“Father,” Mulk called with quiet urgency.
“Father,” Cupsidor echoed, a bit more loudly.
The skull tilted and came upright—Saran saw then two points of red flame ignite in the gloom as the old man opened his eyes. He had never, he thought with a chill, seen eyes like those on any beast—rat, viper, cat, whatever…
“Hello, boys,” a gentle voice said.
“Father, I hope you enjoyed your sleep,” Mulk said sweetly.
The old man nodded. “Yes, Mulk. I dreamed…” He gave a great sigh.
“I dreamed a wonderful dream in which the world was a stainless paradise, men and women were free of sin—children were brought into the world by huge birds who carried them wrapped in blankets to parents who lived in platonic harmony with no need to touch one another except incidentally, because genitalia did not shar
