'It is a stone,' said Quai suddenly, hunched on his cart, looking at no one. 'A rock from the world below. Left behind, buried, when Euz cast the devils from our world. It is the Other Side made flesh. The very stuff of magic'

'It is indeed,' whispered Bayaz. 'My congratulations, Master Quai. One subject at least of which you are not entirely ignorant. Well? Answers enough for you, Ferro?'

'A rock did all this?' Ninefingers did not look happy. 'What in hell do we want with it?'

'I think some among us can guess.' Bayaz was looking at Ferro, right in the eye, and smiling a sickly grin, as if he knew exactly what she thought. Perhaps he did.

It was no secret.

Stories of devils, and digging, and old wet ruins, none of that mattered to Ferro. She was busy imagining the Empire of Gurkhul made a dead land. Its people vanished. Its Emperor forgotten. Its cities brought to dust. Its power a faded memory. Her mind churned with thoughts of death and vengeance. Then she smiled.

'Good,' she said. 'But why do you need me?'

'Who says I do need you that badly?'

She snorted at him. 'I doubt you would have suffered me this long if you didn't.'

'True enough.'

'Then why?'

'Because the Seed cannot be touched. It is painful even to look upon. We came into the shattered city with the Emperor's army, after the fall of Glustrod, searching for survivors. We found none. Only horrors, and ruins, and bodies. Too many of those to count. Thousands upon thousands we buried, in pits for a hundred each, all through the city. It was long work, and while we were about it a company of soldiers found something strange in the ruins. Their Captain wrapped it in his cloak and brought it to Juvens. By dusk he had withered and died, and his company were not spared. Their hair fell out, their bodies shrivelled. Within a week all hundred men were corpses. But Juvens himself was unharmed.' He nodded at the cart. 'That is why Kanedias made the box, and that is why we have it with us now. To protect us. None of us are safe. Except for you.'

'Why me?'

'Did you never wonder why you are not as others are? Why you see no colours? Why you feel no pain? You are what Juvens was, and Kanedias. You are what Glustrod was. You are what Euz himself was, if it comes to that.'

'Devil-blood,' murmured Quai. 'Blessed and cursed.'

Ferro glowered at him. 'What do you mean?'