past . . . oh three quarters of a year or so. It didnat start concentrating its kills at the Castle until several months ago. As I told you, it killed Maura"which is how I first got involved.a aSo the killings started about the same time as the Reeveas illness?a said Halvok.

aYes.a Lord Halvok frowned. aFrom what I know of demons, it is killing far more frequently than it needs to. Demons need to feed on deatha"but supposedly only once every several months.a aRight,a agreed Sham, abut in order to keep its simulacrum working, I believe it needs to kill much more often.a aA simulacrum?a Halvok sounded intrigued.

aLord Ven had been dead several days before we discovered his body. I. . . freshened it to avoid frightening everyone who had seen him in court while his body was rotting in a little-used room in the Castle. The last form it had to wear that I know of belonged to a dead stableman.a aThe stableman who was found dead in the company of the Reeveas pet selkie?a She nodded. aIt killed him to get rid of Venas form and used Elsica"the selkiea"to throw as much sand over its trail as it could.a Halvok shook his head. aBy the tides,a he swore, ano wonder it has been so hard to catch.a aCan you tell me how to find the demon?a aNo.a aAll right, then. Do you know how to kill it?a Halvok shrugged. aFind out who it is and kill the body that houses ita"after you destroy the simulacrum. It should take the demon a decade or so to find a person whose body it can steal. They are capable of that, you know, if they are not already tied to a host. The demon itself cannot be killed . . . unlessa".a He stiffened as if a new thought had occurred to him, aa"if you can find the demon, and enslave it the way the old magicians used to, it will die when you do.a Sham thought about that and shook her head. aItas free now because it killed the mage who called it and he knew far more about demons than I do. Is there a way I can send it back where it came from?a Lord Halvok nodded and elaborated, aYouall need to find a virgin, cut out his tongue, put out his eyes, chant a few lines, cut out his heart and feed it to the demon after taking a bite yourself. Death is capable of generating great power if you use it right. I have a young cousin who might work, though Iam not certain about his virginity, you understand.a Sham snorted. aI think Iall passa"if nothing else works Iall settle on killing its host. What about the Archmage who destroyed Tybokk? How did he do it?a aHe managed to bind it to the dead body it had occupied so it was unable to seek another host. He used a spell that has been lost with most other demon lorea"itas not in Mauras book. Perhaps there is something in the aeaMagias library. I wonat stop you if you want to ask the aeaMagi if he has a book of demonology in his possessiona"although such an admission would require him to present himself to the council for execution. Maybe it would help if you told him that you had a book on demon lore, but needed a specific reference.a Sham laughed despite herself and held up a hand in surrender. aWould it be acceptable if I talk with you again after I have had a chance to read this?a She tapped the book head given her.

The nobleman bowed his assent. aLady, you have whatever aid I can offer. I will contact my old master and see if he has any suggestions.a aI would appreciate that.a Sham rose from the stool and walked to the door. Before she opened it, however, she turned back to him. aLord Halvok, would you happen to have any books on runes? Something that might have the forms that the demon is using?a aOld runes?a He thought a moment. aI might have one that would help.a Kneeling, he drew a thin volume from the bottom shelf and brought it to her. aThis is something I picked up in the market a number of years ago. Itas quite a bit older than it looks, and it has runes in it I had never seen before.a aThanks,a she said taking it.

aYou may leave by the front door if you wish.a She turned to bat her eyelashes at him. aAnd have the Reeveas mistress be seen leaving your manor at night? I can find my own way out, sir.a aSO HALVOK ISNaT calling demons?a Asked Kerim, pulling another pillow behind his back to prop himself up higher.

Sham, so tired that her very bones ached, struggled to think clearly. She had come directly here after leaving Lord Halvokas chambers, without stopping to find a safe place for her newly acquired booksa"not that there ever was a really safe place for a black grimoire.

aI donat think so,a she answered finally. aIf he is summoning demons, he is a better actor than I think he is, and heas not doing it from his home.a Kerim nodded. aGood enough for me. Why donat you go to sleep and weall see what the morning brings.a Sham gave him a mock salute and exited under the tapestry.

ALONE IN HER room, Sham stood for a moment in the darkness. The rune book was no trouble, but she wasnat sure what to do with the other one. Even though she had replaced the spell-warding on the book, the signature of black magic leaked from it.

Sighing, she set the book on the nearest flat surface she came to and set the second, more innocuous one on top of it. She could deal with it in the morning. She stripped out of her filthy clothinga"the rain had turned the thick layer of dust to muda"and tossed her clothes in the trunk. As she shut the lid, the thought of the mildew the damp clothing invited crossed her mind, but she was too tired to deal with it.

TWELVE.

The thunderous pounding on Kerimas door was loud enough to force Sham to sit up in her bed and curse under her breath. From the weight of her eyelids, she estimated shead been asleep less than an hour. She thought seriously about ignoring the noise and going back to sleep, but anything worth waking up the Reeve at such an obscene hour of the night was worth investigating.

Knowing her intrusion might not be welcomed, she stretched out on the floor and raised the bottom of the tapestry until she could see into Kerimas room.

Kerim had already thrown on his bedrobe and was using his quarterstaff for balance as he hobbled painfully across the room.

aYes?a he called out, before he opened the door.

aMy Lord, Lady Tirra sent me to tell you that Lady Sky is in danger.a Sham heard Kerim throwing the bolt on his door and the hinges squeaked once. A chest obscured her view, so she had to rely on her ears.

aI donat know the exact circumstances, but Lady Tirra seems to feel it may be due to the Ladyas recent miscarriage.a From his voice the messenger was painfully young.

Kerim reappeared in Shamas sight. He grunted as he settled himself in his wheeled chair and tossed the quarterstaff on his bed. Wasting no time he left the room.

As soon as the door shut behind him, Sham leapt to her feet and opened her trunk, shuffling through the assorted mess until her hand closed on damp cloth. She preferred her wet thieving clothes to court dress. As she wrestled with recalcitrant fabric, she realized she hadnat had to unlock her trunk. Once decently clothed, she slammed a hand on the leather and wood top and spelled it closed without bothering with the latch.

Quickly she opened the panel into the passages and slipped through. By this time, she knew the passages of the Castle better than she knew the halls where more conventional people traveled from place to place in the Castle. There were only three short sections of main thoroughfare she had to cross. Either luck or the lateness of the hour blessed her with empty halls, and there was no one to see when she cautiously scurried from one passage to the next on her way to Lady Skyas quarters.

Like most of the occupied rooms, the spyhole to Lady Skyas bedchamber had been sealed. It took Sham less than a wisp of magic to pull the board off the wall. Before she pulled the board completely away, Sham doused the magelight. Luckily, Lady Sky lived on the third floor where all the unmarried ladies of the court stayed, so there were several windows to let moonlight into the room.

Lady Sky might almost have been posed for an artist. The silvery light of the moon played upon her fair hair and caressed her graceful figure, which was as slender as if her pregnancy had never been. The white muslin gown that she wore made her appear younger than she was. She sat cross-legged on her bed, staring down at a dagger she held in both hands.

Sham couldnat see her face except for the corner of her jaw, but she had a clear view of Lady Skyas fine-boned hands turning the dagger over and over, as if she were examining the knife at a marketplace, looking for flaws.

Sham began searching for a hidden door that would let her enter the room. Purgatory had eliminated any sympathy she might have had for people who took the easy way out, but the lady had the excuse of her recent miscarriage: It was common knowledge that such women were overly emotional. Sky had become as close to a friend as she had among the women at court, and Sham didnat want anything to happen to her. She was exploring a likely looking area when she heard Kerimas voice. Quickly she darted back to her spyhole and set her eye against it.

aGive me the dagger, Sky.a The bolt must not have been thrown on the door, for Kerimas chair had stopped just inside the threshold. Lady Sky held the dagger up until the moonlight danced on the blade.

aThis was my husbandas,a she said in conversational tones. aHe was very careful that all his weapons were kept sharp.a aSky, do you know how hard it is to kill yourself with a dagger? Unless you know what youare doing, it can take days to die of such a wound. Despite Fahillas axioms, dagger wounds are very painful. . .and messy.a Kerim matched her conversational tones exactly, as, with an easy push, he sent his chair rolling toward her bed.

A fresh breeze blew in from the window, causing the modest white muslin of Lady Skyas nightgown to flutter softly against her skin. Wheels touching the edge of her bed, Kerim waited patiently for her reply.

aThey all die,a Lady Sky said finally, in a childas soft bewildered voice. aMy babies, my parents, my husband, Vena"everyone. I think perhaps Iam cursed. There are so many people dying herea"if I am dead too, maybe it will stop.a aSky, dying never stops.a Kerimas voice was gentle but implacable. aThe only certainty life contains is death. Would your parents, Fahill, or Ven want you to die for no reason? Should there be one less person mourning their deaths and one more person to mourn? Fahill loved you. I fought side by side with the man, and he was a withdrawn, embittered warrior until you came to him. During the few months he had you, he was happier than he had ever been. He would not like it if you used his death as a reason to destroy something he loved so.a In the passage, Sham backed away from the spyhole. There was no threat to Kerim here, and somewhere along the line shead developed faith in the Leopardas abilitiesa"he would talk Sky out of her foolishness without her help.

Shamera needed to get away from Skyas voice. It wasnat death that was hard, or the dying, though the tides knew it could be bad enough: it was finding a reason to keep on living. She wished Sky luck.

From the ladyas room, Sham heard the sound of a dagger flung to the floor, followed by sobs muffled against a manas shoulder. Sham stopped, and turned back to the spyhole.

Kerim held Sky in his lap, petting her hair gently as her shoulders trembled with grief. Sham bit her lip and turned away. There, in the dark passage listening to the sounds of another womanas sorrow, she admitted what she would not admit in the light of day: Sham the Thief loved the Reeve of Southwood.

Tiredly, she walked back to her room. She threw her clothes back in the trunk, and found her nightgown. Then she climbed into her bed, pulled the covers over her head, and waited for sleep to come.

THE DOOR TO Shamas room hit the wall with a loud bang. She awoke abruptly to find herself in an unladylike crouch on the edge of her bed, her dagger clutched in one hand. Frowning blearily, she peered at the intruders.

Talbotas raised eyebrows caused her to remember just what the Reeveas mistress wore for nightgowns, and she dove back under the covers. Elsic, of course, was immune to the sight.

aSorry to trouble ye, Lady,a said Talbot, smothering a laugh, abut the Reeve is in a meeting, and I have work to do sorting through records that the temple sent down. I waited as long as I could, as Kerim said ye were out until the wee hours. Itas now past luncheon and someone needs to see the lad herea"a Talbot clapped the boyas shoulder with a heavy hand, aa"doesnat get himself mob-eaten.a Sham scowled at Talbot. aIt is customary to knock, before throwing open a door.a He grinned at her. aWorry about knocking do ye, thief? First I ever heard of it.a Laughing, Shamera raised her hands in defeat. aWelcome, Elsic. Shove off, Talbot. Weall keep each other out of trouble. Iall fight off mobs and Elsic can handle the nobles.a Elsic grinned. aFor you, Lady, anything.a Sham shook her head at Talbot. aFrom stableboy to courtier in one night. Shame on you for corrupting youth.a aMe?a answered Talbot indignantly, aIt was the womenfolk. Cursed I am with a pack of daughters who look upon any unrelated male as fair game, especially a lad as fair and mysterious as this one.a aAh,a said Sham knowingly, aa"the real reason to move Elsic into the Castle for the day.a Talbot grinned at her and left. Sham started to get out of bed, then hesitated, glancing at Elsic.

aI really canat see you,a he assured her with a wicked smile. Obviously an evening spent with Talbotas family had been good for hima"he looked a good deal less lost than he had in the stables yesterday.

aI think you can wait in Kerimas room until Iam dressed, my lad. If you walk straight about four pacesa"a she waited as he complied, aa"left a step, then six paces to the wall. Turn right and walk until you find the tapestry. Under the tapestry is a doorway to Kerimas bedroom.a When he was safely out of her room, she threw back the covers and pulled out a dress at random. It was a flowered silk in flaming orange golds and deep indigo, with slits on either side of the skirt to the top of her hips. She had to rummage further to find the slipa"little more than colored silk strips hung on a string. It was based on some of the dresses the Trading Clan women wore, but far more provocativea"it also had relatively few buttons, and the ones Sham couldnat work didnat make the dress any more revealing than it already was.

As she started toward Kerimas room, her gaze fell on the pair of books that waited patiently on the nightstand that had mysteriously appeared to replace the one shead destroyed. She was going to have to find some way to occupy Elsic while she worked through the black grimoire, as well as a better place to keep it when she wasnat in the room. Her trunk would work to keep the book out of innocent hands, but that wouldnat disguise what it held from any magic user.

Sham heard the soft sounds of someone tuning a harp. She ducked under the tapestry to find that Elsic had located a small bardas harp amidst the weaponry that littered the room and was sitting at the foot of the Reeveas bed tuning it. There was a smudge on the bedclothes that looked suspiciously as if head used it to dust off the harp.

Elsic looked up when she came into the room and left off touching the strings. aKerim lets me play this when I am here. Itas a fine instrument.a Sham looked at the harp doubtfully. It wouldnat bring more than three coppers at the market, and that only if someone cleaned and polished it; the wood was old, and the finish marred as if it had indeed been carried by a bard through several lifetimes of wandering.

aDid he teach you to play?a she asked, unwilling to comment on the harpas quality.

Elsic shook his head and began running his hands over the strings again. aNo. I already knew how to play, though I didnat remember it until I held the harp. Lord Kerim says his fingers are too cumbersome for the strings, but heall sing with me sometimes.a The tune that he played was unfamiliar, but its haunting tone caused a shiver to run up her unsentimental spine. She had always accounted the Old Man a master of music, but head never approached the skill that Elsic displayed as he called the music from the old, worn harp. The strings wept with the sorrow of his song.

Unable to find any words that didnat sound trite, Sham found a seat and closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her. After few refrains, Elsic traded the melancholy air for the more familiar melody of a feast-day song. He played the lilting verse through once before adding his voice to the harpas.

Sham smiled in contentment, pulling her bare feet to the velvet seat of her chair. The skirt she was wearing made the position less than modest, but Elsic and she were the only ones in the room. At the end of the last chorus, he set the harp aside, flexing his fingers and laughing self-consciously when Sham applauded him.

aItas the harpa"a he explained, aa"anyone could make such an instrument sound good.a aNot I,a replied Sham, anor my master who was a talented musician by all accounts. I have some reading to do. If you would like to continue playing, Iall bring my book in here where the chairs are more comfortable.a Rather than answering her with words, Elsic took up the harp again. Sham ducked back into her room, and got the book Lord Halvok had given her. Returning to Kerimas room, she settled comfortably in a chair and started to unwork the binding spells on the book.

Elsic stopped playing and cocked his head to one side. aWhat are you doing?a She released the first of the spells and stopped to answer him. aMagic.a He frowned. aIt feels . . . odd somehow . . . not like the magic I know.a Sham thought about that for a moment, trying to decide just how the magic the Spirit Tide generated was different from the magic she used.

aIt is different than what you do,a she said finally. aI donat understand your kind of magic very well; I donat know if any human does. I can sense it sometimes if itas strong enough, the way you can sense what I do. The magic that you use is already shaped by the forces of naturea"like the ocean tides. The magic I use is unformed. I impose it on the book, or whatever I want to affect.a aThereas something else,a said Elsic after a pause, his voice tentative. aSomething I donat like.a aAh, that,a she said. aThe book Iam reading has a rather large section of demonology. There is magic that feedsa"a aa"upon death,a he interrupted, having come to alert like a fine hunting hound.

aEven so. Iam not working the spells, but even writing about such things taints the pages.a aAh,a said Elsic in a fine imitation of her tones earlier. He nodded once, and resumed playing. He didnat appear unhappy, just thoughtful, so she left him to his music.

IT WAS INTERESTING to read the detailed explanation of the proper ceremony for summoning the dead accompanied by aHow the Cow Ate the Roofa and aThe Maidenas Caress.a There were worse choices, she supposed, but somehow the simple country songs made the sacrifice of three piglets in a particularly cruel manner even more distressing in comparison. It was a relief when someone knocked on her door, and gave her an excuse to quit reading.

She ducked under the tapestry, tossing the book in the trunk, which was unaccountably unlocked again, as she passed it to reach her door. She looked at the trunk and frowned, but the knocking resumed.

aComing,a she called, opening the door.

Talbot ran his eye over her outlandish costume and shook his head. aAnd here, Iave heard yeave become an old maid in your choice of clothing. First time Iave seen an old maid wearing orange.a Sham batted her eyelashes at him and cooed, aOh, but sir, a woman never likes to be predictable.a Talbot laughed, stepping in the room at her motion of invitation. aAnd where have ye stowed the lad, eh? Under the bed?a aActually we were taking advantage of the more comfortable furnishings in Kerimas rooms.a Talbotas eyebrows climbed. aIf a man werenat to know better, Iad say ye were sleeping with him the way you make so free of his rooms.a Sham flashed the Reeveas Mistressas most enigmatic smile at him without answering the real question in his eyes. Elsic ducked under the tapestry and negotiated the room as if head been in it a hundred times rather than one.

aThrough with business, Master Talbot?a he asked.

aFor the nonce, lad.a Talbot turned back to Shamera. aThereas enough evidence of the story the old mage told ye to warrant a closer look, though I havenat found anything interesting yet. I have a few meetings tomorrow as well, I donat dare leave Elsic to my lassiesa"theyall eat him alive.a aBy all means bring him here. All Iam doing now is reading. Given my material, itas good to have another person here so I donat scare myself silly,a she invited truthfully.

Talbot laughed. aRight. Now if I donat get us home soon, the missus will have thrown the last of supper to the neighboras dog. Come along, Elsic.a Talbot tucked Elsicas hand in the crook of his arm and took his leave. Before she shut the door Sham heard Talbot say in a fatherly voice, aNow the missus said she had a nice fat duck to roast. Yeall want to avoid the gravy if ye can, but yeall not find better stuffing in all of . . .a THE OUTSIDE AIR was crisp and fresh so Sham pulled her hood lower over her face. The stablemen had seen her in both her guises so she hoped the hooded cloak, aided by the darkness of late evening, would allow her to look like a lady meeting her lover in secret. Shead received the Whispereras message on her dinner tray, but because it had taken her time to get out of the house unseen she wasnat certain the messenger would still be waiting.

aAh, such fair countenance should never be hidden away like lost treasure.a The Sharkas voice rumbled out of the darkness of the hay barn.

Sham dodged into the shadows where the Shark waited and watched the stableyard warily until she was sure no one was taking undue notice of her actions before snapping impatiently, aLeave off with the manure; the stable has more than enough as it is. Why didnat you just send another letter?a He sank into a stack of hay and pulled a strand loose to chew on. aI thought Iad better check on you and see that you donat grow too attached to your feathersa"a he nodded at her clothes, aa"and forget you are not a peacock, but a fox.a Sham folded her arms and frowned at him. aWhat do you have for me, Sir Fox?a aHalvok studied magic under Cauldehel of Reth for twelve years. I donat know why that little fact escaped all the other times Iave asked for information on him, but I got this one from Halvokas half-sister myself.a Sham raised her brows. aYouave been masquerading as nobility again? Thatas a hanging offense.a The Shark gave her one of his dangerous smiles. aAh, but I have some influence with the Reeve. I happen to be very close friends with his mistress.a aAnd who was cautioning me a moment ago to remember that the Reeve really doesnat have a mistress?a asked Sham with a grin.

aGuilty,a he replied with a flourishing bow. aI also asked around about the story of the Castleas demon. It seems that there is indeed such a tale, though nothing I heard connects it with the name Chen Laut. Iave gotten two or three versions of the story, but most of the particulars fit with the wizardas account.a Sham nodded. aGood. Talbotas been looking through the old records. It looks like thereas enough information to confirm the story Halvok told us.a The Shark spat the hay strand on the ground. aThe third bit of interest that I picked up might be the reason the demon attacked the Old Man. It seems Maur had a run-in with a demon before he became the Kingas Sorcerer. Head been called to help a village, where a series of odd murders took place. He discovered a demon, hiding among a group of players who had stopped to winter at the village. He was able to drive it away, but couldnat destroy it.a aThe Chen Laut?a she asked.

aMy source didnat know. If it was, Maur might have been able to identify it.a aThe old man was blind,a Sham reminded him.

aIf he knew what the demonas human form looked like, he could have described him well enough to identify who it is. It would explain why the demon attacked him.a aI can feel this pattern coming together,a she said ruefully, abut I feel as if I am looking at the whole picture from the wrong side.a aI hope you find that demon before it can kill again. I have a feeling that youare not high on its list of favorite people.a Sham laughed, aIave had that thought several times lately. Iall be careful.a The Shark snorted, aAnd Iall be a fisherman. Just be smarter than it is.a WITH ELSICaS MUSIC in her ears, Sham read the spell to return the demon to its origins for the fifth time. Somewhere beneath the neatly laid out recipe was a philosophy that dictated it. There seemed to be some special significance to the death of the sacrifice beyond the power of death magic.

As she read the spell again, goosebumps crawled up her arms. She ignored it at first, as a natural reaction to the nature of the spell she was exploring. Only gradually did she realize that her nerves were tingling from very real presence of magic. She looked up from her book and noticed Elsic wasnat in the room with her. His music was coming from her rooma"and it wasnat a harp he was playing.

A chill crept up her spine as she heard the clear tones of Mauras flute. She must have left the trunk unlocked again . . . it wasnat like her to forget to lock her trunk. Yet at least on two occasions and now apparently a third, shead done just that. Plaguing flute . . .

She tucked her book under her arm and ducked under the tapestry. In her room the magic was so thick, she felt she might choke on it. Shead known the flute had a nasty habit of calling to someone who could use it. With his magic and musical ability, Elsic would have been especially sensitive to its call.

He played the flute softly, perched on the edge of her bed with a dreamy expression on his face, so absorbed by the music, that Sham thought he probably had no idea of the mounting storm of magic. On the principle that it was dangerous to interrupt someone working magic, Sham sat on the bed next to Elsic, with the intention of breaking his focus on the music slowly.

Unfortunately, he stopped playing immediately.

aIam sorry . . .a He didnat get the chance to finish before the gathering magic broke free of the fetters of the fluteas music and began to shape itself to firea"as all wild magic did. Smoke curled up from the bottom of the tapestry and little flames flickered here and there on the carpets, the upholstery, and anything else marginally flammable.

Instinctively Sham reached for control before her reason told her there was no chance she could work green magic. She started to pull back and look for another way to undo the damage the magic was causing before the smoke in the room became dangerous when two things occurred to her.

The first was that it was only human magic that tended to turn to fire when loosed unshaped; by its very nature, green magic was already shaped before it was called. The second was that when shead reached for control of the magic, it had responded to her. She didnat waste time wondering why Elsic had called human magic with the flute. The smoke burning acridly in her lungs was reminder enough of the lack of time.

She sought control again. It was difficult to contain magic she hadnat summoneda"Elsic was not her bound apprenticea"and this was more power than shead ever used at one time. As she wrestled with it, she was peripherally aware that flames leapt from the bedclothes sparked by the magic escaping her hold.

It struck her that it might be easier to channel the magic into a spell, rather than try to contain it. Deciding a fire in the fireplace was as likely a candidate for dispersing it as any, she fed the magic into the logs that were prepared for lighting.

This time her effort was much more successful. The wood burst into flame and erupted into glorious fury, burning to ash in an instant. She used the last touch of magic to dispel the random fires and the smoke. In a moment it was quiet in the rooma"though a good deal warmer than it had been.

aWhat happened?a asked Elsic in a subdued voice.

Sham laughed a bit shakily. aThat is a very good question. The flute is a device designed to allow a magician to gather magic easier and faster than he normally could. Apparently it works for green magic as well as humana"but the magic it gathers is still the raw stuff human mages like me use. Human magic disperses itself in flame if the person who draws it canat control it.a aI suppose that means I shouldnat play it.a The regret in his voice was reflected in his face.

aI suppose not,a she agreed firmly, tucking the flute back inside the trunk and keying the lock-spell into place. The next Spirit Tide she was going to put the stupid flute in the caves where it wouldnat be a problema"she hoped.

RUBBING HER EYES tiredly, Sham spelled the book closed. Talbot had collected Elsic and left several hours ago. Sometime after that Dickon had brought her dinner with a message from the Reeve. Kerim would stop by after he was through with his meetings, but it would be very late.

Sham was contemplating trying for some sleep when someone knocked gently on her door. It was the outer door so it probably wasnat Kerim, and the knock was too soft for Dickon.