That they did. Taglian culture was a religious confusion I hadnt begun to fathom, tangled in caste systems which made no sense. I asked questions but no one understood. Things were as they were. It was the way theyd always been. I was tempted to declare the mess obsolete. But I didnt have the power. I hadnt had that much power in the north. Some things cant be swept away by dictate.

I continued asking questions. If I understood it-even a little I could manipulate the system.

I need a reliable cadre, Narayan. Men I can count on no matter what. I want you to find those men.

As you say, Mistress, so shall it be. He grinned. That might have been a defensive reflex learned as a slave. Still... The more I saw of Narayan the more sinister he seemed.

Yet why? He was essentially Taglian, low caste. A vegetable vendor with a wife and children and a couple of grandchildren already, last he had heard. One of those backbone of the nation sorts, quiet, who just kept plugging away at life. Half the time he acted like I was his favorite daughter. What was sinister in that?

Ram had more to recommend him as strange. He was twenty-three and a widower. His marriage had been a love match, rare in Taglios where marriages are always arranged. His wife had died in childbirth, bearing a stillborn infant. That had left him bitter and depressed. I suspect he joined the legions looking for death.

I didnt find out anything about Sindhu. He wouldnt talk until you forced him and he was creepier than Narayan. Still, he did what he was told, did it well, and asked no questions.

Ive spent my entire life in the company of sinister characters. For centuries I was wed to the Dominator, the most sinister ever. I could cope with these small men.

None of the three were particularly religious, which was curious. Religion pervades Taglios. Every minute of every day of every life is a part of the religious experience, is ruled by religion and its obligations. I was troubled till I noted a generally reduced level of religious fervor. I picked a man and quizzed him.

His answer was elementary. There aint no priests here.

That made sense. No society consists entirely of committed true believers. And what these men had seen had been enough to displace the foundations of faith. Theyd been pulled out of their safe, familiar ruts and had been thrown hard against facts the traditional answers didnt explain. Theyd never be the same. Once they took their experiences home Taglios wouldnt be the same.