Their escort halted before a brush shelter. In the shadows at the back of it, Gil thought she could discern a small, stiff figure, lying completely covered by a ragged quilt; a man sat on a bed of cut pine boughs near the open end of the shelter, quietly holding the hands of two boys who with tear-blotched faces slept huddled at his side. He looked up inquiringly as the shadows of Gil and Minalde fell across the light.

'M'lord.'

The man got slowly to his feet, careful not to wake the boys, and limped from the shelter. Gil recognized him at once as the monk who had spoken for the refugees when Alwir had turned them away at the gates of the Keep. 'Yes, Trago?* Dark eyes sunk into leathery hollows moved past him to Gil and Aide, then rested for a moment on Aide's face. 'Yes,' he said quietly. 'You may go, Trago. Get someone to stay with the boys, if you would.'

Trago saluted and moved away through the camp.

The man turned back to them, and Gil noticed how waxy his skin looked under the black tangle of unkempt beard. 'I am Maia of Thran,' he introduced himself in that same quiet voice. 'Bishop of Penambra.' Aide started to speak, startled, and he smiled

suddenly, his teeth very white in his beard. 'I believe my predecessor assisted at your wedding, my lady,' he said. Colour flooded into Aide's cheeks that no cold could account for. He continued gently. 'I was captain of his Guards.' He inclined his head to her, a sign of reverence to her rank. There was no irony in his voice as he said, 'Welcome to what is left of the city of Penambra.'

'I'm sorry,' Aide said quietly. 'Please don't think I came - idly, or - or -'

'I do not,' he replied reassuringly. *fiut I assume that, as you did come incognito and without retinue, your visit is less than official.'

Only a fool could have watched the interplay between Alwir and his compliant sister at the Keep gates yesterday and remained ignorant of how the land lay, Gil thought; and this tall, gaunt scarecrow in his ecclesiastical rags did not look like a fool. It was within a few percentage points of certainty that he knew that Aide had come here without the Chancellor's approval or knowledge.