them shield it as they carried it in its under-robes to his father's chamber.
As he waited, Carnelian removed his father's mask. He watched every breath from on high, fearing to look away even for a moment lest doing so might let the chest stop its rise and fall. When the Sapients came with ammonites they drove him out of the chamber. He stood outside its door and did not leave until a homunculus came to tell him that his father would recover.
He took the last few heavy steps into his chamber, and even as he heard the door behind him close he bent his knees and groaned as his robe setded its weight onto the floor. 'Master.'
The voice came from somewhere behind him. For a moment he thought it might be an assassin sent by Ykoriana, and he was glad. 'Come round in front of me,' he said wearily.
A small figure moved into his vision and fell on its knees. There was too little light to see it clearly.
'Look at me.'
A small dark face gazed up.
Tain!' sobbed Carnelian. Tain, Tain, Tain.' He opened his knees, lifted the burden of his robe and lumbered forward. He slowed, fearing he might topple onto his brother like a tree. He fumbled with his mask; it cut into his jaw as he wrenched it off and flung it away. Tain, stand up, let me hug you.'
Tain rose unsteadily. He took one step forward and then another. When he was close enough, Carnelian reached down. He had to stretch just to touch Tain's head. Tain looked up at him as if from a deep hole.
BROKEN MIRROR DAYS
Apotheosis transforms the candidate into a mirror that in trapping a reflection of the Twins, fixes aspects of Their Duality at the heart of the Three Lands. From this centre emanates with decreasing strength the mandate of the Chosen and the power of their Commonwealth. When the vessel of grace, our Lords the God Emperor, dies, this mirror breaks, cutting the umbilical link between Earth and Sky, the Chosen lose their mandate, the Commonwealth its power. Disharmony and chaos are endemic to these Broken Mirror Days.
To escape the pain of silence, Carnelian told Tain it was time to sleep. Saying nothing, his brother found the darkest edge of floor and huddled down. Carnelian was unhappy with this but said nothing. He laid himself out on his bed and waited, listening to the rasp of Tain's breathing. When its rhythm had slowed he rose and crept over to him. He crouched and peeled his brother carefully from the cold stone. Tain twitched a little but did not wake. Carnelian stood up and winced, for his brother weighed nothing at all. It was like holding a plucked, air-dried bird. He carried the skin and bones over to his bed and arranged them on it carefully. As he put a blanket over Tain, he had the feeling he was covering a corpse.
He chose to lie upon the floor, telling himself it was because he did not want to lie beside his brother and risk disturbing him. The floor was cold and hard and would not let him sleep. He lay awake remembering the promise he had made to Ebeny that he would look after her sons.
Carnelian woke and lit a lamp. In its light the face in the bed was as gaunt as an old man's. He watched a bead of sweat run down the cheek then slip into the spiral of the ear. Tain had the sky sickness. Carnelian realized that the signs had been there the night before, although he had seen only the sallow ingrained fear.
He did not call for servants but dressed himself so as not to wake Tain. He closed the door quietly behind him as he left. He instructed his guardsmen to make no noise and to let no-one enter. He refused an escort and left them.
In the chamber of doors, Ichorians stood before the entrance to his father's chambers. They looked at him warily as Carnelian walked close enough to see the spirals in their tattoos.
'I wish to see my father.'
They bowed and one said, 'He-who-goes-before is being made ready to give audience.'
'You must be in error. He was too weak…'
'Every night our father's weak but morning always finds his strength returned, Master. Surely that's as it should be.'
'Should be?'
'He is the Sun who goes before.' Carnelian took some steps away and turned his back on them. However long it took he would wait to see his father miraculously risen from his sickbed. The grand-cohort commander appeared from a tunnel. He gave Carnelian a bow before going to speak to the guards, then he too stood waiting.
Both turned when they heard the doors opening. The commander and his men fell to their knees. Golden light flooded out and it seemed indeed to be the sun that was moving out between the prostrate Ichorians. Carnelian narrowed his eyes against the coruscating glare of the figure's sunburst crown. He peered, trying to see if this tower of gold was really his father.
'You are recovered, my Lord?'
The figure lifted a white hand, Quite recovered.
Carnelian still feared that this was an impostor. 'But you seemed beyond such quick resurgence, my Lord.'
'All that was needed was sleep, my son.'
Carnelian relaxed. It was his father's voice. 'Still, it might be convenient for my Lord to have me beside him during the business of the day.'
His father's headshake cast rays among the Ichorians. 'It would be tedious for you, Carnelian.' His father seemed to notice the commander for the first time. 'What news?'
The Lords of your House, Great Sun, are at one of our postern gates craving audience with you.'
Suth's hands made a gesture of irritation. 'Not again. I've no time to deal with domestic matters.' He turned to Carnelian. 'Perhaps you, my Lord, might convey my apologies.'
As Carnelian hesitated, his father was already moving away. 'As my Lord commands,' he called after him. Hearing the doors begin to close, Carnelian looked through them into his father's chambers. There among the prostrate Suth tyadra stood two Sapients of the Domain Immortality looking like charred posts.
Carnelian allowed the commander to guide him down the tunnel. He was only vaguely aware of the flecks of light moving over him as he passed the loopholes cut into the walls.
The commander stopped. His hands made embarrassed gestures in Carnelian's direction.
Carnelian looked down at himself and understood. 'I am not suitably dressed to be seen by the outer world.'
The commander smiled gratefully and then walked off. Carnelian waited concealed from the postern gate by the curving of the passage. A clatter of many ranga preceded a golden glowing that was coming along the wall. Nine Masters appeared bright and gleaming, towering over the commander and an escort of Ichorians.
'At last. Is that you, cousin?'
Carnelian saw the Masters each had chameleon heraldry dancing up their court robes. Ivory plaques in their crowns bore the glyphs of their names. He looked to Spinel and gave a nod.
'Good, my Lord, you have gained us access. These Ichorians have been impertinently attempting to keep us from our Ruling Lord.'
'At our Ruling Lord's express command.'
'Surely you do not mean to say, cousin, that this command is intended to include his kin?'
'We are in now,' said Opalid.
Carnelian saw the commander's unhappy face. This far you have come, my Lords, but no further. My father is too busy with the election to meet you.'
'It is on a matter pertaining to the election that we are come.'
'My father's commands are not made to be broken,' Carnelian said severely. He watched their vast heads turning, snagging light as they looked in at their centre where Spinel stood very still.
