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last, the very last, thing I had expected; that anyone might have expected. All my wits, all my second-guessing and plotting, went to naught. Now it fell to Millard Verreuil and his compatriots to search out the truth by might of numbers and main force. If I was relieved to be free of the burden of responsibility-and I was-still, it left me feeling bereft and directionless, and very, very tired.
    So thinking, I drifted into sleep and did not wake until someone shook me. I opened my eyes to find slanting gold rays of sunset filling the room and Joscelin seated on the edge of the bed, smiling down at me.
    “You’re not going to sleep through dinner, are you?” he asked. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did-it’s seven kinds of mayhem down there-but there are a few members of the family would be mortally disappointed.”
    “No.” I yawned and sat up. “I’m coming.”
    Joscelin hadn’t exaggerated. The dining-hall of Verreuil was nigh overflowing, full not only with his considerable family and their offspring, but the estate’s eight men-at-arms and almost a dozen others, crofters and shepherd’s sons in plainspun clothing, seated elbow to elbow with the minor nobility of Siovale. Millard Verreuil had wasted no time and stood on no ceremony. For all his formal courtesy, he was an egalitarian at heart.
    All the talk was of the expedition to be launched in the morning. Yvonne had already departed with a delegation to the Marquis de Toluard, begging his assistance. Mahieu and Jehane had been busy in the library, gridding the region to be searched and copying maps, recruiting a number of the older children to aid in the endeavor. The Lady Ges and Marie-Louise had spent the afternoon supervising the harried kitchen staff, assembling packets of provisions for each of the parties. Small wonder, I thought, that dinner appeared to have been cooked in haste, the mutton roast charred without and rather too red on the inside.
    Still, no one seemed to mind. I picked at my food and let the conversation wash over me, being gracious to those around me and ignoring covert stares from the newcomers. Jehane’s sons begged permission to accompany one of the parties and were granted it; Luc’s eldest daughter begged the same, and was sharply denied, for which I was glad. The lads were fourteen and fifteen, old enough to fend for themselves. The girl was scarcely ten.
    “We’ll leave at dawn,” Joscelin said to me, his voice pitched below the clamor. “Mahieu and Jehane have established rendezvous points for the parties to meet on the third day, so if anyone’s learned anything, we can proceed from there. Either way, we’ll send a runner back to the manor. There ought to be word from the Marquis by then, and you’ll be kept informed here.”
    “What?” I stared at him. “Are you mad? I’m going with you.”
    “Phèdre.” His face hardened, white lines forming alongside his nose. “No. You’d only slow us down.” He held up one hand, forestalling my outburst. “Listen, these men are born and bred to the mountains, and they know how to travel quickly and surely. I’m not even leading a group, I’m travelling with Reynard’s party because I don’t know the territory as well, I’ve been away too long. And you ... you’re staying at Verreuil.”
    “Slow you down?” I asked incredulously. “Joscelin, I crossed the Camaelines in the dead of winter with you!”
    “Yes.” His voice was taut and low. “Because we had to. This is different. Name of Elua, Phèdre! I don’t have that many chances to keep you out of unnecessary danger. Won’t you let me take this one?”
    I opened my mouth to retort, and remembered Jehane, reminding me that I held her brother’s heart in my hands. I sighed. Joscelin was right; there was no real reason for me to accompany them. If I wouldn’t slow them down-and I might, a bit, it was true that he was better in the mountains than I-I wouldn’t contribute much either. “All right,” I said, giving way with ill grace. “I’ll stay.”
    “Thank you,” he said, meaning it.

Nineteen
    MORNING DAWNED fair and bright over the mountains of Siovale, although the manor was awake and bustling long before. I felt displaced and underfoot with no role to perform. Joscelin was in the stables with Mahieu, seeing that all was readiness. Wandering down to the kitchens, I found Marie-Louise staggering toward the dining-hall with an immense pot of porridge.
    “Here,” I said, reaching for