'Who are you?' he burst out.

The woman turned those ice-grey eyes on him. 'I am Matah. I am Tirthrax.'

'What are you doing in this lyrinx nest?'

The Matah laughed, which made her young again. Tiaan found a smile. Nish was not as clever as he thought.

'Tirthrax,' the Matah said, 'is the greatest city of the Aachim on Santhenar. It is more than three thousand years old. No lyrinx has ever come through its doors. Nor has any human, uninvited, until this day. I am Matah of Tirthrax. You will explain yourselves.'

Nish jerked Tiaan's lead rope so hard that she fell. 'What's going on?' Flecks of spittle spattered Tiaan's face. 'Who have you betrayed us to, artisan?'

'Release her,' said the Matah, in a tone cold as chips from the glacier.

'Keep out of it, old woman!'

Ullii let out a squawk as the Matah spread her arms then slowly brought her hands together in front of her. A tiny golden bubble drifted from one fingertip. Floating through the air, it struck Nish on the forehead, bursting with a spray of sparkles. He went rigid, arched his back and gasped. His teeth snapped closed on his protruding tongue. With a muffled grunt, he fell to his knees. A scarlet bead formed on his lower lip.

'I asked you to release her,' the Matah said mildly. 'Please do so.'

Ullii hooked her fingers into claws. Her breath simmered in her throat and she looked set to spring on the Matah. Despite her anger with Nish, Ullii would not tolerate any attack on him. How had he come to inspire such loyalty? Tiaan could not fathom it.

The Matah turned to Ullii, reached out with an open hand, and smiled. 'I will not harm him, little seeker.'

Ullii went still, confused. She looked from the Matah to Nish, to the Matah again.

'Ullii, help me,' he gasped.

'Give me your hand,' said the Matah.

Ullii was a mixture of emotions: delight and terror. She slowly extended her tiny hand. The Matah's fingers wrapped all the way around it, holding the grip for a long interval. Ullii let out an extended sigh and bowed her head, smiling enigmatically.