Jyotish scowled at the ogre's not-so-subtle warning, then turned to lead the way into the palace. As he opened the mahogany doors he quietly asked, "Is your bodyguard always so unruly?" "Unruly?" Atreus raised his brow, genuinely surprised.

That's not unruly. Not for an ogre." He stepped through the doorway into a dark, many- pillared room full of droning voices and sweet-smelling smoke. The lower walls were decorated with floral patterns of gold filigree on deep red lacquer. The upper parts were covered with brilliant frescoes depicting charging war elephants and strange, golem like warriors. Tiny, shaven-headed Mar priests sat in apses along the walls, rocking back and forth and chanting in gravelly voices while toothless old women squatted on the floor chattering incessantly and spinning yarn with their fingers. Children ran about laughing and chasing each other, paying so little attention to where they were going that one of them crashed into Atreus at a dead sprint.

The little girl landed at Atreus's feet still yelling and giggling, then suddenly fell silent when she noticed how one set of the stranger's toes turned inward. As her eyes ran up his bowed legs to his thick midsection, she scowled and began to scoot backward across the floor. Her gaze continued to rise toward his gruesome visage, and Atreus knew what was about to happen. He could only stand and watch as the girl's mouth fell open.

"Ysdar!" she bawled, pointing at him. "Ysdaaaaar!"

The room fell instantly silent and all eyes turned in Atreus's direction. Knowing he would only make the situation worse by reaching out to comfort the child, Atreus spread his hands at his side and tried a smile.

The girl's wail became a shriek. She leaped to her feet and disappeared screaming into the chamber's dark recesses. Jyotish stared at Atreus in horror, then stepped aside and began to click and prattle in the strange language of his people. The other Mar backed away, clapping their hands and jabbering admonitions Atreus did not understand, save for the occasional reference to "Ysdar." He could only shake his head and smile.