‘Don’t forget scholar,’ Tehol observed, ‘which most would hold cancels out all the others. Even wife.’
‘Why,’ said Bugg, ‘now your lessons will never end.’
Another moment of silence, as everyone considered all this.
Then Tehol stirred on his throne. ‘There’s always Rucket! She’d make a fine First Concubine! Goodness, how the blessings flow over.’
Janath said, ‘Careful you don’t drown, Tehol.’
‘Bugg would never let that happen, sweetness. Oh, since we’re discussing important matters before the Adjunct arrives to say goodbye, I was thinking that Preda Varat Taun needs an able Finadd to assist his reconstruction efforts and all that.’
Brys straightened. Finally, they were getting to genuine subjects. ‘Who did you have in mind?’
‘Why, none other than Ublala Pung!’
Bugg said, ‘I’m going for a walk.’
Using an iron bar as a lever, Seren Pedac struggled with the heavy pavestones at the entrance to her house. Sweat glistened on her bared arms and her hair had come loose from its ties-she would get it cut short soon. As befitted her life now.
But on this morning, this task remained before her, and she set about it with unrelenting diligence, using her body without regard to the consequences. Prying loose the heavy stones, dragging and pushing them to one side with scraped and bleeding hands.
Once done, she would take a shovel to the underfill, as far down as she could manage.
For the moment, however, the centre stone was defeating her, and she feared she would not have the strength to move it.
‘Pardon my intrusion,’ said a man’s voice, ‘but it looks as if you need help.’
She looked up from where she leaned on the bar. Squinted sceptically. ‘Not sure you want to risk that, sir,’ she said to the old man, and then fell silent. He had a mason’s wrists, with large, well-worked hands. She wiped sweat from her brow and frowned down at the pavestone. ‘I know, this must look… unusual. Where everywhere else in the city people are putting things back, here I am…’
The old man approached. ‘Not in the least, Acquitor-you were an Acquitor, were you not?’
‘Uh, yes. I was. Not any more. I’m Seren Pedac’
‘No, not in the least, then, Seren Pedac’
She gestured at the centre stone. ‘This one defeats me, I’m afraid.’
‘Not for long, I suspect, no matter what. You seem very determined.’
She smiled, and was startled by how odd it felt. When had she last smiled-no, she would not think back to that.
‘But you should be careful,’ the old man continued. ‘Here, let me try.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, stepping back to give him room.
The old man promptly bent the bar.
She stared.
Cursing, he set it aside, then crouched down to dig his fingers into one side of the enormous stone block.
And pulled it into its edge, then, hands going out to the sides, he lifted it with a grunt, pivoted, staggered two steps, and laid it down atop the others. He straightened, brushing dust from his hands. ‘Hire a couple of young men to put it back when you’re done.’
‘How-no, well. But. How do you know I intend to put it back?’
He glanced across at her. ‘Do not grieve overlong, Seren Pedac. You are needed. Your life is needed.’
And then he bowed to her and left.
She stared after him.
She needed to go inside now, to collect the stone spear and his sword, to bury the weapons beneath the threshold of her home, her terribly empty home.
Yet still she hesitated.
And the old man suddenly returned. ‘I found the Errant,’ he said. ‘We had much to… discuss. It is how I learned of you, and of what happened.’
What? Is he addled, then? One of the Errant’s new zealots? She made to turn away-
‘No, wait! Seren Pedac. You have all there is of him, all that’s left. Cherish it, please. Seren Pedac, cherish it. And yourself. Please.’
And, as he walked away, it was as if his words had blessed her in some unaccountable way.
‘You have all there is of me, all that’s left…’
Unconsciously, her hand lifted to settle on her stomach.
Before too long, she would be doing a lot of that.
This ends the seventh tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Glossary
Acquitor: a sanctioned position as guide/factor when dealing with non-Letherii people
Ahkrata: a Barghast tribe
Andara: temple of the cult of the Black-Winged Lord
Arapay: the easternmost tribe of Tiste Edur
Artisan Battalion: a military unit in Lether
Atri-Preda: military commander who governs a city, town or territory
Awl: a town in Lether. Also the name of a tribe
Awl’dan: grasslands east of Drene
Barahn: a Barghast tribe
Barghast: pastoral nomadic warrior people
Bast Fulmar: battle site
Beneda: a Tiste Edur tribe
Blue Style Steel: a Letherii steel once used for weapons
Bluerose: a subjugated nation in Lether
Bluerose Battalion: a military unit in Lether
Caladara whip: an Awl weapon
Cabil: an archipelago nation south of Perish
Ceda: a High Mage of the Letherii Empire
Cedance: a chamber of tiles representing the Holds, in Letheras
Crimson Rampant Brigade: a military unit in Lether
Den-Ratha: a Tiste Edur tribe
Docks: coin of Lether
Down Markets: a district in Letheras Drene: a Lether city east of Bluerose
Emlava: a sabre-toothed cat
Eternal Domicile: seat of Lether Emperor
Faraed: a subjugated people of Lether
Fent: a subjugated people of Lether
Finadd: equivalent of captain in the Letherii military
Froth Wolf: Adjunct Tavore’s command ship
Gilani: tribe in Seven Cities
Gilk: a Barghast tribe
Harridict Brigade: a Lether military unit
Hiroth: a Tiste Edur tribe
