The Infinity Gate: Darkglass Mountain: Book Three - By Sara Douglass Page 0,150

go slower I’d need to take down the sail and allow us to drift. But that would leave us without any options should danger threaten.”

Did danger threaten? Maximilian wondered. What in the gods’ names was going on?

“Have you tried to contact anyone in —” Ishbel began to say, then gave a shriek of surprise as a column of water reared up from the channel behind her and crashed into the boat.

They all jumped a little and Serge and Doyle reached for their swords. Before anyone could take any further action the column of water resolved itself into a dripping wet and very naked Inardle.

She grinned at the startled expressions on everyone’s faces. “Did I surprise you? I do apologise. Put those swords away. I am of no harm to you.”

Neither Serge nor Doyle sheathed their swords, but Inardle took no notice. She reached over the side of the small boat, scooping up a handful of water and tossing it into the air in a spray of emerald and silver droplets. At the height of their arc, the droplets shimmered and transformed into a length of blue-green material which Inardle snatched out of the air then wrapped about her body, clothing herself in a matter of moments.

Her smile widened. “I have been learning new tricks,” she said. “Maximilian, all inside Elcho Falling will be more than pleased to see you. Look .”

She pointed at a balcony about halfway up the citadel.

Black dots stood there waving.

“Isaiah,” Inardle said, “and Axis and Georgdi. Happy to see you home and to hand over all their unsolvable problems.”

Maximilian gave a half-hearted wave to the distant balcony, but quickly centred all his attention on Inardle.

“What did you just do? The water . . . ” he said.

“Ah, who and what I am now is a matter for discussion over a glass of wine,” she said. “You are all well?”

“Yes,” Maximilian said. “But —”

“Isaiah and Axis asked me to come greet you and see you inside Elcho Falling,” Inardle said. “Most of the news can wait until then, Maxel, both yours and ours.”

Maximilian regarded her keenly. There was something wrong — he could recognise it in the shadows of her eyes.

“Where are the Lealfast?” Ishbel said. “And Isaiah . . . he managed to get inside Elcho Falling? With his army?”

“The Lealfast Nation rest in the Sky Peaks,” Inardle said, “but they maintain patrols over Elcho Falling. There are a score of them invisible above us now, but they are unlikely to attack while I am here. I can explain all this later. Who is your captain, Maxel?”

Maximilian took a moment to realise what Inardle meant. “Abe,” he said, nodding to the man. “Abe Wayward.”

“Abe,” Inardle said, smiling at him. “Set full sail for the lake and travel about the southern aspect of the citadel. On the western side you will find a causeway, and if you could manoeuvre us close to where that causeway meets the entrance to Elcho Falling then I would be most grateful.”

“And Isaiah’s army?” Ishbel said, a little tightly, irked that she had to press for a response to her question.

“Mostly safe inside Elcho Falling,” Inardle said. “Isaiah can tell you the tale. It wasn’t his finest moment.”

Before Ishbel could pepper her with more questions, Inardle indicated the lake into which they had just sailed. “This could be dangerous,” she said. “The Dark Spire, which Eleanon had placed within the citadel, has grown . . . much more so than when you last saw it, Maximilian. We had the juit birds here . . . did you know that? Well, that is a tale also that can wait for later, but we had millions of juit birds here and they were chased away by hundreds of . . . roots, I suppose you could call them, or fingers, from the Dark Spire, that rose from the water and snatched the birds from the lake and the air. So, this journey may become a little more adventurous than anticipated . . . and thus I am here. I may be of some use against them.”

“Inardle,” Maximilian said, “what has happened to you?” And what is so wrong inside Elcho Falling? he wondered.

She gave a little shrug of her shoulders. “There is much to share, on both our sides, I imagine. Wait until we get inside Elcho Falling, Maximilian. It can all wait until then.”

Despite Inardle’s warnings about the danger from the Dark Spire, they sailed around the southern walls of Elcho Falling without