The master flenser was selecting his initiating knife when the master of the executions spun around, looking confused. Fusshte was shouting and waving at him. The master of the executions ran across, conferring with the scrutator, then called out to the soldiers, 'No, bring her back, lads.' 1b the witnesses he said, 'The scrutators bid me to execute the greatest criminal and traitor first, in case the enemy should attack. 'Ex-Scrutator Xervish Flydd,' he went on, politely, 'if you would be so kind as to step into theflensing trough.'
For a fleeting moment Flydd looked shocked, as though not expecting his end to come quite so soon. He nodded, raised his right hand in salute to the other prisoners, and then to Irisis, and stepped over the side. The flensing trough was like a long metal bathtub with a broad platform on either side. A pipe ran from below the plughole down through the hole in the centre of the canvas platform.
'Would you care to disrobe and take your place on the right-hand platform?' said the master flenser. 'On your back, if you please, with your legs spread. Take your time. Make yourself comfortable.'
Again that muffled wail from Fyn-Mah. Flydd's hand was shaking and his knees would scarcely hold him. He dropped the sheet, settled his scrawny backside on the platform and swung his legs up. Looking around, he caught Irisis's eye. Flydd attempted a smile, but not even he could pull it off at this moment.
Irisis's heart went out to the man, though her own end would come soon enough. 'Take heart, Xervish,' she said. 'It'll be over more quickly than you think.'
He gave a stifled, mirthless laugh. 'Somehow, that's not nearly as comforting as when I said it to you.'
'Begin, Master Flenser!' roared Ghorr, striking a pose for the artists and the chroniclers. 'I'll double your fee if you can take this scoundrel's skin off in one piece — I've a special use for it.'
The master flenser looked hurt. 'I don't need a bribe to do my best, surr' He took up his knife, eyeing Flydd's prone figure as if choosing the best spot to begin, though both knew that the procedure was prescribed in the manuals of his art. Flensing began in the centre, at the most sensitive place, and worked out in all directions.
'Hold just a moment,' cried Fusshte. 'There's something wrong.'
'I've done everything exactly as set down in the rituals!' the master of the executions exclaimed.
'I'm not talking to you!' Fusshte snarled. He looked around wildly, then ran to Chief Scrutator Ghorr. 'One of the greatest villains of all is missing. Where the devil is the arch-traitor, Artificer Cryl-Nish Hlar?'
Glossary
Names (main characters in italics)
Aachim: The human species native to Aachan, once conquered and enslaved by a small force of invading Charon (the Hundred). The Aachim are great artisans and engineers, but melancholy or prone to hubris and arrogance. In ancient times, many were brought to Santhenar by Rulke in the fruitless hunt for the Golden Flute. The Aachim flourished on Santhenar but were later betrayed by Rulke and ruined in the Clysm. They then withdrew from the world to their hidden mountain cities. The ones remaining on Aachan gained their freedom after the Forbidding was broken, when the surviving Charon went back to the void. Two hundred years later, volcanic activity on Aachan had become so violent that it threatened to destroy all life on the planet. The Aachim sought for a way of escape and one of them, Minis, managed to contact Tiaan on Santhenar, because of her amplimet, and charmed her. The Aachim ' showed her how to open a gate between Aachan and Santhenar. She thought she was saving her beloved, Minis, and a small number of Aachim, but when they came through, they were a hundred and fifty thousand, a host ready for war, in eleven thousand mighty constructs.
Barkus: Deceased master crafter of controllers at the manufactory, uncle of Irisis, who allowed her to read his uncensored copies of the Great Tales.
Bifis: A noble Aachim from Stassor, a brilliant mathemancer and geomancer.
Cryl-Nish Hlar: A former scribe, prober in secret and reluctant a icer, generally known as Nish.
Eiryn Muss: Halfwit; an air-moss grower and harmless pervert, he turned out to be the scrutator's prober (spy) in the manufactory, and vanished, but reappeared in the west.
Elienor (Clan): Elienor was a great Aachim heroine of ancient times, who almost defeated Rulke when the Hundred invaded Aachan. She was the founder of ostracised Clan Elienor.
Faellem: A long-lived human species who have passed out of the Histories, though some may still dwell in isolated parts of Santhenar.
Flammas: A kindly, forgetful mancer. Ullii spent five years in his dungeon, the most pleasant time of her life.
Flangers: A soldier and hero in past battles against the lyrinx.
Forgre: An Aachim and associate of Malien; a brilliant spy.
Fusshte: A treacherous member of the Council of Scrutators.
Fyn-Mah: The querist (chief of the municipal intelligence bureau) at Tiksi and a loyal supporter of Xervish Flydd.
Ghorr: Chief Scrutator and Flydd's enemy.
Gtthaelith: An eccentric, amoral ge-omancer and mathemancer who dwelt at Nyriandiol. Because of his dismal early years he is obsessed with controlling everyone and everything in his life. When unable to do this the stress causes him to have panic attacks. His overriding goal is to understand the nature of the physical world, so as to control it too.
Gyrulclass="underline" Matriarch of the lyrinx city at Snizort. A powerful, far-sighted mancer, profoundly intelligent.
Haani: Tiaan's adopted sister, accidentally killed by the Aachim in Tirthrax.
Halie: A scrutator on the Council and former supporter of Flydd.
Inouye: The pilot of Jal-Nish's air-floater, stolen by Fyn-Mah. Inthis: Vithis's clan of Aachim, since time immemorial first of the eleven clans (First Clan). All Clan Inthis, apart from Vithis and Minis, were lost in the void when the portal between Aachan and Tirthrax was opened.
Irisis Stirm. Crafter, originally in charge of the controller artisans at the manufactory; niece of Barkus; one time lover of Xervish Flydd, now a friend and comrade-in-arms.
Jal-Nish Hlar: Acting Scrutator; Nish's father. He suffered massive injuries from a lyrinx attack and begged to be allowed to die, but Nish and Irisis saved his life. Now, hideously maimed, he has a bitter loathing for them both, and an unquenchable desire to be the greatest scrutator of all.
Joeyn (Joe): An old miner, Tiaan's friend, who died in a roof fall. Klarm: Scrutator for Borgistry. A handsome, cheerful man, despite his dwarfish stature. Lemuir: A sergeant in Jal-Nish's army.
Liett: GyrulVs daughter, and a lyrinx with unarmoured skin and no chameleon ability; a talented flesh-former and brilliant flier who yearns to lead her people, even though she is regarded as incomplete. She has a turbulent relationship with Ryll. Liliwen: Daughter of Troist and Yara, twin of Meriwen. Luxor: A conciliatory Aachim clan leader.
Lyrinx: Massive winged humanoids who escaped from the void to Santhenar after the Forbidding was broken. Highly intelligent, many of them are able to use the Secret Art, most commonly for keeping their heavy bodies aloft in flight. They have armoured skin and a chameleon-like ability to change their colours and patterns, often used for communication (skin-speech). Some lyrinx are also flesh-formers: they can change small organisms into desired forms using the Art. In the void they used a similar ability to pattern their unborn young so as to survive in that harsh environment. As a consequence, they are not entirely comfortable in their powerful but much changed bodies. The lyrinx were forced to abandon their culture and heritage in the void. Their lives are entirely martial, and some of them are beginning to regret their loss and wonder what to do about it once they've won the war. Maigraith: A great heroine of olden times, one-time lover of Yggur and the great love of Rulke's life.