«Herself? It's a woman?»
«It was. Damned if I know what it is now. All I get from it is sadness.»
The healer met Paran's eyes. «It's the saddest thing I've ever known, sir.»
Paran studied the man's face briefly, then he rose. «I'm not going to give you an order on what to do, Healer.»
«But?»
«But, for what it's worth, I say do it. Give it what it needs so it can do what it wants to do.»
Mallet puffed out his cheeks, then tossed down the twig and straightened. «My instinct, too, sir. Thanks.»
Kalam spoke loudly from the glade. «Far enough. Show yourselves.»
The two men spun around to see Kalam looking into the woods to their left. Paran grasped Mallet's arm and pulled him into the shadows.
The healer dragged Sorry with them.
Two figures entered the glade, a woman and a man.
Crokus snaked closer through the vines and mulch of the forest floor. For an off-limits garden, this was a busy tangle of wood. The voices he'd heard in his search for Apsalar now revealed themselves as two men and one silver-masked woman. All three were looking at an odd, blurry tree stump in the centre of the glade. Slowly Crokus let out a breath. One of the men was Rallick Nom.
«There is ill in this,» the woman said, stepping back. «A hunger.»
The large black-skinned man at her side grunted. «Wouldn't argue with you on that, Guild Master. Whatever it is, it ain't Malazan.»
The thief's eyes widened. Malazan spies? Guild Master? Vorcan!
Seemingly impervious to the strangeness around her, the woman now turned to Rallick. «How does it affect you, Rallick?»
«It doesn't,» he said.
«Approach it, then.»
The assassin shrugged and walked up to the writhing, knotted block.
Its blurred movement stopped.
Vorcan relaxed. «You seem to damage its efforts, Rallick. Curious.»
The man grunted. «Otataral dust.»
«What?»
«I rubbed it into my skin.»
Vorcan stared.
The other man's eyes narrowed on Rallick. «I remember you, Assassin. Our quarry when we first sought to make contact. The night of the ambush from above.»
Rallick nodded.
«Well,» the Malazan continued, «I'm surprised you survived.»
«He is a man of many surprises,» Vorcan said. «Very well, Corporal Kalam of the Bridgeburners, your request for an audience reached me and I have granted it. Before we begin, however, I would appreciate it if the rest of your party were to join us.» She turned to the trees on her right.
Crokus's head was already reeling-Bridgeburners! — but it felt moments away from bursting when he saw two men emerge from the shadows, with Apsalar between them. She looked drugged, and her eyes were closed.
One of the men said, «Guild Master, I am Captain Paran of the Ninth Squad.» He drew a deep breath, then continued, «In this matter, however, Kalam speaks for the Empire.»
Vorcan turned back to the black man. «Then the audience is begun.»
«We both know, Guild Master, that the City Council is not Darujhistan's true power base. And since you're not, either, we've concluded that the city's mages operate covertly, keeping the status quo intact being their overriding interest. Whoever they are, they're good at hiding themselves. Now, we might just decide to kill every mage in Darujhistan, but that would take too long, and it might prove messy.
«Instead, Guild Master, the Malazan Empire has issued a contract on Darujhistan's true rulers. One hundred thousand gold jakatas. Each.
«More, the Empress offers the mantle of the city's control, accompanied with the title High First and all the privileges that come with it.» He crossed his arms.
Vorcan was silent, then she said, «Empress Laseen is willing to pay nine hundred thousand jakatas to me?»
«If that's the number. Yes,» Kalam agreed.
«The T'orrud Cabal is a powerful force, Corporal. But before I answer, I would know of the creature who approaches from the east.» Her face tightened fractionally. «Five dragons opposed it for a time, presumably hailing from Moon's Spawn. I assume that Master Baruk and his Cabal have sealed an agreement with the Son of Darkness.»
Kalam looked stunned, then recovered quickly. «Guild Master, the approaching force was not of our making. We'd welcome its destruction at the hands of the Son of Darkness. As for your hidden question, I would assume that the alliance between the Tiste And? and the Cabal will become void with the death of the cabal's members. We're not asking you to try to kill the Lord of Moon's Spawn.»
Paran cleared his throat. «Guild Master, Moon's Spawn and the Malazan Empire have clashed before. The pattern indicates that the Son of Darkness is likely to retreat rather than stand against us alone.»
«Accurate,» Vorcan agreed. «Corporal Kalam, I have no wish to waste the lives of my assassins on such an effort. Only an assassin who is a High Mage could hope to succeed. Therefore, I accept the contract. I will conduct the assassinations. Now, as to the matter of payment:»
«Delivered by Warren upon completion of the contract,» Kalam said. «You may know this already, Guild Master, but the Empress was once an assassin. She abides by the rules of conduct. The gold shall be paid. The title and rule of Darujhistan given without hesitation.»
«Accepted, Corporal Kalam.» Vorcan turned to Rallick. «I begin immediately. Rallick Nom, the task I now give you is vital. I have considered your strange ability to negate the growth of this: ill thing. My instincts are such: it must not be permitted to continue growing. You will remain here, thus holding it in stasis.»
«For how long?» he growled.
«Until my return. At that time I will test its defences. Oh, and one more thing: Ocelot's actions were not sanctioned by the Guild. Executing him fulfilled the Guild's judgement as to fit punishment. Thank you, Rallick Nom. The Guild is pleased.»
Rallick walked over to the strange stump and sat down on it.
«Until later,» Vorcan said, and strode from the glade.
Crokus watched as the three Malazan spies gathered for a whispered discussion. Then one of the men grasped Apsalar's arm and gently guided her into the woods, making for the rear wall. The remaining two, Captain Paran and Corporal Kalam, glanced over at Rallick.
The assassin's head was in his hands, his elbows on his thighs, staring gloomily at the ground.
Kalam hissed a sigh through his teeth and shook his head. A moment later both men left, in the direction of the terrace.
Crokus hesitated, a part of him wanting to rush into the glade and confront Rallick. Assassinate the mages! Hand Darujhistan to the Malazans? How could the man allow such a thing to happen? He did not move, however, a fear growing inside him that he, in truth, knew nothing of this man. Would the assassin listen to him? Or would he answer Crokus with a knife in the throat? Crokus didn't feel like taking chance.
In the last minute Rallick had not moved. Then he rose, turned directly to where Crokus lay hidden.
The thief groaned.
Rallick beckoned.
Slowly, Crokus approached.
«You hide well,» Rallick said. «And you were lucky Vorcan kept her mask on-she couldn't see much out of it. You heard, then?»
Crokus nodded, his eyes drawn to what he'd called a tree stump in spite of himself. It looked more like a small wooden house. The pocks on its sides could well have been windows. Unlike Vorcan, he sensed not hunger but a kind of urgency, almost frustration.
«Before you condemn me, listen carefully, Crokus.»
The thief dragged his attentioh from the wooden block. «I'm listening.»
«Baruk may yet be at the party. You must find him, tell him exactly what's happened. Tell him Vorcan is a High Mage-and she'll kill them all unless they gather to defend each other.» The assassin reached out a hand to Crokus's shoulder. The boy flinched, his eyes wary. «And if Baruk has gone home, find Mammot. I saw him here not long ago. He wears the mask of a tusked beast.»
«Uncle Mammot? But he's-»
«He's a High Priest of D'riss, Crokus, and a member of the T'orrud Cabal. Now, hurry. There's no time to waste.»
«You mean you're going to stay here, Rallick? just sit there on that: that stump?»
The assassin's grip tightened. «Vorcan spoke true, lad. Whatever this thing is, it seems I can hold it in check. Baruk needs to know of this conjuring. I trust his senses more than I do Vorcan's, but for now I will obey her in this.»
For a moment Crokus resisted, his thoughts on Apsalar. They'd done something to her, he was certain-and if they'd harmed her, he'd make them pay. But: Uncle Mammot? Vorcan was planning to kill his uncle? The thief's eyes hardened as he looked up at Rallick. «Consider it done,» he said.
At that instant, a roar of rage and agony, coming from the terrace, shook the trees. The block of wood behind them responded with a burst of bright yellow fire, its roots writhing and swelling like groping fingers.
Rallick pushed Crokus hard then whirled and dived on to the block.
The yellow fire winked out and cracks opened in the earth, spreading in all directions. «Go!» yelled Rallick.
The thief, his heart hammering, turned and sprinted for Lady Sinital's estate.
angrily Baruk's hand snapped out and yanked savagely on the bell cord. Above him, he heard the wagoner cry out. The carriage skidded to a halt.
«Something's happened,» he hissed to Rake. «We left too early, dammit!»
He moved on the seat to the window and opened its shutters.
«A moment, Alchemist,» Rake said levelly, his brows knitted and his head cocked as if listening for something. «The Tyrant,» he pronounced. «But he is weakened, and enough mages remain to deal with him.» He opened his mouth to add something, then shut it again. His eyes deepened to azure as he studied the alchemist. «Baruk,» he said quietly,» return to your estate. Prepare for the Empire's next move-we'll not have long to wait.»
Baruk stared at the Tiste And?. «Tell me what's happening?» he said y. «Will you challenge the Tyrant or not?»
