'There's been a misunderstanding.'
'Misunderstanding?'
'A breakdown in communications due to cultural differences.'
'Do not insult me with your vile lies and obscene inventions.' The old man's staff crashed down. 'Our eyes and ears are everywhere. We have followed your every move.'
The priest gestured towards two grey-clad figures that had emerged from the bushes. They wore body armour and looked more like professional soldiers than the flamboyantly dressed warriors Tom had met the night before. He decided on a different approach.
'Could we perhaps go somewhere to discuss this delicate matter?'
'What could you possibly have to discuss with me?'
'Eclipses,' Tom said.
'What?'
'In my realm we can predict when the Lord Sun's countenance will be masked by Lady Moon.' He examined the old man's face. 'We can reach an agreement. I'll tell you about eclipses. You'll tell me about the realms and how to travel between them.'
The priest's hands toyed with his staff. Tom kept one eye on him and the other on the armed men. Finally, the old man spoke. 'Come, Tomas. Let us retire to the sacred grove.'
They crossed an expanse of unnaturally green grass and entered a path overhung with bushes. The path was neatly paved. The bushes were neatly trimmed. Not a single leaf was out of place. Tom felt a sense of revulsion. There was something obsessive about the tidiness of the place.
But it was not just a matter of aesthetics. There were suspicious stains on tree stumps and rocks. Tom was reminded of places where rooks and crows took mice and beat them into tasty morsels. These were on a bigger scale. They looked like places where much larger things had met their end. The old man stopped beneath an oak tree and placed a hand on the gnarled trunk.
'You said you could foretell the moment of our Lord's shame?'
'In my realm we do it to the nearest heart beat.'
Tom placed a finger on his pulse to emphasise the point.
The old man scrutinised him.
'What devices will we need?'
'Not much. A few sticks and lots of sums. I'll tell you about them.'
A look of deep suspicion crossed the priest's face.
'Will you bring the cat?'
'The cat?'
'The feline creature which brought you here. Do not pretend otherwise. We have followed your every move. We know you are the abomination that crosses realms to spread the cult of the Great She Whore.'
It occurred to Tom that the Duideth were as mystified by his arrival as he was. He lost interest in the old man and turned his attention to the two soldiers who had accompanied them into the grove. The priest signalled with his staff and they moved in on him.