‘Ruth’s frightened by what she’s done. She knows she needs—’

‘Ruth knows nothing. Ruth is a collection of instincts and primal talents. You let her grow like a weed. Plenty of callousness to make her strong, and no guidance, to make her a law to herself.’

‘Then it is my fault.’

‘Probably.’

‘Let me shoulder it. Give Ruth to me.’

He sat up. In the storm light of the window he was white and hard as marble.

‘If it had been left to me, I’d have broken her neck.’

‘She’s your child, too.’

‘I know.’

‘How long will they keep her in a cage? What will happen when they release her? The Scarabae aren’t able to deal with this.’

‘They’ve dealt with plenty of things like this, and worse.’

‘That story about Camillo—’

‘The story is true. He was married in the family tradition to a girl, and he savaged her on the wedding night. She bled to death.’

‘It isn’t relevant.’

‘No. Probably what Camillo did was an accident.’

‘Ruth didn’t know what she was doing.’

He stood up. He came towards Rachaela and stood over her. She did not let herself draw aside.

‘Please help me, Adamus. Help me get her out. I’ll take her away. You can forget her.’

‘It’s unforgettable,’ he said.

‘Then you can’t want her to remain.’

‘I don’t care,’ he said, ‘any more.’

‘All the more reason—’

‘About Ruth, or the house, about them. What does any of it mean? Nothing.’

She took after all an involuntary step backward, and he reached out in an instant and gripped her arms.

‘And you,’ he said, ‘the brave mother battling for her child. You would have had her cut out of you like a cancer.’

‘And you,’ she said, ‘you served me like a bull does a cow. And then you were done with it. You would have done the same for Ruth.’

He held her so she could not move away, and he grinned at her with dead black eyes.

‘Nothing means anything,’ he said again, ‘but I know why you’re here. All right, then.’

He swung her round before she could struggle and thrust her on to the bed.

She tried to writhe away but he dropped on top of her. His weight crushed her. Every forward surface of her body was covered by his. What she had feared was happening.

Rachaela freed her right hand and struck the side of his head as hard as she was able. He caught her hand and pinned it down. She attempted to bring up her knees but he was too heavy on her.

His face was a blank but he frowned slightly with concentration. His eyes were flat as jets—Ruth’s eyes.

As he bowed his head towards her she sank her teeth into his neck. She bit hard and thought she tasted his blood.