'Princess?' The boy nodded, then frowned, his face a bloody mask. 'Failed her. Failed her…' Fost felt a cold black hand clamp his throat.

'She didn't – she's alive, isn't she?' he demanded. To his relief the youth nodded. A grimace twisted the young features as if the slight motion had pained the boy. 'Where did she go?' The knight did not respond. By dint of great effort, Fost kept himself from shaking him. 'Where did she go?' he asked again. 'The… three of them.' Fost frowned up at Jennas. 'Three?'

'Ah – aye. Princess, Lord Darl and… Great Ultimate, is it getting dark so soon? And the spirit… the woman in the jug…' 'Woman in a jug?' asked Jennas, as confused as Fost,

'It must be the other spirit that Guardian told us about,' said Fost, trying to remember more of what the speaking, sorcerously living glacier had said. 'The glacier's name is Guardian,' he told Jennas, seeing her baffled look. 'When we left Athalau, the glacier told us Moriana had a spirit jug with her. He said something about the genie inside, but other matters pressed me then. Guardian had mistaken the other spirit for Erimenes. It put him into a fine rage.' Fost glanced at the blue form wavering by his elbow. He did not remember having uncapped the jar to let him out. Erimenes's face acquired a faraway look.

'A woman,' the spirit said musingly. 'As I live and breathe, a woman! This has interesting aspects 1 had not considered. Imagine, another such as I!'

'By Ust's snout,' muttered Jennas, 'one of you is more than enough. And you do not live and breathe.'

'A woman!' cried the philosopher. 'I can at last vindicate my teachings! What the two of us might do together…'The misty body of the shade glittered with dancing blue motes of light, spark-bright in the darkness.

'Be quiet, you,' snapped Fost. 'This man is dying, and you rant about another genie.'

'Not just any genie, friend Post,' crowed Erimenes.