"Axis!" he heard Azhure cry in a panicked voice, and he whipped about.

Everyone on the balcony had scattered, most diving for whatever cover chairs or balustrade could offer.

Axis lifted his head, and, in the next instant, instinctively flung himself to one side.

Something very large and black was tumbling out of the sky.

"Well," said Urbeth, picking herself up off the gaudy turquoise-tiled floor of the balcony, "someone's taste is absolutely awful."

Behind her two other icebears were rolling into a sitting position, their faces scrunched up in scowls as they combed out bits of disarranged fur.

And behind the three bears sat a very disgruntled and immensely old woman, clutching a terracotta pot. She was mumbling something under her breath, and from what Axis could hear of it, he was rather relieved she wasn't saying it louder.

Old women weren't supposed to know such gutter oaths.

"Urbeth?" Azhure said weakly, rising to her feet. Katie rose with her, and for the first time in hours she was looking far more relaxed ... almost cheerful. She stared at the pot the old woman was holding and, without further ado, let Azhure go and walked over to Ur, sinking down beside her.

Katie reached out a tentative hand and touched the pot, and her face broke into a sunny smile.

Ur stared at her, then relaxed and smiled herself. "What a pretty girlie," she said. "Do you know if there is anywhere about here that a grumpy old lady could get a cup of tea?"

Zared and FreeFall together with the members of the Lake Guard had retreated to the palace wall, and were watching the proceedings carefully. Hands rested on weapons, but as Axis and Azhure did not seem too perturbed, they did nothing else.

Besides, Zared was sure the two icebears still irritably combing out their fur looked surprisingly familiar. Somehow.

"Urbeth," Axis said, in a tone of voice that he was immensely relieved to hear was firm and strong.

"What is going on? How did you get here? Who is that?" he said, pointing to Ur.

"Well," Urbeth said politely, "could you tell me where 'here' actually is?"

Axis glanced at Azhure. She shrugged, and so Axis turned back to Urbeth. "Sanctuary."

"Ah," Urbeth said, and paced about, looking this way and that over the balcony. "Useless, useless Sanctuary. What are you still doing here? Looking about at the view?"

"We've been seeking a way out," Axis said. "A back door, perhaps, as the front entrance is denied us. But..."

Urbeth heaved a great sigh and sat down. "Can no-one accomplish anything without my aid? Ah!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Can you help?" Azhure asked slowly.

Urbeth grinned, frightening and malicious. "That depends," she said.

"Depends on what?" Axis said.

"On how you feel about a renewed acquaintance with the Skraelings," Urbeth said.

Chapter 31

StarLaughter's Astonishing

Turnabout

"Talk," DragonStar said.

They were gathered in the lowest part of the basements of Star Finger. Here it was that Faraday had finally found the child whose cries had been haunting her dreams; here that Caelum and DragonStar had made their peace.

Now, it was slightly more crowded and far, far more uncomfortable.

StarLaughter and StarGrace had seated themselves in the centre of the chamber. StarLaughter's scarlet robe was again carefully arranged to display it and her body to their best advantage.

StarGrace had hunkered down on her haunches, a beautiful, sad, gloomy, ugly girl-woman, whose dark gown alternated between material and feathers, and whose hands were always slightly blurred as they shape-changed from claws to plump innocent fingers and back again.

So long used to the visage of the hawk, StarGrace was finding her old form uncomfortable.

About them were grouped DragonStar and his five witches, plus two wings of the Strike Force. The ethereal bodies of the Strike Force members, their vivid plumage undulled even in this dank cellar, drifted this way and that, creating a silvery jewelled backdrop to the central drama.

The rest of the Strike Force lined the corridors outside the basement.

"Talk about what?" StarLaughter said, widening her eyes disingenuously.

DragonStar gestured impatiently, and walked away a step or two. Faraday and Gwendylyr sat slightly to one side, supporting Leagh between them. Leagh still looked exhausted, but her face was calm, and she wore a light smile. Goldman and DareWing stood just behind them.

"StarLaughter," DragonStar said, "you drifted for thousands of years with the Demons. Their revenge was your revenge. They were your friends."

"They were yours once, too."

"I do not trust you, StarLaughter."

She laughed, a pretty, light sound. "And for that I cannot blame you! I was as much to blame for your horrific handling by the Demons as they."

DragonStar's eyes shifted to StarGrace. And what was she doing here?

"The fact is," StarLaughter continued, "StarGrace and myself have become somewhat disenchanted with the Demons."

StarGrace shifted slightly, but said nothing.

"They promised us revenge —" StarLaughter hissed the word "revenge", "— and yet what have they done? Nothing! They had WolfStar within their grasp, and let him slip away. I, as StarGrace and all the other Hawkchilds, have come back to Tencendor for only one purpose: to kill WolfStar."

StarGrace suddenly spat, flinging her arms up as if they were wings.

Black material billowed out behind.

"We want him dead! " she said.

Gwendylyr caught Faraday's eyes, and raised her eyebrows in an expression of wondrous distaste.