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〃Thank you； Sludig。 Are there sentries on Swertclif？〃 〃On the near side； Highness； out of sight of the castle。〃 〃I do not care if anyone sees them；〃 the prince said。 〃I am more concerned about who might be ing down on us from the north。 If you and your men are tired； ask Hotvig to take some of his grasslanders and ride down the far side toward the skirts of Aldheorte。 Tell them to return immediately if they see something ing。〃 〃I will； Prince Josua。〃 Sludig went out。 Josua turned to Isgrimnur。 〃What do you think？ Is the Storm King going to play the same hand he produced at Naglimund？〃
〃Perhaps。 But you had castle walls； there。 Here we have nothing before us but open land； and nothing behind us but the Kynslagh。〃
〃Yes； but we have several thousand men here； too。 And no innocents to worry over。 If my brother's chief ally thinks he will find us as easy a nut to crack as before； he will be disappointed。〃
Isgrimnur stared at the fierce…eyed prince； then at Camaris； who held his head in his hands and stared at the tabletop。
Is Josua right？ Or are we the last raveled end of John's empire； waiting for a final pull before it falls into threads？
〃I suppose we'd better go and talk to a few of the captains。〃 The duke got up and held his hands close to the brazier； trying to dispel some of the chill。 〃Better we tell them something's ing than they hear it by rumor。〃 He made a noise of disgust。 〃Looks like we don't get much sleep。〃
Miriamele stared at Cadrach。 She； who had heard him lie so many times； could not free herself of the horrifying certainty that this time he was telling the truth。
Or the truth as he sees it； anyway； she tried to fort herself。
She looked at Binabik； who had narrowed his eyes in concentration； then returned to Cadrach's bleak face。 〃Doomed？ Do you mean some danger beside that we already face？〃
He met her stare。 〃Doomed beyond hope。 And I have played no little part in it。〃
〃What is it you are saying？〃 demanded Binabik。
The dwarrow Yis…fidri seemed to want little to do with this volatile and frightening conversation； he hesitated； fingers flexing。
〃What I am saying； troll； is that all the scurrying about in caverns that we do here matters little。 Whether we escape the White Foxes outside； whether your Prince Josua knocks down the walls； whether God Himself sends lightning down from Heaven to blast Elias to ash 。。。 none of it matters。〃
Miriamele felt her guts twist at the certainty in his voice。 〃Tell us what you mean。〃
The monk's hard face crumpled。 〃Aedon's mercy！ Everything you have thought about me is true； Miriamele。 Everything。〃 A tear ran down his cheek。 〃God help me…although He has no reason to…I have done such foul things。。。。〃
〃Curse you； Cadrach； will you explain！〃
As if this outburst had somehow pushed Yis…fidri past what he could bear； the dwarrow got up and moved away rapidly； going to join his whispering fellows on the other side of the cavern。
Cadrach wiped at his eyes and nose with his dirty sleeve。 〃I told you of my capture by Pryrates；〃 he said to Miriamele。
〃You did。〃 And she in turn had told Binabik and others on Sesuad'ra； so she felt no need to retell the tale now。
〃I told you that after I had betrayed the booksellers； Pryrates threw me out； thinking I was dead。〃
She nodded。
'That was not true…or at least it did not happen then。〃 He took a breath。 〃He set me to spy on Morgenes and others I had known from my days as a Scrollbearer。〃
〃And you did it？〃
〃If you think I hesitated； my lady； you do not know how fiercely a drunkard and coward can cling to his life…or how terrified of Pryrates' anger I was。 You see； I knew him。 I knew that the injuries he had done to my flesh in his tower were nothing set against what he could do if he truly wished to make me suffer。〃
〃So you spied for him？！ Spied on Morgenes？〃
Cadrach shook his head。 〃I tried…by the Tree； how I tried！ But Morgenes was no fool。 He knew that I had fallen into dreadful straits； and that the red priest knew both of us from elder days。 He gave me food and a night's lodging； but he was suspicious。 He made sure there was nothing for me to find in either his chambers or his discourse that would be useful to someone like Pryrates。〃 Cadrach shook his head。 〃If anything； my efforts only taught Morgenes that he had less time than he had hoped。〃
〃So you failed？〃 Miriamele could not see where this was leading； but a deep dread was spreading through her。
〃Yes。 And I was terrified。 When I went back to Hjeldin's Tower； Pryrates was angry。 But he did not kill me； or do something worse； as I feared。 Instead he asked me more questions about Du Svardenvyrd。 I think by then he had already been touched by the Storm King and was beginning to bargain with him。〃 Cadrach's look turned contemptuous。 〃As if any mortal could successfully bargain with one such as that！ I doubt Pryrates has even yet realized what has e through the door he opened。〃
〃We will talk of what thing Pryrates has done later；〃 said Binabik。 〃You are telling us now of things you have been doing。〃
The monk stared at him。 〃They are less separate than you think；〃 he said at last。 〃Pryrates asked me many questions； but for one who had read Du Svardenvyrd…indeed； for one who knew Nisses' book so well that the memory of its words still haunts my thoughts daily…it was easy enough to see the direction behind his questions。 Somehow he had been reached by the Storm King； and now Pryrates was eager to know about the three Great Swords。〃
〃So Pryrates does know about the swords。〃 Miriamele took a shaky breath。 〃I suppose he was the one who took Bright…Nail from the mound； then。〃
Cadrach held up his hand。 〃Pryrates dealt with me harshly for failing with Morgenes。 Then he had me send a message to old Jarnauga in the north； asking for information about the Storm King。 I suspect that the alchemist was looking for ways to defend himself against his new and very dangerous friend。 He made me write it as he watched； then sent it himself with a sparrow he had filched from Morgenes。 He let me go free again。 He was sure I would not run away when he could so easily locate me。
〃But you did run away；〃 Miriamele said。 〃You told me so。
Cadrach nodded。 〃Eventually。 But not then。 My fear was too great。 But at the same time I knew that Jarnauga would not respond。 The Rimmersman and Morgenes were closer than Pryrates realized； and I had no doubt the doctor would have already written to tell Jarnauga about my unexpected visit。 In any case； Jarnauga had been living in Stormspike's shadow for years and would not have opened his mind to anyone he did not know for certain to be untouched by Ineluki's long hand。 So I knew that the imposture Pryrates had forced me to mit was useless； and that when the red priest discovered it； he would have no use left for me。 My only worth was as one who had read Nisses' book and as a former Scrotlbearer。 But I had answered all of his questions about the book； and now he would discover that the other Scrollbearers had stopped trusting me years before。。。。〃 He broke off； struggling again with powerful emotions。
〃Go on。〃 Miriamele spoke a little more gently than before。 Whatever he had done； he seemed to be genuinely suffering。
〃I was in terror…stark terror。 I knew that I had only a short time before Jarnauga's inevitably unhelpful reply。 I wanted desperately to flee； but Pryrates would know the moment I left Erchester； and by his use of the Art would also know where I had gone。 He had marked me in that high chamber of his tower。 He would find me anywhere。〃 Cadrach paused； struggling for self…control。 〃So I thought； and thought； and thought…but not； to my shame； of a way to escape Pryrates or thwart his plans。 No； in my besottedness and my fear； I thought only of ways that I could please this horrid master； that I could convince him to grant me my pathetic life。〃 He quivered； unable for a moment to continue。
〃I had thought much about his questions；〃 the monk finally resumed。 〃Especially about the three Great Swords。 It was clear that they had some marvelous power； and equally clear that they meant something to the Storm King。 What was not clear to anyone but me； I thought； was that the sword Minneyar； one of the three； was in fact Bright…Nail； the sword that had been buried with King John。〃
Miriamele gaped。 〃You knew？〃
〃Anyone who read the books of history that I had would have suspected it；〃 Cadrach replied； 〃I am convinced Morgenes knew； but hid it in his own book about your grandfather so that only those who knew what to look for would find it； thus keeping it from mon knowledge。〃 He had regained a little posure。 〃In any case； I read the same sources Doctor Morgenes did； and had long held that opinion； although I had never shared it with anyone。 And the more I thought about the marketplace gossip that claimed Elias would not handle his father's sword； that he had； against custom； buried it with his father； the more I felt sure that my guess was not just likely； but true。
〃So I decided that if what Du Svardenvyrd seemed to suggest was al