Tom could scarcely believe his ears. 'You sent your son into the care of that bunch of twisted fanatics?'
'I did,' the old woman said. 'It is a time-honoured tradition amongst our people. Its purpose is to cement relationships with our neighbours and prevent conflict. For the same reason, I sent my daughter Adrina into the House of Gorm.'
Tom grinned.
'Eyes and ears in the enemy's camp?'
The old woman smiled back.
'It is a tradition which has many advantages.'
'Like getting young Fury to deliver me here instead of to the Duideth?'
'Sky Warrior.' The old woman's eyes settled on him. 'My poor weak son is an innocent child.'
'And you got him to bring me here?'
'No, Sky Warrior. That piece of deception was arranged by my other child.'
'You mean the Princess Adrina?'
'You carry her mark, Sky Warrior.'
'What?'
'On your neck ... during your little tryst.'
Tom's hand went to the spot where he had been attacked by Adrina's ferret. The old woman picked up a silver mirror and handed it to him. Its polished surface revealed a cabbage-shaped blotch below his right ear.
'It is one of the forty-nine signs of the Holy Mother,' the queen explained.
Tom returned the mirror to her. 'I'm not surprised the Duideth didn't like me ... I was set up.'
'They wouldn't have liked you anyway.' The old woman interrupted his thoughts. 'You're not their sort. You belong here. You're one of us.'
A sudden commotion caused him to look up. The girls guarding the door were demanding to know the business of someone outside. He heard Thunder's voice and watched him enter the room. The little man bowed and held out a bag.
'Majesty, the stones of destiny are here for your inspection.'
He emptied some pebbles from the bag and the queen leant forward to examine them. Tom watched as she rejected some and kept others.
'Her Majesty's very particular,' Thunder said. 'She won't let a single one through if it's got the slightest blemish.'
'What are they for?'
'The augury ceremony what's about to take place.'
'Oh,' said Tom.
'Yes,' said Thunder. 'They're what you use when you want to know which of your criminals is going to help you in your auguring.'
'How do you do that?'
'It's a straightforward procedure.' Thunder adopted his warrior pose. 'You assembles your criminals in one spot and you get each of the nasty little toads to place his hand in the bag and remove a stone. After which you get him to put his mark on the stone and put it in a fire you've lit specially for the purpose.'