front of the building. ‘It’s solid and sheltered from the wind; as safe as anywhere.’
Which isn’t saying much, Nish thought. They left Malien and Yggur inside, along with the soldier with the broken leg, plus food, drink and cloaks to cover them, and Evee to do what she could for their hurts.
‘Splendid,’ said Flydd, visibly gathering his resolve. ‘Take us within, Muss.’
TWENTY-FIVE
The stream of fleeing people had dropped to a trickle, now following an ant trail of refugees that led around to the rear of Nennifer, where there would be shelter from the biting wind.
‘This way will be quicker,’ said Muss. ‘Try not to attract attention.’
‘What about a disguise?’ said Flydd.
‘Your own mother wouldn’t recognise you under all that dust, surr.’
Muss led them across the tilted, shattered stones of the parade ground, keeping to the low side of an upthrust bank of rubbly rock that curved towards the former entrance of the fortress. In the drifting dust and smoke it was hard to follow him. Though Muss was undisguised, he tended to blend into his surroundings.
‘He’s almost as weird as the rest of the place,’ Irisis said quietly to Nish. ‘I don’t trust him, despite his fine words.’
Nish didn’t have the energy to worry about anything else. ‘He knew we were here. He could have betrayed us any time in the past few days, had he wanted to.’
‘He’s up to something,’ she muttered.
Muss, ten or fifteen paces ahead, stopped and looked directly at her, before heading off again.
Irisis shivered. ‘And he’s fey.’
Nish put an arm around her but the sudden movement made his head spin again. He gagged and pulled away.
‘Are you all right?’ Irisis said sharply.
‘This place makes me dizzy.’
‘I feel it too.’ She touched her pliance with a fingertip. ‘Whatever the amplimet did to the dimensions, they haven’t quite gone back to normal.’
Where the rubble bank branched into two, Muss stopped for everyone to catch up. ‘Best if we go in here.’
The curving slice of building in front of them was shaped like a fingernail paring cut in half. The short straight end still had its outer wall, but the exposed side, which protruded several spans further than the neighbouring slice, revealed a section through all the above-ground floors of Nennifer. The lower floors were intact and contained their original contents, but the upper two levels were in disarray, their floors and ceilings partly crumbled.
Muss sprang lightly up onto the lowest floor, which stood two-thirds of a span above the ground, and disappeared.
‘What –?’ said Klarm.
The spy reappeared, his image wavering as if seen through the surface of a rippled pond. Nish felt an almost overwhelming urge to throw up.
Irisis steadied him until the nausea faded. ‘Perhaps if you close your eyes?’
‘Fat lot of use I’ll be then, when we’re attacked.’
‘You won’t be any use if you’re hurling your breakfast up all over yourself.’
‘We didn’t have any breakfast!’ he said miserably.
‘You’ll be fine then. Hold my hand while we go through.’
Klarm looked back, frowned, then flipped himself up onto the floor. This time Nish couldn’t control his stomach. Once he’d finished, Irisis took his hand and led him to the edge. ‘Close your eyes,’ she hissed as Flangers swung himself up.
Nish did so. ‘Ready?’ Without waiting for him to answer, Irisis took him under the arms and heaved him up, grunting with the effort.
His stomach tied itself in knots as he passed through a chilly, wetly-clinging barrier, but the nausea faded as he landed on the floor inside. He stood up, steadfastly looking the other way as Irisis came through.
The room appeared to have been the sleeping chamber of a senior mancer, or possibly a scrutator, for it was lavishly appointed with rugs, tapestries and furniture made of inlaid ebony and other rare timbers. An ivory wand lay in the middle of the rug, broken in half.
‘Which way?’ said Flydd, moving in behind Muss and taking him by the upper arm.
Muss went still. ‘I don’t like to be touched, surr,’ he said stiffly.
Flydd didn’t let go, and the pair stood frozen for a full minute before Muss gave a slight dip of the head and Flydd stepped back.
‘I still have to find the way,’ said Muss, looking around. He glanced down at the eidoscope in the folds of his cloak, then opened a door and slid through it. They waited. His head appeared around the door. ‘This way.’
Irisis muttered something rude. Flydd directed a fierce scowl at her. ‘If you are to lead, you must also learn when