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Talent as a beastspeaker and Maruman will not allow her to enter him. Perhaps he will permit a beastspeaker to deepprobe.'
    'I can deepprobe,' I said.
    Alad raised his brows, then he looked at the cat pensively. 'You could try. He's less likely to oppose you. I'm afraid if it goes on much longer he'll die of exhaustion. He looks calm enough but this is pulling him apart.'
    I stared down at the battle-scarred old cat, tears pricking my eyes. He looked so vulnerable. He would have hated that. I stroked him, fighting for control.
    'Is there no healer free to ease him?' I asked gruffly.
    Tactfully Alad examined the window. 'They have done all they can. He's in no pain.'
    'What can I do?' I asked.
    'Go into his mind,' Alad said. 'See what you can find out. Make him wake, if you can.'
    'I've never tried to deepprobe him before. What if he resists? I might hurt him.'
    Alad shook his head impatiently. 'He'll die if you can't help him. He is more wild than tame and you know as well as I, the wild ones are hardest to reach, even in a normal communication.'
    With a feeling of dread, I sat on the stool beside the bed. I stroked Maruman's coarse fur gently, willing him to wake. I was repelled by the idea of entering my old friend's most private mind. I could not have borne such an intrusion myself. I was uncertain I could overcome my own mental block, let alone any Maruman might throw up.
    Alad patted my shoulder. 'It might be that you are the only one he will permit to enter him. You might not have to force your way.'
    I bit my lip then closed my eyes. Loosing a deepprobe tendril gently into the first level, I forced myself to ignore the screaming gibberish that assaulted me the instant my screen was down. For a moment I was swept along like a leaf in the dizzy maelstrom of Maruman's unconscious mind. I had a fleeting temptation to let myself go, but concentrated on Alad's hand on my shoulder, forcing myself to the next level.
    I slipped through effortlessly.
    Alad was right. Maruman was letting me in.
    I drifted deeper, concentrating to avoid the forgetting which was one of the greatest dangers inherent in entering an unconscious mind.
    Deeper still and suddenly the susurration of the upper levels ceased. It was very quiet and still.
    'Maruman,' I whispered. 'Maruman?'
    I sensed a ripple in the fabric of the cat's unconscious mind. In a sense, I knew, I was inside his dreams. I went deeper still. Again I whispered his name.
    This time he responded. 'Elspeth Innle . . .'
    'Come with me,' I invited trying to draw him to the upper levels and wakefulness. I was buffeted gently by his refusal.
    'Can not. Mustwait,' he responded.
    I was puzzled. 'Wait for what?'
    There was no answer. I asked again. 'Mustwait until Seeker comes.'
    This was a name Maruman sometimes called me. More confused than ever, I said, 'I am the Seeker.'
    'Deeper. Must come deeper,' Maruman responded instantly.
    'Whymust?' I asked.
    'The Old One wishes it.'
    I shivered violently, becoming suddenly conscious of my physical presence in the Healer Hall. I forced myself to concentrate, but I was unnerved. It struck me that Maruman had let me in easily because he had wanted me to enter his deepest mind. Why? I could only know that by slipping deeper but I was almost at my limit. The desire to rise was powerful and my energy was running away quickly. Before long I would have no choice. I would not have the strength to remain. If I were to go deeper, I had to do it immediately.
    Yet I hesitated.
    At the depths of the mind is a great unconscious mind-stream. It was into this that the futuretellers dipped for their predictions. Without training it was possible for a mind to literally dissolve. I was already deeper than I had ever gone before.
    I braced myself. Fighting an irresistible urge to rise, I pushed my mind fraction by fraction into the depths. All at once the void seemed to brighten and, below, I was aware of the shining silver rush of the mind-stream.
    Now I felt an