SpikeFeather moving even closer to the two women — but Qeteb laughed and waved a dismissive hand.

"Enjoy your victory while you can," he said, "for your eventual defeat is but a week or so away."

And then all six Demons vanished.

Qeteb rose so far into the sky that he was invisible from the ground.

Then he rose higher still, until even enchantment could not touch him.

Then, so high he had risen into the blackness between air and space, he rolled over onto his back.

He closed his eyes, summoned all his power and concentration, and sent a tiny but potent shaft of his perception shooting down towards the column.

"Reveal yourself, mine Enemy," Qeteb whispered. "Reveal yourself!"

DragonStar dropped his head and rubbed his eyes. Before him Axis and Azhure, Katie, StarDrifter and Zared and Theod sat in a concerned circle.

"What will happen, DragonStar?" Axis asked for them all.

"Qeteb's five companions will each confront my five witches. Individual jousts, if you will."

Zared and Theod, even though they had known of this, still shook their heads in a combination of concern for their wives and anger that DragonStar had put them in this frightful predicament.

"And will they win?"

DragonStar looked up and met Axis' eyes. "I hope so," he said.

"Hope is not —"

"It is all I have!" DragonStar said harshly, and Axis nodded.

"Very well." Axis paused. "What will happen if all or any of them fail?"

DragonStar took his time replying. "If one fails then it means that I will be seriously weakened. Any more than that and I may fail —"

"Gods!" Zared exploded, "I care not for you and your 'may fail'! I care only for my wife! As Theod cares only for his wife! What happens if our wives fail?"

"If any of the witches fail, then they will ultimately die," DragonStar said, turning his steady gaze from Axis to Zared.

"Ah!" Zared said, and half turned away, still furiously angry.

"There is nothing you can do for the moment," DragonStar said, reverting his gaze to his parents,

"but move south."

"And there ...?" Axis said.

"Clear as much of the land of the crazed creatures that cover it as you can," DragonStar said. "Most of the creatures will be below the Nordra, moving towards or in the Maze, or gathered about the other three lakes. Journey south via the Lake of Life and Fernbrake."

Zared turned back to DragonStar. "Thank you," he said softly.

DragonStar shrugged slightly. "Gwendylyr's and Leagh's battles will have been fought and won or lost by the time you reach them," he said, "but at the least, you will know."

He looked back to Axis. "Take this ... this convoy south — peoples, creatures, trees — and meet me at the Maze ... what was once Grail Lake."

"And there?" Axis said.

"And there will the final battle be played out," DragonStar said, "and we move on or we flicker out of existence forever.

There, the fate of the stars themselves will be decided. Whatever, you ... everyone, will need to be present and to witness."

DragonStar looked back down the column, then spoke to Theod. "Will you go and find SpikeFeather for me? Tell him I need him urgently."

Theod nodded, and left.

"Why SpikeFeather?" Axis said.

DragonStar hesitated before he spoke. "I need to get Katie away from this column," he finally said. "To take her to somewhere as safe as possible."

What if Qeteb did come back for a nibble? What if he found Katie?

Azhure nodded understanding. "The waterways."

"Yes. Azhure ..."

"I will go with Katie," she said, taking Katie's hand. "I promised Faraday I would look after her."

"But —" Axis began.

"We will be safe," Azhure said, and smiled reassuringly at her husband. "What could happen to us in the waterways?"

Far, far above in the higher atmosphere, Qeteb smiled, and drew his perception back into his body.

This girl, this tiny girl, this Katie. She was the one that DragonStar fretted about and sought to protect.

She was the key, the heart incarnate.

And now DragonStar, as Qeteb had hoped, was going to move her somewhere he thought safe.

"What can happen in the waterways?" Qeteb murmured to himself as he began the long descent.

"What, indeed!"

He rejoined his companions.

"It is your time," Qeteb said. "Go."

And the five scattered in the winds above the wasteland, their hearts capering with joy.