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The murmurs picked up again. They sounded vaguely disconcerted.

‘That doesn’t mean I want her to attack the city,’ I quickly added, because it seemed the audience needed that reassurance; indeed, a collective sigh of relief went around the gallery. ‘Quite the opposite, really. I’m not going to endanger the last safe place in the archipelago. But we have been thinking of staging a revolt on one or several of the human isles out there, and to do that, we would need some help.’

Norris sank a little lower in his chair, eyes narrowing. With glimpses of shrewdness emerging in his appearance, he suddenly no longer looked nearly so jovial anymore, or so grandfatherly.

‘I lived on a human isle for most of my life,’ I said and wondered – with such sudden vehemence that it took all I had not to whirl around and take a look – whether any of my fellowvillagers might be sitting in the audience. Hell, what were the chancesnoneof Cathra’s inhabitants had been curious enough to come here today? ‘I believed myself to be human for most of my life. I remember – Iknow– that none of us would have dared to take a risk like actively luring an army towards us without some very firm reassurances for our safety, and I am hoping the White City might help me to offer people that safety. That might mean, for example, food for those who will lose their homes and livelihoods to the violence. Medicine for the wounded. A safe haven for their children, perhaps.’

Anything that will allow me to drop your name. Anything that will help me win their trust.It seemed wiser not to inform them of that part.

‘I know you’ve worked hard for your peace and prosperity.’ A little nod to Halbert’s followers – I had decided last night it couldn’t hurt to offer them a small acknowledgement. ‘And you must be wary of allowing any war to disturb that peace – rightly so. But I’m hoping this might be within your capabilities, and your help may truly change the world. So I hope – I really hope – you will honestly consider it. Thank you.’

Again someone whooped behind me, a different voice this time. Rosalind didn’t smile, but her almost imperceptible nod was enough –well done.

It made me feel like glowing, to a troubling extent.

‘Thank you,’ Norris said, and he sounded genuine as he sat a little straighter again, white robes pulling tight around his sizeable belly. ‘That is very clear. You do not mind if we ask you a couple of questions, do you?’

I braced myself. Surely this was the moment where Halbert would stand up and bury me in biting commentary.

‘Please do,’ I said.

Halbert, shockingly, did not move.

‘My first question is whether you have any particular islands in mind already,’ Norris said, pressing his fingertips together before his stomach. ‘And if not, whatsortof an island you are thinking of. We can more easily support, say, a small mining community rather than an entire city on Orthune, for example.’

So he was considering it?

He was really, actually considering it?

Only then did I realise I had hardened my heart against guaranteed rejection, against failure and disappointment, from the very first moment they opened their mouths. It was a challenge not to sound too breathless. ‘It would be a smaller island, yes. I hate putting anyone in danger at all, and Icertainlydon’t want to haul a whole city into the crossfire.’

Theirs included. Even without that being said out loud, there was a hint of relief to the whispers in the hall – the growing realisation that I really was not asking them to send their children into a bloody battle.

Halbert still didn’t even uncross his legs, staring into nothingness with an expression of heartfelt boredom on his slick face.

‘Excellent,’ Norris said, nodding slowly. ‘And I assume it is not a problem if the exact nature of our assistance is determined at a later point – that is, once we know what island you are working with and how many people need help, exactly?’

‘No problem at all, of course.’ I hoped that was true, but Rosalind didn’t show any sign of alarm amidst her regular narrow-eyed glances at Halbert. ‘Specifics can be decided together. The main thing to determine is whether the city is willing to work with us at all.’

‘And this is only about providing support to fellow humans, correct?’ Rosalind said, leaning forward with such a convincing look of interest on her face – as if she didn’t know damn well it was only about fellow humans, as if this wasn’t a point shewas making solely for the benefit of those listening to us. ‘We’re not paying to support homeless nymphs or orphaned phoenixes here?’

‘Only the humans.’ I allowed myself a little laugh. ‘The others will be able to save themselves. I just don’t want those without magic to be forgotten.’

There. A little appeal to their consciences.Save them, since no one else will.

From what I could glimpse of the galleries out the corners of my eyes, it was working better than I could have dared to hope. And still Halbert wasn’t moving – as if this entire conversation was none of his concern anyway, as if he had merely been dragged in here because of his status and couldn’t wait until he was allowed to leave again.

Perhaps he had simply betted that I would fold under the pressure and blunder myself to incoherence in the glory of this hall? He couldn’t know I had survived bone halls, too.

‘A very good point,’ Norris was saying, nodding amiably at Rosalind. ‘We certainly ought to be supporting humans only. But if that is clear, and if we agree that we can decide upon the exact budget allotted later …’

He hesitated, and my heart skipped an eager beat.

He was going to agree?Already?But then we had what we needed – two out of three, enough for that popular vote, no matter how hard Halbert might whine and complain. Then all we needed was to convince the rest of the city that their tax money would be put to decent use, but already people were nodding and smiling in the galleries …

‘I have one last question,’ a drawling voice interrupted.

My heart plunged into my stomach so swiftly I almost choked on it.