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high country!' Louis huffed sarcastically.
    'But, if the Druid is taking people, where is he? And why haven't we been able to locate his camp in far-seeking searches?' I asked.
    Outrage in the old man's face melted into genuine puzzlement. 'Tis strange enow. I would have said th' Druid had gone. But if he's nowt away from th' White Valley, yer expedition route mun be more dangerous than goin' th' main way.'
    'Have you mentioned this to Rushton?' I asked.
    Louis gave me a look of sly entreaty. 'Fact is, I only just heard it. Ought to tell th' Master but I've a yen to go on this expedition. I'd like to see th' Lowlands once, afore I die,' he added pitifully. 'Ye could put in a word for me.'
    'Rediculous,' Matthew said. 'Ye'll live for ever ye old fake!'
    'I will speak to Rushton,' I said. Louis's eyes were fixed on my face, and whatever he saw there made him smile sourly.
    'Ye do that,' he said.
    After he had gone, Matthew looked at me incredulously. 'Why did ye let him bluff ye? Rushton'll nivver agree!'
    'Because if Rushton heard this, he would be bound to cancel the expedition, or at least delay it. And Louis knows it. Besides, he might . . .'
    'What th' devil?' Matthew muttered, hearing a wild yell from the courtyard behind us.
    Zarak and Lina of the Beasting Guild ran up to us. Both were white faced.
    'Guildmistress, we have to talk to you!' Lina gasped. She elbowed Zarak hard.
    'Well?' I snapped, in no mood for Lina's antics. Zarak looked up, his eyes miserable and frightened, and suddenly I was filled with apprehension. 'What is it?'
    Lina answered. 'We were sitting in the courtyard next to the maze and Zarak was . . .' She glared at Zarak, who was now staring at his feet. I restrained an urge to shake him.
    He burst out, 'I know I'm not supposed to farseek, but you don't know what it's like - being able to make your mind fly, and not being allowed to do it. I only meant to go a little way, but it felt so wonderful. Then I bumped into someone else. A stranger!'
    I stared at him coldly. 'You know even Farseeker novices do not farseek beyond the mountains.' He nodded. 'Do you know why we have this rule?' He nodded again. Tell me,' I snapped.
    'Because they might bump into a wild Talent . . . and not be able to shield well enough to stop them . . . tracing back to Obernewtyn,' he mumbled. 'But I swear it was someone untrained as I am. He couldn't have traced me. He thought I was an evil spirit.'
    I felt a sneaking sympathy for Zarak, who was in the wrong guild because his father was a beastspeaker. But I showed none of these thoughts on my face. Zarak had to learn to curb his curiosity, for all our sakes.
    'Then since you know the rules it is not a matter of ignorance, but of deliberate disobedience.' Zarak hung his head, flushing. Therefore you will go at once to Javo and tell him you will be available for heavy kitchen work until I say otherwise. You will be suspended from the Beasting Guild for the same period. I will speak to Alad and your father. Or do you want to lodge an appeal at the next Guildmerge?'
    Zarak shook his head.
    Matthew nodded approvingly. 'A fool who knows he is a fool is near to becomin' wise.'
    Lina fidgeted and looked at Zarak. 'You'd better tell them everything,' she advised.
    Zarak bit his lip. 'I might be wrong. It was so quick,' he said, then floundered to a halt.
    'What did ye do?' Matthew shouted.
    Zarak said nothing.
    'The person Zarak bumped into,' Lina said with a sigh. 'Zarak thinks it was a Herder.'

4
    'Do ye think it were a Herder?' Matthew asked dubiously when the Farseeker Guild met the following day.
    'I don't know,' I said. 'Misfits have come to us from almost every walk of life. Why not from the Herder Cloisters?'
    Matthew frowned. 'But would nowt they just Burn any Misfit they found among themselves? They have th' right, over their own people.'
    I shook my head. 'The Council might, but the Herders are subtle enough to think of using a Misfit for their own purposes. Especially if it