Osidian lifted up his arm again. 'Does my Lord need proof that I am who I say I am?'

Carnelian growled and showed his teeth.

Osidian affected fear. 'All right. All right.' He removed his ring and gave it to Carnelian who peered at it. Four zeros. He whistled. Blood-rank four. He held it up to the light. Even the fifth number was low, a five. He gave it back to Osidian.

'It surprises me that I can't feel the heat of your fiery blood from here.'

Osidian smiled at him. 'Are you sure you can't?'

Carnelian turned and hugged him so hard he cried out. He relaxed the circle of his arms, buried his head in Osidian's neck, nibbled it. His hands slid down his spine. He could feel the taint scars with his fingers.

This is your mother's taint?' he said into Osidian's neck.

'You know it is.'

'Do you love her?

Osidian pushed him gently away so that he could see his eyes. 'She's my mother.' 'But do you love her?'

Osidian frowned. 'I've seen very little of her. Mostly, I fear her.'

'So do I. You know she tried to have us all killed?' Osidian nodded slowly. ‘She slew my sister who would have been my wife.' That is rumoured-'

That is fact!' Osidian cried, making Carnelian flinch. 'She knew that Flama would have voted for me.'

Carnelian put his hand out and stroked Osidian's head. 'I'm sorry.'

'We loved each other since we were children. When I am the Gods …'

Carnelian shivered when he saw the chill look of anger that came into his face. 'Does she know you feel like this?'

'How could she not? Her eyes are everywhere.' Carnelian looked around the chamber. Osidian laughed. 'Not literally.' 'And your brother?'

Osidian's mouth showed his distaste. 'Molochite will be taken from her. He's always been her creature.' He shook his head. 'His cruelties … There are many in the House of the Masks who'll breathe relief when my crowns're painted with his blood.'

'Will many others die?' Carnelian asked, almost whispering.

'Some.' The green fire in his eyes went out. 'My sons…' 'Your sons?'

'Only syblings, but I feel something for them.' He smiled a pale smile. There're always children from the House of the Masks slaughtered at an Apotheosis.'

'Why then did you make them?'

'It's one of my duties to make blood for ritual.'

'I must go soon,' said Osidian and they clung to each other more tightly. 'Must you?'

'I've already been away too long.' The shutters rattled a long tattoo. 'When I'm the Gods…' 'Let's not talk of that.'

Osidian slid his hand to squeeze the nape of Carnelian's neck. 'We must.' Carnelian closed his eyes.

'Our We'll be difficult,' said Osidian. 'But if we both really want it to, we can make it work.'

'But they'll put your face for ever behind the Masks.' Carnelian could feel that Osidian's body had grown wooden.

'Yes. But we can still talk. The Wise'll not know it if we touch hands.'

'Will we touch like this?'

'Perhaps yes, perhaps even that.'

Carnelian did not believe him. He knew the Wise would be always there. 'I can't bear it,' he said. Osidian silenced him by pulling his face into his chest. He could feel Carnelian's mouth, his tears. Carnelian pulled himself away. 'How much time do we have?'

Osidian said nothing, but stared up into the shadowy ceiling.

'How much?' Carnelian demanded. There's no more time.'

Carnelian felt his heart become a stone. He felt it spreading numbness up into his head, down to his groin. 'No.' He shook his head. 'No.'

Osidian jabbed a tear from his eye. 'We have to face it.'

'My father said that there're four days, maybe five until they do it.'

'Yes, but the rituals, the preparations… they're endless, inescapable…'

'But you've to go down to the Labyrinth?' Osidian looking at him, nodded. 'Couldn't we go there another way?' 'What other way?' Through the Yden.'

Osidian stared. Carnelian watched Osidian's eyes lose their focus as he calculated the possibilities. 'No,' he said at last. 'I couldn't do it.'

Carnelian fixed him with his eyes. 'Even one more day like this. Just one!' He could see the cracks appearing in Osidian's resistance. 'So we'd cause consternation. What of it? You'll have your whole reign to appease the Wise.'

Osidian was crumbling. Carnelian could see the boyish hope peeking through. 'We'd have to let them know… tell them something…'

'We could leave my father a letter. In all this world he at least should understand.'

Osidian nodded slowly. 'He won't quickly forgive us for forcing him to stand alone against the Wise.'

'He bore thirteen years of exile for your father's sake. He's stood against your mother and won. He speaks for the Great. Are the Wise so terrible?'

Osidian looked at him with round eyes, as much as to say, you have no idea. 'As you say, we'd have all my reign to make it up to him.' Then you'll come?'

Osidian smiled a crooked smile. 'How could I not?'

Carnelian gave a whoop and threw himself on him. They wrestled violendy until they fell onto the floor and rolled apart.

Osidian sat up panting, grinning. When Carnelian began to move towards him, he put up his hand. 'I submit. I submit.'

Carnelian embraced him. They leaned their heads together.

'Will you write the letter?' Osidian asked.

Their ears rubbed together as Carnelian gave a nod.

'I'll still have to return to my household, give them instructions.' He disentangled Carnelian's arms gently, stood up. They placed him back into his robe. 'Meet me before sunrise at the usual place.' They grinned at each other, they kissed and Osidian left.

Carnelian. slumped onto the bed. He gathered up the sheets and wrapped himself in them. Doubt surged in his stomach. He frowned, wondering if he was making a mistake.

Carnelian sat cross-legged, with the parchment on the low table in front of him a narrow rectangle in the lamplight. He drew the glyphs carefully with the pen as his father had taught him. Several times he stopped, angling the pen so that it would not drip ink onto the parchment, then looking off into the darkness. His lips moved as if he were speaking but he made no sound. He was trying to explain to his father how he felt. How could his father not understand? But if he did not, no matter. Carnelian knew with a deadly certainty that he would withstand his father's fury a hundred times if that was the payment demanded for this last day of freedom with Osidian.

Carnelian let Tain in when he scratched at the door. His brother stared at the nest of sheets, the table in the middle of the floor, and at Carnelian's white flaming weary happiness, his haunted look, the way he danced a little when he walked, the way he looked at him but saw another.

'Did I do right to let the Master in?'

Carnelian grabbed him, hugged him, kissed him. 'Never have you done so right.'

Tain smiled uncertainly. 'He gave you joy?'

'Joy, yes, and…' Carnelian stopped, his limbs seeming suddenly cast from lead,'… despair.'

Tain could not understand it at all. It seemed a kind of madness.

'Yes, it is a kind of madness,' Carnelian said, smiling sadly. 'Such consuming fire…'

Tain brought him food, and cleaned him when he stood still long enough. He tried to chat and sometimes Carnelian seemed to listen, but then he would narrow his eyes and look away. Tain made a bed for himself upon the floor. When he turned off the lamp, he could almost feel Carnelian staring into the darkness.

Tain could not wake Carnelian. He shook him, a wail beginning to escape through his gape. Suddenly, Carnelian came alive, gulping as if Tain had just drawn him up drowning from the depths of a well. His arms locked around the boy, squeezing.

'Carnie! Carnie!' Tain cried as he struggled to free himself.

Carnelian kissed his neck with passion. Terrible, terrible, terrible,' he muttered.