If so, then he was well pleased with the distinction.
And, true to his savagely clear vision of right and wrong, he would hold in his mind that scene-those starved faces, the liquid eyes that seemed to shine so bright he felt burned by their touch-hold to it when he faced Emperor Rhulad. When he then faced every Letherii and every Edur who chose to stand in his way.
So he had vowed, and so all would witness.
This cold thought held him motionless for another dozen heartbeats, then a second image returned to him. Icarium, the one they called Lifestealer.
He had been moments from breaking that Jhag’s neck.
And then he had seen in the ash-skinned face… something. And with it, recognition.
He would yield to Karsa. He had given his word, and Karsa now knew that would not be broken.
There was Jhag blood in this Icarium, but of that Karsa knew little. Father or mother a Jaghut; it hardly mattered which.
Yet the other parent. Father or mother. Well, he had seen enough in Icarium’s face to know that blood. To know it like the whisper of his very own.
Toblakai.
In his opulent office, Chancellor Triban Gnol slowly sat down with uncharacteristic caution. A dust-laden, sweat-and blood-stained Letherii soldier stood before him, Hanked on his right by Sirryn Kanar, whose return from the crypts had coincided with the arrival of this messenger.
Triban Gnol looked away from the exhausted soldier. He would call in the scrub-slaves afterwards, to wash down the floor where the man now stood; to scent the air once again with pine oil. Eyes on a lacquered box on the desktop before him, he asked, ‘How many did you come in with, (Corporal?’
‘Three others. And an Edur.’
Triban Gnol’s head snapped up. ‘Where is he now?’
‘Died not three steps into the Domicile’s grand entrance, sir.’
‘Indeed? Died?’
‘He was grievously wounded, sir. And I knew enough to prevent any healer reaching him in time. I moved close to help him as he staggered, and gave the arrow in his back a few twists, then a deeper push. He passed out with the pain of that, and as I caught him and lowered him to the floor, I closed my thumb upon the great artery in his neck. I was able to hold that grip for thirty or more heartbeats. That was more than the Edur could withstand.’
And you a mere corporal in my employ? I think not. Sirryn, after we are done here, draft a promotion for this man.’
‘Yes, Chancellor.’
And so,’ Triban Gnol resumed, ‘being of rank among the remaining Letherii, the responsibility for reporting fell to you.’
‘Yes sir.’
‘I need the names of the others.’
The corporal seemed to flinch. ‘Sir, without my soldiers, I would never have-’
‘I understand your loyalty, and I commend you. Alas, we must face this situation with a clear eye. We must recognize necessity. Those soldiers are not mine. Not like you.’
‘They are loyal, sir-’
‘To whom? To what? No, the risk is too great. I will grant you this gift, however.’ The Chancellor’s gaze flicked to Sirryn. ‘Quick and painless. No interrogation.’
Sirryn’s brows rose. ‘None?’
‘None.’
As you command, sir.’
The corporal licked his lips, and then, clearly forcing out the words, he said, ‘I thank you, sir.’
The Chancellor’s nod was distracted, his gaze once more on the gleaming box of Blackwood on his desk. ‘I would ask again,’ he said, ‘there was no indication of who they were? No formal declaration of war?’
‘Nothing like that at all, sir,’ the corporal replied. ‘Hundreds of burning ships-that was their declaration of war. And even then, they seemed… few. No army-no sign at all of the landing.’
‘Yet there was one.’
‘Errant fend, yes! Sir, I rode with twenty Letherii, veterans all, and six Tiste Edur of the Arapay. Edur magic or not, we were ambushed in a clearing behind an abandoned homestead. One moment-thinking to make our camp-we were reining in amidst the high grasses-alone
– and the next there was thunder and fire, and bodies fly
ing-flying, sir, through the air. Or just limbs. Pieces. And arrows hissing in the dusk.’
‘Yet your troop recovered.’
But the corporal shook his head. ‘The Edur commanding us-he knew that the news we were bringing to the capital
– that of the burning ships and the dead Tiste bodies on the roads-that news demanded that we disengage. As many of us as could fight clear. Sir, with the Edur in the lead, we bolted. Seven of us at first-they had killed the other five
Edur in the first breath of the attack-seven, then five.’
‘Did this enemy pursue?’ Triban Gnol asked in a quiet, thoughtful voice.
‘No sir. They had no horses-none that we saw in any case.’
The Chancellor simply nodded at that. Then asked, ‘Human?’
‘Yes sir. But not Letherii, not tribal either, from what we could see. Sir, they used crossbows, but not the small, weak fisher bows such as we use in the shallows during the carp run. No, these were weapons of blackened iron, with thick cords and quarrels that punched through armour and shield. I saw one of my soldiers knocked flat onto his back by one such quarrel, dead in the instant. And-’
He halted when Triban Gnol raised a perfectly manicured finger.
‘A moment, soldier. A moment. Something you said.’ The Chancellor looked up. ‘Five of the six Edur, killed at the very beginning of the ambush. And the discovery of Edur corpses on the roads leading in from the coast. No Letherii bodies on those roads?’
‘None that we found, sir, no.’
‘Yet the sixth Edur survived that initial strike in the glade-how?’
‘It must have seemed that he didn’t. The quarrel in his back, sir, the one that eventually killed him. He was sent tumbling from his saddle. I doubt any one expected him to rise again, to regain his mount-’
‘You saw all this with your own eyes?’
‘I did, sir.’
‘That quarrel-before or after the thunder and fire?’
The corporal frowned, then said, ‘Before. Just before-not even a blink from one to the next, I think. Yes, I am certain. He was the very first struck.’
‘Because he was clearly in command?’
‘I suppose so, sir.’
‘This thunder and fire, where did the sorcery strike first? Let me answer that for myself. In the midst of the remaining Edur.’
‘Yes sir.’
‘You may go now, soldier. Sirryn, remain with me a moment.’
As soon as the door closed Triban Gnol was’ on his feet. ‘Errant fend! A damned invasion! Against the Letherii Empire!’
‘Sounds more like against the Edur,’ Sirryn ventured.
The Chancellor glared across at him. ‘You damned fool. That is incidental-an interesting detail at most. Without true relevance. Sirryn, the Edur rule us-perhaps only in name, yes, but they are our occupiers. In our midst. Able to command Letherii forces as befits their need.’
He slammed a fist down on the table. The lacquered box jumped, the lid clattering free. Triban Gnol stared at what lay within. ‘We are at war,’ he said. ‘Not our war-not the one we planned for-no. War!’
‘We will crush these invaders, sir-’
‘Of course we will, once we meet their sorcery with our own. That too is not relevant.’
