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entire menu. They watch Nicko demolish numerous plates of odd-shaped fish garnished with a variety of seaweed and a thick red steak with white bristles on its rind, which he feeds to Ullr after one mouthful. Nicko is at last eating his final dish - a long white fish with a lot of tiny bones and a reproachful stare. Jenna, Beetle and Snorri have just finished a communal bowl of harbor dessert - baked apples sprinkled with sweet crumble and covered with chocolate sauce. Jenna is feeling queasy. All she really wants to do is lie down, and even a pile of damp fishing nets in a smelly net loft will do. She does not notice that the whole cafe has fallen quiet and all are looking at an unusually richly clad merchant who has just walked in. The merchant scans the shadowy interior, not seeing who he expects to see - but then he does see someone he most definitely does not expect to see - his daughter.

"Jenna!" shouts Milo Banda. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Jenna jumps to her feet. "Milo!" she gasps. "But what are you doing here..." Her voice trails off. Jenna is thinking that actually, this is exactly the kind of place she would expect to find her father - one full of odd people, with an air of suspicious deals and suppressed menace.

Milo pulls up a chair and sits with them. He wants to know everything - why they are there, how they got there and where they are staying. Jenna refuses to explain. It is Nicko's story to tell, not hers, and she does not want the whole cafe listening in - as they surely are.

Milo insists on paying the bill and ushers them out onto the busy quayside.

"I cannot imagine why you are here," he says disapprovingly. "You must not stay here a moment longer. It is not suitable. These are not the kind of people you should be mixing with, Jenna."

Jenna does not answer. She refrains from pointing out that Milo was obviously happy to mix with them.

Milo continues. "The Trading Post is not a place for babes in arms - "

"We are not - " Jenna protests.

"As near as. You will all come to my ship."

Jenna does not like being told what she must do, even though the thought of a warm bed for the night is extremely tempting.

"No, thank you, Milo," she says frostily.

"What do you mean?" says Milo, incredulous. "I refuse to allow you to roam around this place at night on your own."

"We are not roaming - " Jenna begins but is cut short by Nicko.

"What kind of ship?" he asks.

"A barkentine," Milo replies.

"We'll come," says Nicko.

And so it is decided they will spend the night on Milo's ship. Jenna is relieved, though she does not show it. Beetle is relieved and shows it. A big grin spreads across his face, and even Snorri has a faint smile as she follows in Milo's wake, Ullr at her heels. Milo leads them around to the back of the cafe, through a door in a wall and into a dark alleyway, which runs along the back of the bustling harbors. It is a shortcut used by many in the day, but at night most prefer to stay under the bright lights of the harbors - unless there is secret business to be done. They are no more than a few yards along the alley when a shadowy figure comes rushing toward them. Milo steps in front of the figure, blocking his path.

"You are late," he growls.

"I - I am sorry," says the man. "I - " He stops to catch his breath.

"Yes?" says Milo impatiently.

"We have it."

"You do? It is intact?"

"Yes, yes it is."

"No one has discovered you?" Milo sounds worried.

"Er, no, sir. No one. Not - not anyone, sir, and that's the truth, honestly, sir, it is."

"All right, all right, I believe you. How long until arrival?"

"Tomorrow, sir."

Milo nods approval and hands the man a small purse of coins. "For your trouble. The rest on delivery. Safe and undetected delivery."

"Thank you, sir." The man bows and is gone, melting into the shadows. Milo surveys his intrigued audience. "Just a bit of business. Something rather special for my princess." He smiles fondly at Jenna. Jenna half smiles back. She kind of likes the way Milo is - and she kind of doesn't. It is most confusing.

But by the time they arrive at Milo's ship, the Cerys, Jenna is