When Umaya unlocked the door, Niall was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was shivering because, in his absence from his body, the blanket had slipped onto the floor. When he had heard the footsteps on the stairs, he had been trying to restore his temperature by concentration.
Selena and Vasco were the first to enter his cell, followed by Major Baltiger. Behind them the stairway was crowded with faces he now recognized as members of the Citizens’ Committee.
Behind Umaya stood her father, wearing his customary sullen expression. His thoughts were so obvious that it was as if he was saying aloud: “When the karvasid finds out, you’re all going to pay for this.”
Niall was charmed as Selena threw her arms around him and kissed him with warm lips.
Vasco was wringing his hand over her shoulder, saying: “My God, you’re frozen!”
Baltiger, shaking the other hand, asked: “Are you all right?”
“Yes, thank you. Just cold.”
“There was a rumor you were dead.”
Vasco said: “Come and get warm, and have something to eat.”
Niall said: “First I must find my companion, the spider.”
“Ah, yes, Captain Makanda.” Vasco turned to Umaya. “Please take us to Captain Makanda.”
She glanced nervously at her father, who looked as if he was about to have apoplexy. “Does the karvasid know?”
Niall said: “The karvasid is dead.”
These words were heard by the people in the corridor, and repeated to those on the stairs. “The karvasid is dead!”
Then, to the jailer’s obvious fury, the crowd was cheering.
Umaya asked her father: “Is the karvasid dead?”
He gazed into space for a moment, then his face drained of blood.
His daughter asked: “Is he?”
The jailer’s shocked expression gave the answer.
Niall had been right. There had been a direct telepathic link between the Magician and his turnkey.
As Niall followed Umaya down the long corridor, Baltiger ordered the others not to follow; it was too low and narrow for a crowd. The captain’s cell was at its farthest end, and as Umaya was unlocking it, it proved to be so small and dark that Niall could see nothing through the window in the door.
The captain was waiting for them, his back pressed tightly against the ceiling and his legs bent double so his belly touched the floor. He had already sensed the excitement that filled the air.
Niall experienced a rush of warmth as he saw his old traveling companion, and regretted that it was physically impossible to embrace a spider. But he knew the captain sensed what he felt, and that he was simultaneously pleased and embarrassed. Spiders were shocked by displays of affection.
As they emerged into the courtyard, a cheer went up from the waiting crowd — probably the loudest cheer that had ever been heard in Shadowland — and birds flew up in alarm from the rooftops. Niall looked up at the Magician’s window, through which a light was shining, and was filled with pleasure at the thought that the citizens could now make as much noise as they liked.
With the captain and Niall on either side of them, the mayor and mayoress led the way down the hill and back across the bridge. Niall could see that the spider, obviously glad to be able to stretch his legs again, was bemused by the cheers that greeted him, feeling that he had done nothing to deserve them.
Niall asked Baltiger: “Has anyone seen Typhon?”
The mayor shook his head. “I imagine he might be afraid to show his face.”
“But why? He hated the karvasid as much as anyone.”
“Are you sure?” Baltiger obviously had assumed that the prefect would be shocked by the downfall of his master.
“Absolutely certain. He told me so himself.”
“In that case, we must send someone to his house and invite him to the banquet.” He turned to Selena and explained earnestly what Niall had just said, but the noise was so deafening that she obviously found it hard to understand.
As they approached the Town Hall, Niall was startled as colored rockets hissed into the air; he had not seen fireworks since the disaster over which Doggins had presided. These rockets did not explode with a bang — that would have been too much to expect in this city — but their reds, greens, blues, and yellows filled the sky, and seemed a visible expression of the joy felt by everyone in Shadowland.
As they were entering the banqueting hall, Niall was struck by a thought that turned his heart to lead: what would happen to his brother Veig now that the Magician was dead? Would Typhon know the secret that would reprieve Veig from his sentence of death? For the next five minutes Niall was preoccupied with trying to work out how many days ago Veig had cut himself on the sharp blade. But when he calculated that there were still eighteen days to run, he decided he could afford to relax and share the rejoicing.
The banqueting hall was, in fact, simply a large restaurant that would hold about a hundred people. Niall felt guilty about the crowds who cheered and waved outside the windows until Selena said: “They don’t mind. They are all too happy to be free to care about not joining us.” She raised her glass, full of a sparkling golden wine, and said: “Let us drink to our freedom.”
Half an hour later, they had begun the first course when another burst of cheering broke out, and Typhon came in, followed by Gerek. Niall was surprised; he had expected Typhon to be received with a certain coolness. But it seemed that news of Niall’s remarks had already spread throughout the crowd, and the prefect and his assistant were greeted as heroes.
Niall and the mayoress were requested to move apart, and two more chairs were placed between them.
Typhon, who was next to Niall, said: “Well, it seems that your coming started a revolution.”
Niall shook his head. “Don’t give me the credit. You started it by announcing the peace treaty.”
Typhon said modestly: “I only did what I was told.”
Niall smiled. “What you were not told.”
Typhon only chuckled, and raised the glass that the waiter had just filled.
Gerek leaned forward and said to Niall: “By the way, you left this in your room.”
It was the thought mirror, and Niall lost no time hanging it round his neck. Drinking wine on an empty stomach had already made him light-headed, and he was glad to have the means of controlling it.
It was Typhon who raised the question of Veig, by saying in Niall’s ear: “By the way, you don’t have to worry about your brother anymore. Now that the karvasid’s dead, he’ll begin to recover.”
“Are sure of that?” This was all that Niall needed to share the euphoria of the guests around him.
“Quite sure. Your brother was being attacked by graddiks. Do you know what a graddik is?”
“Yes. I’ve been attacked by one too.”
“Then you’ll know they don’t like being enslaved. At the first opportunity, they’ll desert. By the time you return home, your brother will be quite well.”
Niall laughed aloud in sheer relief; only the fact that their chairs were too close together prevented him from embracing Typhon. He raised his glass.
“I shall recommend that they appoint you ruler of Shadowland.”
Typhon shook his head. “I suspect the Citizens’ Committee has someone else in mind.”
Niall was startled, almost dismayed, as he grasped Typhon’s meaning.
“Not me. They can’t choose me. That’s absurd.”
“Why? I think it’s an admirable idea. You are already the most popular man in Shadowland, and you’re the ruler of the spider city. You’d merely add Shadowland to your domains, and our people would automatically become citizens of your country. No need for ambassadors or a peace treaty or anything else. Doesn’t that make sense?”
Niall said: “I’m not sure. Please let me think about it first.” He was wondering how the spiders would feel about the influx of five thousand more human beings. “If you don’t mind, please don’t say anything about this for the moment.”
Typhon said courteously: “Of course.”
“Where did you hear this?”
“I’ve been talking it over with the messenger who brought me here. He tells me that everyone is saying the same thing. If you don’t want it mentioned now, you’d better say so immediately. If I’m not mistaken, Baltiger’s going to propose it before the evening’s over.”
Niall turned urgently toward his neighbor, but the mayor was already rising to his feet, and rapping the table for silence.
“Ladies, gentlemen, I wish to propose a toast to our honored guests, Colonel Niall and Captain Makanda. The captain is taking his meal in another room, but I am sure he is with us in spirit. So shall we all stand and drink to Colonel Niall?”
As the guests stood up and raised their glasses, Niall had a feeling he had been outmaneuvered.