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them."
    "And the young man? He has abandoned you?"
    "No! Never! He promised me we would get married and he has never
lied to me! That's why I wanted you to see you, Master Kestan. I want
you to find out what happened to Syldas. I don't think he left at
all. Two nights ago he gave me this." She held out her hand,
where a very small golden band glinted on her left hand. "It's
just brass, I know, but he wanted me to have it until he could afford
a proper one for the wedding. He'd even been to the prester to see
about dates at the temple. Does that sound like someone who wanted to
abandon me?"
    "No, it doesn't," Kestan agreed, although he had to wonder
if all of it was just an elaborate ruse on the boy's part to escape
his responsibilities.
    "I think something has happened to him," said Jessamyn
firmly. "I feel it. Those awful people did something to him, I'm
sure of it! You haven't been there long, but don't you think there is
something strange going on in that house? There's evil there, Master
Kestan, and I fear Syldas has been caught up in it."
    A few days ago Kestan might have been inclined to take her words as a
flight of fancy from a distraught, troubled girl, but Jessamyn seemed
far from mad. Add that to the fact that Kestan himself had seen a
disturbed boy who had thought he was in the Abysss; he realised the
truth of the matter. There was evil in that house and it had the name
Grunhall.
    "I will see what I can do, Misstress Jessamyn, although I fear I
may be of little help."
    "It will be enough that you tried. You can reach me here."
Jessamyn handed him a slip of paper with her parents' address. A
villa in the capital city, an address Kestan knew quite well.
    "You're Earl Chadron's daugther? I've met your parents, but I
don't rememer seeing you at the villa. I'm sure I would have
remembered such an elegant young lady."
    Jessamyn smiled. "Thank you, Master Kestan. I was probably away
at school when you first visited and then I became Lady Nydia's
companion. It has been quite a few years since I've been home."
    "If I might be so bold, why was an earl's daughter acting as a
paid companion to Nydia Grunhall? It doesn't seem to fit with your
station in life, not that I mean to pry."
    "My father thought work would build character before he settled
on a husband for me. Of course, now his plans have gone awry. I
hadn't meant to fall in love, even less to give into fleshly
temptations, but these things happen, don't they?"
    Remembering his own colourful past, Kestan could only agree.
"Mistress Jessamyn, forgive me for asking, but the boy... he did
not force his attentions on you when they were unwanted?"
    "No, Mr. Snape. I can assure you that everything happened
because we both wanted it to. Syldas did not force me. I love him and
I will love our child, even if I have to give it up. My carriage will
be leaving shortly, I have to go. Please, can you keep me informed of
anything you find out?"
    Kestan nodded, looking at her address again. "I will. May the
gods speed you and look after you on your journey."
    "Thank you. You're a good man, Master Kestan. Be careful at that
house."
    Kestan didn’t reply. No one had ever called him good before.

Chapter Four

    "Master Nunos, you are not paying attention!" barked Kestan
when the boy's attention wandered yet again. Nunos Grunhall had no
interest in learning and Kestan was rapidly coming to the end of his
tether with the young man. If he would ever fit in at the academy
would be a miracle! Kestan wouldn't be surprised if he dropped out or
was sent down even before his first term was out.
    In the two months he'd been at Grunhall Abbey, Kestan was making no
progress with Nunos at all. The boy could barely read, his
Mathematics was well below the levels expected of any under-graduate
and he knew nothing of the Natural Sciences or Geography at all. And
as for Magic and all its permutations, he still refused to learn it.
    "This is boring!" protested Nunos, waving his arms around
the library.