cloth.’
‘I am thus reassured,’ said Sirendor. ‘I trust I looked my best.’
‘Well there wasn’t much blood or anything, except what you coughed up when you were dying.’
‘Can we leave this until later?’ said Sol.
‘Sorry,’ said Hirad.
‘Me too,’ said Sirendor.
‘You’ve ruined my moment,’ said Sol. ‘Forget it.’
‘No,’ said Hirad. ‘Go on.’
Denser leaned forward. ‘I do not believe you are seriously entertaining this prospect.’
‘Why wouldn’t I?’
‘Because it is preposterous and the ultimate act of selfishness on the part of the dead to demand you kill yourself to save them.’
‘But if it is the only way to save the Balaian people? My people?’
‘If. Yes. If.’ Denser sipped at his wine. ‘And I say what I am about to say with due deference to all the quite unbelievable things I’ve seen and places I’ve been with The Raven. Isn’t this just a little bit far-fetched? ’
‘You’re joking, right?’ asked Hirad. ‘A load of dead people walking about and Calaius evacuated and destroyed being normal business, I suppose?’
‘No, Hirad, I’m not joking.’ Denser pulled his skullcap off his head and rubbed a hand through his close- cropped grey hair. ‘Look, I’m not playing down the threat we face. I’m not pretending the situation isn’t desperate. But you’re expecting Sol, The Unknown Warrior and King of Balaia, might I remind you, to follow you into the Wesman Heartlands and commit suicide to open a gate to somewhere so you can head somewhere else and open a gate back? It’s madness.’
‘It’s the only possible solution,’ said Ilkar.
‘It quite clearly is not,’ said Denser.
‘Your solution will lead to our annihilation,’ said Hirad sharply.
‘Big word, barbarian. Who taught you that one?’
Sol was out of his chair and between them before a blow could be landed. He felt a perverse sense of comfort and satisfaction.
‘That’s what I was thinking about. Real Rookery debate.’ He allowed the smile to leave his face. ‘Now sit down, both of you.’
Denser threw up his hands and sat heavily. ‘It wouldn’t be so bad, Sol, but they are offering you no choice, no alternative. This is blind faith at best. It was never the way we did things.’
‘Oh, you misunderstand,’ said Sol. ‘It was always the way we did things. The Raven’s way was trust even in the face of ridicule. Nothing has changed bar the fact that there is no chance I will survive versus a very slim chance.’
‘But isn’t that it? We always believed that somehow we would escape and survive.’
‘I’m not sure that’s true either,’ said Sol. ‘I had no thought that we would survive the demons. I was certain we’d be trapped there, weren’t you?’
‘But there was always the tiniest chance,’ said Denser.
‘All right, you’ve made your point. Now I want to speak. It is me after all who is being asked to die in this rather inglorious manner.’
‘Could be Denser,’ said Ilkar, his eyes twinkling. ‘Any man of free will can make the sacrifice.’
Denser scoffed. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Neither did I,’ said Hirad.
‘The thing is, Denser,’ said Sol, beginning loudly before letting his voice drop a little. ‘The thing is, that there was never really any hope of surviving this one, was there? And so any chance to save Balaia’s living and dead must be taken. However small and however far-fetched it may appear.
‘When we were at our best, it was in pretending that the only option open was in any case the best one and that others would present themselves if needed. But we never had choice, not really. There was never the option to stand aside and let someone else do it because there was no one else. And it is the same now.
‘I am king, you are right. And as king I am responsible for all the people of Balaia. Right now they are being slaughtered, and I don’t see that we can defend against this enemy. That means we have to go elsewhere to live. It’s something you have to learn, Denser. Sometimes you cannot win. And you have to choose the next best option. In this case, survival.’
Denser slapped his hands on the table. ‘But you won’t survive, Sol. Win or lose, you’ll already be dead.’
‘But if by my death others live, that is enough. If I can save my wife and sons by this action I will do it in a heartbeat, don’t you see that? Wouldn’t you do the same?’
Denser’s shoulders sagged. ‘Well, yes. But I’d have to believe. Do you believe?’
‘When The Raven assure me that something must be done, I believe them. When that assertion is backed up by Auum, I believe them even more. But when I’ve been to the place where we must go, where we can fight the Garonin if we must, there is no room for doubt in my heart.’
‘Yes. You’ve been there. And come back. Alive. Why not again?’
‘Because the Garonin are not going to take me there again.’ Sol finally sat down again. ‘Denser, if I face the Garonin here again, I will die. If I am to fight them and help my people live, I need to take the chance to even the odds.
‘It just makes perfect sense. In Ulandeneth you can do anything you believe you can, I’m certain of it. And who else to travel with but those in whom I believe the most. The Raven. I wish you’d come but I understand if you feel you can’t. Decision’s made, my dear friend and Lord of the Mount. I will do this thing and we will prevail.
‘Denser. Denser, look at me. Thank you. I respect your objections. Gods drowning, I love you for your caution and your pragmatism. But the time for both has passed. And I need you to support us in what we are about to do. You may be Lord of the Mount now but you are still Raven. In spirit it may be but we need you with us. What say you?’
Denser studied his wine goblet and sucked his bottom lip. When he looked up, he was shaking his head.
‘I cannot,’ he said. ‘I cannot because you are my friend and I think you’re making a colossal error. And because you are king and first warrior, and your people need you to stand with them, not disappear off to converse with Wesman Shamen. And because your head is turned by the thought of fighting with The Raven one more time. Only it won’t be how you remember. How does a soul fight, do you think? I’m sorry, Sol, but I can do nothing but repeat my strong objections. I can’t let you do this.’
‘Can’t?’ said Hirad. ‘Exactly how are you going to stop him?’
Denser said nothing. He sipped at his wine and stared out of the window.
The Raven quartet descended the long spiral stairway in silence. They found nothing to say as they walked across the floor of the tower complex and out into the warm of the morning sun.
‘Fancy a walk, anyone?’ asked Ilkar.
‘Not if it’s like the last one we took,’ said Hirad. ‘How is dear Selik, by the way?’
‘Raging in his cell. We’re wondering whether to put him out of his misery and let another soul take the body.’
‘Pointless now, I should think,’ said Ilkar. ‘No one else is going to make it here now. The void will have taken them all. We just can’t hang on to anything without a body and the dead dimension is utterly destroyed. We can feel it. Let him rot.’
‘I’ll put your opinion to the Circle Seven,’ said Sol. ‘Look, I really need to go and talk to my wife and children. Stop by later, why don’t you? Pick up the pieces of my teeth perhaps.’
‘She’ll understand, Unknown,’ said Hirad.
‘Don’t be stupid, Hirad. She will neither understand nor accept it. And neither should she.’ Sol tried a smile but it didn’t come off. ‘See you later. Don’t drift too far; I know how much it hurts.’
Ilkar, Sirendor and Hirad watched him go before a shrug from the latter and a point towards the eastern quarter of the city sent them on their way. Just beyond the apron outside the gates of the college Ilkar saw, through the passing hubbub of a nervous day on The Thread, three figures detach themselves from the shadows ahead. He touched Hirad’s arm.
‘Seen them,’ said Hirad.
