Excluded, I got myself some wine in my own cup, and sat on a stool in my corner, and held my own private celebration at his return. And sometimes through that long evening I caught his eye, and he smiled at me. Later, when all the guests were gone and the house-owner and his family had gone upstairs to bed, I made up my lord’s bed for him, and spread my own sleeping mat and furs out by the fire, and we sat together, he and I, and talked.

There was a peacefulness about him that night. I had the feeling that, while away, he had done something that was deeply important to him, and now his soul rested. I wished mine would. He sensed my unease, and looked at me sideways, with a slow smile. His furs formed soft shadows about his bronze skin, and his own sacred sign glimmered gold on his dark clothes. His eyes were the colour of flame.

“Hold out your hand, Elsha,” he said.

I did, palm down, my fingers spread and trembling. He held out his hand palm down, beside mine. His was as steady as a rock, and strong. Our little fingers almost touched. Slowly, to my amazement, he moved his hand over mine and held it. I felt a tingling in my hand, a power, deep and warm and awesome, like a healing. And with it came peace.

“For each of his children God has a dream,” he said. “It is the highest dream, the perfect road for us, the purpose for which we were born. And that dream for you was given also to me, Elsha. In a dream I was told of you, and of the place where you lived. It was a vivid image that I had, and it was not wrong. I dreamed of a female of the Quelled who would be high in this land of ours, and who would show all the people that the Quelled are not without minds or souls. I dreamed that by her life the Chosen would be made to see a new truth, a new way. I do not know what that way will be. I only know that they see you, and you open their eyes and tear down the walls in their minds. One day perhaps, because of you, the lives of the Quelled will be lifted up and eased. This is your true road, Elsha, your destiny. This, and nothing else.”

“And that is why you chose me, lord, for handmaid?”

“That is why.”

He smiled, and we said nothing for a while. We sat there a long time, our hands joined. At last I asked, haltingly, “Lord, was there any more in your dream?”

He unlinked our hands, and smiled again, and looked into the fire. “What more could you want, Elsha?” he asked.