What has happened? Bingaleal cried into Eleanon’s mind as Eleanon hovered with the rest of his fighters some hundred paces away from Elcho Falling. I have felt something terrible!

Where are you? Eleanon asked his brother, who had been commanding the other twenty thousand members of the Lealfast fighting force further south in Isembaard.

Perhaps half a day’s flight away, maybe a little more. Eleanon? What has happened? The One has been expelled from Elcho Falling, as have we.

But —

The One was not as prescient as he had thought. He has been outwitted.

Eleanon?

Eleanon could not for the moment respond any further. He was furious, the fury driven and deepened by the humiliation of what had happened to him and to his fighters. They should by now have been in control of Elcho Falling. Instead. . .

We have been tricked, brother, Eleanon finally responded, and whether by the One or by Elcho Falling or by one among those inside I do not yet know. But once I know . . . once I know . . .

The One? Where is he? Is he with you? What does he say?

Eleanon sent his power ranging out, searching for the One. For a long moment Eleanon could not feel any sense of the One, then he cursed as he realised where the One was. He has been expelled by Elcho Falling! He is back in Isembaard!

What?

Ah, what a rout, Bingaleal! What a catastrophe, and none of it ourfault! We should never have trusted the One so implicitly. We had every advantage. Every advantage. Our enemies should be lying slaughtered and Elcho Falling ours by now. Instead here we are, trapped beyond Elcho Falling, and the One in Isembaard!

Eleanon suddenly realised that the Lealfast fighters were milling about uncoordinated and unsure in the sky. Gods, what a nightmare! Axis must be standing at some window laughing at him.

He shouted orders, grouping his fighters once more into their squads and setting them to patrolling the skies above Elcho Falling.

Once they were organised, Eleanon flew a short distance to a low hill just north of Elcho Falling. Here he alighted, standing with wings and arms folded, regarding Elcho Falling as Bingaleal still asked questions in his mind.

What happened to the One? Bingaleal said. I do not understand how he could have —

He has been oufoxei, Eleanon said, as have we, and that only because we were so stupid as to place ourselves under the One’s orders.

You can’t be implying that . . .

I am implying that perhaps we’d be better off looking after our own fortunes.

The One is a dangerous enemy to make, Eleanon.

Eleanon gave a little snort.

Eleanon . . . we are pledged to him.

He has broken his pledge to us, Eleanon said. I doubt he can deliver a single one of his promises to the Lealfast, nor, perhaps, did he ever have any intention of doing so. Look, Bingaleal, we will be careful. We will not overtly alienate him, nor overtly disobey him. But I tell you, I no longer trust him nor his promises of Lealfast home and glory. I don’t think he has the wit for it. Yes, he is powerful, but he is like the running-to-fat bully in the schoolyard, able to push around those too weak to resist, but toppled unceremoniously by the first opponent who knows what the word “tactic” means.

And what do we have, Eleanon?

Eleanon realised for the first time that it was he who was the natural leader. Not Bingaleal.

What do we have? We have our cunning, we have the Lealfast Nation winging its way to join us, we have our command of both Star Dance and Infinity and we have the Dark Spire. We don’t need the One and his promises to attain Elcho Falling and Infinity. Not now.

Eleanon turned to look back at Elcho Falling. “Elcho Falling’s destruction lies in its basement,” he murmured, not sharing the words with Bingaleal. “Waiting for that word from me.”

Where are the Isembaardians? Bingaleal asked.

Lost in his contemplation of the Dark Spire, Eleanon did not immediately know to what Bingaleal referred. What?

The Isembaardian army. Is it still camped at the lake?

Eleanon turned his regard to the sprawling encampment on the western shore of the lake.

His mouth curved in a slow smile.

I think they might provide us some fun, Bingaleal. Maybe I can retrieve something from this day, after all.