Sharn threw open the door, taking in the scene in an instant. Two huge figures were sitting at the table. One was Doomas friend Steven, the strange Plains pedlar who had been such a good and powerful ally in the time of the Shadow Lord. The othera"was Lindal!

And taking his place beside them was Doom himself, wearily pulling off his coat. But Sharn had no time, no s.p.a.ce in her mind, to wonder why Doom and Lindal had returned, or how Steven had come to be with them. Her gaze was fixed on the platter towards which all three were reachinga"a platter heaped with small, golden-brown cakes in silver paper cases.

aNo!a She sprang forward. As they shouted in shock, her arm crashed down on the table, sweeping the platter away from them. The platter fell to the floor, smashing on the stones, cakes bouncing and rolling away.

Amarantz, her face pale as parchment, fell to her knees, scrabbling to pick them up.

aSharn! What is it?a roared Doom, astounded, almost angry.

Sharn could not answer. She was gasping, dizzy with relief. If she had been a moment later a She steadied herself on the edge of the table and made herself look down at the old woman crawling on the stones of the kitchen floor.

Amarantzas eyes met hers. And suddenly it seemed to Sharn that something else was watching her from behind that familiar, faded blue. Something alien. Something cunning. Something wicked.

Her stomach churned with sickness. She shrank back, shivering.

And then, horribly, Amarantz began to laugh. aFools!a she cackled. aDo you not know that you will never defeat me?a With an oath, Doom leaped to his feet, his chair crashing behind him. Steven rose more slowly, gripping the edge of the table. The muscles of his arms and neck bulged as though he were lifting a great weight. He trembled all over. His eyes flickered from gold to brown as Nevets, the savage brother he carried within him, struggled for freedom.

aNo!a Lindal ordered, putting a huge hand on his shoulder. aNevets, we do not need you here. Go back!a The terrible shuddering quietened and ceased.

Shoulders heaving, Amarantz crouched toad-like, watching them. aWhat joy it would have been to have sent you the way of the poor little bride, Doom!a she croaked. aAnd your friends, those ugly freaks of nature, with you. But, ah well, this feeble body is nearly worn out as it is. I will see you another time, Doom, in another place.a She pressed her clenched fist to her mouth.

aStop her!a Sharn exclaimed urgently.

Instantly understanding, Doom leaped forward.

But it was too late. The poisoned cake was already in the old womanas throat, and she was swallowing it whole.

aSoon we will be everywhere!a she hissed. aVery soon aa Her face changed, her eyes rolled back. With a terrible shriek she clutched at her stomach and fell sideways, her feet kicking, her head beating horribly against the stones.

As Doom, Lindal and Steven stood frozen with horror, Sharn ran to her. She could not help it. For whatever hideous force possessed the old woman, this was Amarantz, the friend of her youth. She could not let her die horribly, alone.

She took the jerking body in her arms and held it tightly. For a long moment there was no change. Then suddenly the eyes returned to normal. They stared at Sharn vacantly for a single moment, then seemed to focus.

aI am here, Amarantz,a Sharn whispered.

The eyes grew puzzled. The cracked lips opened. aSharn?a Amarantz murmured. aOh, Sharn, I had a terrible dream. Such a terrible dream.a Sharn nodded, stroking the wet forehead, her eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears.

aI dreamed that the Grey Guards came to the pottery, and we were all taken,a sighed the old woman. aAnd Ia"a Her eyes suddenly widened, filling with terror.

aDo not fear any more, Amarantz,a said Sharn quickly. aThe dream has ended now. Ended.a aYes.a The faded eyes grew peaceful once more. The lips curved in a half smile. And then the breathing stopped. For Amarantz, the nightmare had truly ended at last.

aWhat was that she said of athe poor little bridea?a asked Doom urgently.

aShe thought she had poisoned Marilen. But she was wrong,a said Sharn.

She laid the old womanas head gently down and brushed the wisps of grey hair from the bloodstained cheek. Then she thought a she thought she saw something moving in the hair that trailed on the ground. Tears were blurring her eyes. She rubbed them, looked again, then jerked back with a scream of horror.

A long grey worm with a scarlet head was crawling from Amarantzas ear. It slithered out onto the floor in a trail of slime and writhed there, its tail lashing in fury.

14 - Leap of Faith.

His face twisted in disgust, Doom strode forward and stamped on the evil thing, grinding it into the stones.

aWhat was it?a screeched Lindal.

aA new piece of Shadow Lord devilry,a Doom muttered. aAmarantz was taken to the Shadowlands, it seems. And at some timea"perhaps not long agoa"that vile thing was put into her brain, and she was sent back.a He looked down at Amarantzas crumpled body.

aAt least we now understand what has been happening here,a he said. aWhy we are plagued by a.s.sa.s.sins and spiesa"all of them once good people.a There was a short, fearful silence. One thought was in all their minds.

aThere could be thousands of them,a said Lindal roughly, putting the thought into words at last.

aNo.a Doomas brow was furrowed in thought. aThe words were, aSoon we will be everywherea. For some reason, the real invasion has not yet begun.a aI thinka"I think that is because the process is not yet perfect.a Sharn was controlling the trembling in her voice with difficulty. aIt still causes a damage.a As her companions stared, puzzled, she took a deep, shuddering breath.

aDo you not see?a she said. aAmarantz said she had been deafened by a beating, but that was a lie. At the last, when she was herself again, when the worm had begun leaving her because it knew her time was ending, she could hear me clearly. The worm had been blocking her hearing, as well as controlling her mind.a aYes!a Doomas eyes blazed. aAnd this explains many things. The babbling woman with the knife. The old guard who could not walka"a aAnda"of course!a"the man Pieter, who put the scorpion in Liefas bed chamber, was tormented by agonising headaches,a Sharn exclaimed. aHe was anothera"imperfect experiment.a Suddenly the horror was too much for her. She covered her eyes.

aThe Shadow Lord is no doubt working to correct the fault in his process,a muttered Lindal. aAnd when he is satisfied aa aAh, you are as gloomy as Nevets, girl!a growled Steven. aAre you trying to make us lose all hope? I suspect you have a worm in your own painted skull.a aMy only headache is you, Steven!a Lindal retorted. aI am simply being realistic. The Shadow Lorda"a She broke off as the kitchen door swung open.

Marilen walked in, her head high, colour burning in her cheeks. Her defiant eyes widened as she saw Doom, two huge strangers, and the body of Amarantz on the floor, but she did not hesitate. Ignoring everyone else, she spoke directly to Sharn.

aPlease do not blame the guards because I am here. They had no orders to stop me. You all relied on my obedience for that. Well, I am tired of being obedient!a aMarilen aa Sharn began, astonished. But Marilen had not finished.

aI came to tell you that, whatever you might think, I am certain that Ranesh is guilty of no wrong,a she said clearly. aAlso, that I am determined to stay here, whatever the future may hold. But I will no longer cringe upstairs in hiding and in ignorance of what is going on in the palace.a Lindal snorted with laughter. aIs this athe poor little bridea?a she whispered piercingly to Steven. aShe has grown a few muscles, it seems.a Marilenas colour brightened even further but she tossed her head and turned to Doom. aNo blame will attach to you, or to Lief, if anything happens to me,a she said. aThis is my decision, and mine alone.a aThe decision is not yours to make, Marilen,a Doom said grimly. aIt is not only your father who fears for your safety.a Marilen met his eyes without flinching. aThe decision is mine, Doom,a she said. aI will be a prisoner no longer, and that is final!a She glanced at Steven and Lindal, then looked back to Doom and lifted her chin. aDiscuss it with my father, if you wish,a she added, with an unmistakable air of triumph. aHe and Zeean are coming to Del.a Sharn gave a m.u.f.fled gasp. Steven and Lindal looked at her curiously, aThe letter came this morning,a Marilen said. aI should have read it at once, buta"a Again she glanced at Steven and Lindal. aBut something happened which drove it from my mind. Zeean and Father will be here in a day or two.a aWell,a said Doom, his face unreadable. aI am glad that I have returned in time to greet them.a aDoom, why have you returned?a cried Sharn, suddenly recollecting.

aLief and Barda are no longer in the Hills,a said Doom. aThey have followed Jasmine into the caverns under the earth.a Sharn stared at him, joy and fear mingling on her face. aJinks was lying?a she gasped.

aOf course!a said Marilen quietly. aDid I not tell you?a aMy motheras bees brought us the tale,a Steven put in. aThe story took time to spread to them, but it began, I gather, with vine-weaver birds in the Hills. I could not make head nor tail of it, for I had heard that Lief was in Tora. So I came to find out and, lo and behold, met Doom and Lindal on the road.a aUnder the earth aa Sharn shook her head. aSo Jasmine is truly trying to find a secret way to the Shadowlands! Anda"and Lief and Barda are with her?a aSo it seems,a Steven nodded.

aBut Doom, you must go after them!a cried Sharn. aYou must stop them! They cannot save the prisoners alone! All that will happen is that Lief will deliver himselfa"and the Belt of Deltora, Doom!a"into the Shadow Lordas hands!a aThe Belt cannot be taken beyond Deltoraas borders,a Doom said. aWe know this, and Lief knows it too.a Sharn stared at him, unable to understand his calm. aBut what of the Pirran Pipe? Lief was so sure it was the only way to defeat the Shadow Lord on his own ground.a aPerhaps Lief knows something we do not,a Marilen murmured.

aPerhaps he does,a said Doom. He looked at the girl thoughtfully for a moment, then turned back to Sharn. aIt was not an easy decision to return to Del, Sharn,a he said gently. aMy whole instinct was to continue. Then it came to me that it was Lief, Barda and Jasmine who restored the Belt of Deltora, and that they did it alone, without our help or protection.a Sharnas eyes were blinded with tears. aYou are saying that we should trust them.a aI am saying that we must trust them,a said Doom. aOur place, our task, is herea"especially now. All we can do is keep faith. And wish Lief, Barda and Jasmine well, wherever they may be.a Lief, Barda and Jasmine were in a place, and facing a challenge, that not even Doom could have imagined. They were following Liefas plan. They were climbing the cavern wall that jutted beside the dome of Auron.

One of the raft-dwellersa old patched boats floated below them. The Piper himself sat in the stern. Penn was with him, looking up anxiously. At their feet lay what remained of a great coil of rope, slowly unravelling as the three companions made their perilous climb.

aThe hand-holds are growing further and further apart,a gasped Barda, hauling himself up to a new ledge.

aYou can stop now. We are already above the height of the dome,a said Jasmine, who was climbing nimbly above him, the rope trailing behind her. aI will go on and attach the rope.a She continued climbing, aiming for a lump of rock that jutted out high above them where the cavern wall curved to meet the roof.

Flattening himself against the rock beside Barda, Lief looked down. Far below, slightly to his right, the boat, small as a childas toy, rocked beside the band of seaweed. The great coil of rope had completely unravelled. Now the rope hung loosely down the rock face, its knotted end swinging, rising steadily as Jasmine climbed.

And looming before him, rising from sluggish, milky waters, was the rounded shape of the dimly glowing dome. Arach crawled in the shadowy filth heaped at its base, feeding, spinning, watching.

The sound of the Pirran Pipe rang in Liefas ears. He closed his eyes, fighting it down.

aVery well. It is as secure as I can make it,a Jasmine hissed from above.

Lief looked up. Through the dimness he could see that Jasmine had pulled her end of the rope from her waist and looped it over the jutting rock, tying it firmly.

She tugged at the rope to test it. Then, without a sign of fear, she leaned back over the terrible drop, curved her body so her feet touched the rocky wall, and began running downward, the rope slipping through her hands.

In moments she had reached the ledge where Lief and Barda stood.

aReady?a she asked casually.

Barda took hold of the rope, his hands gripping it firmly just below Jasmineas own.

aPromise me, Lief,a he muttered, athat if this should go wrong, you will get back to the rafts and return to Del, however you are able. We cannot riska"a aIt will not go wrong if we follow Liefas plan,a snapped Jasmine. aI am sure the rope is long enough, and the fastening will hold. The most important thing is to push off the cliff-face as hard as we possibly can, so that we swing out fast and far enough to cross the gap. And when I say jump, Barda, you must jump. At once!a Barda gritted his teeth. aAnd if I land safely on the top of the dome, but cannot hold myself in place?a he muttered.

aThen you will slide all the way down to the base and fight Arachs,a said Jasmine calmly. aBut if not, you will simply wait while I return with Lief.a There was nothing further for Barda to say. With a grim nod, he tightened his grip on the rope and bent one knee so that the sole of his boot was planted firmly against the cliff-face. Then, on the count of three, he and Jasmine launched themselves into s.p.a.ce.

Lief held his breath as they swung in a great arc towards the dome, two small figures at the end of a rope that looked impossibly frail. Time seemed to stop. The milky sea crawled beneath them. Their shapes showed dark against the domeas dull glow, swinging up, up a aNow!a shrieked Jasmine, and her voice echoed weirdly from the rock. Now a Now a Now a Barda let go of the rope and sailed through the air. He landed on the dome flat on his belly. The surface of the dome shimmered but did not bend.

Jasmine was already swinging back, her small body hurtling towards the wall with terrifying speed. Lief stood ready to catch her, to cushion her so that she would not smash herself to pieces against the rock.

It was all over in seconds. In seconds, Jasmine was back on the ledge, gabbling instructions. In seconds, Lief was taking Bardaas place, grasping the rope, pressing his foot against the wall, thrusting himself forward at Jasmineas signal.

Then he was flying, cold air rushing against his face, ears strained for Jasmineas call.

The dome was huge, filling his view. He felt himself swinging upward. His brain filled with the singing of the Pipe. Louder. Louder a aNow!a shrieked Jasmine.

Lief let go of the rope. His body sailed up through the empty air, up over the dome. His eye caught the flutter of Jasmineas clothing beside him. He could see Barda stretched motionless below.

Then he was falling. The dim glow of the dome rushed up to meet him. A warm, shimmering haze surrounded him.

He was aware of nothing but sound. Sweet, pure music poured through him, possessed him. It was blind instinct that made him reach for Jasmineas hand, clutch at Bardaas shoulder, as he began to slip through the haze, and the magic of the Pirran Pipe drew him in.

15 - The Isle of Illusion.

The gra.s.s was velvety soft under Liefas feet. Above his head arched a sky of perfect blue. Soft purple hills misted the horizon. The air was warm, and fragrant with the flowers that bloomed beside a rippling silver stream. The shadows under the trees were dappled with sunlight.

Pirra.

The birds seemed to sing the name. The stream babbled it. The leaves whispered it, rustling in a gentle breeze that seemed to breathe magic.

Lief felt hands tugging at his arm. Heard Jasmineas voice calling him from far away.

aLief! Wake! We are inside the dome.a The blue of the sky shimmered uncertainly, like water. The trees wavered.

aLief, behind you! Look!a Jasmineas voice was sharp, urgent. It could no longer be ignored. Unwillingly, Lief turned.

A large crowd of people stood silently watching them. One, wearing the tall, stiff head-covering of a Piper, was dressed in purest white. The rest wore fluttering robes in soft, light colours. Many had flowers in their hair. They looked like the Aurons of the rafts, but they were taller, their faces were less sharp and their skin was golden brown.

And behind them, rising high above the tops of the tallest trees, seeming almost to touch the sky, was a glittering spire of gla.s.s. It flashed so brilliantly in the sunlight that at first Lief saw it only as a vast, shimmering column.

Then, as his eyes cleared, he realised that it had a shape. It was a vast statue of a womana"a Pirran woman, wearing the head-dress of a Piper. And he knew without doubt that the woman was Auron the Fair, who had long ago made music so beautiful that her audience wept.

The statueas long robe fell straight to the ground in a thousand glittering gla.s.s pleats as sharp as razors. Its fixed, unseeing eyes gazed serenely towards the purple hills. Its tall head-dress glared like a white flame against the blue sky. And embedded in the centre of the white flame, perfect and untouchable, was the stem of the Pirran Pipe.

Lief stared, aghast. No hands could have formed that vast image. It could only have been created by magic.

aNo wonder we are here, in the centre of the island instead of at the edge as we expected,a Barda muttered.

aThe mouthpiece of the Pipe pulled us to where it wanted us to be.a aWe will never climb that statue. We would be cut to ribbons in a moment if we tried,a Jasmine said. aYou will just have to persuade the dome-dwellers to give us the stem willingly, Lief. They look gentle enough. Surely they will listen to you.a But Lief was silent, fighting despair. The statue had clearly been created to seal the stem of the Pipe away from every danger for eternity. Those who had made it would never willingly give up their prize. Never.

aGreetings, strangers.a Lief forced his dazzled eyes downward, tried to focus on the figure standing before him. It was the man dressed in white. His arms were outstretched in welcome. The people behind him were also smiling, their robes fluttering like the petals of flowers ruffled by a gentle breeze.

aI am the Piper, Auris,a the man said. aI cannot guess how you have come to our land, but know it must be for a good and beautiful purpose, since nothing evil can dwell here. On behalf of the people, I bid you welcome to Pirra.a Welcome to Pirra?

Lief glanced at Barda and Jasmine. Both were struggling to keep their faces blank.

Auris was waiting courteously. Lief wet his dry lips. However hopeless this situation seemed, however sure he was that the dome-dwellers would be enraged by his request, and certainly would not grant it, he had to try.

aThank you for your gracious welcome, Piper,a he said carefully. aI am Lief, King of Deltora. I have come with my companions, Barda and Jasmine, to beg a favour of you.a Aurisas brow furrowed slightly, and it seemed to Lief that the sweet, sunny air flickered.

Then Aurisas face cleared. aAh,a he said, bowing and smiling. aOf course. Deltora. The realm beyond the mountains. You must forgive me, your majesty. For a moment the name escaped my memory. We of Pirra do not feel the need to travel. As I am sure you can well understand.a He lifted an elegant hand, gesturing at the beauty around him.

aIndeed,a said Lief politely.

aA favour, you say?a Auris murmured.

Lief took a deep breath, glanced once again at Jasmine and Barda, willing them to be patient, and mentally crossed his fingers for luck.

aMany of our people are prisoners of the Shadow Lord, who is your enemy as well as ours,a he said, keeping his voice low and calm. aThe only thing that will save them is the Pirran Pipe, the stem of which you possess. We already have the mouthpiece, given to us willingly by the Plume people. This was how we were able to enter your magic dome soa"a aStop!a The Piperas eyes had glazed. The people behind him had begun flitting around so frantically that they seemed blurred. And the lighta"the light was flickering, dimming a aThere is no need to fear us!a Lief exclaimed hastily. aWe could not take the stem by force, even if we wished it. But I beg you will listen. We have journeyed far through the caverns, and faced many terrible dangers, to find your island.a There was a low rumbling like distant thunder. The trees, gra.s.s and flowers quivered, then began to droop, as though their colours and shapes were melting into the trembling air.

Auris clapped his hands over his ears and screwed his eyes tightly shut. aYou are speaking gibberish! Your words have no meaning!a he shouted. He was breathing heavily. His face had turned as white as the belly of a fish. The crowd behind him was surging like a troubled sea.

aDo not listen to them! They are deluded fools!a he panted, plainly speaking as much to himself as to the people. aThere are no caverns. No dangers. No island. No dome. There is only Pirra, where all is beauty, all is peace, all is trutha"a aYou are the one speaking gibberish, Piper!a Jasmine burst out, unable to keep silent any longer. aThere is nothing true in this place.a aNo!a Aurisas eyes flew open and seemed to bulge in his head. aStopa"a The thundering sound grew louder. Lief looked around him. Everywhere trees, flowers, gra.s.s and sky were shuddering, dissolving. Everything was melting, changing a But a but this was not just a result of the Piperas anger, surely. This was something far more serious. It was as if a as if a A terrible thought struck Lief, shaking him to his core. Suddenly he remembered the parchments Penn had shown him. He remembered the one thing that had puzzled him about them. He remembered Pennas anguished eyes, Pennas words: I have done all you require of me, Piper, and it has cost me dearly Yet what had Penn done but tell the history of her peopleas exile? Why had it cost her so dearly? Just because she feared for three strangersa lives?

Or because, in the telling, she had broken the law she held most sacred?

Truth is all-important.

What had Penn said when Barda asked her why her ancestors had been expelled from the dome?

They were dangerous a They were sick of pretence.

Dangerous? Why dangerous? Unless a aYou can make all the thunder and lightening you wish, Auris, but you will hear me!a Jasmine shouted. aThis is not Pirra! It is just an island protected by magic and filled with pictures. And you know that! I can hear it in your voice!a There was a splitting, cracking sound, as though the heavens themselves were breaking apart.