In all of her life, Gabrielle had only rarely set foot outside Port Gabriel. Most of her existence had been spent within the strict confines of the Peoples Palace, and she now felt almost dizzy from the sight of so much sky. She gazed at canopy trees rising out of the frozen soil of the nearby eastern shore, the tiny black dots of one-wings circling beneath huge frond-like branches that overshadowed the ground beneath.

The Ka River was wide enough here for the western shore to have become little more than a dark line on the far horizon. The nearer shore was lined with the primitive-looking sealed domes and glittering biomes of small towns that looked like they had hardly changed since the days of the pioneers.

She glanced aft to see the rest of the barges strung out along the river behind them. Dios lay a hundred kilometres further downriver, yet she found it easy to imagine that, if she squinted hard enough, she could see the steep cliffs against which the Ship of the Covenant rested.

She remembered the excitement in her youth when she had once looked forward to this day and the slowly building dread that had come to replace it. These two emotions merged and clashed in her thoughts. She had always wanted to visit Dios, as so many pilgrims did, but to do so under the present circumstances would be at the cost of her life.

She fanned her fingers, then stirred them through the air to activate the Tabernacle. A patch of air before her darkened, becoming opaque to her view.

She conjured up a real-time image of the Ship of the Covenant. Bridges were constructed all around the hull of the ancient craft, interconnecting with ramps and platforms built up the cliff face on either side. A number of buildings, part research establishment and part religious retreat, had been constructed around that portion of the ship that rested on the ground, and all of these in turn were surrounded by constantly patrolled walls and guarded gates. The Demarchy was extremely keen to protect its investment.

She heard a noise behind her, and guessed she had company. The image before her rippled and faded, and she turned to see Karl Petrova standing just inside the entrance to the observation deck.

He closed the glass doors behind him and came towards her. Are you ready? he asked, his voice kept low. Its very nearly time.

She swallowed hard. Surely the banquet is still hours away?

This is the last chance well have to speak to each other until afterwards, he explained, reaching out to tidy a lock of her hair that had come loose. Everythings in place.