The caravan master bowed, murmured a few kind words and departed.

Soon as he was gone Iraj turned to Safar, face full of anguish. You said I would be king of kings! he cried.

"And you will, Safar replied.

"Are you certain your talent isn't playing you false? Iraj demanded. Am I a fool, bound to a fool's vision?"

"Let me speak plainly, Safar said. There's no question that you are a fool. Who else but a fool would want to be king of Esmir? But fool or not, that is your destiny."

"Beware! Iraj snapped. I'm in no mood for insults, friendly though they may be."

"If you don't want to hear the truth, Safar said, then command my silence."

"I've given you power, Iraj said.

"Take it back, Safar replied. It's more of a burden than I care to shoulder."

"I've made you rich, Iraj pointed out.

"In Kyrania, Safar said, wealth is a bountiful harvest that all share.

Iraj grew angry. Are you saying that in your view all I've given you is worthless?"

Taking a lesson from Coralean, Safar replied, Not your friendship. I value that most highly, Iraj Protarus."

Iraj was mollified. His finger rapping ceased. What should I do, brother? he asked. How do I achieve what your vision foretold?"

"Why don't we look at the problem a different way? Safar said. Why don't we turn it about and see if luck's barren goat will still give milk?"

"I'm listening, Iraj said.

"When you started out your greatest difficulty was a family feud, Safar said. An uncle opposed your rightful claim to leadership. A few of your kin were greedy enough to support that uncle. But mostout of long family feelings and traditionsupported you."

"True enough, Iraj said. Although it was more complicated than that."

"To counter that natural feeling, Safar continued, your uncle went to an outsider. A man hated by all in your family."

"It gave him a temporary advantage, Iraj said, but in the end it was a help to me. After a few successes, my family rallied to me."

"So your uncle's alliance with an enemy, Safar said, was his downfall."

Iraj thought for a moment, then nodded. Yes. That is so."

"There you have it, Safar said. The presence of a hated outsider gave you power to rally your clan. Afterwards, you put clan together with clan to take to the road as a conqueror.

"But to those people you were the outsider. The barbarian from the Plains of Jaspar.

"They opposed you, fought you, dared to call you a greedy upstart, instead of as the savior of all Esmir. Which is how you see yourself."

"But I am, Iraj said. You saw it in the vision."

Safar didn't say he'd never seen such a thing. In the vision Iraj had been a conquering king perched on a white elephant, leading his army toward Zanzair. Whether he was a savior or not was another matter.

"Good, Safar said. I'm glad you believe that. Because that is how you will defeat Manacia."

Iraj's expression was puzzled. He didn't understand.

"The whole human world fears the demons, Safar said. Use that fear against Manacia. Raise your standard, claim all humankind as your clan… and strike him down.

"Before winter set in you faced the prospect of many years of battle to claim Caspan as your realm. Manacia has done your work in less than a season.

"Defeat him and you have the north."

Iraj brightened. And the demonlands, he pointed out. I'll have them as well."

"First we have to cross the Forbidden Desert, Safar cautioned.

Iraj gave a cheery wave. You mean the curse? Hells, I was never worried about that. You'll figure it out when we get there.

"Besides, if Manacia can do it, so can you."

"I'm glad you still have confidence in me, Safar said, again taking a lesson from Coralean and letting a measure of humility leak through.

"As I see it, Safar continued, our greatest danger will be Manacia's magic. It's well know that demons are much more powerful sorcerers than humans."

"An overblown reputation, as far I'm concerned, Iraj scoffed, gaining confidence by the minute. I saw you bring down an avalanche on a whole pack of them, remember?"

Safar had few delusions about himself. He'd spent the winter testing his powers and at first had been amazed at the newly possible. But in reading the Book of Asper, the demon wizard, he saw glimmerings of a power that might be beyond him.

"I caught them by surprise, Safar said. Besides, it was only a score or more we were faced with. Not a whole demon armywith a legion of wizards to support them."

"You just worry about Manacia's wizards, Safar, Iraj replied. I'll take care of his damned army."

Worry is not such an easy thing to limit. The mind may decree borders, but once erected those borders are immediately beset by fears both large and small. Nights become sleepless landscapes littered with innumerable difficulties and imagined pitfalls threatening the mightiest of beings. Large things may seem insurmountable mountains during those torturous hours when others sleep. Small things may suddenly erupt into fears rivaling those mountains.

In the north, King Manacia consolidated his army and searched for the route over the Gods Divide. But his nights were haunted by imagined plots involving his son, Prince Luka. Then word filtered through of a mighty human king with flowing hair and beard of gold. This monarchKing Iraj Protarusbore the standard of Alisarrian and was rousing the populace to oppose Manacia and destroy his long cherished dreams of empire.

Sitting at the right hand of that king, it was said, was a human wizard so powerful he was the equal of any demon lord of sorcery. The wizard, Safar Timura, had eyes as blue as the sunlit heavens.

When Manacia slept at all he was troubled by nightmares in which his son suddenly turned into a human with a golden beard and sky blue eyes. In this nightmare Manacia would be forced to embrace his son and heir before his court, knowing full well a dagger would be thrust into his back.

In the south, King Protarus massed his forces and toured his realm, spreading the news of the demon invasion. He gave thundering speeches, decrying the atrocities committed by the demonssome real, some created. He was a handsome young prince, a compelling speaker who quickly made his subjects forget the atrocities he had committed himself in winning his kingdom. People rushed to support him, swelling his armies, crying for revenge against the demon invaders.

But Iraj's nights were as sleepless as Manacia's.

What if Safar was wrong? What if he were not as great a seer as Iraj believed? And what if his friend was not truly his friend? If he were as powerful a wizard as Iraj believed, might he not seize the throne of Esmir as soon as Iraj had won it? And if not, why not? Which brought him back to the original worry that Safar was so weak Iraj was a fool to rely on him.

Safar was no king, which gave him ample reason to harbor fears equal to both monarchs combined.

If Iraj believed Safar was in the way he'd betray him with barely a thought. Safar wondered about the vision in which he'd seen Iraj's victorious march on Zanzair. What if that part were true, but in reality it was Safar's ghost who'd witnessed it? He'd certainly felt like a spirit during the vision. What if his dreamcatcher self had slipped past the part where Safar was betrayed and slain by his blood brother? It troubled him he'd never been able to see past that moment when Iraj's armies marched on Zanzair. And what of the other visionthe vision of Hadinin which all was for naught and the world was rushing toward its end?

Then there was the greatest fear of all.

For either kingManacia or Protarusthe key was Kyrania.

What if the two monarchs met in battle in the High Caravans?