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dangerous secrets, for all I knew.'
    'But I have no powers at all,' said Karan. 'Tensor made sure of that when I
was a child. I cannot wield the Secret Art. All I have are a few minor talents
like sensing and sending and linking, abilities that often fail me.'
'The right lever can move the world. Anyway, as soon as you left Carcharon I
lost you, and no matter what I did I could not find you again. Not until you
picked up the Mirror in Fiz Gorgo did I detect you once more, for the Mirror
was tied to Yggur, and he tenuously to me, because I had possessed him long
ago.'
Even as a child, a watch was being kept out for her. It made Karan feel that
her destiny had never been in her control.
'The Mirror started it all,' he went on. 'I still didn't know who you were,
but I could sometimes get into your dreams and give you a nudge. And now I'm
here,' he said with great satisfaction. 'Without you I would still be in the
Nightland with no chance of ever getting out. I owe you a great debt, Karan.'
'You can repay it by letting me go!'
He roared with laughter.
Karan stared into nothingness, trying to concentrate on what he had said.
Without her, none of this would have happened. She had always known that, in a
way, but she'd had no idea that it went back to her distant ancestors. Nothing
comes out of nothing. It better explained Maigraith's interest in her, and
Faelamor's unease, and Tensor's attitude too. How she had been exploited!
'And did you learn anything about Basunez's work?' she asked.
'Not much,' said Rulke. 'I tried to compel his shade, but whatever he found is
lost forever.'
Karan looked out the window, wondering if he spoke the
truth. 'I couldn't care less what Basunez found,' she murmured. 'But I would
dearly love to know who killed my father, and why. It must be connected with
this place.'
Rulke rubbed his jaw. 'Well, there's all day to wait until moonrise. If I can
put your mind at ease it will help later on. Come with me.'
It was still dark as they went out into the yard, but the flagstones were lit
by a ray of light from an upstairs window. Rulke lifted a trapdoor and shone
his lantern down a metal ladder. 'Go down!' He followed her, extinguished his
lamp and by means that were invisible to her in the dark conjured up the shade
of Basunez.
At first it was no more than a black and white outline on the wall. Shortly,
two specks began to gleam at the top, as if she was being watched by someone
who was bitterly angry.
'Come out, shade!' said Rulke sternly. 'Focus your misery on the particles of
air and make them speak.'
The outline took on a more human shape, then the ghost emerged part-way from
the wall, hawk-nose first. Its thin lips moved but the squeaky wail of its
voice seemed to come from the middle air.
'Why do you call me back again?' it piped in querulous tones. 'Let me go to my
rest.'
'You shall have no rest while your sins remain unpunished! Here is your
granddaughter more than twenty generations on, Karan Elienor Melluselde Fyrn.'
Rulke pushedher forward.
Karan resisted. She was afraid.
Coming halfway out of the wall, the shade of Basunez spat at the floor near
her feet. The phosphorescent stuff evaporated to nothing in the air. 'Hideous
little mite,' he fluted.
'She demands to know what happened to her father, Galliad, who died here.'
Basunez flapped his hands in agitation. 'Never heard of him,' he muttered,
vainly trying to pass back through the stone.
'Liar!' she shouted. 'He often came here. He used to tell me stories about the
ghosts of Carcharon, at bedtime.' The tales of Basunez had always frightened
her.
Basunez came right out of the wall, fluttering through the air at them. His
lean bearded face was furious, his nostrils flaring. He had an arching nose
    and black eyes, no resemblance to her at all. He shouted in her face and
flapped his cloak at her. Karan jumped, falling backwards against the ladder.
'Stop that!' Rulke roared. By the time she