At last, thinking she had probably gone ahead of him to the Ernan, he wandered moodily back to the palace.The city lay deserted under the crushing heat, and the flags of the awnings in the marketplace hung sad and limp, rags of former joy. Ire had disappeared on one of his mysterious forays, probably to thieve some shiny object or other. Hem was worried; he did not know what was going to happen, and he did not want to lose Ire. On the way he bumped into Soron, and poured out his worries about Ire's absence."I told him," he said. "I told him to be here at sunset.""He always turns up," said Soron. "If not now, he'll definitely be there for supper. And I'm sure Zelika will be at the Ernan. I'll come with you; I was going that way anyway."Hem was grateful for the Bard's company. Busy at the Healing Houses all day, he had not had a chance to find out what was happening in the rest of Turbansk, and Soron was full of news. The diversionary force that was to attack the Black Army was, he told Hem, to be led by Har-Ytan herself."How do you know?" asked Hem, amazed.
