'It's much worse than that. But I appreciate your politeness, my boy.

Edeard sniffed and wiped his nose. 'How long would it take me to get back to being a journeyman?

'Here at the Blue Tower, and assuming you have the appropriate talent: seven years. Appointing you a journeyman at your age was… ambitious, even for Akeem. But at the same time so very typical of him.

'Seven years, Edeard repeated numbly. Seven years of repeating every lesson and knowledge gift he'd ever undergone. Seven years of having to hold himself back. Seven years of obedience to journeymen less able than himself. Seven years!

'I know what you're thinking, and I'm not even using farsight, Finitan said gently. 'It is a terrible thing to ask you to undergo.

'I'm not sure I can, Edeard said. 'I thought when I came here I wanted nothing more than to be a part of the Guild, but now… These formalities, Akeem always said I would find them so difficult. I thought he was teasing.

'Listen to me, Edeard, Finitan said. 'For I am about to say something which borders on the sacrilegious.

'Sir?

'The hierarchy we have in the Guilds, not just ours, but all Guilds, exists for those who seek to further themselves within our political system. Talent in your chosen field plays a part, but always it is down to money and politics. That is the way things are here in the capital. If you are not born into a grand family and have ambition then you join a Guild and fight your way to the top. Now consider that very carefully because this is a choice that will decide the rest of your life for you. Is the Eggshaper Guild what you truly want? It is what I wanted, and I have achieved my goal. I am Grand Master. But look at the battles I have to fight on every level. I am surrounded with so many people seeking the same thing, seeking this seat in this office, that I cannot make an exception for someone as gifted as yourself because a hundred years ago I had a Master that went on to teach you. Is that sanity, Edeard? Is that the life you want for yourself? To have a dozen such considerations every day, to be unable to put a foot wrong, to continue tradition no matter how dry and worthless it is because that is what supports you. To be unable to change, even though change was the one thing above all that used to drive you. That is what I am, Edeard, that is what Topar is. I despair of myself at times, of how helpless I have become, entrapped in the very system I once wanted to alter and improve.

'But, sir, if you can't make changes, who can?

'Nobody can, Edeard. Not now, not in these times. Our society is mature. Change is instability. That is why every institution we have resists change. To maintain the status quo is our sole objective in life.

'That's wrong.

'Yes, it is. But what do you want to do about it? Do you want to spend seven years working your arse off to become a journeyman, to make that first real step towards receiving Master status, at which point your talent is irrelevant and the politicking begins in earnest. You build allies and make enemies on every council upon which you sit in order to gain greater power and control. But it is only power and control over the councils. Ultimately it amounts to very little.

'Are you saying I should go back and join the caravan?

'No. My offer to admit you to the Guild is genuine and remains open while I am Grand Master. Who knows? Maybe you will make a difference if you make it to this office. I should tell you now that nobody under a hundred years old has ever sat here.

'I don't know, Edeard said helplessly.

'There is one alternative. You already know how to sculpt eggs, by joining the Guild you would be acknowledging your life is now orientated to a political goal. However, the city constables are always seeking recruits. It is a noble profession. My position on the Upper Council allows me to sponsor you into their ranks. They would delight in accepting someone with such a strong third hand. And this city desperately needs men of good stature to enforce the law. Without that we will all become nothing.

'A constable? He wasn't even sure what a constable was.

'Even a city as sophisticated as Makkathran has crime, Edeard. Decent people, especially those in the poorer districts, live in fear from gangs who roam the streets at night. Merchants suffer thefts and increase their prices accordingly, which injures everyone. You would be helping people directly. And immediately. Unlike the other Guilds, constable apprentices are not tucked away out of sight toiling to make their Master's life easy. The hierarchy of the constables is a lot less complex than any normal Guild. The prospect for advancement is good. You're smart and strong. I will not delude you that it is an easy life, for it is not. But you've even been in a real life or death fight, which is more than any other recruit. You should do well.

'I'm not sure.

'Of course not. I didn't expect you to give me an answer immediately. You need time to think about your future. What you decide now determines the rest of your life. Why don't you escort your friend to her church, then take a good look around. Get a feel for the city before you make your mind up. If you do want to give the constables a try, longtalk Topar here, and we will arrange for your admission.

'Thank you, sir.

'You are welcome. And Edeard.

'Sir?

'I'm glad Akeem had such a gifted pupil at the end. It wouldn't have been easy for him in Ashwell; you must have helped enrich his life considerably.

'Thank you. Edeard rose from the seat, knowing his time was up. 'Sir? Why did Akeem leave the Blue Tower?

Finitan smiled fondly. 'He was like you, my boy. He wanted to make a difference, to help people. Here, he could do very little.

Outside our crystal wall, in Ashwell, I suspect he had a profound effect on the lives of the villagers. 'Yes, sir; he did.

'What happened in there? Salrana demanded when Edeard reappeared in the anteroom. 'You don't seem very happy.

'I'm not, he admitted and picked up his shoulder bag. 'Come on, we need to get you to the church before nightfall. I'll tell you what happened on the way.

'You can't give up, Salrana said as they crossed a bridge over Grove Canal into the Eyrie district. Her voice was pleading. 'Not after so much.

'Finitan was right, though. What's the point? I can already shape eggs as well as just about anyone. If I join the Guild I'll be doing it to climb up the hierarchy, nothing else. And what's there even if I do become Grand Master? Sitting at the top of a tower organizing the Guild while everyone else on the council waits for me to make a mistake. I'd have a million enemies and no friends, and nothing will change. I won't be helping anyone. Remember Ashwell, what it was like before people accepted the genistars could improve their life? Well Makkathran is a thousand years along from that. You can't shape better genistars, you can't increase the amount in use here.

'Then when you become Grand Master you must push genistars out on people next to the wild lands. The Eggshaper Guild can still make a difference to everyone beyond the Iguru Plain. You've seen what life's like in the distant provinces. Make it better for them, Edeard, make their life as easy as it is for everyone here.

'It's too much, he said. 'I can't do it, Salrana. Most of all, I can't stand seven years as an apprentice again. I just can't. I've learned the Guild teachings, I've been on the road fending for myself for a year. Any position less than journeyman would be a huge step backwards for me. I'm sorry. He could just see Akeem shaking his head in that weary way of his. The guilt was terrible.

She stroked his cheek, which brought astonished glances from passers-by. 'I'm not going to give up on you. And I'm certainly not going to let you give up on your own dream. Not after what we've been through.