that Serap recounted. When she finished she saw the knuckles of his hands bloom white, and then, in a blur, the chair was sent across the small room. It collided with the heavy table and broke apart as if struck by a siege stone. The sound of the impact, the shattering and splintering of wood, hung in the air.
Serap felt driven back into her seat by the ferocity of Urusander’s fury. Struck silent, she made no move, not wanting to draw his attention in any way.
He was staring at the wreckage he had made. Without looking at her, he spoke in a low tone, ‘What else?’
She fought to speak evenly. ‘Sir, there are rumours. Deniers among the Hust Legion. Deniers among the Wardens of the Outer Reach. Deniers among the Borderswords. Even among the highborn. All who refuse the cult of Mother Dark. We face a religious war, sir, and we are compromised on all sides. We cannot even be sure if all this was not long in planning, from the rise of the Azathanai to the rebirth of the river god. What is undeniable is this: Mother Dark is weakened, and neither Draconus nor Anomander and his brothers nor even all the remaining — loyal — highborn and their Houseblades will be enough — not against a peasant uprising in the countryside, an uprising bolstered by the Hust, the Wardens and the Borderswords.’
‘I do not want this,’ Urusander whispered.
‘There is a way through this, sir.’
‘I am done with it, all of it.’ He glared at her. ‘ I do not want this! ’
Serap rose. ‘Commander, we both know well Captain Hunn Raal’s ambitions, and so we must always view his zeal with caution. But he is no fool and his loyalty to you is absolute. We are not as unprepared as you might fear.’
‘I know why he sent you,’ Urusander said, turning away. ‘Not Risp, with her bloodlust. Not Sevegg, who can’t think past her crotch.’
‘Kurald Galain needs you, sir. Kurald Galain needs the Legion. However, I am neither blind nor deaf. Name a successor to the command and-’
Urusander snorted, but it was a bitter sound, and then he said, ‘There is no one.’
‘Sir, it is as you have said many times: you have done your duty. You have found a new life, with new interests, and they are yours by right-’
‘Abyss knows they are that!’
‘Sir-’
‘I know Hunn Raal thinks me unmanned. He fears I have lost the necessary edge, that I am dulled by inactivity.’
‘He does not discuss his fears with me, sir. If he did, I would tell him, in no uncertain terms, that he is wrong.’
‘Save the flattery, Serap. He might well be right. I have hidden myself away here. I sought to make a new… a new… setting. For my — for me and my son. The Legion is behind me, where I left it, and there I wanted it to stay.’
‘Sir, about your son-’
‘He is gone. We argued…’ Urusander shook his head. ‘He is gone.’
‘It may be, sir, that you have underestimated him.’
‘I have made mistakes.’
‘I have a tale to tell you, then, about Osserc. About your son.’
He waved a dismissive hand. ‘Not now. You tell me there is a way through this.’ He faced her. ‘The highborn are not my enemy. I will not be the deliverer of civil war to Kurald Galain.’
‘We can win over the loyal highborn, sir.’
Urusander’s sneer was ugly. ‘By turning on Draconus.’
‘He is no friend of yours.’
‘He is the man Mother Dark loves.’
‘I doubt that, else she would marry him.’
‘If she did the highborn would surely rise and where would that put us? The Legion will defend Mother Dark. If this means defending Draconus too, then so be it. Thus: civil war.’
‘This must be the reason, then,’ said Serap, ‘why she does not marry him.’
‘Probably,’ Urusander growled. He bent down and picked up the back of the shattered chair. Fragments of the arms hung from it. ‘Wedding gift,’ he muttered, ‘these.’
‘They will accept a husband for Mother Dark, sir, but not from among their own. Someone from the outside, who curries no favours, who owes not one among them and would remain immune to their advances.’
‘Ridiculous.’
‘Mother Dark is not blind to expedience, sir. And if I may be so bold, neither are you. We stand in service to Mother Dark. We did so once, and now we shall do so again.’
He let the chair-back fragment fall to the floor, and then eyed her. ‘You say we are not unprepared.’
‘No sir, we are not.’
‘I must speak with Mother Dark, before I do anything else.’
‘Sir, forgive me, but there may not be time. That said, sir, I am at your disposal.’
‘I was going to send you after my son.’
‘I think it best we let him alone. For a time.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The tale I spoke of earlier, sir. Will you hear it now?’
He strode to the doorway. ‘Walk with me, Serap. The air is too close in here and I need the feel of light upon my face.’
‘Of course, sir.’
‘Speak to me, then, of my son.’
The sound of many horses reached Gurren as he was shovelling coal, and upon hearing the mounts drawing up on the street in front of his house, he dropped the shovel, dusted his blackened hands, and made his way towards the side passage.
He was halfway along when he saw the soldiers, at least a dozen, and among them two Legion healers. Coming to the corner he saw that Witch Hale had emerged from the house and stood blocking the front door. Gurren pushed between a pair of soldiers. One of the healers moved close to Hale and the two began talking.
An officer spoke to Gurren. ‘Old Smith, forgive us this intrusion-’
‘I might,’ he said, ‘or I might not.’
‘Lord Urusander sent us, sir-’
‘Don’t “sir” me.’
‘My apologies. I did not mean to imply rank, only respect.’ Gurren’s eyes narrowed. The officer went on. ‘Your daughter has suffered injuries.’
‘Witch Hale’s seen to them.’
‘Lord Urusander holds the utmost regard for Witch Hale,’ the officer replied. ‘But our Legion healers are trained in the mending of bones and the purging of infection. Cutter Aras, who speaks with the witch, apprenticed under Ilgast Rend. They have discovered sorceries-’
‘As you say,’ Gurren interrupted, and then he moved past the officer, walking over to where stood Hale and Aras. Ignoring the Legion cutter, Gurren edged close to Hale. ‘You can tell ’em to all go away, witch.’
The woman shook her head. ‘You stubborn whorespawn, Gurren. You ain’t been listening. This is Denul he’s talking about here. If Ilgast Rend had made it to your wife before her last blessed breath, she’d still be alive. The cutter says he can mend the broken bones and even save her eye. The cutter can give her back her future, Gurren, so wipe that miserable scowl off your face and let ’em inside.’
Gurren stepped back. Numb, he nodded at Aras. The man quickly slipped past, followed by the second Legion healer.
Witch Hale said, ‘And listen to me. Your rotted lungs — might be Aras can-’
‘No. I’m going to my wife.’
‘And you’ll just up and leave Renarr all alone?’
‘She’s known it was coming. My girl’s got protection now. Legion protection. I’m going to my wife.’
