There was something about his gentle sincerity that persuaded Joscelin that this man, unassuming though he might be, really was the god of his people. He sank to his knees, his grip loosening. "My lord... forgive me. This place has unsettled me and I did not think it possible. It should not be possible for me to meet you." Elua had not walked the land for more than a thousand years now.

He shook his head. "My family traces our line back to Shemhazai, but it has been much longer than that."