Keal's eyes, Tain's eyes, so many eyes.

Carnelian removed his mask and bowed his head a little, giving in to its heaviness. 'I did what I could. I can't see what more you could expect of me.'

Keal nodded, but did not stop looking at him with pain in his face and something like an accusation of betrayal.

'Crail's gone,' said Tain.

Carnelian turned on him. 'What do you mean he's gone?'

The Master left a command that we were to hand him over to the other Master's men. The ones with the line tattoo,' said Keal, running his finger from his forehead down the bridge of his nose to his lips.

Blood drained from Carnelian's face. His father had given Crail to Aurum. 'When?'

They came for him just after you left with the Master.'

Carnelian wrung his hands, stared blindly, chewed at his lower lip. He felt snared and bleeding in a trap. 'Maybe it's not too late,' he muttered. He strode over to Keal. A pain of love passed between them. They embraced hard. 'Look after them, brother,' said Carnelian.

He felt Keal's nod against his chest. He disengaged, making sure he did not look into his face. Sniffing, he turned to the others, all standing now. 'Don't fear that I'll forget you. Take care on the road. I'll be waiting for you in our coomb in the Mountain.'

He looked at Tain and saw he was struggling to hold back tears. Carnelian made his decision. 'You're staying here.'

Tain looked appalled. 'But I'm supposed to go with you.'

Carnelian shook his head. 'It'll be too dangerous.'

'Who's going to take care of you?'

Keal wiped his eyes and pointed towards a heap of carefully bound parcels. 'Everything's ready. It would take ages to separate his things from yours.'

Tain looked at Keal gratefully.

'He'll look after you for us,' said Keal and there were several nods behind him.

Carnelian saw the tearful determination in their faces. 'I've no time for this. Tain, come if you must.'

Tain started scooping up the parcels. Another boy Carnelian did not know helped him. His face was also unmarked. Tain caught his brother looking at the boy. 'He's new.'

'For the Master's care?' Carnelian asked.

'Bought locally.'

'Come on, then. Take one of those lanterns. We must hurry if we're going to have any chance to save Crail.'

Once through the door, Carnelian tried to move fast, but the ranga resisted his efforts. He tripped and almost fell. He stopped to calm himself. The others stood nearby gaping at him. Carnelian bent down and undid the straps of the shoes. He stepped down off them, picked them up, then lurched off with long strides. Even through the bandages he could feel the floor's cold stone. The hall echoed with the irregular scuffles the others made as they struggled to keep up with him.

When they had passed the door of the silver ammonites, Carnelian found three archways to choose from. He swung round to find the guide. The man was some way back, flustered, panting. His lantern wobbled its light across the floor and up and down the columns. Carnelian went back, tore it from his hand, then grabbed some of Tain's burden. He ignored his brother's protests at the impropriety and took some more boxes from the new boy, who stared with wide-eyed disbelief at the strange young Master.

Carnelian turned to the guide. 'Which way?'

The guide pointed at one of the archways and Carnelian plunged into it.

Passages, gates, Carnelian blazed a trail for them through the blackness. It seemed a long time till they reached the stairway. The portcullis that led to it was raised. Above them its toothed edge just caught the light. Carnelian held his lantern up and saw the wide shallow steps going down. Looking back he saw the knot that Tain and the others made. 'I'll go ahead,' he cried to them. 'You lot follow as fast as you can.'

Finding each step was difficult. Carnelian could hardly see them through the eyeslits of his mask. He put the lantern and the shoes down and removed his mask. Carrying it and the boxes in one hand and the lantern and shoes in the other, he raced off, taking the steps two at a time.

He descended flights that were straight and others that curved leftwards out of sight. He came to a long landing. The portcullis that controlled access to it was up. His lantern found a grating halfway along the landing's right-hand wall. It was a gateway closed against him. There was no way of knowing if it was the right one. He put down everything he was carrying and gave the bars a good shake. They hardly moved at all. He punched his fist into his hand. The scuffling sounds the others made came remotely down from the airy dark. He had to wait for them.

He held his mask in front of his face as Tain appeared followed by the guide and the new boy, both looking scared. Carnelian grabbed one of the portcullis bars. 'Here?' he cried.

The guide was breathing heavily. This… this is only… the legionary stratum… Master. The West Gate lies… further down.'

Carnelian did not wait to hear more, but was off down the next flight cursing at the delay.

The stairway widened as he reached another closed gate. He hesitated for a moment. He could hear the noises of Tain and the others following him down. He looked through the grating. He made his decision. On he ran, finding the steps in the swing of lantern light. A glow welled up to meet him. He could hear the distinctive tones of Quya. The voices stilled. He put his mask up and rounded a bend.

Guttering torches revealed a line of guardsmen making a fence with their swords. Their anxious faces were all disfigured by the Legate's mark. He walked down to meet them. Their swords and heads fell together. Carnelian looked over them, searching for his father. He spotted the tall shadows standing at the back. One of them came forward, breaking through the guardsmen.

'Carnelian.' It opened its cowl to reveal his father's mask. 'Hide yourself, boy.' He was holding up Carnelian's salt-stained travelling cloak. He stiffened. 'By the blood, are you actually carrying baggage?' He looked down. 'And where are your ranga?'

Carnelian looked at the shoes dangling from his hand on their straps. To aid my speed.'

His father leant close, pushing the cloak into his hand. 'Why do you persist in shaming me?'

Carnelian's cheeks burned as if they had been slapped. He sat down on the steps. His fingers were clumsy doing up the mask's bands behind his head and strapping the shoes to his bandaged feet. It seemed to him that he could feel the eyes of all the Masters on him. He stood up on the ranga, threw the cloak around his shoulders, then shoved his way through the Legate's guardsmen, pushing towards his father. The forbidding shapes of the other Masters loomed around him.

'We had thought you lost,' said Jaspar.

'It would appear that we are all lost,' said Vennel.

'Nobody is lost, my Lord,' snapped Aurum.

'I still cannot understand why we could not bring our slaves to help us on our way,' said Vennel. 'It is distasteful to have to use another's tyadra, especially when they come from a Lesser-'

'We all feel naked,' snapped Suth. 'But what use is it standing here on this stairway discussing it? We must press on. Soon it will be dawn.'

'One is forced to point out that it is your own son who delays us, my Lord.'

Suth ignored him and set off down the stairway at a furious pace. The guardsmen scrambled after him, their torches painting everything with jerking shadow.

Carnelian walked beside his father. Aurum was on his father's other side. He hoped the old Master would not move away from them to allow him to talk freely. They passed under another raised portcullis. He looked round and saw Tain and the others coming into sight. Carnelian turned back to his father. 'My Lord?'

His father's mask looked sideways at him.

'Your old and trusted servitor, Crail-'