‘You keep away from them,’ Harlen said. ‘You don’t need to be told why they’re bringing women back from their raids, do you?’

Marna’s face coloured in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Such directness from her father was unusual. ‘Just keep away from them,’ he said again, quietly but with powerful authority. The other men around the table nodded. Marna’s face became stony, but she did not speak.

‘I’ll keep an eye on the guards,’ Harlen went on, turning back to Gryss. ‘They’re used to me wandering about down there. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find out how many there are and how they come and go.’

Gryss nodded. ‘I suppose we’ll have to think like soldiers ourselves,’ he mused. ‘We must watch all of them all the time. Find out exactly how many there are, what they do, who’s in charge, and so on.’ He grimaced. ‘I suppose we’ll have to get to know them. Find out their names. Find out who likes to drink, who likes to gamble, who likes to gossip. As we learn about them, perhaps other ways of quietly causing them problems will come to light.’

Marna’s restraint broke. ‘And what am I supposed to do,’ she demanded, ‘If I’m to keep away from them?’

With unexpected inspiration Gryss said, ‘You can do as you’ve already been doing. Find out what the young people are thinking.’ Marna’s eyes became menacing. ‘And the women,’ Gryss added hastily and with some earnestness. ‘It’s important, Marna. Only Jeorg here’s married now, and his wife’s views are all too well known. But sooner or later, there’s going to have to be a lot more than us involved in this, and we can’t do anything if the women are against us.’

Slightly mollified, Marna sat back in her chair and surveyed her fellow conspirators. Gryss added to his resolve to watch her carefully; he would have to give her plenty to do as well. He had seen the look of resolute determination that flickered briefly in her eyes, and it alarmed him.