‘Are you trying to be insulting, Sparhawk?’

‘No, little mother, I could never do that – not to you. I’m sorry. I’m a bit sour this morning. I’m fighting the kind of war I don’t understand. Why don’t we frame some sort of prayer and ask Aphrael to change the minds of certain members of the Hierocracy? That would be nice and simple and probably head off a great deal of bloodshed.’

‘Aphrael wouldn’t do that, Sparhawk.’

‘I was afraid you might say that. That leaves us the unpleasant alternative of playing in somebody else’s game then, doesn’t it? I wouldn’t mind that so much – if I understood the rules a little better. Frankly, I’d much prefer swords and oceans of blood.’ He paused. ‘Go ahead and say it, Sephrenia.’

‘Say what?’

‘Sigh and roll your eyes heavenward and say, “Elenes” in your most despairing tone.’

Her eyes went hard. ‘That was uncalled for, Sparhawk.’

‘I was only teasing you,’ he smiled. ‘We can do that with those we love without giving offence, can’t we?’

Patriarch Dolmant entered quietly, his face troubled. ‘Is no one sleeping tonight?’ he asked.

‘We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, Your Grace,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘Is that why you’re up as well?’

Dolmant shook his head. ‘One of my servants fell ill,’ he explained,’ – a cook. I don’t know why the other servants sent for me. I’m no physician.’

‘I think it’s called trust, Your Grace,’ Sephrenia smiled. ‘You’re supposed to have certain special contacts with the Elene God. How is the poor fellow?’

‘It appears to be quite serious. I sent for a physician. The fellow isn’t much of a cook, but I’d rather he didn’t die under my roof. What really happened in Cimmura, Sparhawk?’

Sparhawk quickly sketched in the events which had occurred in the throne-room and the substance of the confession of Lycheas.

‘Otha?’ Dolmant exclaimed. ‘Annias actually went that far?’

‘We can’t really prove it, Your Grace,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘It might be useful at some point to let the information drop in Annias’s presence, however. It might throw him off balance a bit. Anyway, at Ehlana’s command, we’ve confined Lycheas and Arissa in that cloister near Demos, and I’m carrying a sizeable number of warrants for the arrest of assorted people on charges of high treason. Annias’s name figures quite prominently in one of those warrants.’ He paused. ‘There’s a thought,’ he said. ‘We could march the knights to the Basilica, arrest Annias and take him back to Cimmura in chains. Ehlana was talking very seriously of hangings and beheadings when we left.’

‘You can’t take Annias out of the Basilica, Sparhawk,’ Dolmant said. ‘It’s a church, and a church is sanctuary for all civil crimes.’

‘Pity,’ Sparhawk murmured. ‘Who’s in charge of Annias’s toadies in the Basilica?’