sweeping the scene； letting the blade…tip slide along the invisible angles of space。 Twice； on my circuit of the lawns； it twitched as if
tugged by sprite hands； but I could discern nothing from the locations。
But mere was something there。 My first hint of a malign focus。 My first hint that not only was foul play involved； but that Lady
Froigre might be right。
Though they had left only the slightest traces behind them； infernal powers had been at work here。
ALIZEBETH CAME INTO my room at eight the next morning。 She woke me by sitting down on the side of my bed and handed me a cup
of hot； black caffeine as I roused。
She was already dressed and ready for work。 The day was bright。 I could hear the household coming to life： pans clattering the kitchen
block and the butler calling to his pages in the nearby gallery。
'Bad storm in the night；' she said。 'Brought trees down。'
'Really？' I grumbled； sitting up and sipping the sweet； dark caffeine。
I looked at her。 It wasn't like Bequin to be so perky this early。
'Out with it；' I said。
She handed me a data…slate。 'Aemos has been busy。 Must've worked all night。'
'Through the storm。'
'There was no storm up his way。 It was local。' I didn't really hear that reply。 I was caught up in a close reading of the slate。
Failing to cross…match just about every detail I had sent him； Aemos had clearly become bored。 The list of guests I had sent him had
led to nothing； despite his best efforts to make connections。 The caterers and performers had revealed nothing either。 No links to the
underworld or cult activity； no misdeeds or priors； except for the usual clutch of innocent and minor violations one might expect。 One
of the travelling actors had been charged with affray twenty years before； and another had done time for grievous wounding； that sort
of thing。
The only item that had flagged any sort of connection was the description of Aen Froigre's death。 Aemos had only turned to that rather
vague clue once he'd exhausted all others。
In the past twenty months； eleven people in the Drunner Region of Gudrun； which is to say the coastal area encompassing Menizerre；
Dorsay and Insume all the way to Madua chapeltown； had died of a similar； mystery ailment。 Only a tight； deliberate search like the
one Aemos had conducted would have shown up such a connection； given the scale of area involved and the size of population。 Listed
together； the deaths stood out like a sore thumb。
Here； Aemos had come into his own。 Another clerk might have sent those findings to me and waited for direction； but Aemos； hungry
to ansself； had pressed on； trying to make a pattern out of them。 No simple task。 There was nothing to demographically
or geographically link the victims。 A housewife here； a millkeeper there； a landowner in one small village； a community
doctor in another； seventy kilometres away。
The only thing they had in common was the sudden； violent and inexplicable nature of their demises： seizures； abrupt； fatal。
I set down my cup and scrolled on； aware that Alizebeth was grinning at me。
'Get to the last bit；' she advised。 'Aemos strikes again。'
Right at the last； Aemos revealed another connection。
A day or two before each death； the victim's locality had been paid a visit by Sunsable's Touring Fair。
LADY FROIGRE WAS most perturbed to see us about to leave。 'There are questions here still…' she began。
'And I'm going to seek the answers；' I said。 'Trust me。 I believe my savant has hit upon something。'
She nodded； unhappy。 Rinton stepped forward and put his arm around his mother's shoulders。
'Trust me；' I repeated and walked out across the drive to my waiting flyer。
I could hear the sound of chain blades； and turned from the car to walk around the side of the hall。 One of the trees brought down in
the night's freak storm had crashed part of the stable block and the housemen were working to saw up the huge trunk and clear it。
'Is that where you detected Penshel seed？' I asked Alizebeth when she came to find out what was keeping me。
'Yes；' she said。
'Fetch my blade。'
I called the housemen away from their work； and walked into the collapsed ruin of the stable； crunching over heaps of coarse sawdust。
The ivy…clad tree still sprawled through the burst roof。
Alizebeth brought me Barbarisater and I drew it quickly。 By then Lady Froigre and Rinton Froigre had emerged to see what I was
doing。
Barbarisater hummed in my hand； louder and more throatily than it had done the previous night。 As soon as I entered that part of the
stable block； the particular stall the tree had smashed； it jumped。 The taste of Chaos was here。
'What was this used for？' I asked。 'During the fete； what was this area used for？'
'Storage；' said Lady Froigre。 'The people from the fair ent and belongings out of sight。 Food too； I think。 One
man had trays of fresh figs he wanted to keep out of the light。'
'And the hololithographer；' said Rinton。 'He used one of those stalls as a dark room。'
SO HOW DO you find a travelling fair in an area the size of the Drunner Region？ If you have a copy of their most recent invoice； it's
easy。 The fair…master； eager to be paid for his services at Froigre Hall； had left as a payment address an inn eighty kilometres away in
Seabrud。 From the invoice； I saw that Aen had been asked to mail the payment within five days。 The fair moved around a great deal；
and the travelling folk didn't believe much in the concept of credit accounts。
From Seabrud； we got a fix on the location of Sunsable's Fair。
They had pitched on a meadow outside the village of Brudmarten； a little； rustic community of ket…herds and weavers that was flanked
by a lush； deciduous woodland hillside to the east and marshy； cattle…trampled fields below at the river spill to the west。
It was late afternoon on a hot； close day； the air edged with the heavy； fulminous threat of storms。 The sky was dark overhead； but the
corn was bright and golden down in the meadows； and pollen balls blew in the breeze like thistle…fibres。 Grain…crakes whooped in the
corn stands； and small warblers of the most intense blue darted across the hedges。
Gabon lowered the limo to rest in a lane behind the village kirk； a pale； Low Gothic temple in need of up…keep。 A noble statue of the
Emperor Immaculate stood in the overgrown graveyard； a roost for wood doves。 I buckled on my sword and covered it with a long
leather cloak。 Gabon locked the car。
'Stay with me；' I told Alizebeth； and then turned to Gabon。 'Shadow us。'
'Yes； sir。'
We walked down the lane towards the fair。
Even from a distance； we could hear the noise and feel the energy。 The arrival of the fair had brought the folk of Brudmarten and the
neighbouring hamlets out in force。 Pipe organs were trilling and wheezing in the lank air； and there was the pop and whizz of
firecrackers。 I could hear laughter； the clatter of rides； the ringing of score bells； children screaming； rowdy men carousing； pistons
hissing。 The smell of warm ale wafted from the tavern tent。
The gate in the meadow's hedge had been turned into an entranceway arched with a gaudy； handpainted sign that declared Sunsable's
Miraculous Fair of Fairs open。 A white…eyed twist at the gateway took our coins for admission。
Inside； on the meadow； all manner of bright； vulgar sights greeted us。 The carousel； lit up with gas…lamps。 The ring…toss。 The neat；
pink box…tent of the clairvoyant。 The churning hoop of the whirligig； spilling out the squeals of children。 The colourful shouts of the
freak show barker。 The burnt…sugar smell of floss makers。 The clang of test…your…strength machines。
For a penny； you could ride the shoulders of a Battle Titan … actually an agricultural servitor armoured with painted sections of rusty
silage hopper。 For another penny； you could shoot greenskins in the las…gallery； or touch the Real and Completely Genuine shin bone
of Macharius； or dunk for ploins。 For tuppence； you could gaze into the Eye of Terror and have your heroism judged by a hooded man
with a stutter who claimed to be an ex…Space Marine。 The Eye of Terror in this case was a pit dug in the ground and filled with
chemical lamps and coloured glass filters。
Nearby； a small donation allowed you to watch an oiled man struggle free from chains； or a burning sack； or a tin bathtub full of
broken glass； or a set of stocks。
'Just a penny； sir； just a penny！' howled a man on stilts with a harle…quined face as he capered past me。 'For the young lady！'
I decided not to ask what my penny might buy。
'I want to go look at the freak show；' Alizebeth told me。
'Save your money… it's all around us；' I growled。
We pushed on。 Coloured balloons drifted away over the field into the encroaching darkness of the thunderhead。 Corn crickets rasped
furiously in the trampled stalks all about us。 Drunken； painted faces swam at us； some lacking teeth； some with glittering augmetic
eyes。
'Over there；' I whispered to Alizebeth。
Past the brazier stand of a woman selling paper cones of sugared nuts； and a large handcart stacked with wire cages full of songbirds；
was a small booth tent of heavy red material erected at the side of a brightly painted trailer。 A wooden panel raised on buntingwrapped
posts announced ''Hololiths！ Most Lifelike！ Most Agreeable！'' below which a smaller notice said A most delightful gift； or a
souvenir of the day； captured by the magic art of a master hololithographer。' A frail old man with tufted white hair and small
spectacles was seated outside the booth on a folding canvas chair； eating a meat pie that was so hot he had to keep blowing on it。
'Why don't you go and engage his interest？' I suggested。
Alizebeth left my side； pushed through the noisy crowd and stopped by his booth。 A sheet of flakboard had been erected beside the
booth's entrance； and on it were numerous hololithic pictures mounted for display： some miniatures； some landscapes； some family
groups。 Alizebeth studied them with feigned interest。 The old man immediately leapt up off his chair； stowed the half…eaten pie behind
the board and brushed the crumbs off his robes。 I moved round to the side； staying in the crowd； watching。 I paused to examine the
caged birds； though in fact I was looking through their cages at the booth tent。
The old man a