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herself away from that grip. The darkness undulated like smoke and the whispering in the
dark, all of a sudden, died away. The magician took a step forward, stopped, turned round and
looked at her.
If you're afraid, turn back.
That door mustn't be opened. You know that.
I do.
But you're still leading me there.
If you're afraid, turn back. You still have time to turn back. It's not too late.
And you?
For me, it is.
Ciri looked around. Despite the omnipresent darkness she saw the door which they had passed
through - and a long, distant vista. And there, from a distance, from the darkness, she heard . .
The clatter of hooves. The grating of black armour. And the flutter of the wings of a bird of
prey. And the voice. That quiet voice, boring into her skull . . .
You have made a mistake. You mistook the stars reflected in the surface of the lake at night
for the heavens.
She woke and lifted her head abruptly, displacing the compress, fresh because it was still cool
and wet. She was drenched in sweat; the dull pain was ringing and throbbing in her temples
again. Yennefer was sitting beside on the bed. Her head was turned away so that Ciri did not
see her face. She saw only the tempest of black hair.
'I had a dream . . .' whispered Ciri. 'In the dream . . .'
'I know,' the magician said in a strange voice not her own. 'That's why I'm here. I'm beside
you.'
Beyond the window, in the darkness, the rain rustled in the leaves of the trees.
'Damn it,' snarled Dandilion, shaking water from the brim of his hat, soggy from the rain. 'It's
a veritable fortress, not a house. What's that fraud frightened of, fortifying himself like that?'
Boats and barges moored to the bank rocked lazily on water furrowed by the rain, bumping
against each other, creaking and rattling their chains.
'It's the port,' explained Shani. 'There's no shortage of thugs and scum, both local and just
passing through. Quite a few people visit Myhrman, bringing money . . . Everybody knows
that. And that he lives alone. So he's secured himself. Are you surprised?'
'Not in the least.' Geralt looked at the mansion built on stakes dug into the bottom of the canal
some ten yards from the shore. 'I'm trying to work out how to get to that islet, to that
waterside cottage. We'll probably have to borrow one of those boats on the quiet '
'No need,' said the student of medicine. 'There's a drawbridge.'
'And how are you going to persuade that charlatan to lower it? Besides, there's also the door,
and we didn't bring a battering ram with us
'Leave it to me.'
An enormous grey owl landed soundlessly on the deck's railing, fluttered its wings, ruffled its
feathers and turned into Philippa Eilhart, equally ruffled and wet.
'What am I doing here?' the magician mumbled angrily. 'What am I doing here with you,
damn it? Balancing on a wet bar . . . And on the edge of betraying the state. If Dijktra finds
out I was helping you . . . And on top of it all, this endless drizzle! I hate flying in the rain. Is
this it? This is Myhrman's house?'
'Yes,' confirmed Geralt. 'Listen, Shani, we'll try . . .'
They bunched together and started whispering, concealed in the dark under the eaves of a
hut's reed roof. A strip of light fell on the water from the tavern on the opposite side of the
canal. Singing, laughter and yelling resounded. Three bargemen rolled out on to the shore.
Two were arguing, tugging, shoving each other and repeatedly swearing the same curses to
the point of boredom. The third, leaning against a stake, was peeing into the canal and
whistling. He was out of tune.
Dong, metallically reverberated the iron sheet tied by a strap to a pole by the deck. Dong.
The charlatan Myhrman opened a tiny window and peered out. The lantern in his hand only
blinded him, so he set it aside.
'Who the devil is ringing at this time of the night?' he bawled furiously. 'Whack yourself in
that empty head of yours, you shit, you lame dick, when you get the urge to knock! Get out,
get lost you old soaks, right now! I've got my crossbow at the ready here! Does one of you
want six inches of crossbow bolt in their arse?'
'Master Myhrman! It's me, Shani!'
'Eh?' The charlatan leaned out further. 'Miss Shani? Now, in the night? How come?'
'Lower the bridge, Master Myhrman! I've brought you what you asked for!'
'Right now, in the dark? Couldn't you do it during the day, miss?'
'Too many eyes here, during the day.' A slim outline in a green cloak loomed on the deck. 'If
words gets out about what I'm
bringing you they'll throw me out of the Academy. Lower the bridge, I'm not going to stand
around in the rain, I'm soaked!'
'You're not alone, miss,' the charlatan noted suspiciously. 'You usually come alone. Who's
there with you?'
'A friend, a student like me. Was I supposed to come alone, at night, to this forsaken
neighbourhood of yours? What, you think I don't value my maidenhood or something? Let me
in, damn it!'
Muttering under his breath, Myhrman released the stopper on the winch and the bridge
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