They found the public square, and the market, where human and manisaur farmers sold their crops. The town of Takutshaqa had been named for the ranks of hills that rose towards the white mountains that formed the spine of the continent.

In the Takutshaqa market they found a farmwife with baked goods for sale and they stocked up on these. If people gave them any notice out of the ordinary they said nothing beyond the polite trading required to make the sale. Jupiter thought them rude and reserved. But he had no prior experience to know. He wished he had brought Tamm with him. The haughty Berg seemed unaware of any problem. Breeze kept to the shadows, but came out when the food was bought and they made their way down the path to return to Tamm and The Jupiter.

‘Strange ones.’ A large manisaur stepped out in front of them. ‘The Committee would meet with you.’

‘Committee? What committee?’ Berg seemed to Jupiter to increase in size and height as he drew himself up and plumped out his fur-feathers. ‘There is no such in the provinces. And I served here for many years.’

‘The Safety Committee.’ The manisaur put their hand to a long blade on their back and drew it out in a practiced move.

‘Ah, Berg.’ Jupiter eyed the blade. Designed for two thumbs, the handle flashed with golden wire wound around the hilt. ‘I think we should do as this officer says.’

‘And why is that? We shall go on our way as before.’ Berg stepped forward but Maggie took up his arm.

‘Berg. Behind you.’

The old manisaur turned, and seemed to deflate when he saw the group that confronted them. Then in a bound Berg moved to the side with the sort of speed Jupiter remembered from Black Spire when fooling the pirates. The officers leapt to surround the humans, and made to attack Berg. Jupiter and Maggie stood with shoulders touching as they took in the situation.

Then another older manisaur pushed from behind into the group that now surrounded them.

‘Oh, put up your swords you fools. This is Hamrabanarushi.’ The old manisaur held their arms out in a blocking gesture. ‘Bamrushi Thalaqvaruk has returned to us.’

‘You know me?’ Berg said to the new arrivals.

‘The Vathumqhazari - Imperial Security knows that you were travelling The Way towards the south.’ The old manisaur appeared to Jupiter to command the attention of the others. ‘They have been searching for you since yesterday. This we know.’

‘So fast? How is it possible?’ Berg eyed the group that closed in on them from all sides. ‘We have far outraced any others. Word can not have reached you from the north of my arrival.’

‘And yet Imperial Security has sent out word of your name and description.’ The manisaur stepped close to them now and Jupiter shrank back. He noted that Breeze had disappeared. ‘And of this boy in the skin-tight clothing. But not that you would be traveling together. However that makes recognition all the easier.’

Berg and Jupiter eyed one another.

‘And what would you have us do?’ Berg said. He stood a little taller now, but made no threatening movements.

‘I’m Darukaviqu captain of the Takutshaqa watch.’ The manisaur stood tall as if imposing his authority not only on them but the watch as well. ‘But I am no friend to those damned Ruthulak — Imperial thugs. I served in the imperial military before you were banished. Lord Bamrushi. After that time I retired back to my homelands. There is little love for the Emperor here.’

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‘The thugs of the Ruthulak see to our loyalty.’ Another of the manisaurs said which caused a general bobbling of heads as others in the group laughed.

‘And is the watch all of the same mind?’ Berg said as he studied the manisaur town watch.

The reactions that Jupiter saw were hard to all understand. Head movements, and stomping of feet. The auras of the watch flashed as they flicked their gaze from one to another in a wave of what Jupiter sensed as a discussion, and yet it was not. Manisaurs spoke to communicate as humans did. But this appeared more like the looks a football team made when planning a set piece play. They already knew what to do, they just confirmed it remained true.

‘We are,’ Darukaviqu said once the group quietened down.

‘This is your sejrat’sha doing of course,’ said Berg. ‘Jupiter, your blade has turned. It is the only way Imperial Security could know of our arrival. Tambuqaram is not to be trusted.’

‘Nonsense,’ said Maggie. ‘There would be no time for him to tell anyone.’

‘The Jupiter. We’ve got to get back to her.’ Jupiter pushed through the manisaurs with no concern now. ‘The Security forces might be looking for her.’

He took off at a sprint. The bag of provisions slowed him, but he held on to it. If they had to leave in a hurry he wanted food. He’d had too many hungry nights to abandon it now.

As he came to the group of trees near the river where they had set down his worst fears were realized. There was no sign of The Jupiter. He paced the ground looking for signs of where to go next, where to hunt. But featureless ground gave no clues. There was nothing to show they had been there. Jupiter paused.

‘Tamm! Where are you?’

He walked around the copse of trees and looked along the river. Knee deep in the stream he saw Tamm, hands submerged, staring into the water. Then with a quick movement he flung a fish onto shore.

‘Dhakara. We have fish.’

Jupiter ran up to him. He saw now he had run to the wrong group of trees. The Jupiter lay hidden just as it had been. And Tamm set two fish on the grass beside it.

‘Fresh fish for a meal before we journey once more.’

Jupiter did not know what to say. Just before he had been convinced his trust had been misplaced. And The Jupiter lost.

‘Sounds good to me. Thanks Tamm. You’re a good friend.’

Tamm bobbled his head and blinked slowly in the manisaur way Jupiter had learned meant something like embarrassment.

Maggie joined them then, and followed then by Berg and some of the watch. ‘So. Tamm has been here all along,’ she said.

‘Yes. He’s been fishing.’

Berg stepped up. ‘Darukaviqu, take this one. He is not to be trusted.’

‘No. Tamm is my friend and I will not let you take him.’

‘He has informed on us.’

‘He’s been here all this time. Fishing.’

Berg stared at the fish and at Tamm. Some aura flashing seemed to pass between the two and Berg relaxed.

‘Perhaps you are right. But there is no understanding of how the warning of my journey could travel so fast.’

“That does not matter as much as what do we do now.’ Jupiter set the bag of provisions down on the hull and Tamm got to work inventorying the contents and stowing them in the hull.

‘We should leave,’ Maggie began to say but Jupiter grabbed at her arm to warn her.

‘Can we trust these guys?’ Jupiter looked at the new arrivals.

The manisaurs of the Takutshaqa watch were of different ages, and wore many different harnesses, sashes, and insignia. It was as if they were a random bunch picked from the street, except they all carried long blades and had that easy wariness that Jupiter had seen in fighters in martial arts movies.

Darukaviqu turned to Jupiter. ‘As well as any human can trust a quevantaq. My loyalty to Bamrushi spans the years, and is not some passing naraqhan. It is stronger than any imprint.’

Jupiter looked at Tamm who seemed to ignore all that was said but surely heard everything. They both knew the watchman echoed Tamm’s own words about chosen loyalties.

And this watchman distrusted imprinting. Jupiter agreed with that. If Tamm was no longer sejrat’sha, if his naraqhasa had faded, then Jupiter was not unhappy about it. He had never liked the idea of someone somehow forced to obey him.

Berg stepped to Darukaviqu and auras flashed. There was some quality to aura communication that was less than, but more than, talking. Jupiter only ever got hints of it from the connexion.

‘This one is remains loyal to the true Empire,’ Berg said. ‘The Takutshaqa watch are to be trusted.’

‘So.’ Maggie stepped into the centre of the group. ‘Can we fly to Naz’naska now?’

‘The girl speaks plainly,’ Berg said. ‘But we go to Naruham. I must meet with the Emperor. I must end my exile, and even defy my ruler to bring him news.’

‘The Emperor is not in Naruham,’ said Darukaviqu. ‘You see his vanguard upon the way.’

‘What is this? Why?’ said Berg.

‘The Imperial Army and Navy journey to Hatunqiri,’ Darukaviqu said. ‘They prepare for battle.’