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‘The answer lies upon your very flesh, sire’

Rhulad glanced down His fingernails had grown long, curved and yellow He tapped a coin on his chest ‘Bring to an end… the notion of wealth Of money Crush the illusion of value’

Udinaas was stunned Heand half mad, but Rhulad is no fool

‘Ah,’ the emperor said, ‘We see your… astonishment We have, it seems, been underestimated, even by our slave But yours is no dull ara Diskanar, for then ould be sorely challenged’

‘Ezgara erous people around him’

‘Yes, this Ceda, Kuru Qan Why has he not yet acted?’

Udinaas shook his head ‘I have been wondering the same, sire’

‘We will speak more, Udinaas And none other shall know of this After all, ould they think, an e to fashion a new empire? For we must keep you a slave, mustn’t we? A slave in the eyes of all others We suspect that, e to free you, you would leave us’

A sudden tremble at these words

Errant take me, this man needs a friend‘Sire, I would not leave It was I who placed the coins in your flesh There is no absolving that, no true way I could h all of this’

Rhulad’s terrible eyes, so crimson-bruised and hurt, shifted away from Udinaas ‘Do you understand, Udinaas?’ he asked in a whisper ‘I ahtened‘Yes, sire, I understand’