Emeric Dundas and the others were having a heated argument, and as the breeze changed direction he was able to hear most of what they were saying.

'I tell you he's not Reyniksen!' Osario said, making the point by slapping his fist into his palm.

'What makes you so sure?' Emeric Dundas asked.

'The woman, Maire, she told me. She was with him in Mercat, for the sake of Khamen! He came into the city from the western hills. He was with Shaffeek. He was one of the ones who blocked the pass!'

Emeric Dundas shook his head emphatically.

'I am convinced he's Reyniksen.'

'What proof do you have? He could have come across from Walfen pretending to be Reyniksen!' Esbit said.

'No, he's genuine, I'm convinced of it.'

'Well I have it on good authority that he's no mercenary, and he's not Reyniksen!'

'The authority of a slave!'

'I tell you it was Maire. She used to go about with Connacht, then Shaffeek captured her. Now she's back, and she's brought a spy with her. Or a saboteur!'

'There you are, then. If he was a saboteur, he would hardly have been helping Kenteris to chop down trees for the masts!' Emeric Dundas cried.

'I say we kill him and be on the safe side!' Esbit said. 'We all know we're to be trusted. We don't know about him. If he is Reyniksen, we can say he was killed by the veghta along with Kenteris. If he's not Reyniksen, well, then he must be a spy and we're well rid of him!'

'I agree,' Wiksa said. 'What have we to lose. Let's kill him and have done with it!'

'No!' Emeric Dundas shouted, holding up his hands. 'Tomorrow we must finish repairing the third boat in readiness for the militia. If he tries anything then we'll kill him. But we have no proof, only the word of a street slave. I am in charge here and I say we will give him the benefit of the doubt. We will keep a close watch on him, and if he makes a move against us, we'll kill him. But only then. Now that's an end to the matter. Everyone understand?'

Reluctantly they nodded their assent and returned to their labours. As the sky darkened Cormac made up his mind that he would be safer away from the hut, and whilst they were working, he made his way into the forest and found shelter beneath a huge tree whose lower branches formed a natural canopy beneath which he could remain unobserved.

But his new-found security was short-lived, for during the early hours of the morning, while it was still dark, he roused from a shallow sleep to again hear the sound of raised voices. Peering out from the leaves of his shelter he saw men running to and from the boats, carrying torches, and strained his ears to listen. Now the air was still and the sounds did not carry as far as they had previously, and he could not hear, though he was aware that they were agitated about something. Then his heart quickened as he saw Emeric Dundas march over to the hut, kick down the door and look inside. Finding it empty he called to the others to follow him, and began to march up the shore to the forest. Cormac tried to get to his feet, but the pain from the open wound where the veghta's tooth had been lodged was enormous, sickening, and his head spun, sending him crashing back to the ground.

'There! Over there! In that tree!' Emeric Dundas shouted, and they found him, flat on his back, grimacing with pain. Osario drew one of his knives and advanced beneath the branches, baring his teeth in an unfriendly grin.

'Now we can kill him!'

'What am I supposed to have done?' Cormac asked, his hand groping for his sword, or his axe, and finding neither. Both were out of reach.

'You have undone most of today's work!' Osario cried, squatting beside him and running his thumb along the blade of the knife, satisfying himself that it was sharp. Behind him, Wiksa and Esbit crouched, with murder and hatred in their eyes, and behind them was Emeric Dundas, in one hand a flaming brand, in the other his sword.

'I have not moved,' Cormac gasped through the pain.

'A good try. Who else would it have been? You are not Reyniksen, are you? Who are you, then? Tell us that before we kill you!'

'He is Cormac of Perpanis, son of Tiberis, the kjal of Walfen,' Emeric Dundas said quietly. 'And it was not he who sabotaged the boats, it was I.'

Osario's mouth dropped open as he turned to stare at Emeric Dundas. His jaw worked soundlessly but no sound came out, for Emeric Dundas' sword was stuck fast in his throat. He dropped to his knees gurgling something unintelligible, and a gout of blood spurted from his still open mouth. Esbit and Wiksa both went for their weapons at the same time, but Emeric Dundas sidestepped them neatly and casually, and a moment later both lay dead on the ground, the blood from their wounds seeping already into the carpet of leaves and sandy earth within the canopy.

Emeric Dundas knelt beside Cormac. He laid his sword on the ground.

'I have your weapons safe. When your leg is recovered and you are able to walk, we will finish the business of sabotaging the boats by setting fire to them. I only hope you'll be able to move before the militia start to arrive.'

Cormac frowned.

'Who are you working for?'

'For Walfenland, of course! Who did you think?'

'How do you know who I am?'

'I have been following you since you crossed into Koriss. What we need to do now is to ensure that the militia believe that I am dead, and all of us were killed by you when they get here. That way I may be able to continue my undercover work for a while longer. One thing is for certain, the Korissians will not be crossing into Walfenland tomorrow!'

'What Osario said, about Maire betraying me, was it true?'

'I cannot tell you that. She certainly informed me of who you were.'

'When?'

'In the tavern.'

'There was no time.'

'There is always time for undercover agents to ply their trade, Cormac. It took only a moment. She knew me,and she told me who you were, so I knew to have you on my side.'

'Maybe she told Osario too so that this situation would arise?'

'Who can tell? She is certainly playing a dangerous game.'

'She loves Shaffeek.'

'I am aware of that. At the same time she hates him because he does not return her love.'

'That is because he is proud, and stubborn, and a fool.'

Emeric Dundas laughed.

'Get some rest now, we have much to do at dawn.'

'Fire the boats?'

'And the hut, and all the tools. I mean to make it as difficult as I can for Connacht and his men to reach Walfenland.'

'What do you think they will do when they find the boats are destroyed? March around the coast to the causeway?'

'It is out of the question. The recent storms have dislodged much of the cliffs that lie around the coast. The causeway is four days' march away from here. They will have brought supplies only to get them this far, and across to Walfen. Do not forget that there are settlements within easy reach of the shore on Walfen. They would have taken what they wanted, killing and plundering, then moved south to take Perpanis and the other cities.'

'They will surely attempt to find some other way to cross to Walfen, then?'

'My guess is that they will concentrate on building new boats. The invasion will be temporarily delayed. It is imperative that you go back to Walfen and warn your father of the impending danger.'

'I would rather stay and help you.'

'That is not possible. You will shortly become the most wanted man in Koriss because of what you have done to Osario, Esbit, Kenteris, Wiksa and myself. You will be hunted down and killed like a veghta.'

'I will go back to Shaffeek in the hills and help him, then.'

Emeric Dundas laid his hand on Cormac's arm.

'No! Your duty lies to your father this time, Cormac.'

'My father exiled me from Perpanis.'