and bars of numbers. The man's eyes were like glass. He lifted a hand with fingers splayed. Four fingers, the centre one removed so that the hand naturally formed the sign of the horns.
'Seraphim,' he said.
There was a swish of cloth. The Masters around him were making the sign. Self-consciously, Carnelian followed them.
The Legate came to stand beside the throne that piled up from the centre of the platform. 'Great Ones, I had begun to fear your blood mingled with the winter sea.'
'Burning blood is not so easily quenched,' Vennel said severely.
The Legate made a sign of apology. 'I meant no offence, Great One.'
Vennel's mask turned away.
The Legate watched it, his hand flattening. He looked round at the other Lords. There are more of the Great Ones than there were.'
Carnelian saw his father move forward. 'I am Suth, returning to the Three Lands.'
The Legate made an uncertain bow. They have yearned for your return, Great Lord.'
'Before we conclave, Lord Legate, I should tell you that it became necessary to destroy some of the crew of your baran.'
The Legate shrugged.
The captain too was slain.'
Carnelian looked at his father, thinking that he had made an error. Then he recalled the captain's looks of horror and that the man had seen his naked face, and his hands glued together as if they were still covered with blood.
The Legate lifted his hand, So be it. 'Captains are more difficult to replace… the training, you see, Great Lord?
But perhaps the Great Ones might allow me to turn to more important matters. I have here an epistle come from Osrakum that has been in my hand for nigh on twenty days.'
'I had expected this,' said Aurum.
The Legate held out a long folded parchment bearing a square seal larger than his fist.
Aurum began to move forward with his hand outstretched but Suth lifted his own hand on which something blinked red. Aurum nodded and retreated. Suth took the letter from the Legate's hand. He angled it to examine the seal in the light, then snapped it open. He unfolded the first panel, read it, then moved on to the second. Carnelian could see there were many panels and he caught glimpses of the glyphs that were pressed like butterflies between the pages. He wearied of waiting. The other Masters were statues. The only movement came from the yellow man who had still not come fully up onto the platform. Carnelian peered at his costume. He realized that it was not black as he had thought, but a thick purple whirling brocade eyed here and there with bone buttons. There were spirals in the precious purple samite, the spirals of ammonite shells. From his belt hung several strings of many- coloured beads. Carnelian regarded the yellow man with renewed interest, wondering if this could be one of the Wise.
'Quaestor?'
'Seraph,' answered the yellow man.
Carnelian turned. His father was holding up his hand. A bloody eye wounded his palm: a ruby thrusting down from a ring he wore on his middle finger.
'I who am He-who-goes-before make declaration that this is an epistle that concerns a proceeding of the Clave.'
The quaestor's eyes fixed bird-like on the ruby.
'I invoke the Privilege of the Three Powers.'
The quaestor frowned, but resumed his silver mask and, bowing almost to the floor, turned and disappeared down the stairway.
The Masters began to unmask and Carnelian followed their example. He was surprised that the Legate's face had the same luminous beauty as the other Masters. He could easily have passed for one of the Great.
Suth held up the letter. This contains matter pertinent to our mission, my Lords.' He turned to the Legate. 'Lord Legate, the Great require your assistance. The God Emperor lies dying, and-'
Vennel gaped at Suth. 'Have you taken leave of your senses, my Lord?'
Suth turned towards him and wrinkled his brow.
'Have you forgotten, Lord Suth, that it is utterly forbidden by Law to speak of this to any outside Osrakum?'
Suth looked almost amused for a moment. 'It is you, my Lord, who forget. Am I not become He-who-goes- before? When I speak, the voice may be mine but my words are the Clave's. Hear them now when I say that it would be foolish to underestimate the Legate. Did he not himself witness you coming down to the sea? What I have revealed, the Legate already knew.'
Carnelian watched his father lock eyes with the Legate. His father waited for the startled man to give a slight nod before returning his gaze to Vennel.
'Is it not more prudent, my Lord, that we should take him into our confidence than that we should make vain denial? My presence alone would serve to confirm his conjectures.' Suth looked at the Legate, who now hid behind a hand shaping the sign for grief. 'My Lord, you have the confidence of the Clave, and it shall owe you blood debt for your silence and for any aid that you might be called upon to give us. Rest assured that this in no way compromises your service to the House of the Masks.'
'Even He-who-goes-before must obey the Law,' said Vennel.
Suth did not turn. 'Lord Vennel, the Law's intention was to avoid disturbance in the Commonwealth.'
'And to avoid the Legates being tempted to use their legions against the Three Powers.'
Carnelian, who had always feared the look his father's face now wore, watched it wither Vennel.
'Does my Lord fear that my Lord Legate would sail his barans against Osrakum?'
Vennel's face deadened as he retired somewhere behind its icy surface. Carnelian fought his lips' desire to smile.
His father lifted the letter again. The Wise have made the Clave send this to warn us that a rumour is abroad.'
Aurum stepped forward. 'A rumour?'
'It has been noted that several Lords of the Great have gone down to the sea. It is said that they seek the return of the Ruling Lord of House Suth. Further, it is said that this Lord is being recalled to oversee the sacred election. The Wise command that we do all we can to avoid giving credence to this dangerous rumour.'
Vennel gave a snort to which Carnelian could see only the Legate pay any attention.
'It should come as no surprise,' said Jaspar. 'Even though we came here with no banners the faces of our slaves proclaimed who we were. Even the mind of a barbarian would surmise that three Lords of the Great would not come out of Osrakum and down to the sea on trivial errand. Many of the Lesser Chosen know that the Ruling Lord Suth had gone beyond the sea. Taken together, these would form a singular coincidence.'
Then we cannot return upon the leftway,' said Aurum.
Carnelian watched the Legate's pale eyes linger on Jaspar before passing raven-sharp to his father's face.
Vermel looked incredulous. ‘Surely you do not suggest, my Lord, that we forgo the leftway to travel on the road?'
Jaspar pretended to be intent on adjusting his blood-ring. 'Without banners to open up a way through the road's throng there certainly will be no making haste.'
'Besides, how could we hope to hide ourselves?' said Vermel.
Aurum threw up his hands. 'What else would you have us do, my Lords? Should we instead defy the Wise and imperil the Commonwealth?'
Carnelian watched the Legate turn his ivory head to look out through the window. The ochre sky looked painted. The sun's brass still crowned the towers of the town and ran a burning band round the edge of the further cliff.
The Legate turned back. 'Perhaps the Great Ones might allow me to lend them my banners.'
'You presume too much, Legate,' said Vennel. 'You dare suggest that a Ruling Lord of the Great should so
