'Do you know what'll be done to you for walking here, on holy ground, for laying your hands on a Master, for seeing our faces?' Osidian said.

Carnelian could see both men flinch. The second man's shoulders were beginning to hunch.

'You filth came in with the tributaries, didn't you?'

The second man's chin dug deeper into his chest as he nodded.

'You do know that you won't be able to sneak out that way, don't you?'

'Our employer's made arrangements to get us out,' sneered the first man.

'Your employer'll not be able to protect you from my wrath. I'll find you and all your kin. Each death'll entertain me for twenty days.'

'You'll not be finding anyone where you're going,' said the first man.

'And you think your "employer" will let you live after what you've seen, what you've done?'

The second man was trembling so much he was shaking against the first.

'What're you afraid of?'

They're Masters, Rud. We oughtn't ever to have looked at their faces. We oughtn't to have come here… this place isn't meant for us. They have powers… we're-'

'Look at them!' said Rud, stabbing his finger. 'Can't you see they bleed blood, not fire?'

'But look how much damage they did to us. They killed Nar, and Pleyr, and roughed the rest of us up. They're too big to be just men, too beautiful.'

Carnelian could see the fear lurking in Rud's eyes.

'You'll envy your dead friends once I get free,' said Osidian.

Rud bent towards them and whipped a slap across Osidian's face. Carnelian jumped as Osidian's head lashed round. He saw the disbelief in Osidian's face. Neither of them could believe the sacrilege.

'You shut up, OK? Shut your mouth!' spat Rud.

Carnelian could see the second man staring and that his spine had regained some stiffness.

They don't look all that godlike now. He takes a slap like a woman, he does.' Rud pushed out his chest. 'Come to think of it, he looks a bit like a woman. Maybe I should take a knife across his face and then we'd see how beautiful he'd look.' He nodded gluttonously. 'Maybe I'll just cut something off him, a bit of his milky flesh, a finger, an ear, a little memento of our visit to "paradise".' Rud pulled out a flint-bladed knife and took pleasure in showing them its scalloped edge. As he leaned forward, Carnelian tried to shove his body in the way. With a thump, two more feet landed in front of him.

'You know they're not to be touched,' said the newcomer.

'But, boss, we could hurt them where it doesn't show,' said the second man, grinning his stump-rimmed mouth.

The boss turned on him. 'Do you want to die here? Well, do you? Who's going to get us out if we don't keep our end of the bargain?'

'I say we cut them,' said Rud, with a fithy grin.

The boss slammed into Rud, who hit the rib like a sack of sand. He straightened up shakily.

'We were just trying to get them to keep quiet,' said the second man.

'Well gag them then,' said the boss.

Carnelian saw the venomous look that Rud shot Osidian as he moved off.

The sun heated the boathouse like an oven. Through the holes gaping in the hide roof, fire poured down over the earth floor, caught in the rib curves and bleached the ruined bone boat. An edge of heat reached slowly towards their feet. They tried to move out of its way but could not. Carnelian felt it begin to roast his feet. He looked over and saw Osidian's face. The gag gaped his mouth. His eyes were screwed closed. Sweat beading on his face made his birthmark glisten. Carnelian forced himself to look at that battered face, making its silent scream. Osidian had not opened his eyes since Rud had struck him.

The water down there at the boathouse's end was white-hot silver. A breeze belched up a stench of mud that told of the lowering level of the Skymere. But there was another smell. The reek of rotting flesh that he was sure was coming from their reddening feet.

Heavy footfalls woke Carnelian. He groaned, adjusting his painful spine.

'Put it there,' said a voice in Vulgate. By its timbre, it was a voice accustomed to speaking Quya.

A lantern settled brilliant as a star in front of him. One of their captors' shapes moved away from it. Carnelian squinted sight into his eyes and saw the ranga, the jewel-brocaded hem of a Master's cloak. The ranga shoes walked to stand beside the bronze lantern. Carnelian looked up at the huge shrouded figure.

'No doubt my Lords never expected to find themselves in such squalid surroundings?' said two beautiful voices together in Quya. Two white hands, each blood-ringed, opened the shroud to reveal a double mask of gold.

'… an… yus,' blurred Carnelian through his gag. He strained to see Osidian staring out from his bruised, gagged face.

The double mask turned on the boss. 'You were told not to spill blood.' The syblings' voices were deadly flat.

The boss hunched. They fought like demons.'

The double mask lingered a while and the boss seemed to grow smaller. The mask turned back. 'No greeting from you, Celestial?' said one of the syblings. 'Aaah, but I see they have stopped up your divine mouth.' Their hand made a lean, smiling gesture. 'We would remove it ourselves but no doubt you have been fingered by the hired brutes… and they are thoroughly unclean.'

He motioned to the shadow behind him. 'Ungag them.'

The man came, the boss. His thick, grubby fingers worried at the knots and the gag came away from Carnelian's mouth.

The other, the other,' said the syblings, jabbing their finger.

Carnelian watched the boss leaning over Osidian. The man stood up, gave the double mask a fearful look. The syblings made a gesture of dismissal.

The boss jerked a bow. 'Your assurances, Master…?'

'Do not provoke us. Bring in the urns. Take care that neither you nor any of your filthy band look upon our faces.'

The boss hesitated, narrowing his eyes, then ducked a bow and lurched away.

'Repulsive creature.' The Hanuses reached up and carefully, slowly, removed their mask. Freed, their alabaster faces looked around. 'We will have to arrange a fiery accident for this noisome shed.' The living eyes looked down on Osidian and then Carnelian. The blind left face smiled bleakly.

'My Lords are wondering what has brought us all to this less than salubrious spot, eh?' said Right-Hanus. 'Your silence denies nothing. I can see the curiosity in your eyes.' He looked at Osidian. 'Your divine mother sends you greetings, Celestial.'

'You think I did not know she was behind this?' said Osidian.

The Hanuses gave a little bow.

'But this is sacrilege,' cried Carnelian.

'Let us not concern ourselves with niceties of terminology,' said Right-Hanus.

'It is merely political necessity,' said Left-Hanus.

'You have lifted your hand against the Gods,' Osidian said.

The almost-Gods, to be precise, and when Jade Lord Nephron does not appear the burden of the candidature will fall inevitably on his brother.'

The rib rattled as Osidian struggled to free himself. The Hanuses stepped back, left face looking alarmed, the other glancing towards the door. Their hands lifted their mask almost to their faces. As Osidian stopped struggling, oily smiles oozed back over both.

The Empress assured us that her hirelings were dependable,' said Left-Hanus.

'One is gratified to see that this is true,' said Right-Hanus.

They are of the Brotherhood of the Wheel?' asked Carnelian.

The Hanuses' faces looked surprised. 'Why, yes, my Lord,' they replied.

'Why would the Brotherhood risk so much?' asked Osidian. 'If they are discovered, not only they but all their kind will be exterminated even if it became necessary to lay the city waste.'

The price they asked was the City at the Gates,' said Left-Hanus.

'She cannot intend to give it to them.' Osidian was incredulous.