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"You look enchanting," Char said. "You could be an Empani."

"Beautiful," Jake said. "Every man in this room is wishing he were eligible for a chalice."

Char elbowed him in the ribs.

"Oh,
shib
." Jake's cheeks turned pink. "Was that a sacrilege?"

"It was lecherous," Char said. "And creepy."

"You made my evening, Jake," Durga said. "I'm afraid everyone still sees me as the girl chosen by the goddess."

"No, little warrior." Char held Durga's hands out and admired the dress. "Not a chance."

"I'll try to believe it. And Char, you definitely fall into the stunning category."

Char's hair was in a French braid with tiny pale pink silk orchids scattered throughout, a dramatic contrast against its deep red. Durga was always comforted when she saw Char's hair. Asherah no longer had a use for Char and had let her go, but the blood-red hair was a reminder:
Someone else in the world knows what it's like
.

Char's dress was an elegant pale pink satin sheath with long sleeves and no back.

"Stunning. That's what I said." Jake had such a goofy puppy-dog face, there was no chance he'd fall for someone else. He hadn't even commented on the fact that Faina had stayed in Corcovado.

Durga was already starting to feel better just being in the same room with these two friends. Jake tilted his head at her and said, "What is it?"

"Nothing." This wasn't the time or place to talk about it. Jake was no different. She'd thought he'd be different. She could go into a light trance to see what he felt like, but it seemed like that would be an outrageous breach of something. Bad manners, at the very least. Not to mention she was afraid to try it.
 

"You look very pretty too, Jake." She stood on her toes and kissed his cheeks. He'd always been like a father to her—or at least a big brother. Until Faina's confession, it had never occurred to Durga that Jake was so attractive. He had the good looks and commanding manner of a king.

She spotted Magda with Geraldo. He had finagled his way into Faina's place in the delegation. They were talking with the demanding man and the conciliatory woman from Versailles. The man didn't look any less furious, and the woman didn't look any less concerned. In any protest, they were sure to take Garrick's side.

Durga had to give Geraldo credit for nerve. Whatever had gone awry for Versailles, she was sure Geraldo had something to do with it. There he was, smiling and chatting up the people he had wronged, as innocent as a white top.

 
"I heard that Versailles beat the Monster here by four hours." She looked around for the musician. "They were only an hour ahead of us to start. I barely had time to dress and get down here."

"Hibernia is hoping for a commission," Jake said. "But if I were you, I'd tour Ithaca's new clipper ship tomorrow after the fog burns off."

Durga surveyed the entire room again to be sure, but the musician wasn't here.

"Jake has had that romantic gleam in his eye since the moment he saw that ship," Char said. "I do believe sail will be his city's preferred mode of transport."

Maybe the singer wasn't going to play until after dinner. "I love my room, by the way. It's like something out of a fairy tale."

Char and Jake smiled at each other as if she'd told a joke.

"Prince Garrick of Garrick!"

Simultaneously, Durga and Char and Jake all said, "Oh. I need to warn you about—"

"Something." Jake finished the sentence, a queasy look on his face. He nodded toward Prince Garrick coming into the hall.

Garrick was a few inches shorter than Jake and had dark natural red hair. He was so bulked up, it looked wrong. Enhancements had been banned after the cataclysm, but what else would explain those muscles? Unlike the hard lines of the musician's muscular jaw, Garrick's had a softness that clashed with his physique.

A Samaeli priest was at his side.

"Great Asherah." Durga's stomach reeled. "Maribel."

"Yeah," Jake said. "That was it."

That explains it.

 
"She came in last night with Garrick," Char said. "Something's going on that she's not talking about. I'm sure it isn't good."

"You're right," Durga said. "It isn't good."

So this was how Garrick had found out about Jake. Maribel had always been better than any of them at trance. She had always been a little afraid of Jake too. She must have figured out the soul thing ages ago.

Durga frantically scanned the room again. "Is the settlement priest of Asherah here?"

"I haven't seen her," Char said.

"She was invited," Jake said. "Looking for a priest fight?"

"Something
like
that."

Prince Garrick headed their way while Maribel joined Magda and the Versailles people. Magda hugged her with surprised joy, but the smile froze when she saw the look on Durga's face. She nodded very slightly. Message received: tread carefully.

Prince Garrick gave a nod to Jake and Char and reached for Durga's hand. "Emissary."

She didn't need Captain Gordon. She stopped Garrick with her own icy stare. For years, she had spun countless threads against chaos. By Asherah's command and for the sake of humanity, she'd worked to build a new world order. She had always thought everyone else wanted the same thing.

She had been so naïve.

Garrick didn't give a shib about Jake's soul; they simply wanted him out of the way. The objection to his kingship was a power grab, a move to put a Garricker in Jake's place, make the settlement a Garrick satellite, then go on to the next settlement, then the next.

The prince continued talking as if Durga hadn't cut him. "At last I get to see the famous hair.
As you may guess, I am partial to a redhead
. On your first visit to Garrick, you left before I arrived.
"

"The smell was too much for me."

He giggled. Now
that
was creepy.

"Lord Ardri. Allow me to congratulate you on the settlement. Well done. I will order my people to build raptor cages the minute I return to Garrick. Brilliant idea."

The condescension was a bit thick. Durga had more experience than this guy did, and Jake had infinitely more. Prince Garrick looked less than twenty-five. She doubted he'd ever worried over a responsibility in his life.

"And the hydroponics building." He turned on Char. "My poor neglected city is still waiting for your services, Lady Charybdis. When we want fresh, we have to order out."

"Which you can afford," Char said. "My waiting list is set according to need."

"Quite." Irritation flickered over the prince's face and disappeared. He was obviously used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it. "Lord Ardri, when I couldn't find you today, I took it upon myself to tour the commons. Impressive. I was puzzled by something. I saw plenty of half-cut stone lying about, but not one mason. The hydroponics facility was practically deserted. Are you sure you have enough people here to qualify for a city?"

Jake said, "I've declared a holiday for the workers while you poobahs are in town." Durga could believe Jake would do such a thing, but she got the feeling that Jake was hiding something. Char's face was a blank.

Prince Garrick shook his head. "Holidays beget holidays. This isn't the right time for workers' rights and coddling."

"Speaking of my workers, let me thank you for Garrick's coronation gifts," Jake said. "The kitchen is in a tizzy."

"The kitchen?" Durga said.

"A complete set of stainless steel pots and pans and knives," Jake said. "A gift that only a city of wealth and technology could produce."

"So unlike the tacky gold jewel-encrusted crown from Luxor with its companion everyday-wear gold circlet," Char said.

"It was nothing." Garrick wrinkled his nose. "I am told that you make a point of feeding your commoners every day from your own stocks. I thought you should have some tempered steel to put your stews in."

Durga understood if Jake did not. Garrick meant the gift as a joke.

"I'm sure the cagers and masons would like to thank you too," Jake said. "After their holiday."

"Khai, Prince of Luxor!"

Thank Asherah
. Durga wanted to talk to the Prince of Luxor about the Team of Inquiry before Versailles got to him. Magda had said he had integrity, and that was good enough for Durga, but it never hurt to meet with someone personally to ensure they understood things from the proper point of view.

Durga gasped. Everybody gasped.

The scion of Luxor was tall and dark, but he wore so much gold that all the candlelight in the room reflected off him like a halo. Earrings, necklaces, wristlets. Hammered gold bands on his bare biceps had dagger designs plunging toward his elbows. His tunic was of sky blue cloth interwoven with gold threads.

A ceremonial dagger, the symbol of Luxor, hung from his gold belt. Its handle, guard, and blade were carved from a single red carnelian stone.

He wore his black hair close at the top, then falling down his back in a cascade of thin braids decorated with more gold, lapis lazuli and carnelian beads, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. A plain gold circlet rested just above his eyebrows.

Dark, expressive eyebrows. One of which he raised inquisitively as he spotted Durga.

The musician.

He came to her as if she were the only other person in the room.
In the world.

"Luxor." Prince Garrick brightened, as if he'd found someone worth talking to.

"Emissary." The scion of Luxor brushed past Garrick to take Durga's hand, and she allowed it. His touch sent a rippling shock through her body and set her loins on fire. It happened so fast, she forgot to control herself.

He looked up at her, his lips pressed in a smile against the back of her hand. She returned the smile. As he lowered her hand, he gave it a friendly squeeze before letting go.
The intimacy of it left her delighted—and truly afraid. This was real pain. She ached to feel his touch again.

The rest of the world came flooding back to her senses. Magda and the others had joined their circle. Magda, for one, seemed quite amused by Durga's flustered discomfort. Durga
had never felt so exposed and vulnerable.

Khai of Luxor turned to Jake. "Lord Ardri, Luxor is honored to stand witness to your coronation. Adding well-run settlements like yours to the increasing number of city-states is the key to real peace and stability in the world. Welcome to the monarchy."

"A bit premature, don't you think?" Garrick smirked. "He isn't king yet, and this settlement is not yet a city."

"Allel," Jake said.

"Come again?" Garrick said.

"Allel," Jake said. "The city's name will be Allel, all gods. All gods and all people are welcome here. Exotics. Ghosts. Samaeli priests." Jake nodded to Maribel. "I
mean to rule with respect for all."

"We all do at the beginning, Ardri," Prince Garrick said, as if he knew anything about beginnings or mutual respect. "Poor bastard. You have a few things to learn about people. What will your trade export be? Partially cut stone and wooden raptor cage technology, I suppose. Or radical democratic philosophy."

"We're working on something," Jake said. "Of course we honor the Great Chain, but this city will welcome all people on the chain as long as they obey the laws."

"You have no right!" Maribel backed away to the center of the room, her face wild and her finger pointed at Jake. "You don't even have the right to call yourself lord."

"Of course he has the right," Magda said. "Come, Maribel. Calm yourself." She tried to take Maribel's arm, and Maribel shook her off.

"It's your fault, you know. Your perfect son isn't so perfect, and it's your fault! You couldn't give the Emperor even one moment of ecstasy."

Magda's face was bright red. "What do you mean?"

Maribel had a point. If Jake had no soul, it meant Magda and the Emperor had never reached the highest heights in their lovemaking.

"I mean that Jake, Lord Ardri, has no soul." Maribel reveled in her triumph. By now everyone in the room had gathered around. "He has no soul, and he can't be king. He is the lowest of the low."

"Prove it," Magda said. "You can't."

"Ah, you're wrong,
Matriarch
." Maribel loaded the word with contempt. "Watch me."