It was not at all the greeting Rye had expected. As he stared at Sholto, aghast, he suddenly realised that he no longer had to look up to meet his brother’s eyes. He had grown taller since Sholto went away, and now they were almost the same height. Once this would have pleased him enormously. Now it merely added to his feeling of strangeness.
The other prisoners were whispering, their voices hissing behind him like foam on the shore. They had not attacked him, as he had half expected. Perhaps Sonia had defended him by quickly explaining why he had not tricked Sholto as he had promised.
‘We came to find you, Sholto,’ Rye stammered. ‘Dirk and I thought—’
‘Dirk?’ Sholto snapped. ‘Dirk is alive? But where is he?’
‘He was left in the Scour,’ said Rye. ‘He was …’
A great, aching lump rose in his throat. It was impossible to explain—impossible to find the words, with Sholto’s angry eyes upon him.
You have ruined everything …
Rye understood only too well. Sholto had made a plan. Working alone, and in constant danger of discovery, he had been gathering the information he needed to carry the plan out. And now …
He heard Sonia’s footsteps behind him. She took his arm, and he felt her loyalty to him and her fury with his brother flow through him in equal measure.
‘Sholto, are you going to stand there snarling at Rye, or are you going to free us?’ she demanded.
Sholto raised his eyebrows. Sonia’s appearance had plainly taken him by surprise. Like Kyte and everyone else, he had thought she was one of Bird’s people. Now that she was standing upright, with Rye’s black coat draped around her shoulders, he could see his error.
Typically, however, he made no comment and asked no questions. He merely answered her. ‘I cannot free you,’ he said in a level voice. ‘I am sorry.’
The blow was so great that Rye staggered where he stood.
‘Are you saying,’ Bird shouted, as her companions cried out in dismay and disbelief, ‘that you’d rather watch your own brother being eaten alive than risk giving yourself away? What sort of man are you?’
Sholto’s lips twisted wryly. ‘A man who should have made his meaning clearer, it seems. I can release you from this cell, but I cannot free you. Brand is taking no risks of spies interfering with the test. I heard just now that this floor has been cut off from ground level. Brand has taken the lifting chambers under his own control. Our door wands will not operate them. We are all trapped down here.’
He frowned down at the slim grey tube in his hand. ‘And even if we were not,’ he went on doggedly, ‘there would still be no escape. The whole Harbour building has been sealed, and will remain sealed until after the test tomorrow. No one can get in. And no one can get out.’
A heavy silence fell. Sholto went on, his voice very calm. Only Rye could have had any idea of the misery he was feeling.
‘Guards will be patrolling this floor for the rest of the night. If they find this cell empty, they will search until they find you—and find you they will, make no mistake. They will smell you out wherever you are hiding.’
‘We know that as well as you do, Spy’s Brother,’ Bean retorted, before Rye could say a word about the concealing hood. ‘But I’d rather die fighting guards than stay in here waiting to be slaughtered by those—those monsters you are helping to breed.’
His companions murmured fervent agreement.
‘We can do better than die fighting guards,’ Sonia said quietly.
Rye looked at her. So did everyone else.
Sonia’s eyes were very green. She shrugged. ‘If we have to die in any case, why not take the monsters with us?’
‘And how would you propose doing that?’ Sholto drawled.
‘Set this place on fire and burn them,’ said Sonia, meeting his cool gaze defiantly. ‘Burn them all!’
Yes! Rye’s heart gave a great thud.
Sholto’s face was like a pale mask. He leaned forward. ‘If fire was remotely possible I would have used it by now. Do you imagine I would have let the skimmers live and breed one moment longer than I could help?’
Sonia stared at him, a puzzled crease deepening between her brows.
‘There is no fire at the Harbour,’ Sholto said. ‘Did you not see the signs? Flame—or anything capable of making flame—is forbidden.’
He leaned closer, and now everyone in the cell could see and recognise the frustration that had made deep grooves in his pallid skin and hollowed his dark eyes.
‘Heat and light are created here by some means I have not been able to discover,’ he said. ‘None of the substances kept here will explode, alone or mixed together—’
‘What about that?’ Bird interrupted, pointing to the weapon at Sholto’s hip.
Sholto shook his head. ‘It blows smoke, that is all. Smoke calms the skimmers a little so they can be fed, just as it calms bees when honey is to be taken from a hive. But somehow the smoke is created without fire by—’
‘Sorcery,’ Chub hissed.
Sholto looked down his nose. ‘By some means I have not yet been able to discover,’ he finished severely. ‘The point is, there is no way to burn this place.’
A sigh gusted around the cell. Sonia looked devastated. She turned away, pulling the stiff black coat more closely around her shoulders.
Rye’s eyes had not left his brother’s face. ‘Fire may not be possible,’ he murmured. ‘But you have thought of another way of destroying the skimmers, Sholto, I know you have. What is it?’
‘There is no point in discussing it,’ Sholto said impatiently. ‘It is just an idea, and now I will never have the chance to try it. I am new here, and some are still wary of me. Once it is known that you have escaped from the cell, I will be the first to be suspected of helping you. Even if they cannot prove it, they will watch my every move from now on. Still …’ He shrugged. ‘Whatever comes of it, I cannot leave you here.’
He raised the opening wand and pointed it at the shimmering barrier in front of him. As it whispered and slid aside, he stood back. Plainly he was expecting the prisoners to rush the doorway.
‘You call the monsters “skimmers”, Spy,’ Bird said, looking at Rye. ‘They are known, then, where you come from.’
It was not a question, but a statement.
Rye met her earnest eyes. Again, she reminded him strongly of FitzFee. He knew it was time for the truth—at least as much of the truth as he was free to tell.
‘The Master has been sending them to attack us,’ he said simply. ‘That is why we came here—to try to stop him.’
‘And we came between you and your goal,’ Bird said soberly. She exchanged glances with Bean, Itch, Chub and the other prisoners. They seemed to come to some silent agreement.
‘Well, you and Witch had better go about your business, and help your brother carry out his plan,’ she said briskly. ‘We’ll stay here in the cage. With luck, the guards won’t realise that anything’s amiss. Then at least we’ll go to our deaths knowing that something good will come of this.’
Sholto gaped at her, his calm mask slipping for once. ‘That is—truly noble,’ he muttered after a moment. ‘But I fear your sacrifice would be pointless. The guards will notice that Rye is missing. They will be looking out for him in particular. He is the enemy spy—Kyte’s prize! And the supervisor knows about him too.’
He shook his head in sudden, furious impatience. ‘Besides, I have no plan worthy of the name. I have an idea, certainly, but I have no way of carrying it out. I do not know enough yet. I need more time—’
‘There is no more time,’ Rye said, suddenly knowing it was true. ‘The daylight skimmers are ready—we heard Brand tell the Master so! And if the test is successful, the Master himself will come here. He will see you, Sholto! He will know you are not the real Vrett! Our only chance is to—’
He broke off, and looked up. He could have sworn that he had heard a tiny chittering sound, coming from somewhere above him.
All he could see was the small, dark disc of the air vent in the ceiling. The chittering sound came again. Then there was a little thud, and a furious scrabbling sound. The wire mesh masking the vent bent, quivered, bulged, and abruptly burst open. And Sonia screamed in shock as a small, chattering streak shot from the open vent like an arrow and plunged deep into the pocket of the black coat hanging around her shoulders.
‘By Nanny’s b-beard!’ gasped Itch. ‘A clink!’
Sonia had thrown off the coat in panic. It lay in a heap on the floor, heaving slightly. Crunching noises were coming from the pocket.
‘It is Four-Eyes’ clink!’ Rye exclaimed. ‘I cannot believe it! She followed me all the way here just to get the last of the hoji nuts!’
‘Sshh!’ hissed Sonia. ‘Listen!’
Rye froze. So did everyone else. And in the silence they heard a low, ghostly whisper drifting from the air vent.
‘Rye! Rye, are you there?’ Rye’s heart leaped.
‘Dirk!’ Sholto gasped, his drawn face suddenly alive.
Rye moved hurriedly to just below the air vent and looked up. ‘Dirk!’ he called softly. ‘Where are you?’
A gasp of relief sounded through the vent. ‘On the roof,’ Dirk’s voice whispered. ‘Bones found a rope. The clink led me straight to this air vent.’
Bones? thought Rye in amazement. Then he shook his head. This was no time for idle questions.
‘I cannot see a way of getting you out,’ Dirk whispered. ‘The cursed place is sealed tight. I had been hoping to find an answer on the roof, but there are no trapdoors, and the air vents are no bigger than my hand. I will keep looking. But in the meantime, Rye—here!’
There was a soft, sliding noise, and the little brown bag of powers dropped from the open vent into Rye’s outstretched hands.
A ripple of sound ran around the cell as Sonia caught her breath and Bird’s people shrank back, crossing their fingers and their wrists.
‘The hood,’ Dirk was whispering from above. ‘Do you still—?’
‘Yes,’ Rye managed to say, touching the silken folds on the back of his neck. ‘I have it.’
He became aware that Sholto had come into the cell and was standing beside him, but he could not tear his eyes from the bag. He could hardly believe it had returned to him. With trembling fingers he tied the frayed ends of the broken cord together, and pulled the knot tight.
‘Bones found it lying beside the track,’ Dirk said. ‘It is a miracle he saw it. I pray it will help. Rye, is Sonia with you?’
‘Yes,’ Rye said. ‘And Sholto.’
‘Sholto!’
‘Greetings, brother!’ Sholto drawled. ‘It seems that neither of us is dead, despite all reports to the contrary.’
He grinned broadly as a stream of astounded curses hissed from the air vent. But the grin quickly faded.
‘Dirk, listen!’ he said rapidly. ‘There is something you must do. It is vital, brother! Are you listening?’ ‘Yes,’ said Dirk cautiously.
‘You cannot help us, I promise you. Leave here now! Find your way home, as quickly as you can. Tell the people to abandon the city—break through the Wall and get out.’
‘Break through the Wall? Sholto, are you—?’
‘Listen to me! If the Warden tries to stand in your way, rouse the people to rebel against him. You can do it, if anyone can. Tallus will help you. People close to the Keep could use the Doors to escape, if the Warden can be made to see reason.’ ‘But—’
‘Dirk, the skimmers are being bred to attack in daylight as well as by night. And they are being bred to fly in the cold of winter, as well as in the summer heat. The time is coming when nothing will stop them—nothing!’
‘It is true, Dirk,’ Rye burst out. ‘The new skimmers are here. I have seen them!’
‘Outside the Wall the people will have some chance of survival, especially if you are leading them,’ Sholto went on, his voice very cold. ‘If they stay inside it they will have none. Do you understand?’
There was dead silence. Then:
‘I understand,’ Dirk said, his grim voice echoing hollowly down the narrow shaft.
Sholto closed his eyes briefly, and everyone in the cell could see some of the tension that had held him rigid draining away.
‘Go, then!’ he murmured. ‘Go in safety. Tell our mother that Rye and I …’
He could not finish. He pressed his thin lips together and looked down.
‘I will tell her,’ Dirk said softly. ‘Sholto, I have listened to you, now you listen to me. Trust Rye. Much has changed since you saw him last. He can help you more than you know.’
Rye stood motionless, desolate, gripping the little brown bag. Sonia slipped her arm through his. ‘You had better go too, Rye,’ she urged. ‘You and Sholto.’
‘And you, Witch,’ Chub urged.
But Sonia shook her head. She bent, picked up the coat still lying on the ground, and slipped it on, ignoring the chittering of the clink in the pocket.
‘Give me your cap, Rye,’ she ordered.
Rye pulled the dark cap from his head and silently handed it over. Sonia pulled off the orphan’s helmet and jammed on the cap in its place.
‘There,’ she said, buttoning the coat up to her throat. ‘Now if I lie down and pretend to sleep, the guards will think I am you. We are almost the same height, and they have never seen me standing upright.’
Rye met her determined eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat. ‘Whatever happens, we will be together at the end,’ he said evenly. ‘We will be back as soon as we have done what we have to do.’
Sholto was looking stunned—almost afraid. ‘This is madness!’ he muttered. ‘You are all putting too much faith in me.’
‘We are putting our faith in Spy and his magic,’ said Bird, and Sholto stared at her in startled confusion.
‘I hear boots,’ Bean growled. ‘Guards …”
There was no more time for argument.
In moments Sholto and Rye were outside the cell, Sholto had sealed the door, and Bird and her people were lying huddled together with Sonia, pretending to be asleep.
But now they could all hear the tramping feet, very near.
Sholto looked around quickly. ‘Hide in those shadows, Rye,’ he hissed, pointing to a dark corner beside the cell. ‘Stay very still. I will try to turn their attention in the other direction.’
Rye pulled open the neck of the brown bag. He put on the horsehair ring, and slid the armour shell onto the tip of his little finger.
Sholto looked down his nose. ‘By the Wall, Rye, what is this? Surely you do not believe that charms will—’
‘Take my arm,’ Rye said, and pulled the hood over his head.