Stelka's instinct was right a" and Verris's too. If only she could get the council to listen to her and work together. She thought about the streets of Quentaris thick with sky-traders. And those stupid mood stones. They were everywhere! Tab reached into her pocket, feeling her own mood stone nestled there. Now some angry Loraskians were coming to collect them. Who knew how dangerous they were? Tab had to hurry. There was so much to do. It may be too late already!

Melprin's Tower.

Dra.s.s Nibh.e.l.line thumped the table. *We've only just started negotiations! And it's not just this business a" who knows who these people know? We could be shunned from world after world, and where will that leave us? Is this child going to fix it when we're all starving?'

*Are you'? Storm challenged.

Florian said, *Dra.s.s is right. First we listened to this girl because she could supposedly talk to animals, and now we're listening to her because she can't. Verris, you set too much store in this a' He waved his arm Tab's way. *Rift child! What if she's wrong?'

Verris ignored Florian, directing his comment to Dra.s.s. *You set too much upon the weight of your purse. What if she's right?'

Tab shifted in her chair, wondering if she had made a mistake telling the council about the conversation she had overheard. Maybe she should have tried to sort it out just with her friends. She'd told the council members about the threat, but she had managed to keep the part about Melprin private.

Tab's instinct was that, with adequate warning, the dragon would be able to look after herself. Warning her was the first thing Tab would do once she got out of here, but it was taking forever! It would be dark by the time she left this chamber.

Why was it that the council wanted to talk about things over and over? It seemed to Tab the more important they thought they were, the more talking they wanted to do. Couldn't they just get on with it?

Dra.s.s snorted. *Has anyone else met anything other than charm and good humour from these sky-traders? Don't you think we should verify these allegations before we act on them?'

*I have a bad feeling about them. Aside from what Tab has told us, it's nothing I can quantify,' Stelka confessed.

*Mere sn.o.bbery!' Florian sneered.

Stelka's eyes burned. *You're a fine one. He who can't help telling all and sundry about the colour of his blood.'

Florian lifted his chin defiantly, but he didn't answer back. For a moment the chamber was silent, aside from the crackling of the timber in the grand fireplace that did little to warm the room.

*Watch yourself, Florian,' Verris said with a glint in his eye. *You might find yourself smote, and you've not proved yourself worthy of sparing, apart from the colour of your blood, of course.'

Many members of the council chuckled behind their hands.

*Let's all just calm down,' Storm said. *It seems to me the only problem we have is these.' She rolled a mood stone across the table. *We have no further obligations to the sky-traders. We taught them sports, as agreed. I say we pack up our toys and say goodbye. We dump these stones on the first world we find, and carry on. Tab said that we don't have anything that they want. They should have no problem with us leaving. Isn't that right, Tab?'

Tab bit her lip and nodded. *May I be excused?' she asked in a small voice.

*No!' Florian snapped.

*We don't need to dump the gems, surely!' Dra.s.s protested. *These Loraskians might be pipsqueaks! Why are we listening to this girl?'

Tab sighed. Here we go. Back to the beginning again!

Verris took pity on her. *You can go. Rest. Have something to eat, but don't go far. We'll call for you if you're needed.'

Tab smiled gratefully as she slipped out of her chair. She was tired, and she would get something to eat just as soon as she had seen Melprin.

She ran across the square. There were still skytraders sitting in the street stalls playing joy tiles and sharing a drink and a meal with Quentarans who were oblivious to the danger they were in.

Tab dashed down the alleyways skidding around corners, ducking past carts and crates as shopkeepers stacked away their wares or craftspeople took new inventory.

She reached the tower. Round and round she climbed. Every dozen steps there was a narrow opening in the wall that looked out between the rigging over the city. Through one of these openings Tab saw a group of roofies sitting cross-legged. A slender man had a lute and was singing a sweet tune, while the others swayed in time.

Up and up she climbed. Her legs were heavy and her lungs started to burn. She pushed off the stone wall. Not far to go now.

When Tab reached the door at the top she rested, hands on knees, catching her breath. She put her hand on the doorhandle. Suddenly she felt Melprin's mind-speak, metallic and crackling, and somehow hot, like a knife blade inside her head.

>>>Wait! The situation is somewhat delicate here Tab held her hands to her temples, suppressing a yelp.

>>>I'm coming around to the window She slipped out through the opening onto the narrow shelf on the outside of the building, tucking her fingers into the cracks between the stones and clinging on strongly. She took a deep breath, held it and then dared to look out at the nightscape of Quentaris spread out before her. She could see the lights within the masts, making them glow like festival lanterns. Huge lamps swung around from the crow's nests, lighting the sails that whipped and snapped in the night air like great flags. It would have been quite beautiful if it wasn't so scary.

There is a whole spider web of cordage between me and the ground, she told herself. She would be able to grab a hold of something before she hit that hard, cold surface. Her head spun, but that might have been from the shock of hearing Melprin's voice so loudly in her mind after such a long period of humming noise.

Tab shuffled slowly around the tiny ledge, gripping with her fingers and curling her toes inside her boots. Finally her fingers found a deeper crevice, and Tab peeked inside the opening.

Stacked around the room were boxes, crates and hessian sacks. Melprin stood against the far wall, back arched and tail lashing, her eyes burning with rage.

Standing with her back to Tab was the sky-trader Chak a" Kel's second in command. She held an oval object, slightly larger than a hooey ball, over her head.

It's an egg, Tab thought. Melprin's egg. That's why she has been so quiet up here!

Melprin's tail whipped again, hitting the floor with such force it cracked the flagstone.

*Temper, temper,' the sky-trader taunted, holding the egg closer to the window.

Tab could see what was happening. The sky-trader would either take the egg or throw it out the window. Whichever way, Melprin would lose it. But the minute the sky-trader headed for the door Melprin would be on her, so she couldn't afford to risk running.

How long had this stand-off been going on? Tab wondered.

Melprin let out a metallic, grating growl that sounded like a barrel full of broken gla.s.s turning over.

>>>Hours Tab could reach the egg a" s.n.a.t.c.h it out of the skytrader's grasp. She shuffled further into the narrow window, stretched forward. She almost had it, just a hand-span more. Her shadow danced on the wall.

The sky-trader spun around. She saw Tab and let out a barking laugh. *The armada has arrived at last! You want the egg? Here, take it!' She thrust the egg at Tab, pushing with all her force. Tab curled her arm around the egg. She tried to keep a grip on the wall with her other hand, but she was slipping. She scratched at the stone wall with her fingernails, but the momentum was too great. She was falling. Her legs flailed at the air and she let out a shriek.

Above her Tab heard a heavy crunch. Stone blocks split and flew as Melprin launched herself through the wall and into the sky. The dragon shot straight down like an arrow. The wind whistled through her scales as she picked up speed.

Tab held out her free hand and Melprin tucked in underneath her. Tab scrabbled at the dragon's scales, trying to make purchase. The egg slipped under her elbow.

*No!' she shouted, squeezing with her arm, but it was too late. The egg slithered out from under her arm and dropped away into the dark.

With two hands free Tab hauled herself onto Melprin's back, gripping with her knees. *Hurry!' she screamed at Melprin.

The dragon whipped and spun this way and that way, searching for the egg. She let out an anguished howl.

>>>Where?

But Tab couldn't see it either.

As they got closer to the ground Tab prepared herself for the worst, but as Melprin set her down, there was no broken egg on the ground underneath the tower.

*I'm so sorry,' Tab said to her friend, tears welling in her eyes. *I couldn't hold on. I tried, but a'

Melprin said nothing. She growled again, a deep thrumming sound that rattled in Tab's chest and set her hair on end. The dragon shot up into the sky pulling at the air with long strokes of her wings, heading towards the sky-traders' city.

A moment later Chak burst out the door. Her head swung around. She saw Tab and cursed, then she turned on her heel and ran towards the harbour. Tab followed her. Her legs ached and her head throbbed. Her chest stung with guilt and regret, but she ran, pumping her arms.

They pa.s.sed a dark alley and the sky-trader skidded to a stop, and then backtracked. Tab stopped not far behind her and they both stared into the gloom.

The sky-trader cursed again.

There in the alleyway a man in a hooded cape was leading a pony. It was a sad, old, sway-backed looking creature. Its ribs stuck through its coat like corrugations on an old road. He turned his head and in a shaft of moonlight Tab saw his face. His eyes widened when he saw the two people at the end of the lane.

*Fontagu!' Tab gasped.

The pony stumbled as he hurried it along. Tab could see its colouring was similar to the other two equens, Talisman and Trinket, who had arrived that morning. It had the same tattoos running down its legs.

The equen's ears flickered in her direction.

>>>Tattoo.

*Yah! Giddy-up!' Fontagu snapped the lead rope over the equen's rump, and the animal winced.

The sky-trader hissed a" an incredulous, outraged sound, as Fontagu and the equen slipped around the bend and into the darkness. Chak cupped her hands around her mouth and tilted her face skywards. *Alarm!' she roared. *Alarm!'

Fracas.

Throughout the city Tab heard the distress signal repeated, Alarm! Alarm! Followed by the crashes and bangs, breaking gla.s.s, snarls and yelps of brawls breaking out in the streets and taverns.

Tab hurtled down the lane after Fontagu with Chak hard on her heels. The sky-trader snagged one of her pigtails and Tab's head jerked. *Ahh!' she called as she lost her footing and slipped. Chak straddled her and pummelled with her fists. Tab screamed, but knew her calls for help would go unnoticed in the fracas all around.

Suddenly, Chak made a funny *Yoick!' noise, and Tab felt the weight lift off her stomach. The skytrader's arms and legs flailed as Vrod held her by the scruff of the neck.

*You!' Tab gasped. *Are you following me?'

*Verris say watch the girl. I watch the girl,' the troll grunted. His nostrils flared and his ears waggled as he took in the sounds and aroma of the fighting. His eyes took on a dreamy look, like a dog scratching an itch. *Go. I've got bones to crack. Fresh marrow!' Vrod licked his lips.

Chak yelped and thrashed but the troll held her at arm's length as though she were a naughty kitten.

Tab scrambled to her feet and dashed off down the alley. In the streets around her she could hear the thump of running boots, roars, grunts and the clash of metal as sky-traders and Quentarans fought each other. Still, her way was clear, apart from rats and cats lurking in corners and picking their way through the debris that lined the alley.

As she ran she noticed that the sandpaper feeling in her head had diminished. It wasn't gone altogether, but she felt that she could mind-meld if she concentrated hard. It was a good feeling a" a satisfying feeling, like splashing your face with cold water on a hot day.

Tab reached a crossroads and she stopped, trying to get her bearings. At the end of the alleyway she could see at least twenty people fighting. Hulk Duelph and his fiery sister Taschia despatched opponents side by side. Rad de La'rel and his partner Tulcia chased two sky-traders that they had disarmed along the street.

The sky-traders stopped to collect swords from fallen comrades and soon the tables were turned.

Drunk Quentarans and trolls threw themselves into the fray with relish. The tiny sky-traders fought with efficient accuracy. In the gloom it was hard for Tab to tell who was winning.

Which way would Fontagu go? Tab wondered. It couldn't be! The old slaughterhouse! What a place to take a sad old animal! She turned in a circle and realised she was not fifty paces from the doorway. Checking that she was not being followed, Tab rushed up to the building.

Fontagu poked his head out of the doorway, listening to the screams and the fighting in the streets. He gathered his cloak closer about him.

*Ah, there you are,' he said, picking Tab's form out of the gloom. He rushed into the alley and hauled Tab inside by the sleeve, slamming the door behind them.

Once inside he ran from window to window, fastening shutters that still had hinges and locks, and shoving old equipment in front of windows that were bare. His cloak flapped about his limbs as he scurried.

The equen stood in the middle of the slaughterhouse looking bewildered and miserable.

Tab stepped over the old timber and broken beams that littered the floor. She took in the fragrance of the mare's breath. It smelt sickly, like overripe fruit, and cloying like turned cream. Her flanks were hollow with dehydration and the dried sweat made grimy curlicues of her dirty coat.

At the end of the row Tab pushed open the halfdoor of an old stall that still had some straw in it. The equen stumbled toward an open barrel, halffilled with stagnant water.

*Wait,' Tab said. She dragged the barrel out into the main holding area and tipped the foul water into the drain. Then she hauled the barrel across to a rusty water pump in the corner. It was corroded, and squeaked as she pumped, but the water that came from the spout smelt fresh enough.

Tab lugged it back to the stable and stood it in the corner. The equen drank with gusto, and the muscles beneath her eyes twitched with every gulp she took.

*Slow.' Tab placed a hand on the mare's neck pushing her head away from the water. Too much too fast would make her ill.

The equen staggered away from the barrel. She swayed on her feet.

*You can sleep. I will keep watch,' Tab promised.

The mare fixed Tab with a wary and intense gaze for a moment and then, satisfied that her new friend would maintain the vigil as promised, sniffed the bedding. She dropped to her knees. The rest of her body hit the floor with a thump. Her head drooped until her chin was resting somewhere deep in the straw. She groaned, a hoa.r.s.e wheeze in her chest. She blinked three times and then her eyes stayed closed.

Tab's eyes ran over the little equen's tired and defeated body. She could see the intricate pattern on the backs of her legs. *Tattoo,' she whispered. *That's your name, isn't it?'

The mare's eyes fluttered open for a second and Tab saw grat.i.tude there. Tab knew that this equen was as far from home as she had ever been a" so far it seemed unfathomable. It was plain on her face that she'd given up any hope of seeing her own kind again.

That feeling of sorrow that she'd felt on the skytraders' ship draped over her. It was so heavy Tab didn't think she could stay upright. She crouched down next to the equen. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Tab thought of telling Tattoo about the other two equens at the palace livery. They could go there after the fighting was over a" a.s.suming that Quentaris won.

*No time for that!' Fontagu said interrupting her thoughts. *Wake her up. Use that mind skill of yours. I want to know everything.' He prodded Tab in the side. *Go on, then.'

*She's exhausted!' Tab protested, slapping his hand away.

*Listen!' Fontagu tilted his head to the side. *Can you hear it? Sky-traders are fighting with us, taking lives, risking their own, for her.' He nodded towards the equen again. *Must be worth something, wouldn't you say?'