[Envinyatar]

There was the sound of hooves clattering on the stones outside the palace gates, and the ragged breathing of the great beast at the whispered urgings of its rider to go further on. The guards came running, their calls for the rider to identify himself unheeded. Blades drawn, spears at ready they approached the rider slumped over the saddle.

‘Grab those reins!’ one of them called, as the spooked horse neighed and reared up. ‘It is one of our own. Altayeb! He is injured and bound to the mount.’ Strong hands reached up to pull him to safety as his bonds were cut. The horse, free of his blood-scented burden, reared up once again and then with a mighty leap, flew over those who would restrain him, speeding wildly away from the perceived danger.

‘Take me to Yr Saldan,’ came the ragged voice of Altayeb to his comrades. ‘There are two who would enter the palace and see his plans come to nothing.’

Two strong arms helped the injured man to his feet, and helped him up the stairs to the palace. Yr Saldan, alerted by his guard stood in readiness in the entry way to receive him. ‘Lay him down there, on that seat, and let the healer tend to him.’ he directed the two who held Altayeb up.

He knelt by the injured man’s head, and gave him a few drops of chilled wine to drink. “Here,’ he said, ‘something to ease your parched throat.’ He looked closely at the man’s cut beard and the swollen, purpling bruises to his head. ‘Who did this to you?’

Altayeb raised himself weakly on one elbow and told the story of the two intruders at the warehouse. Yr Saldan’s eyes blazed with anger that they had been allowed to penetrate so far into the city. ‘Who was held captive there?’ he asked Altayeb, ‘And what were those two seeking at the warehouse.’ Again, Altayeb rallied and related what he had learned.

Once Altayeb had been taken to a room to rest, Yr Saldan went into the garden and paced restlessly, thinking hard. His ever present guard kept a watchful eye on him as he strode back and forth. After a dozen passes, Yr Saldan stopped abruptly before the guard and spoke hurriedly to him. ‘Find Jem. Bring him to me at once. It is the children they seek, and now they have one with them who has the knowledge to penetrate the palace in its secret ways . . . the ways we have not learned as yet.’ The guard hurried off to find the young Corsair.

‘Tomorrow,’ said Yr Saldan to the now empty garden, ‘tomorrow we will move the children. And if we cannot get the information we need from them, we will kill them . . .’