"Where is Sepulthrove?" Hornkast demanded.

"With the Pontifex," said Dilifon. "He was summoned to the throne-room an hour ago. The Pontifex has begun to speak once more, so we have been told."

"Strange that I was not notified," said Hornkast.

"We knew that you were receiving a message from the Coronal," Shinaam said. "We thought it best you not be disturbed."

"This is the day, is it not?" Narrameer asked, leaning tensely forward, running her fingers again and again through her thick, lustrous black hair.

Hornkast nodded. "This is the day."

"One can hardly believe it," said Dilifon. "The farce has gone on so long it seemed it might never end!"

"It ends today," said Hornkast. "Here is the decree. Quite elegantly phrased, in truth."

Shinaam, with a thin rasping laugh, said, "I would like to know what sort of phrases one uses in condemning a reigning Pontifex to death. It is a document that will be much studied by future generations, I think."

"The decree condemns no one to death," said Hornkast. "It issues no instructions. It is merely a proclamation of the Coronal Lord Valentine's grief upon the death of his father and the father of us all, the great Pontifex Tyeveras."

"Ah, he is shrewder than I thought!" Dilifon said. "His hands remain clean!"

"They always do," said Narrameer. "Tell me, Hornkast: who is the new Coronal to be?"

"Hissune son of Elsinome has been chosen."

"The young prince out of the Labyrinth?"

"The same."

"Amazing. And there is to be a new Lady, then?"

"Elsinome," said Hornkast.

"This is a revolution!" cried Shinaam. "Valentine has overturned Castle Mount with a single push! Who can believe it? Who can believe it? Lord Hissune! Can it be? How do the princes of the Mount accept it?"

"I think they had little choice," Hornkast replied. "But let us not concern ourselves with the princes of the Mount. We have our own tasks to carry out, on this our final day of power,"

"And thanks be to the Divine that it is," said Dilifon.

The Ghayrog glared at him. "You speak for yourself alone!"

"Perhaps I do. But I speak also for the Pontifex Tyeveras."

"Who seems to be speaking for himself this day, eh?" said Hornkast. He peered at the document in his hand. "There are several curious problems that I must call to your attention. For example, my staff has so far been unable to locate any description of the proper procedure for proclaiming the death of a Pontifex and the ascension of a new one, it having been so long since such an event has occurred."

"Very likely no one now alive has any experience of such things," said Dilifon. "Except the Pontifex Tyeveras himself."

"I doubt that he will aid us in this matter," Hornkast said. "We are searching the archives now for details of the proclamation of the death of Ossier and the ascension of Tyeveras, but if we can find nothing we will have to invent our own ceremony."