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'Cal will be glad to hear that,' said Fyia.

Sensis and the Spider exchanged a loaded look that Fyia chose to ignore.

'Why did she run?' said Fyia. 'Did something happen?'

'No,' said the Spider, 'not as far as I can tell. She came to me before she left and told me of her concerns about the clocks.'

'What was she concerned about?' said Fyia.

'Several have crumbled away, and steam rises from where they once sat. Essa worried the whole Temple of the Sea Serpent would melt into the sea, and the construction of your new palace has halted, because the ground gave way. Three workers fell into a pit of magma.'

'Many parts of my kingdoms rely on hot springs,' said Fyia. 'Why is this strange?'

'Essa has a theory that the clocks control the magma,' said the Spider. 'If the clocks are destroyed …'

'Is that why she ran away?' said Fyia. 'Because she thinks my lands could go up in flame?'

'I'm not sure,' said the Spider, 'but she suggested creating an inventory of clocks, and making repairs where necessary. She was animated on the topic …'

'Very well,' said Fyia, 'and order a search of our libraries … maybe an inventory already exists.'

'On the upside,' said Sensis, 'I hear the markets are functioning much better than before … outside of Moon at least.'

'In fact,' said the Spider, 'many of the markets are reporting increases in footfall and sales, and traders find it hard to grumble when there's more money in their pockets.'

'Wow,' said Fyia, sarcastically. 'Who would have thought change could be good?'

They waited two days in the safe house, just long enough for Fyia's eagle to take a message to the Emperor, and to receive his reply. Fyia spent the time buried in an endless list of queries, tasks, and requests Starfall had stored up while Fyia had been in the north.

Lord Antice had again requested she visit Moon, so they couldhonor and celebrate her… that was laughable, given the rebellion he himself more than likely headed. Was his plan to kidnap her?

She wrote congratulatory letters to the new—female—Chancellor of the University, and to the first female guild members who'd been brave enough to join. She approved additional gold for repairs to the bombsites in Selise, then she wrote to Lady Nara and Lord Fredrik. Although she had mixed feelings about them both, it was important to recognize good work, and they'd done a fine job on market reform. Fyia just hoped they hadn't started a black market to bolster their own income on the side. The Spider assured her they had not, but Fyia didn't trust them.

By the end of the second day, Fyia was crawling up the walls. She needed to get out … to run with her wolves … escape the confines of the house and its occupants.

Cal had been conspicuous in his absence, and Fyia missed his steadfast presence. The Spider—who, of course, kept tabs on his every move—assured her he was safe and merely exploring the city, but after spending days together, it was strange not to have him by her side.

She was busy planning her escape, when her eagle returned with word from the Emperor. He would meet her at her earliest convenience, and would allow her and her entourage safe passage. That she needed his permission to travel through her own lands smarted, but a thrill raced down her spine. She'd been itching to move, and now she could.

Fyia stuck her head out of her office. 'Tell Opie to ready the airship,' she said to Edu, who stood guard by her door, 'and tell the Spider to retrieve Cal.'

They were up in the airship within a single turn of the clock, Cal jumping aboard moments before lift-off, his arms laden with goods he'd purchased from the markets. Fyia smiled at the sight of him and his hoard, wondering what had caught his eye.

Cal entered Fyia's cabin, joining Edu, Fyia, and Sensis, who were discussing logistics.

'Your Majesty,' said Cal, bowing.

'Your Majesty,' Fyia replied, smiling as she nodded her head.

Edu and Sensis exchanged a knowing glance, then made to leave. Before they'd taken two steps, the cabin door swung open, and the Spider entered, Adigos and Essa behind her.

'Essa!' said Fyia.

'Your Majesty,' said Essa, bowing low.

'How did you get here?'

'I suggest we start further back than that,' said the Spider, icily.