And the voices of his people rose about him: "Faraataa! Faraataa! Faraataa!"

His skin began to gleam. His eyes emitted a radiance. He had become the Prince To Come; he had become the King That Is.

— For fourteen thousand years this world has been yours, and now we have regained it. Go from it, all you strangers! Get into your ships and take yourselves to the stars from which you came, for this world now is ours. Go!

"Faraataa! Faraataa!"

— Go, or feel our heavy wrath! Go, or be driven into the sea! Go, or we will spare none of you!

"Faraataa!"

He spread wide his arms. He opened himself to the surging energies of all those whose souls were linked before him, and of the water-kings who were his sustenance and his comfort. The time of exile and sorrow, he knew, was ending. The holy war was nearly won. Those who had stolen the world and spread themselves across it like a swarm of marauding insects now would be crushed.

— Hear me, O enemies. I am the King That Is!

And the silent voices cried in deafening tones:

— Hear him, O enemies. He is the King That Is!

— Your time has come! Your day is done! Your crimes will be punished, and none will survive! Go from our world!

— Go from our world!

"Faraataa!" they cried aloud. "Faraataa! Faraataa!"

"I am the Prince To Come. I am the King That Is!"

And they answered him, "All hail the Prince To Come, who is the King That Is!"

FOUR

The Book of the Pontifex

1

"A strange day, my lord, when the Coronal must come as a beggar to the King of Dreams," Sleet said, holding his hand outspread before his face to shield himself against the torrid wind that blew unrelentingly toward them out of Suvrael. Just a few hours more and they would make landfall at Tolaghai, largest of the southern continent's ports.

"Not as a beggar, Sleet," said Valentine quietly. "As a brother-in-arms, seeking aid against a common enemy."

Carabella turned to him in surprise. "A brother-in-arms, Valentine? Never before have I heard you speak of yourself in such a warlike way."

"We are at war, are we not?"

"And will you fight, then? And will you take lives with your own hand?"

Valentine peered closely at her, wondering if she were somehow trying to goad him; but no, her face was gentle as ever, her eyes were loving. He said, "You know I will never shed blood. But there are other ways of waging war. I have fought one war already, with you beside me: did I take life then?"

"But who were the enemies then?" Sleet demanded impatiently. "Your own dearest friends, misled by Shapeshifter deception—Elidath—Tunigorn—Stasilaine—Mirigant—all of them took the field against you.

Of course you were gentle with them! You had no wish to slay such as Elidath and Mirigant: only to win them to your side."

"Dominin Barjazid was no dear friend of mine. I spared him also: and I think we will be glad of that now."