'So their blood is purer than mine.'

'Marginally, though neither of them can claim as you can to be the nephew of the God Emperor.'

Carnelian nodded at that familiar evocation of blood pride. 'And Lord Vennel?'

His father looked as if he had bitten into a lemon.

'He is of inferior blood. His father and his uncles, all of blood-rank one, conspired to buy for themselves a bride of blood-rank two. Their House had no blood to barter and little iron coinage and so her bride-price had to be paid with vulgar wealth.'

'Nevertheless, Vennel is of blood-rank two?'

Just, Suth's hand signed with a flick of contempt. 'He has the two zeros but a nineteen in the third. His blood is more than five times less pure than mine; ten times less pure than yours.'

'I like him as little as Aurum, but cousin Jaspar seems amiable enough.'

Suth clamped Carnelian's shoulders with his hands. 'If you think that, then he is to you a greater danger than the others. All who are Chosen are dangerous. In the Three Lands there are no beings so terrible as are we. Few of us know mercy, fewer still compassion. Inevitably, the greatest among us are the most rapacious. This is a necessity forced on some by the contest of the blood trade, on others by their nature. Constantly we hunt each other. Our appetite for power cannot be sated. We would eat the world though the gluttony destroy us.'

Suth stopped. He could see that he had frightened the boy already more than he had intended.

'Of course, you will think you know this,' he said more gently. 'After all, have we not spoken of it many times before? But accept it when I say that you cannot truly understand, for you have never walked in the crater of Osrakum. This is something that you feel with the fibres of your flesh or not at all. You have heard my words?'

Carnelian swallowed, nodded.

Then believe them.' His father's hands dropped away, his shoulders slumped.

Compassion made Carnelian bold. 'What burden are you carrying, Father?'

The greatest burden. Choice.'

The word was like a gate slamming shut.

They stood in silence. The green glass of the sea swelled up and from several points began to shatter white from side to side. Carnelian watched it, brooding over his father's words. Thoughts of the visitors worked their barbs into his mind. The salt wind blew hard upon his face but was not strong enough to lift his robe's brocades.

'Why have they come, my Lord?' he said at last.

'You will know that soon enough. Suffice to say that we will return with them to Osrakum.'

Images, hopes, dreams spated through Carnelian's mind. Osrakum, the heart and wonder of the Three Lands. More a yearning than a word. A bleak thought squeezed the vision still.

'Is their ship large enough to take us all?'

His father's eyes were fathomless.

As they looked out, both their faces turned to stone. The ominous movement of the sea seemed a mirror to their thoughts. Neither saw the storm brewing its violence along the southern margin of the sky.

A clanging on the doors called them back.

'Your mask,' his father said in a low voice and Carnelian remembered it and held it up before his face. His father's hand was a heavy comfort on his shoulder. The doors opened remotely and the beings came in, glimmering like dark water, their masks like flames.

Carnelian went with his father to greet them. With a clatter the day was choked out with shutters. They met the Masters by the fire in the crowding gloom.

'We trust you found sufficient comfort in your night's repose?' Suth said.

One of the apparitions lifted a hand like a jewelled dove. Sufficient, it signed.

Carnelian found the sign curious, made as it was by an unfamiliar hand. The Masters had discarded their travelling cloaks and were now clad in splendour. Their haughty faces of gold seemed a gilded part of the long marble swelling of their heads. Each was crowned with dull fire. Each wore many-layered robes, plumaged, crusted with gems and ivories.

'We shall needs be rid of uninvited eyes and ears.' It was Aurum's deep swelling voice.

Suth lifted his hand and at its command shadows flitted along the hem of the hall. The movement passed away. 'We are alone, my Lords.'

They unmasked. Carnelian felt something like surprise that the masks had managed to contain the radiance of their faces.

'Suth, your son is still here,' sang Vennel's liquid voice. Suth's response was cold. 'Is he not at least as entitled to be here as are you, my Lord?'

Vennel’s head inclined back and his eyes flashed. 'He is a child.'

Carnelian glared at Vennel's perfect face and was pleased to find his neck too long.

'In Osrakum, he would already have been given his blood-ring by the Wise,' Suth said.

Carnelian looked at the Masters' hands. Each was knuckled with rings like stars but on the least finger of each right hand there was a dull, narrow band. A ring of skymetal that grew bloody when not oiled. Iron, most precious of substances save only the ichor of the Gods Themselves. It fell from the sky in stones. A gift from the Twins to Their Chosen. The sign of Their covenant.

Jaspar smiled at Carnelian. 'Whether he wears a ring or not, I for one can see no reason to exclude him from our conclave.'

'Nor I,' said Aurum with over-bright eyes. Then let us begin,' said Suth.

Carnelian saw that five chairs had been set in a half-circle round the hearth. There was a hissing of silk as they each sat down. Their faces hung in the gloom like moons. They closed their eyes. Gems in their robes trapped fire-flicker. Carnelian looked down at his hands and wondered what was happening.

'Even now the Heart of the Commonwealth is failing,' Aurum rumbled, making Carnelian jump.

Understanding, Carnelian almost gasped. The God Emperor was dying. He watched his father's hand rise up to make the sign for grief. The other Masters followed him. Carnelian hesitated then copied them. He stared at his hand, making sure the sign was well made. He was relieved when the others' hands flattened to palms. Alone, his father kept his hand raised, but then he too let it go.

This crisis imperils the Commonwealth as it has always done,' said Vermel. 'Her subjects must not know of this ere a new candidate is made ready to receive the Dual Essence.'

'And so we are come with great urgency, to offer the Ruling Lord of House Suth the ring of He-who-goes-before,' said Aurum.

Jaspar fixed unblinking eyes on Suth's face. 'Will you accept it, Lord?'

'Is this the will of the Great?'

'It is,' said Aurum. Their Clave, in formal session, elected you.' 'Why?'

'We were in some disarray, my Lord,' said Vennel.

'More accurately, at each others' throats,' said Jaspar.

Suth smiled though his eyes were flint. That at least has not changed.'

Vennel's colourless eyes lingered on Jaspar, who ignored them, saying, 'We need you, my Lord, to speak for the Great in the interregnum before the election of the next Gods.'

The Great must be much diminished if they need seek leadership from one so long away,' said Suth.

'From being so long away, the Ruling Lord Suth might be assumed untainted by narrow factional considerations,' said Aurum.

'From being so long away, the Ruling Lord Suth might be assumed dismissive of all considerations,' said Suth. ‘So it was said,' said Vennel.

Suth looked across the fire at Aurum. 'Was it indeed?'

The Commonwealth must have another God and he who shall be They must be rightly chosen,' said Aurum.

There is, of course, a difference of opinion as to who should be chosen,' said Jaspar. There are two candidates, the Jade Lord twins, Nephron and Molochite.'

'And three factions?' asked Carnelian.

The three visitor Masters looked at him and then inclined their heads.