'Not so, Rincenso said. 'I don't care how many other H-congruous planets there are, nor who lives on them. We are concerned only with Querencia and the Waterwalker. It is his example we wish to follow.

'Too many unknowns to pronounce on, Falven said.

'Not that many, surely, Ethan said. 'We cannot doubt the Second Dreamer is dreaming a Skylord. This creature is aware of the souls and minds of living sentient entities. It and its flock are flying towards a solid planet to collect those souls and carry them to Odin's Sea. This flight fulfils every teaching of the Lady.

'I wonder what life in Makkathran is like now, Rincenso mused. 'So much time has passed.

'You'll find out soon enough, Ethan said. 'The hulls of our Pilgrimage ships are being fabricated. We will be ready to launch soon. Phelim?

'We should have the hulls and internal systems finished by September, Phelim said. 'The cost is colossal, but the Free Market Zone has a considerable manufacturing capacity. Component construction is heavily cybernated: once the templates are loaded in, production is a simple process. And of course, no matter how much criticism we face, External World companies are always eager for our money.

'September, Rincenso said. 'Dear Ozzie, so close.

Ethan did not look at Phelim. No one else had been told of the ultradrive engines Marius had promised to deliver. 'The physical aspect goes well, he said. 'That just leaves us with our enigmatic Second Dreamer to deal with. We still don't know why he hasn't revealed himself, but it is significant that his dreams have become so much more substantial as the ships are built.

'Why does he not come forward? Falven said. The gaiafield revealed the flash of anger in his mind. 'Curse him, are we never to find him?

'He is on Viotia, Phelim said.

'Are you sure?

'Yes. The gaiafield confluence nests on Viotia were the first to receive his last dream. They disseminated it across the Greater Commonwealth gaiafield.

'Do you know where on Viotia he is?

'Not yet. But now we have confirmed the planet, our efforts will be concentrated on determining the exact geographical location. Of course, people move about. And if he is actively seeking anonymity he will simply relocate after every dream.

'Which must be prevented, Ethan said simply.

'How? Rincenso asked.

'This is why I have asked you two here today, my dearest friends and allies on the Council. The Second Dreamer is crucial to Pilgrimage. He is the one who must ask the Skylords for guidance through the barrier, and onward to Querencia. In the absence of Inigo, he is the one who will light our way.

'So what do you want us to do? Falven asked.

'There are several routes available to us, Ethan said quietly. 'I believe the one we will end up travelling along is to bring Viotia into the Free Market Zone.

The two Councillors gave each other a puzzled look.

'It is part of our Free Market Zone, Falven said.

'By treaty, yes, Ethan said. 'It is not one of our core planets. Yet. We must be prepared to complete the admission process, culminating with Ellezelin opening a wormhole between our two worlds. Following that, Viota's government should adopt a more favourable stance towards Living Dream. Ultimately, I would like to welcome them into our hierocracy.

Falven sat back, looking startled.

Rincenso merely smiled in appreciation. 'There are a great many of our followers there already. Enough to tilt the demographic?

'Possibly, Phelim said.

'In which case I would be happy to raise the proposal in the Council.

'I, too, Falven said slowly.

'There is a degree of hostility and resentment currently being shown to our followers on Viotia, Ethan said. 'If a wormhole were to be opened, binding their economy to ours, that resentment will manifest itself in street violence. We would need to guarantee the security of all Living Dream adherents.

'Do we have that ability? Falven asked cautiously.

'There are enough national security forces spread across the core planets of the Free Market Zone to enforce the rule of law on Viotia, Phelim said. 'We have been recruiting additional personnel since Ethan's ascension to Conservator.

'Enough for this?

'Yes.

'Oh. I see.

'I regret any inconvenience this may cause to Viotia's citizens, Ethan said. 'But we cannot afford to lose the Second Dreamer.

'If we just knew why he's refusing to reveal himself… Rincenso said acrimoniously.

'Because he doesn't yet know, Ethan said with a weary sadness.

'How can he not know?

'It took several weeks for Inigo to realize what was happening. At first he believed his dreams to be some kind of overspill from a full-sense drama that was leaking into the Centurion Station gaiafield. I believe that confusion is repeating again. To begin with all we had were small fragments, glimpses of the Skylord which we edited together. Now the contact has been established, the length and strength of the dreams are increasing. As they did with Inigo. Soon they will reach a crescendo and the Second Dreamer will realize what he has been chosen to do.

Falven gave the others in the oval sanctum an uncomfortable look. 'Then why do we need to incorporate Viotia?

'What if the Second Dreamer isn't an adherent of Living Dream? Ethan asked mildly.

'But—

'There's a much worse scenario than that, Phelim said. 'If one of our opponents were to reach him first and use him to sabotage the Pilgrimage.

'They'll be looking, Rincenso said.

'Of course they'll be looking, Ethan said. 'But we have a huge advantage with our command of the gaiafield. Not even ANA's despicable Factions can intrude upon that. We must reach him first.

'And if he refuses to help? Falven enquired.

'Change his mind, Phelim told them. 'In a very literal sense.

'I suppose that's necessary, Rincenso said uneasily.

'I would hope not, Ethan said. 'But we must be prepared for all eventualities.

'Yes. I understand.

'What I would like to do first is make a simple appeal to both the Second Dreamer and the Skylord, Ethan said.

Falven's thoughts rippled with surprise, which he made no effort to hide. 'A Unisphere declaration?

'No. A direct intervention into the next dream.

'How?

'The Second Dreamer is issuing his dream into the confluence nests in real time, Phelim said. 'Right at the end of the last dream, as it fades away, there is an anomaly, a tiny one. It is extremely hard to spot, we believe it has escaped attention among the majority of our followers. But our Dream Masters have been reviewing those last moments. There is a human emotion intruding into the Skylord's stream of consciousness. A weak sense of pleasure, but one with considerable sexual connotations. In all probability we are witnessing post-coital satisfaction.

'The Second Dreamer receives the Skylord's dream when he's having sex? Rincenso asked incredulously.

'The human brain is most receptive when relaxed, Ethan said. 'The period immediately after sex certainly generates that state.

'Did this happen to Inigo? Falven was almost indignant.

Ethan's lips twitched in amusement. 'Not that I'm aware of. But Inigo never issued his dreams in real time, so I don't suppose we'll ever know. But this anomaly is the strongest indicator we have that this is real-time dreaming. In which case we should be able to intervene, to converse with both the Second Dreamer and the Skylord. If we can successfully perform the latter intervention we may be able to establish a direct connection without the Second Dreamer. In which case our problems will be solved. Viotia becomes an irrelevance, as does our elusive Second Dreamer. And we will be one step closer to the Void.

'That would be… wonderful, Falven said.

'Our Dream Masters are now monitoring Viota's confluence nests for the time the Second Dreamer starts to dream. When it happens we will make the attempt.