‘Cramoisy!’ he shouted, crossing the salon. ‘Cramoisy!’

He heard the tread of the constables’ boots on the stairs – and then Mistress Permay’s sharp rap on the door. Cramoisy emerged from his room in déshabillé, his hair undressed. Before he opened the door, he shot Khassian a quick, questioning look.

“These two gentlemen want to have words with you.’ Mistress Permay’s voice was querulous; her eyes darted suspiciously from Cramoisy to Khassian and back again. The unspoken message was blatant: ‘Any trouble with the law and you’re both out in the street.’

‘Sulien Constabulary,’ the first of the constables said, tipping his tricorne hat to the Diva. ‘If we might step in a moment?’

Orial appeared on the landing behind the constables, her white face floating like a ghost in the gloom. Khassian irritably beckoned her inside and pointed towards the music room.

‘Practise on the epinette,’ he ordered. ‘I won’t be long.’

Cramoisy smartly shut the outer door in Mistress Permay’s face.

‘I’m sorry to disturb you,’ the constable said, ‘but we’ve been asked to check the papers of all foreign visitors in Sulien. A formality, you understand.’

Papers. By Mhir’s blood, they still had no official papers! Khassian felt his heart begin to drum a desperate tattoo.

‘Do sit down,’ Cramoisy said, ushering them into the salon.

“This will only take a minute,’ the officer replied. Neither sat down and the silent one took out a notebook, licked a stub of pencil and began to take notes.

‘If you know my name then you will also know that I am intimately acquainted with His Worship the Mayor,’ Cramoisy said with one of his most gracious smiles. ‘He will vouch for me – and for my compatriot, the Illustre Khassian.’

The two constables looked at each other; they seemed somewhat discomfited.

‘We are nevertheless required to check your papers, so if you would be so good –’

Cramoisy shot Khassian another glance. He sensed that the castrato was as nervous now as he.

‘We were in a fire,’ Khassian said. ‘Our papers and passports were destroyed, along with all our possessions. I came here to recover from my injuries. No one insisted on seeing our papers then. We can, of course, send to the Allegondan Embassy for new passports… but this might take some time.’

‘So you have no papers,’ the officer said. The other constable was busily scribbling away.

‘Is this a problem?’ Khassian said edgily.

‘My orders are to arrest any illegal immigrants. And without papers –’

‘Take me to the Guildhall!’ Cramoisy cried imperiously. ‘I demand to see the Mayor at once. Let him speak for me and my compatriot. I take it you will not argue with him? ‘

‘Exactly how long have you been in Sulien?’ said the constable.

‘Eight or nine weeks, maybe more. It’s difficult to be precise…’