Caine Black Knife

There is no way in which ogrilloi are not superior to humanity. Stronger. Faster. More loyal, more faithful. More honest and more courageous. True always to their own nature-

“Yeah, so are horses. Except horses don’t eat people.”

Nor do ogrilloi. Not anymore.

“Tell that to the Smoke Hunt.”

If only I had the chance.

My teeth found that raw spot on the inside of my lip. “The Smoke Hunt isn’t yours?”

Mine? How would you think it mine? Random slaughter is your style.

I couldn’t argue. If shit were gonna be simple, God would’ve called somebody else.

The Smoke Hunt is the worst thing that has happened to our operation. Pointless, useless, wasteful bloodshed. They accomplish only the spread of terror; they keep the Khryllians on the highest alert, and ensure the constant vigilance and militarization of the entire population. They are the enemy of the ogrilloi as much as they are of the Khryllians-the Smoke Hunt justifies the oppression of Hell. Not that they wouldn’t have their uses, if properly directed-

That spot on the inside of my lip was getting way too goddamn sore. “Orbek.”

Yes.

“It wasn’t just about me-Smoke Hunters carry the Black Knife clan sign-”

He was my best hope to get inside. After all, you trained him.

“Since you sicced Orbek on the Smoke Hunt, are Hunts up or down?”

Why?

“Just answer.”

Up.

“Nine Knights down-how many were yours? Or sympathizers?”

Four. Where are you going with this?

It was my turn to laugh. It didn’t come out sounding real humorous. “They’re Black Knives, you dumb cunt. You were using him. You think he wasn’t using you? Like you said: I trained him.”

We’re not going to get along until you start telling me what you know.

“Sometimes shit isn’t complicated,” I said. “You just have to be willing to accept the absolute fucking corruption of everybody involved.”

Silence.

Eventually: So where does this leave us?

I shrugged. “Let’s deal.”

Deal how?

“Play Cainist for a minute. Talk about what you want. Not what you told Deliann you’d do. What you really want.”

Why would I do that?

“You ever read Deliann’s book on me?”

I’m not literary.

“He has Ma’elKoth say that the only way to beat me is to keep me running in so many different directions I can’t focus. That to give me a clear view of my enemy is to hand me victory.”

So why would I give you a clear view?

“Because we’re not enemies.”

It warms me to hear you say so.

“Play straight with me and you maybe get something for it. Take the chance, Kier.”

I have trusted you before.

“And the truth of it is you came out pretty good. It’s not my fault shit went bad in the middle.” Which truth might have been stretched around a corner or two, but she let it go.

Slowly, like it hurt her to say: I want the Knights of Khryl and the rest of your vile feral slavers broken like you broke the Black Knives.

I nodded. “And you don’t care what happens to anybody else around here.”

Do any of them care about Folk?

“Some do. Some don’t. That’s not what we’re talking about.”

What are we talking about?

“I can help you. But you have to help me.”

There are limits to what I am willing to do.

“I’m not asking a lot.”

I’m listening.

“I know shit’s about to blow up here; what do we have, a week?”

Less. A revolution is an avalanche. Once you crack the crust, you can only ride it out or let it roll you under.

“Yeah. It’s more than just the grills and your local agents, right?”

Caine, please. However much we may pretend to trust each other, you can’t expect me to give you anything you can take to the Champion.

“Fair enough. But let me play clever little feral for a minute, huh? Your people have something going that’ll trigger a major crackdown on Hell-maybe even a minor massacre-which will make a really swell excuse for the full- scale invasion by, say, several divisions of the Ankhanan Army that Deliann has in concealed positions on the border, because he’s already been talking with the Lipkan Court about the Poor Oppressed Ogrilloi and the Nasty Oppressing Khryllians and how the Ankhanans Have No Territorial Ambitions, and after all Lipke’s still moderately cheesed with the Order for bailing on the Plains War, which means that Deliann can have this place fully invested on maybe two weeks’ notice.” I spread my hands. “How am I doing?”

Two weeks? You forget we have rail now. And steamboats.

“Yeah. I’m still not used to that. I bet the Khryllians aren’t, either.”

We’re counting on it. What price your help?

“Lay off the Smoke Hunt.”

The Whisper ratcheted down tighter. Ask for something else.

“That’s what I want.”

Aren’t you the man who used to say you can’t make a revolution without breaking heads?

“No,” I said. “I’m not. And I didn’t come here for your revolution.”

I thought freedom was a kind of religion with you-

“That’s the Cainists. Don’t confuse gospel with reality.”

What is the reality?

“A lot of people ask me that.”

I want you on my side, Caine. I have gone to considerable trouble-

“My heart’s pumping pisswater for your fucking trouble.”

Frustration twisted the Whisper into a hiss. Why is this so important to you?

I shrugged. “Orbek’s my brother. The Black Knives are my clan.”

Oh, please. Since when?

“I was adopted.”

You are the most preposterous, self-aggrandizing excuse for a-

“I’m serious about this, Kier. Remember what happens to people who hurt my family.”

A whole river of glass bells cascaded off that cliff. Your adopted ogrillo family!

“Kier.”

Glass kept tinkling. What?

“Faith is adopted.”