He was still struggling with the painting when his daughter Vanda came to himwith the news that her sister Latilla had taken the fever, and the Rankanswanted her out of the palace before darkness fell.

There were crowds in the streets outside the Aphrodisia House, but littlebusiness inside, men fearing lest the fires of love would ignite a differentkind of flame. Their drunken voices sounded like the growling of some greatanimal. Broken phrases trembled in the still air. "Death to the fish-folk, deathand the fire!" At least, thought Gilla, Lalo and the children were safe at thepalace, while Dubro was adding his strength to Myrtis's guards downstairs.

Gilla pulled the curtain back across the window despite the airless heat of theevening and sat down again. Illyra lay on her couch, clutching'the coverlet toher breast at every cry, as if she were cold, despite the sheen of perspirationon her forehead. Gilla looked down at her own clasped hands, red and workwom,the flesh puffing around the circle of her wedding band, and tried to tellherself that the plague came nearly every year. But she knew it did not comethis way. She and Illyra had done this, somehow, with their spell.

A new outbreak of shouting below startled her to awareness again. The buildingshook as the great door of the Aphrodisia House slammed, and she heard a mutterof voices and footsteps on the stairs. It was their door they were coming to!Gilla got heavily to her feet as it was flung open, and she saw Lalo framed inthe doorway with Myrtis behind him and Latilla in his arms.

Illyra cried out, but Gilla was already in motion, reaching out to touch the hotforehead. Latilla opened her eyes then, focusing with difficulty, and tried tosmile.

"Mama, I missed you. Mama, I'm so hot, can't you make me cool again?"

Throat tight, Gilla took the burning body into her own arms, whispering words