He growled to himself, thinking about her, her black hair winged with grey, inSanctuary's unsegregated dungeons where any syphilitic rapist could have her atwill, while he must not touch her at all, or raise hand to help her lest hestart forces in motion he could not control. His break with the god stemmed fromher presence in Sanctuary, as his endless wandering as Vashanka's minion hadstemmed from an altercation he had over her with a mage. If he went down intothe pits and took her, the god would be placated; he had no desire to reopenrelations with Vashanka, who had turned His face away from His servant. IfTempus brought her out under his own aegis, he would have the entireMageguild at his throat; he wanted no quarrel with the Adepts. He had toldher not to slay them here, where he must maintain order and the letter of thelaw.

By the time Kadakithis arrived in that very same chariot, its braces sticky withWriggly blood, Tempus was in a humour darker than the drying clots, fully asdark as the odd, round cloud coming fast from the northeast.

Kadakithis's noble Rankan visage was suffused with rage, so that his skin wasdarker than his pale hair: 'But whyt In the name of all the gods, what did thepoor little creature ever do to you? You owe me a eunuch, and an explanation.'He tapped his lacquered nails on the chariot's bronze rim.

'I have a perfect replacement in mind,' smiled Tempus smoothly, 'my lord. As forwhy... all eunuchs are duplicitous. This one was an information conduit toJubal. Unless you would like to invite the slaver to policy sessions and let himstand behind those ivory screens where your favourites eavesdrop as they choose,I have acted well within my prerogatives as marshal. If my name is attached toyour palace security, then your palace will be secure.'

'Bastard! How dare you even imply that / should apologize to you! When will youtreat me with the proper amount of respect? You tell me all eunuchs aretreacherous, the very breath after offering me another one!'

'I am giving you respect. Reverence I reserve for better men than I. When youhave attained that dignity, we shall both know it: you will not have to ask.Until then, either trust or discharge me.' He waited, to see if the prince wouldspeak. Then he continued: 'As to the eunuch I offer as replacement, I want youto arrange for his training. You like Jubal's work; send to him saying yours hasmet with an accident and you wish to tender another into his care to besimilarly instructed. Tell him you paid a lot of money for it, and you have highhopes.'

'You have such a eunuch?'

'I will have it.'

'And you expect me to conscion your sending of an agent in there - aye, to aidyou - without knowing your plan, or even the specifics of the Wriggly'sconfession?'

'Should you know, my lord, you would have to approve, or disapprove. As it lies,you are free of onus.'

The two men regarded each other, checked hostility jumping between them likeVashanka's own lightning in the long, dangerous pause.

Kadakithis flicked his purple mantle over his shoulder. He squinted past Tempus,into the waning day. 'What kind of cloud is that?'

Tempus swung around in his saddle, then back. 'That should be our friend fromRanke.'

The prince nodded. 'Before he arrives, then, let us discuss the matter of thefemale prisoner Cime.'

Tempus's horse snorted and threw its head, dancing in place. 'There is nothingto discuss.'

'But... ? Why did you not come to me about it? I could have done something,previously. Now, I cannot...'

'I did not ask you. I am not asking you.' His voice was a blade on whetstone, sothat Kadakithis pulled himself up straight. 'It is not for me to take a hand.'

'Your own sister? You will not intervene?'

'Believe what you will, prince. I will not sift through gossip with any man, behe prince or king.'

The prince lost hold, then, having been 'princed' too often back in Ranke, andberated the Hell Hound.

The man sat quite still upon the horse the prince had given him, garbed only inhis loinguard though the day was fading, letting his gaze full of festeringshadows rest in the prince's until Kadakithis trailed off, saying, '... thetrouble with you is that anything they say about you could be true, so a manknows not what to believe.'

'Believe in accordance with your heart,' the voice like grinding Stonesuggested, while the dark cloud came to hover over the beach.

It settled, seemingly, into the sand, and the horses shied back, necksoutstretched, nostrils huge. Tempus had his sorrel up alongside thechariot team and was leaning down to take the lead-horse's bridle when anearsplitting clarion came from the cloud's translucent centre.

The Hell Hound raised his head then, and Kadakithis saw him shiver, saw his browarch, saw a flicker of deepset eyes within their caves of bone and lid. Thenagain Tempus spoke to the chariot horses, who swivelled their ears towards himand took his counsel, and he let loose the lead-horse's bridle and spurred hisown between Kadakithis's chariot and what came out of the cinereous cloud whichhad been so long descending upon them in opposition to the prevailing wind.

The man on the horse who could be seen within the cloud waved: a flash ofscarlet glove, a swirl of burgundy cloak. Behind his tasselled steed he ledanother, and it was this second grey horse who again challenged the otherstallions on the beach, its eyes full of fire. Farther back within the cloud,stonework could be seen, masonry like none in Sanctuary, a sky more blue andhills more virile than any Kadakithis knew.

The first horse, reins flapping, was emerging, nose and neck casting shadowsupon solid Sanctuary sand; then its hooves scattered grains, and the whole ofthe beast, and its rider, and the second horse he led on a long tether, stoodcorporeal and motionless before the Hell Hound, while behind, the cloud whirledin upon itself and was gone with an audible 'pop'.

'Greetings, Riddler,' said the rider in burgundy and scarlet, as he doffed hishelmet with its blood-dark crest to Tempus. 'I did not expect you, Abarsis. Whatcould be so urgent?'

'I heard about the Tros horse's death, so I thought tobring you another, better auspiced, I hope. Since I was coming anyway, ourfriends suggested I bring what you require. I have long wanted to meet you.'Spurring his mount forward, he held out his hand. Red stallion and iron greysnaked arched necks, thrusting forth clacking teeth, wide-gaped jaws emittingsqueals to go with flattened ears and rolling eyes. Above horse hostilitiescould be heard snatches of low wordplay, parry and riposte: '... disappointedthat you could not build the temple'.'... welcome to take my place here andtry. The foundations of the temple grounds are defiled, the priest in chargemore corrupt than even politics warrants. I wash my hands ...''... with thewarring imminent, how can you ... ?'

'Theomachy is no longer my burden.'

'That cannot be so.'

'... hear about the insurrection, or take my leave!'

'... His name is unpronounceable, and that of his empire, but I think we allshall learn it so well we will mumble it in our sleep ...'

'I don't sleep. It is a matter of the right field officers, and men youngenough not to have fought upcountry the last time.'

'I am meeting some Sacred Band members here, my old team. Can you provisionus?'

'Here? Well enough to get to thecapital and do it better. Let me be the firstto ...'

Kadakithis, forgotten, cleared his throat.