It appeared that most of the Ka were occupied with the task of hauling the boat, hoisting their share of the burden with their individual chains. But the horde that attacked us at that moment was like a storm of shadows, more than we could count. The ship tilted slightly, as if some of the Ka had indeed let go to help in the fight.

They came from all directions, and soon our vision was filled with flashing images of black and gray. The beating of their wings and the sound of their screeching howls contended with each other to dominate the air. The thin membrane of their wings flexed and pulled, glistening with moisture. My stomach turned. The dark chasms that were their eyes stared at us with a ferocious loathing.

Yet they did nothing to us.

They couldn't. The power of the Shield was no longer a secret to them, and they didn't even try, didn't even approach our immediate vicinity. But they swarmed around us, creating a swirling cloud of darkness, like a tornado of maddened black butterflies.

Miyoko held on, her hands bound in Ice, legs frozen to my sides. There was nothing she could do but watch. There was nothing I could do but watch. There were so many of them that I just felt overwhelmed, not knowing what good it would do to start shooting beams of Ice.

Distracted by their vicious appearance, I had stopped shrinking our rope, fooled once again by illusion, thinking that I could not get past them to the boat. I had to remind myself for the millionth time that the Shield pretty much allowed me to do whatever I wanted.

With a deep effort of thought, I willed the Ice to shrink the remaining ten feet, to take us straight through the writhing crowd of Ka.

We had gone about two feet when I fell asleep.