By the time they reached the street's end, darkness was complete and the marketwas deserted. Wess thought it odd that everyone should disappear so quickly, butno doubt they were tired too and wanted to get home to a hot fire and dinner.She felt a sudden stab of homesickness and hopelessness: their search had goneon so long, with so little chance of success.

The buildings closed in around them as the street narrowed suddenly. Wessstopped: three paths faced them, and another branched off only twenty pacesfarther on.

'Where now, my friends?'

'We must ask someone,' Aerie said, her voice soft with fatigue.

'If we can find anyone,' Chan said doubtfully.

Aerie stepped towards a shadow-filled corner.

'Citizen,' she said, 'would you direct us to the nearest inn?'

The others peered more closely at the dim niche. Indeed, a muffled figurecrouched there. It stood up. Wess could see the manic glitter of its eyes, butnothing more.

'An inn?'

'The closest, if you please. We've travelled a long way.'

The figure chuckled. 'You'll find no inns in this part of town, foreigner. Butthe tavern around the corner - it has rooms upstairs. Perhaps it will suit you.'

'Thank you.' Aerie turned back,.a faint breeze ruffling her short black hair.She pulled her cloak closer.

They went the way the figure gestured, and did not see it convulse with silentlaughter behind them.

In front of the tavern, Wess puzzled out the unfamiliar script: the VulgarUnicorn. An odd combination, even in the south where odd combinations were thestyle of naming taverns. She pushed open the door. It was nearly as dark insideas out, and smoky. The noise died as Wess and Chan entered - then rose again ina surprised buzz when Aerie and Quartz followed.

Wess and Chan were not startlingly different from the general run of southernmountain folk: he fairer, she darker. Wess could pass unnoticed as an ordinary