‘Stop!’ he shouted. ‘No violence in the source.’ The eagle flushed and stepped quickly away. Pilos stared from Enet to the yelling Rix, Detta handing him off to another Chorus warrior now, then to the Singer himself. No one contradicted Enet’s proclamation – not even Xac.

Pilos took a deep breath and commended his spirit to the song. ‘My fate is irrelevant, but the holy lord must not sully his hands with blood. It is our sacred, eternal law. Great Singer, please do not do this. Allow us to execute them on your behalf, or offer them to the holy Setatmeh. Please.’

‘You have no voice in this council, eagle warrior,’ Enet said with a lift of her chin. ‘And be grateful you are still that. The Singer is divine; he knows more than you will ever comprehend and everything he does is sacred. Now get out.’

‘Holy lord, you must not blood the song,’ Pilos tried in a final, desperate attempt. ‘Not again. It is killing you!’

‘I said out, or join the Tokob in their punishment.’

Pilos matched wills with Enet for a moment that lasted an eternity and roasted the air between them. Then more Chorus warriors appeared and began advancing on the former High Feather and his eagles. The song soared higher into a roaring imperative that battered at him, rejecting him and his proposals. That screamed with bloodlust and madness. The council were already scattering, almost running from the source after only the briefest of obeisances. The peace-weaver was kneeling on the mats, staring in utter horror at the Singer. Pilos thought he might be crying.

‘Under the song,’ Pilos said, marvelling at the steadiness of his voice. ‘Chorus, see that the Singer is protected at all times. From all threats.’ He bowed and left, Detta and his eagles forming up behind him. Protecting his back.

You have taken everything from me, Enet, but it is as nothing compared with what you have done to him. You have made him little more than your drooling puppet.

And I am going to kill you for it.

TAYAN

The source, Singing City, Pechacan, Empire of Songs

72nd day of the grand absence of the Great Star

The Empire of Songs was ruled by a monster. It was all Tayan could think as he knelt amid the swirl of men and women fighting and screaming. The rope they were all tied to jerked him this way and that as they struggled, but he stayed on his knees, the fiery bite from the lash set deep in the muscles of his back.

He stared at the thing that had been revealed when Rix tore down the curtain and tried to convince himself it was a person. Next to it sat Enet, watching the Chorus quell the prisoners with a curl to her lip that was part disgust and part … concern, though she hadn’t seemed particularly worried when she’d sent Pilos and his warriors away. With Xessa.