‘The other information I have for you is from Councillor Yana. He is almost certain Enet controls a songstone quarry, at least one, owned through a number of subsidiaries so that it cannot be traced back to her. For the last four sun-years she has controlled all the provision of songstone to the Empire. He says that through clever manipulation of the council she has been earning enormous sums selling it to the architects capping pyramids and expanding the reach of the song. When you forwarded on Whisper Ilandeh’s report that Tokoban is rich in songstone and it was read out in council, Yana says Enet was furious. He thinks she fears the loss of her control over its supply.’

Pilos gaped again. The news, in its way, was just as shocking. ‘Songstone is divine,’ he spluttered. ‘It is not to be, to be fucking bartered for like a slave or an ear of corn. How has the council allowed this to happen? She cannot just sell it. No one sells songstone.’

Elaq’s mouth twisted with bitter humour. ‘The costs have been cleverly disguised – the use of artisans to quarry and shape the stone before removal; the prohibitive costs of transport, both of materials to move the stone and in offerings to any holy Setatmeh encountered along the route; the alleged difficulty in accessing the stone itself and the increased labour required to chip it free. Not one of the costs has ever actually been attributed to the stone itself. That remains, for all intents and purposes, free and sacred as it always has been. The Great Octave has merely been requesting compensation for the labour.’

‘That bitch-slut-snake,’ Pilos growled. It made sense though. For years Pilos had tried to discover the source of Enet’s influence and failed. The number of families who could afford the honour of commissioning a songstone cap for a pyramid – gifting the money directly to the source rather than to anyone who owned a songstone mine – was vanishingly small, and nearly all of them had a seat on the council. And … all of those councillors were loyal to Enet. ‘So Enet can deny her rivals access to songstone if she chooses, or she can barter for information from them. Payment in knowledge if not in jade.’

Pilos turned to walk backwards and caught Atu’s eye. He circled his finger in the air and his second nodded, and as the last notes of the marching song faded away, he began another.