The king's mood had brightened now that he'd formed a course of action. He said, Yes, yes. I'd almost forgotten. What is it?"

"Many months ago, Majesty, Fari said, not long after Sarn and his friends left for the human lands, a strange event occurred which has only just come to my attention. A celestial disturbance, Majesty, that went unnoticed by our stargazers because Zanzair was heavily overcast that night. But a shepherd, far to the north where the skies were clear, reported seeing an immense shower of fiery particles. Other reports have trickled in since then, confirming the shepherd's sighting. As near as we can determine the display was in the human lands, over the Gods Divide."

Manacia shrugged. What of it? he said. There's nothing unusual about fiery particles falling out of the sky. Rarely do such occurrences have anything to do with our affairs. If it were a comet perhaps there'd be cause for concern. Or deeper study."

"Quite true, Majesty, Fari said. And if that were all there was to it I would not be here troubling you with news of such a minor event."

The king rapped his claws against the glass jar, impatient. Fari hurried on. Once the event was dated with some certainty, he said, your wizards recalled other signs that occurred at, or near, the same time. The water from our wells suddenly tasted foul and bitter, a condition that lasted for some weeks."

Manacia nodded, remembering that trouble.

"The day after the sighting, Fari continued, it was noticed that the liquid in the water clocks turned in the opposite direction. And one of the temple acolytes claimed when he rose that morning his reflection in the mirror was backwards, or, that is to say, he looked just like one demon sees another, left claw on the true left, right to right. Neither anomaly lasted long, Majesty, but there was concern at the time. Since then it has been observed that the ground has settled dangerously under some of our older buildings, causing them to sag. Moreover, bees have been swarming out of season, birds have appeared of a kind never seen before. And there has been an unusual number of birth oddities, two-headed swine, limbless dogs, fish with no eyes."

"This is indeed disturbing news, Fari, the king said. You were right to report it to me. Does anyone know what these things mean? Could it have anything to do with our attempt to defy the curse?"

Fari jolted in surprise. He thought a moment, tapping his bone cane against the floor. Then he said, I don't know, Excellency. It's a thought that hadn't occurred to me."

"But it is possible, the king said.

"Yes, Majesty. I suppose it is."

"What would you advise? the king asked.

Fari saw the danger at once and sadly shook his head. I'm ashamed to admit, Excellency, Fari said, that I am at loss. Not enough is known to form an opinion."

"We must find out, the king said. It might be dangerous to begin my experiments until we do."

Fari nodded. I can see how that could be so, Majesty, he said. This is a most unfortunate situation. Your Excellency's plans for invading the human lands will most certainly suffer a delay."

"It can't be helped, Fari, the king said. Curses have a way of spreading beyond their original intent. There are so many links, some not even known to the original spell casters, that it's impossible to account for all the effects a curse might trigger. That's why I first sent bandits instead of our own soldiers across the Forbidden Desert.

"As much as it grieves me to say this, Fari, it would be wise for us to proceed cautiously. But I want you to spare no expense. I want all my stargazers working on this. All my dreamcatchers. And I want daily sacrifices to the gods at the main temple, with weekly ones for the lesser houses of worship."

"Yes, Excellency, Fari said, bobbing his head and rapping his cane. Without delay. He hurried off, relieved that he'd once again shifted all possible blame and responsibility onto the backs of others, while still being assured of winning praise and honors for any successes.

For a change, however, he did not leave a happy king in his wake. Manacia was deeply troubled as he turned back to examine the head. The old fear of a rival oozed up to torment him. A shiver ran up his long bony spine.

Manacia suddenly wondered if even now his enemy was thinking of him.

If so, did that enemy have a human face?

And if he did, was it possible he had already discovered the way through the Gods Divide.

Had he found Kyrania?

Not long after Manacia's eve of disappointment, Safar and Iraj said farewell. They made a ceremony of it, returning to Alisarrian's Cave and the snowy pass where they'd battled the demons. Storms had further buried the evidence of the carnage and as they pushed across the snows on rough wooden skis there was nothing to hint of the events that had occurred there.

"Maybe it was just a dream, Safar said. Maybe it never happened at all and any moment now we'll wake up to an ordinary day in ordinary two ordinary lives."

Iraj barked laughter. I've never been ordinary, Safar, he said. And, admit it or not, neither have you. You'd save yourself a lot of bother if you just accepted it. He grinned. If you dreamed Astarias, he said, then you have the greatest imagination of any man in Esmira courtesan, young, beautiful, virginal and trained in all the arts to please a man. That was no dream, my friend. To make her one would be the greatest sin any god could imagine. When you're an old man it'll be memories of women like Astarias that will make your life seem well spent."

Safar made a sour face. I'd just as soon forget about it, he said. I'm afraid I embarrassed myself with Astarias."

Iraj clapped him on the back. Don't be ridiculous, he said. So you fell in love with a courtesan. You're not the first man. Nor will you be the last. So you professed undying love. So you promised her the moon and the stars and all the heavens contain, if only she'd remain in your arms. I said that to both of my twins. Separately. And together."

"You didn't mean it, Safar said. I did, I'm ashamed to say."

"Of course I meant it, Iraj replied. At the time, anyway. Especially when I had one curled up in my left arm, the other my right."

"That was lust talking, Safar said.

Iraj snickered, then wrapped his arms around himself in a comic embrace. And yours was undying Love, right? A Love that could not be denied. Come, my friend!"

"She laughed at me, Safar confessed, blushing.

"What of it? Iraj answered. You rode her all night and half the next morning. And then, in a moment of weakness, you asked her to be your wife. She tells you, charmingly, I imagine, and with a few tricks to arouse you some more, that she has no intention of making bread and babies for a village boy the rest of her life. She's a courtesan with as much beauty as ambition. You persist. Climbing between those lovely thighs once again, I expect. Another blush from Safar told Iraj he'd guessed right. And then she laughed. You should be the one laughing. You got what you wanted. I saw to that. And now you're done with her and she's the loser for spurning you. You are Safar Timura! A man meant for great things. The very sort of man she prays every day is in her future."

"I can't look at things as coldly as you, Safar said.

"Don't then, Iraj said, shrugging. But I suspect you'll come around to my view soon enough. Bed your women when you can, whenever you can. A courtesan's scornful laughafter the deed is doneis no price at all. The truth is the next man who rides Astarias will be old and fat and it'll be your memory she'll cleave to when she's forced to pretend her fat old master is a handsome god."

Iraj's callous words of comfort, although spoken in friendship, did little to soothe Safar's wounded spirit. So he was grateful when Iraj gave a sudden shout of discovery.