Duke Boros strode toward the throne, Tulu fell into line behind him, and Blade brought up the rear. Twenty feet from the throne they stopped, spread out, and prostrated themselves on the tiles of the floor. Blade was only seconds behind the other two men in going down on his face.

The Emperor's sharp eyes caught Blade's slight delay. A chill, harsh voice rang out, sending echoes chasing each other around the vast chamber.

«Who is this clumsy fool who knows not the proper forms of obedience to us? And why are you, Boros, so unwise as to bring him before us at a time when you should make all efforts to please us?»

The duke quivered, not in fear but in an obvious effort to restrain his anger at these lashing words. Without raising his head he spoke quickly. His words were muffled and distorted by his chin pressing against the tiles.

«This man is a stranger. He came to us in the borderlands, while we journeyed toward Your Magnificence. He told a tale of being a prince of a distant land, beyond the Steppes.»

«There is no such land. We would have known of it if there were.»

«Your Magnificence, I only repeat what this man said to us the night he came from the forest to meet us. Have I your gracious permission to continue?»

The Emperor made a fly-shooing gesture with his left hand. «Very well. We shall hear you out. It will be interesting to see how the House of Kudai has come to harbor strangers who tell monstrous lies.»

Both the duke and his son visibly winced at those last words. Blade suddenly felt a sensation like a hundred thousand ants with very cold feet marching up and down his spine. There was deadly danger in this room, danger for all three of them. Kul-Nam was not just bloodthirsty, whimsical, and tyrannical. He was mad or close enough to it to be a constant threat to those for whom his lightest word or whim meant life or death.