Return of the Crimson Guard

swordsman. ‘It is of no use!’

‘Go,’ Traveller said. ‘I will deal with all of these and their masters as well.’

‘There is no need!’ Ereko was fairly weeping.

‘They came between myself and my vengeance.’

‘Traveller!’ Kyle called sharply.

The dark-skinned swordsman pulled his gaze from the relentless advance of the soldiers. He glanced to Kyle, puzzled, ‘Yes?’

‘Your vengeance is elsewhere, isn't it?’

A hand rose from his sword grip to massage his brow. He clenched his eyes shut, pinching them.

‘Well?’

The front ranks of soldiers met and trampled the body of Jhest. They drew their weapons in a clash of iron that echoed all up and down the treeline. Traveller allowed Ereko to drag him backwards into the surf. ‘Yes. Elsewhere…’ he murmured, sounding confused.

The waves buoyed them, darkening Traveller's leathers. Ereko continued pulling the man backwards. Kyle forced himself out against the waves. Glancing back, his chest clenched at the sight of the statue-like soldiers marching on, not even hesitating, to push into the surf. ‘Don't stop!’

The cousins reached for them over the side of the Kite, Ereko slapped their hands aside. ‘Trim the sail!’

Springing up, Kyle grasped hold of a rope. Ereko had an arm around Traveller who still held his head, his eyes closed. The sail snapped, filling. The Kite pulled on Kyle. Behind them the soldiers marched on, disappearing beneath the waves rank after rank. Hanging from the side, Kyle could not help but raise his legs as tightly as he could from the water.

Impatient strikes on the tunnel wall next to his alcove brought Ho from his meal of stewed vegetables and unleavened bread. He swept aside the rag hanging across the opening, a retort on his lips, to meet no one. Peering down he found the bent double shape of Su, an aged Wickan witch whom gossip in the tunnels had as once member of the highest circles of tribal councils. ‘What is it, Su?’

She closed her dark knotted hands on a walking stick no longer than his foreleg. Her fingers were twisted by the swelling of the joints that afflicts the aged — those who cannot afford the Denul treatments or have access to them — and she cocked her head to examine him with one eye black and beady like the proverbial crow's. ‘Just thought you might want to know. They caught those two newcomers. The Malazan spies. Caught them poking around down at the excavation. I do believe Yath intends to kill them.’

Ho started, shocked. ‘Kill them? How in Togg's teats is he to manage that? Talk them to death?’

A cackle. ‘Ha! That's a good one. I don't know how. But he does intend to introduce them to our guest down below.’

Introduce them? Sweet Soliel, no. Who knows what might become of that? ‘I'll get my things. Many thanks, Su.’

‘Oh, I'm coming with you.’

At the tunnel he paused, pulled on his jerkin and sandals. ‘I'm rather in a hurry.’

The Wickan witch was tapping her way along the uneven tunnel. She waved a hand contemptuously. ‘Faugh! There's no rush. You know how these things go. Everyone has a stick to throw on to the fire. They'll be talking through the night watch.’

They came to the broad main gallery and Ho was surprised to find it nearly deserted. ‘Where is everyone?’

Su jabbed her stick to the beaten earth floor. ‘Didn't I just tell you, fool? They're down below!’

Slowly walking along, down a side gallery, Ho tucked his hands into the sash he used to hold up his old worn pantaloons, so loose after he'd lost so much weight. ‘And no one came to tell me…’

‘I came! Thank you very much!’

‘Other than you, Su.’

She leaned heavily on her stick, a bit out of breath. ‘Poor Ho. You really didn't think that you could simply stand aside, did you? Yath has been whispering against you for years! Undermining you constantly! Haven't you noticed?’

A shrug. ‘No…’

‘Bah! You blind idiot! Not much of an infighter, are you…’ She sighed. ‘Ah well, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. I suppose I'll just have to work with the material the Gods have mockingly cursed me with.’

Ho stopped short. ‘Your innuendo and vague pronouncements might impress the others, Su, but I have no time for them.’ The witch caught up with him, peered aside.

‘Oho! Some spirit! There's one segment of spine left in there after all!’

Ho refrained from commenting that she, of all people, should not talk about spines. He collected a full lamp from a nearby alcove and lit it from another, then crossed to a steeply sloped side tunnel complete with guide-rope. He led while Su huffed and puffed her way down behind. Small stones they kicked loose bounced and rattled down the slope until so distant their noise was lost in the dark. Hot, humid air wafted up the tunnel in a steady stream, licking at the lamp flame. ‘All right,’ Ho finally announced, ‘what did you mean by that comment?’

A cackle from the dark above. ‘Ha! Takes you longer than anyone to admit you're human just like the rest of us, doesn't it? Makes perfect sense! Ha!’

Ho slowed his descent. Was the hag merely casting darts into the dark? Yet every one falls just that degree of uncomfortably close… ‘I've no idea what you're talking about.’

The stick echoed from the dirt behind. ‘Oh, come, come! The ore inhibits any new castings but the old remain! I… smell… you, Ho.’

Queen, no. He froze. ‘Unkind, Su. Precious little water down here, after all.’

The crone's long face loomed into the guttering lamplight. The flame danced in her black eyes; she leered conspiratorially. ‘I smell the old ritual on you, magus. The forbidden one. How did you manage it? Everyone thinks it lost.’

And so it must remain. He pulled away, descending. ‘I've no idea what you're talking about.’

‘Very well! Be that way. It seems trust is in as short a supply down here as initiative. I don't begrudge you your caution. But you could end the farce below should you wish. Just bring forth a fraction of what sleeps within, magus. I believe it is possible despite the ore.’

Possible! Aye, it may well be possible — bringing madness with it! And I have a strong aversion to madness, witch. Very strong.

After a long gentle curve and another long descent the narrow tunnel met a natural cavern, its floor levelled by dirt that Ho knew had been excavated from elsewhere further within. Its walls rose serried like the teeth of a comb, climbing in teardrop shape to an apex lost in the dark. A knot of men and women, a selection of the Pit's inmates, filled the floor. Lamps on tall poles lit the gathering in a dim gold light. Without slowing down Su pushed her way through the crowd, elbows jabbing and stick poking. ‘Out of the way, fools!’ she hissed.

Ho, following, squeezed past, nodding to inmates he knew who glared, holding shins and sides. ‘Sorry.’

Broaching the front he found the two newcomers, Treat and Grief, surrounded by a gang of the more hale men armed with spears. Both looked healthy and, if anything, bored by the proceedings. Grief especially radiated contempt, standing with arms crossed and mouth crooked as if ready to laugh. Yath and Sessin stood nearby. Catching sight of Ho, Yath pointed his staff. ‘Here he is! Of course he has come. Their Malazan confederate. We'll deal with you next, Ho.’

‘Confederate?’

‘You have been seen on many occasions secretly meeting with these two spies. Do you deny it?’

Ho scratched his scalp, shrugging. ‘Well, we've talked, yes. I've talked with everyone here at one time or another.’

‘Brilliant,’ Su muttered under her breath. ‘What are you doing here, Yath?’ she barked. ‘Is this a court? What are the charges? Under whose authority are you empowered?’

Yath stamped his staff on the soft ground. ‘Quiet, witch!’