'There's no smell,' Pyrgus said.
'Not much point in cloaking if they could still smell us,' Nymph said, without explaining how the Forest Faerie managed it.
Pyrgus was about to press the point when he noticed they were approaching their destination already. The Old Keep of the palace, built in deep prehistory using stones so large that modern technology could no longer handle them, hung over the rearward cliff edge of the island. The Keep itself was largely used for storage now, but it remained attached to the main body of the building. Guard posts were minimal, since it had long been believed that the Keep could not be breached from the river – an idea Pyrgus promised himself would be quickly laid to rest if their present mission succeeded.
The raft docked quietly within a tiny inlet beside some rocks. There was a narrow stretch of stony beach, then the low, sheer cliff topped by the towering walls of the Keep. Pyrgus allowed his eyes to drift upwards, then froze. There were guards on the battlements. Even at this distance he could see they were armed with lethal kris wands.
He became aware of Blue at his shoulder, also looking upwards. 'Hairstreak's taking no chances,' she said.
'There are guards,' Pyrgus called over his shoulder.
Nymph moved to stand beside him on the other side from Blue. 'We're safe so long as we stay on the raft,' she said, 'but to get in we will have to cross that beach. Once we do that the cliff will shelter us – they can't see much looking straight down – but if they spot us crossing, they can pick us off like flies.' She'd clearly noticed the guards' weapons as well.
Blue turned to the wizard. 'Can you make us invisible?'
Ziczac shrugged. 'I'm a specialist. I don't do invisibility.'
Pyrgus said, 'What about this cloaking business? Can you extend that? Maybe take the raft across the beach?'
It was Nymph who answered. 'The vehicle is only designed for water usage. And there's no way to extend the cloak beyond it.'
Blue glanced at Pyrgus. 'Is there another inlet that would take us closer to the walls?'
'Not that I know of.'
'So we have to risk the beach,' Blue said thoughtfully.
Nymph said firmly, 'We soldiers will take the Wizard Ziczac and protect him while he does his work. You will remain on the vehicle where you will be safe. When all is ready, you may dash across the beach to join us.'
Blue gave her a look that would have shattered glass. 'We all cross together. Two crossings double the chance of being seen. It's a small distance and the overhang will protect us once we reach the cliff.'
Nymph turned to Pyrgus. 'Is this your wish, Crown Prince?'
'Yes,' Pyrgus said promptly. He fancied Nymph a lot, but long experience had taught him not to get on the wrong side of Blue when she was in this mood.
The plan was a simple one. They would wait until the guards were looking the other way, then make a run for it. The trouble was, the guards never seemed to look the other way at the same time. Some would stare out across the water, some to their left, some to their right, but there was always at least one watching the narrow stretch of beach. They all wore palace uniforms, but Pyrgus was firmly convinced these were Faeries of the Night: they had the jerky, paranoid look that made them such excellent watchdogs.
After a while Nymph said, 'We need a diversion.' She glanced across at Ziczac, who nodded slightly.
'What did you have in mind?' Blue asked. To Pyrgus there was almost a hint of suspicion in her tone.
Nymph shrugged. She turned her head to look out across the expanse of water. The river was particularly wide here, but they could still see the encroaching city suburbs on the further bank. A few of the houses had their own jetties and personal boats.
Ziczac squatted nimbly on the floor of the raft, adjusting his robe to cover his knees. He began to hum quietly to himself.
'What's he doing?' Pyrgus asked no one in particular.
'Wizard's work,' Nymph said. 'Don't you have hummers in your Court?'
Pyrgus didn't. He'd never even heard the word hummer used in magic before. But Blue said, 'Illusion, isn't it? Sort of.'
Nymph looked at her with just the barest hint of admiration. 'That's right. Sort of.'
One of the guards on the ramparts suddenly shouted. Pyrgus looked up in time to see him point to something in the water. In seconds the remaining guards were running to join him.
'What are they seeing?' Blue asked.
'Dragon, probably,' Nymph said. 'He likes to do dragons. Or a sea serpent, since it's in the water. Or it could be naked mermaids – he's got a bit of a naughty streak.' She glanced fondly at Ziczac, then archly at Pyrgus.
'Let's go,' Blue said tightly. She looked at Ziczac without the fondness. 'Can he hum and run at the same time?'
Ziczac waved a dismissive hand in her direction.
It took them less than a minute to cross the narrow stretch of beach. Ziczac stopped humming once they reached the shelter of the cliff face. He grinned at Blue and Pyrgus. 'Giant fireball,' he said. 'I made them see a giant fireball – very bright. Thing is, it leaves an impression on the retina, just like the real thing. I think those boys up there are Nighters, so they're particularly light-sensitive. They'll be seeing spots for the next five minutes. Keep them occupied. Give us time to get inside.'
Pyrgus looked at him gratefully. It meant a lot to have a skilled wizard along on a mission. He began to think they might have a real chance of reaching his father after all.
CHAPTER FIFTY NINE
'There are those in the Realm,' Peach Blossom said, 'who will not rest until Prince Pyrgus is restored to his rightful place. Prince Comma might as well be a full-bred Nighter now. Everybody knows it's Black Hairstreak who rules. The old Queen, Comma's mother, is dangerous as a slith, but her brother is the one who holds the reins of power. It cannot be allowed to continue.'
From her expression and those of the women around her, Henry had no doubt at all that the Silken Sisterhood counted themselves among those who wanted Pyrgus back. He wondered briefly if they were doing anything about it. From the war movies he watched on television, resistance movements sprang up like mushrooms in times of trouble. 'Do you know where they've gone?' he asked. 'Pyrgus and Blue – the Crown Prince and his sister? Is it true they're in Haleklind?'
Peach Blossom nodded. 'Yes.'
Henry blinked at her. I don't suppose you know where that is?'
'It's a bordering country, outside the Empire. That's why Hairstreak sent them there.'
Henry felt his heart sink. 'Is it far?'
'You want to go to them?'
Henry didn't answer at once. He was out of his depth here and had been since he arrived back in the Realm. He'd translated to help Blue – and Pyrgus – but he'd never expected to be involved in a crisis anything like this. Did he want to go to them, to join them in exile? Was there anything he could really do to help? There would probably be fighting sooner or later and he was no soldier. And everything was going to take far longer than he had thought. How long would the lethe spell continue to work on his mother and Aisling? All the same… He blinked.
'Yes,' he said. 'Yes, I do.'
'We may be able to help you,' Peach Blossom said. She glanced at him sideways. 'And do something about that gash on your face.' She frowned a little. 'If I didn't know better, I'd have thought it looked like a spinner slash.'
The women weren't like any others Henry had ever known, although there was a ruthlessness about them that reminded him a little of his mother. He found himself being told what to do. There was no discussion about anything.
The bright clothes that had made him feel so good about himself were gone now, replaced by well-cut homespun of rough silk that he'd only just stopped the Sisters helping him to put on.