‘And they are leaving us alone,’ Harlen added, reluc-tantly reciting the growing response of the villagers. ‘Who knows what they’ll do if we start to make trouble?’

Gryss nodded. He suspected that this careful treat-ment of the villagers was Nilsson’s tactic, and that it had been adopted quite specifically to disarm troublesome local opposition. Rannick, he was sure, would not have hesitated to wreak havoc on the village had the whim so taken him.

He submitted this to his friends. ‘Just discussing it like this, now, makes me think that perhaps Rannick’s fully occupied on some greater design of his own,’ he concluded. ‘I can’t see that he’s leaving us alone because he regrets…’ He hesitated. ‘What he did to Katrin and Garren.’

Yakob scowled and shrugged. ‘Maybe,’ he said. ‘But whoever’s idea it is, it’s a good one, and it’ll work. Everyone’s seen those other poor souls being hauled in, and everyone knows it could be them next if they make trouble.’ Anger and regret filled his face. ‘It’s horrible to talk like that, I know,’ he went on. ‘But it’s true. Those people are suffering on our behalf.’ He brought his hand down on the table. ‘If only we’d seen them off when they first arrived.’

Gryss was no more indulgent with Yakob than he had been with himself a few hours ago. ‘Well, we didn’t,’ he answered curtly. ‘And we can’t be wasting our time breast-beating and howling over what we should have done. We did what we did because it seemed right at the time. That could be anyone’s epitaph. Now the harm’s been done and what we have to do is make sure we don’t perpetuate that mistake by letting Rannick and Nilsson get away with whatever it is they’re doing without any hindrance.’