*Look at you, Salarkis,' Forger said through gritted teeth. *So a soft a'

*I think not,' said Salarkis.

Rostigan knew that his new ally was not half as strong as either one of them. He had to push hard to keep Forger contained, lest his influence ripple out to the side and burst Salarkis's heart. For some reason, he felt a moment of gladness that protecting the man had become a priority.

*Get off!' shouted Forger, sweat beading his brow. Out of habit he gestured with his severed stump, as if there was still a hand there to weave at the air. Rostigan wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him * when they had first arrived in the room, Forger had needed to stoop under the roof, but now he stood with clear space above his head.

He was getting smaller.

*You were foolish to come here,' said Rostigan, *if you knew I would betray you. You have been too long without causing pain, and look how it has shrivelled you.'

*It's not fair!' screamed Forger.

Now Rostigan could almost see it * as Forger continued to expel power, he was shrinking in size.

There came the sound of movement on the stair-well below.

*Stay back!' called Rostigan. *All but the threaders!'

*I can't spare them both from guarding Mergan!' answered Jandryn's voice.

*Send one then, you fool!'

Moments later a white robed threader bounded up the stairs to join them. Her influence was the meekest of them all, and immediately Forger managed to snake a stray tendril along the floor which Rostigan could not stop. It whipped up into the threader to explode her brain, her eyes turned bloodshot as she toppled. The slight victory gave Forger hope, and he redoubled his efforts to reach Salarkis.

*Watch out!' Rostigan called, as rivers of threads twined against each other. He successfully contained Forger once again, and was startled to realise he was actually gaining ground.

*Shall I aid you, Skullrender?' came Jandryn's voice.

*Stay back!'

He could not risk Jandryn * out of any of them, Yalenna deserved her happiness. If he could just get Forger in hand himself a *I think I'm able to bring your shimmer down,' he said. *There's quite a few birds out there now, eager for a peckin'.'

*No! No!' Forger blinked his remaining eye furiously. *You can't do that!'

With a quick swipe over his shoulder, Rostigan tore the shimmer apart. Outside the cloud of crows wheeled about to stream towards the revealed opening. As the first of them flew in, Forger managed to divert a few small strands to break them in the air, but others dodged the falling bodies. Forger could not hold them all back, as well as fight Rostigan and Salarkis, and he knew it.

Just like that, time stopped.

As all threading ceased, the release of pressure sent Forger pitching forward. He landed on his knees, head slumping to his chest. He was shorter than Rostigan now, by just a little.

About them, crows hung in the air, their beaks murderously open, eyes gleaming wickedly. Salarkis was frozen too, his hands poised to continue fighting.

*You are spent?' said Rostigan.

Forger groaned. *Curse you.'

He raised his head to glower tiredly, his empty eye somehow seeming more accusing than the other. His body was coated in sweat, running down to mingle with the blood from his weeping stump. His patchwork of leather sagged around him, stretched too big for him now. He was still muscular, under it all * a muscular, normal-sized man.

Rostigan cut a strip of cloth from his trouser leg and tossed it over. *Bind yourself.'

Forger stared at the offering.

*Bind yourself,' said Rostigan, *if you want to live. After you give back your gifts, you will no longer heal so easily.'

Forger howled at him, long and hard.

Rostigan waited.

Finally Forger was reduced to coughing, and Rostigan waited for that too.

*You have a choice,' he said presently. *I can kill you and take your threads myself. Ido not want that, but you cannot be allowed to keep them. Or you can walk yourself up to the roof.'

Forger hissed.

*Yes, you will turn into someone else,' said Rostigan, *but at least you'll still exist. Isn't that something? He * you * will be glad he is not you anymore. And, once it is done *'

*Once it is done,' shouted Forger, *I will be full of woe for the rest of my life!'

Rostigan raised the sword to Forger's breast. *Choose.'

For a long moment Forger looked away. Then he felt for the strip of cloth and tried to wind it around his wrist. With only one hand to tie it, he didn't have much luck.

Rostigan slid his sword into place across his back. *Let me help you,' he said, going down on his knee.

Forger did not resist, only grimaced a little as Rostigan pulled the bandage tight.

*On your feet,' said Rostigan, rising.

Shakily, Forger got to his feet, carefully avoiding the crows frozen mid-flight. *What about these,' he said. *Will they come for me when I unstop time, while the Wound rises me up, helpless in the air?'

*I will call them off.'

A tear rolled down Forger's cheek, mirroring the blood from his empty eye.

*I only wanted to have a little fun, you know.'

*I know.'

*Didn't you also? You did some terrible things in Ander, trying to make me believe in you.'

*I did not enjoy that. It was just to get you here.'

*Curse you,' Forger breathed, without much feeling. Haltingly he turned and went towards the stairs. At the doorway he paused, his back still turned.

*You're going to do it too though, yes? Give back everything to the Wound?'

*That was always the plan.'

Forger nodded.

*See you soon then, brother.'

Slowly he walked up the stairs and disappeared from view.

Rostigan stood waiting. A while passed, but Forger had nowhere else to go. He would start time soon enough, and then Rostigan a he glanced around a Rostigan would be in a tower full of confused crows, whose quarry, as far as they could tell, had simply disappeared. He turned to the missing wall and blanched to see how many more were hovering just outside.

I should really get down, he thought.

Sound rushed back all at once, the room full of cawing, frenzied crows. Rostigan dove to the hard stone as the beats of wings peppered his back. Somewhere in the feathered cloud, Salarkis cried out in panic.

*Get down!' Rostigan shouted.

Begone! Begone! You are free to be lordless, free for all time!

The birds squawked and circled, battering each other, striking against walls. A few slipped down the stairs where Jandryn waited with Mergan, to be met by sounds of alarm.

Out! Out! Back the way you came!

Crows who were able began to turn about and spill from the opening. Others were stunned, and waddled along the floor giving low squawks. They collected at the edge, fluffing themselves up, until they had recovered sufficiently to launch. As the room emptied Rostigan checked on Salarkis, who was lying prone nearby, a little scratched but mostly intact.

Jandryn's head appeared at the lower staircase. *Where's Yalenna? Is she hurt?'

*She's fine,' said Rostigan, as he shooed away a couple of lingering birds who were eyeing off the dead threader. *Come, Salarkis, we must fetch Mergan.'

Salarkis nodded and got to his feet.

In the room below, on a stretcher between two soldiers, Mergan lay bound and blindfolded, watched over by the remaining threader.

*Take him to the roof.'

Salarkis gestured and Mergan rose from the ground with a muffled exclamation of protest. As Salarkis manoeuvred him up the stairs, Rostigan stared hard at Jandryn and the others.

*Now,' he said, *be off. I will see that all goes well from here.'

*No,' said Jandryn. *There is no reason *'

*Go,' said Rostigan, implanting the word squarely in all their heads.

Jandryn got a dazed look. *Come,' he told the others. *We will wait at the bottom.'

Rostigan watched them leave. Was this the last time he would manipulate another person's mind? he wondered. During the past day he had forced many beliefs into Jandryn's head * that there was no need to ask why he was to follow Yalenna with Mergan, or who precisely Hanry was, and to ignore any threading which he saw Rostigan do. He and Yalenna had pre-empted eventualities so thoroughly * what would the poor man do with all the loose connections in his head? Questions might return to him in time, it was true, but perhaps they were best left for Yalenna to deal with.

Rostigan returned to the upper room to find Salarkis waiting for him by the stairs, still levitating Mergan.

*What are you waiting for?'

Salarkis shrugged, and turned to float Mergan onwards to the roof.

As a mortal, Salarkis had proven no longer immune to Rostigan's persuasion either.

For the last time? Certainly, if he went upstairs and gave back his gifts.

Across the steps a red flare reflected as, somewhere above, the Wound pulsed.

*Well,' he said.

RESTORATION.

Yalenna opened her eyes. Her cheek pressed against dark stone, so smooth it almost seemed soft. She ran a finger over it, beneath the cocoon of her own snowy hair. Had she been here before?

Something was different. She felt as if she was smaller in her own skin. She was a She raised her head.

Salarkis sat not far away, a pleasant smile on his boyish face.

*Hello, Yalenna,' he said. *How are you?'

She frowned. It was a good question. *What happened?'

Salarkis's smile grew. *Why, you succeeded!'

Slowly he looked upwards, and she turned her head to follow his gaze. For a moment she was confused * what was she supposed to be looking at? There was nothing there. And then she realised.

The sky above the Spire was clear.

Except for a yes, there was a slight kink where the Wound had been, something like a faint scar, with a small round circle in the middle, a last little opening. It was far from the gaping hole it had been, and no threads waved from it like bloody ribbons, no cracks spread out into the sky.

Small in her own skin a because nothing seeped from her anymore.

*I am a'

She sat up, put her hand on her chest.

*I'm a'

*You're a young woman,' said Salarkis. *Nothing less.'

Tears prickled her eyes and he moved closer to gather her into a hug. She found herself clutching him, crying freely on his shoulder.

*But,' she gasped, *what happened? Where are the others?'