Halfway through her meal, Wess slowed down and took a moment to observe thetavern more carefully.

At the bar, a group suddenly burst into raucous laughter.

'You say the same damned thing every damned time you turn up in Sanctuary,Bauchle,' one of them said, his loud voice full of mockery. 'You have a secretor a scheme or a marvel that will make your fortune. Why don't you get an honestjob - like the rest of us?'

That brought on more laughter, even from the large, heavyset young man who wasbeing made fun of.

'You'll see, this time,' he said. 'This time I've got something that will takeme all the way to the court of the Emperor. When you hear the criers tomorrow,you'll know.' He called for more wine. His friends drank and made more jokes,both at his expense.

The Unicorn was much more crowded now, smokier, louder. Occasionally someoneglanced towards Wess and her friends, but otherwise they were let alone.

A cold breeze thinned the odour of beer and sizzling meat and unwashed bodies.Silence fell suddenly, and Wess looked quickly around to see if she had breachedsome other unknown custom.

But all the attention focused on the tavern's entrance. The cloaked figure stoodthere casually, but nothing was casual about the aura of power and selfpossession.

In the whole of the tavern, not another table held an empty place.

'Sit with us, sister!' Wess called on impulse.

Two long steps and a shove: Wess's chair scraped roughly along the floor andWess was rammed back against the wall, a dagger at her throat.

'Who calls me "sister"?' The dark hood fell back from long, grey-streaked hair.A blue star blazed on the woman's forehead. Her elegant features grew terribleand dangerous in its light.

Wess stared up into the tall, lithe woman's furious eyes. Her jugular vein