‘What do you want?’ he said. Ionides said, ‘I want you to leave her alive for now. There is a great treasure, and she is the only one who can get it. Kill her now and you’ll never have it and, more importantly, neither will I.’ ‘What treasure? What are you talking about?’ ‘You don’t know?’ ‘Again: what are you talking about? Where is this treasure? You don’t mean her dæmon?’ ‘Of course not. The treasure is three thousand miles to the east and, as I said, no one can get it but her.’ ‘And you want her to get it so you can have it?’
