‘Yes,’ replied Rochant. ‘But they can only understand half of us. That is why you are the first to hear this story. Like me, you are on the edge of things. That means you can see them for what they are, and perhaps, change them for the better.’

Sa-at found himself nodding. Tal would not understand as I do. Rochant was clever to send him away. Though he felt sad for his friend, a part of him delighted in being special enough to hear a secret. ‘Did it work?’

‘Using my skin as a patch? Yes. I had to use glue to hold it in place at first, but over time it drew the edges of the patch into itself, integrating my skin into a new carapace that was forming beneath the old one. Even though it healed well, it couldn’t repair the holes. They ran through the old shell to the new one, and appeared in every one after that. The worst damage was to its face, but there were other wounds, places where the original chitin had fallen away entirely. I replaced these with parts of my skin over time, but it troubled me that my friend had weak spots, for I knew that one day its enemies would find it again, and it would need to be strong to survive.’

Sa-at couldn’t contain himself any longer. ‘The Flykin is the Scuttling Corpseman!’

‘Obviously.’

‘Then why don’t you call it that in the story?’

‘Because at that point I hadn’t named it.’

Sa-at’s mouth fell open. ‘You named the Corpseman!’

‘Yes.’

His thoughts were whirling. Before he could order them, or ask to hear more, he heard the sound of Tal’s boots stamping back towards them.

‘Here,’ he said, offering his open bag. Inside there were sweetberries and some nuts. ‘It’s not much, but I didn’t want to go too far on my own.’

‘Well done,’ said Rochant.

‘Thank you, my lord’.

Sa-at was less impressed but didn’t say anything. Hopefully Crowflies will come back soon. It always brings good things to eat. He wanted Rochant to carry on his story but knew he couldn’t with Tal around. I like secrets, he thought. I’m learning lots about the Corpseman. Murderkind will be pleased. But when he imagined telling Murderkind, of sharing his secret knowledge, it made him feel sad. When he’d told Murderkind, it wouldn’t be special any more.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Satyendra flinched as the door closed behind him. Though it was dark in the Rebirthing Chamber as he entered, the light shining from the diamonds on the Bringers’ wands was bright, the nature of it painful to his eye. He suspected they would burn to the touch as surely as Yadavendra’s crystal armour.