'Good evening, Seel,' Thiede said and dismounted. 'Fortunate to catch you here so quickly.'

The other riders remained motionless in their saddles, their faces still covered. Seel wondered who, or what, they were, and whether Thiede would elect to tell him. Now, Thiede towered over him, alien and discomforting. Had he ever been human? No, of course not. Thiede was a creature of magic that could fly through the air on an enchanted horse. He couldn't possibly be real, but he was.

'Orien is dead,' Seel said, 'but I suppose you know that.'

Thiede nodded once. 'Yes.'

'He called for you, many times.'

'I could not prevent what happened,' Thiede said. 'Nor could I accept Orien's messages. I was engaged in business that prevented communication.'

'I'm sure,' Seel said. 'What do you want?'

'I had to come,' Thiede said. 'Orien was my oldest friend.'

'You've come to see the grave, then? There isn't one. We burned him.'

'I have come to see you,' Thiede said. 'There is much to discuss.'

'Like the truth about Pellaz Cevarro?'

'Yes, among other things.'

Seel turned to Colt. 'May this meeting take place at your house?' He glanced back at Thiede. 'My home is no longer fit for guests.'

'I hope that will not matter in the long run,' Thiede said.

Seel frowned at him in perplexity.

'Sure,' Colt said. 'What about them?' He gestured at the silent riders. 'We don't have a big place.'

'They are my personal guard,' Thiede said. 'Gelaming warriors. They will wait for me here.'

'Are they alive?' Seel asked.

'Of course,' Thiede answered. 'The spectacle of our arrival will have dismayed you, but that was my intention. I wanted you to glimpse some of Wraeththu's potential.'

'How did you do that? Illusion?'

'Not at all.' Thiede patted the neck of his horse, which though more beautiful than any animal Seel had seen before, seemed earthly enough. 'These creatures are sedim sedim, vehicles that traverse vast distances in minutes. They can step out of reality and journey the otherlanes, the routes between different dimensions.'

'Oh,' said Seel. The whiskers around the horse's nose were still crusted with ice crystals. It nudged Thiede affectionately with its head.

'You sound sceptical, and I understand that,' Thiede said. He laughed. 'I like these creatures. In appearance, they are an ancient and primitive form of transport, and yet in reality the most sophisticated and advanced. It is like a joke, yes? Years back, we dreamed of silver ships to sail the universe, but this...' He patted the horse again. 'It is a fine joke.'

'My sides are splitting,' Seel said coldly. 'Shall we go?'

Colt and Stringer's house really was too small to contain such a ma.s.sive presence as Thiede. Seel had to smile at Stringer's horrified expression as Thiede ducked beneath the doorway and strode into the kitchen. It was as if an angel had come to earth.

'Guests for dinner,' Colt said darkly.

'Please be at ease,' Thiede said, squeezing himself into chair at the head of the table: Colt's place. He would be totally aware that ordinary hara could never be at ease in his presence. 'Something smells good. Travelling always makes me hungry.'

You are enjoying this so much, Seel thought. He sat down and said to Stringer, 'Any chance you could break open a few bottles of wine?' He looked at Thiede. 'Stringer makes the best wine. He can make it out of anything.' Seel thought. He sat down and said to Stringer, 'Any chance you could break open a few bottles of wine?' He looked at Thiede. 'Stringer makes the best wine. He can make it out of anything.'

Stringer nodded distractedly and left the room.

'So?' Seel said.

Colt remained standing, arms folded. His expression was that of utter disapproval, but certainly not fear.

You have your guards, but I have mine, Seel thought, a bolt of pure affection for Colt shooting through his heart.

'So,' Thiede said, spreading his fingers against the tabletop. He wore two huge rings, set with glittering stones. 'Do you believe in destiny?'

'Maybe,' Seel answered.

Thiede cast him a wry look. 'Perhaps not the best start,' he said. 'Very well. I am sorry you have had to go through some rather unpleasant experiences, and more than sorry that Orien lost his life. I did not intend for that to happen.'

'What did you intend?' Seel snapped.

'The first part,' Thiede answered. 'You found Pellaz for me. You helped incept him.'

'Orien did that,' Seel said. 'I wouldn't have become involved if I'd suspected any of what might follow.'

Thiede paused and smiled. 'Don't delude yourself, Seel. You did did suspect. You were quite prepared to go through with it then and you'd no doubt do the same again. What irks you is that you do not know its purpose. You are a proud har and you resent being kept in the dark. I am here to enlighten you.' suspect. You were quite prepared to go through with it then and you'd no doubt do the same again. What irks you is that you do not know its purpose. You are a proud har and you resent being kept in the dark. I am here to enlighten you.'

Seel shifted uncomfortably on his seat. Stringer had returned with opened bottles of wine and now dispensed the drinks around the table. Thiede took a sip and nodded in approval. 'Tasty.'

'Enlighten me,' Seel said. 'What was Pell's purpose and how did it go wrong?'

'It didn't,' Thiede said.

'What?'

'Cal went entirely wrong, but that was out of my control.'

'Pell is dead. What was the point?'

'He is dead yet he lives,' Thiede said and took another sip of wine.

Seel just stared at him, trying to absorb the words. After a while he said, 'Go on.'

'It will take some time, but eventually Pellaz will rise again, reborn and perfect. It is my intention to make him a divine king of Wraeththu.'

Seel laughed nervously. 'OK, fine.'

Thiede made a tutting sound. 'Again, the scepticism. Look inside your own trousers, my dear, and tell me the impossible can't happen.'

'You can do this? Raise a person from the dead?'

'Not exactly. And no, I'm not here to reanimate Orien's corpse, although even if I could you've left little for me to work with.'

'It's a disgusting thought. Absolutely wrong.'

'I agree. What I'm doing with Pellaz is recreating him, his essence, his being, his energy, but with the personality intact.'

'How? How is that possible?'

'I'm not about to reveal my working secrets to you,' Thiede said, grinning.

'But if you can't bring Orien back, how can you bring Pell back? His body was burned too.'

'Well, let's see,' Thiede said carefully. 'I was, shall we say, prepared prepared for Pellaz's death. Orien's, on the other hand, took me by surprise.' for Pellaz's death. Orien's, on the other hand, took me by surprise.'

'I find it difficult to accept or believe,' Seel said. 'You must appreciate that. How do you do it?'

'I am able to, that is all,' Thiede said. 'I am not like you, Seel, nor any other har.'

'Why? What are you? I wonder whether you are Wraeththu at all.'

'Let's just say I am different, more Wraeththu than most. I am what your children will become. And before we get sidetracked into a discussion about procreation, yes, you will have heirs, Seel. But now is not the time to talk about it.'

'I don't believe you've just come here to tell me you've reanimated Pell,' Seel said, still unable to believe a word of what he'd heard.

'Indeed not,' Thiede said. 'I wish with all my heart that Cal had not come back here and committed such a dreadful atrocity. It makes my job more difficult, because your mind and feelings are clouded by the horror of it. You blame yourself, of course, as do many others. But I want you to try and put it aside for now, to listen to me.'

'I will listen.'

'Pell will need hara around him whom he trusts. I want one of those hara to be you.'

Seel drew in his breath slowly. 'I see.'

'It will will happen, Seel. You must accept it.' happen, Seel. You must accept it.'

'What are you asking of me really?'

'I want you to come to Immanion, to see for yourself.'

'Cal's dream,' Seel said bitterly. 'He always wanted to find Immanion. I thought it was a fantasy.'

'Far from it. Come with me to Almagabra, Seel, for that is where Immanion lies. It is a dream come true, and you must walk its streets to see for yourself.'

'You're asking me to leave Saltrock?'

'I'm asking you to visit, that is all. You do not yet have to leave here permanently. You will have a few years to make the necessary arrangements.'

'No,' said Seel. 'This is my home. I built it, and I intend to carry on building it. I don't want any part of your schemes, your glamours. It's over, Thiede. Forget Saltrock. Do what you have to, but leave us out of it. We played our part for you and look how it ended up. No more, I swear it. No more.'

Thiede laughed quietly, a terrifying sound. 'I will not accept no for an answer, Seel. What harm will it do for you to visit the city? Have you no curiosity? I think you have plenty. You are merely being difficult for the sake of it.' He paused. 'And because you have no liking for me.'

'True.'

Thiede leaned back in his chair. 'Then I see we need more valuable currency to persuade you. Name it. Name your price.'

Seel gazed at Thiede's face and realised, with incredulity, Thiede meant it. He would pay anything. Am I that valuable? Am I that valuable? Seel thought. Seel thought. Why? What does he really want of me Why? What does he really want of me? 'Well, there is one thing,' he said.

'Name it.'

'This is the cost for me to come and visit, nothing more. I will not be your plaything, Thiede. You have far too many of those already.'

Thiede inclined his head. 'What is the price?'

'Find Cal, punish him.'

'That might not be easy.'

'If you are so powerful, you can do it.'

'Very well.' Thiede held out his hand. 'Do we have a deal?'

Seel stared at the hand, so much bigger than his own, yet elegant and attenuated. 'Yes,' he said.

Thiede withdrew his hand. 'Then let's eat whatever smells so tempting and afterwards return to Immanion. Are you prepared to see your vision of reality come crashing down about your ears? Believe me, after travelling the otherlanes and seeing Immanion, you will never be the same again.'

'I am prepared to endure whatever you show me.'

Thiede laughed again. 'I like you, Seel. I have great admiration for you. Perhaps in time you will come to view me as less of a monster.'

Seel glanced up at Stringer, who said, 'I'll serve dinner then, shall I?'

Seel reached for Stringer's hand, squeezed it. 'Please.'

Colt, who had said nothing the entire time, sat down opposite Seel. Without looking at Thiede, he said, 'Tell him I will come with you. It's not right you should go alone.'

Stringer set down a tureen on the table with force. 'Colt, no!'

'It's not right,' Colt said stubbornly. 'Seel's Saltrock's heart. He shouldn't be placed in danger.'

'It's all right,' Seel said, but Thiede interjected.

'Your friend is right. It would be a symbol of trust if more than one representative of Saltrock came to Immanion.' He smiled up at Stringer. 'Please don't worry. He will be quite safe.'

'I want to see it,' Colt said. 'If it's real.'

'You would be aghast at what is real nowadays,' Thiede said and tasted his meal. 'Mmm, I miss simple cooking.'

During the meal, Thiede informed Seel that two of his Gelaming guard would have to stay behind in Saltrock so that Seel and Colt could ride their sedim sedim. The country of Almagabra lay on the other side of a great ocean, and it was necessary for Seel to use Gelaming transport to get there quickly. Seel was not entirely happy about Gelaming strangers remaining in Saltrock while he was gone. He wondered if, as Thiede's agents, they would set about making changes and indoctrinating hara the minute his back was turned. Grudgingly, he offered them accommodation in his home, sure they would be poking into everything.