As the ruined, lifeless remnant that had once been Seerdomin was flung to one side, Salind prepared to resume her attack, at last upon the Redeemer himself-
The god who had once been Itkovian-silent, wondering witness to a defence of unimaginable courage-now lifted his head. He.could feel a presence. More than one. A mother. A son. Apart for so long, and now they were entwined in ways too mysterious, too ineffable, to grasp. And then, in a flood, he was made to comprehend the truth of gifts, the truth of redemption. He gasped.
‘I am… shown. I am shown…’
And down he marched to meet her.
‘Thank you, Anomander Rake, for this unexpected gift. My hidden friend. And… fare you well.’
The Redeemer, on his barrow of worthless wealth, need not stand outside, need not face Darkness. No, he could walk forward now, into that realm.
Down through the thinning, watery rain to where she stood, uncertain, trem-bling, on the very edge of abandonment.
He took Salind into his embrace.
And, holding her close, he spoke these words:
Against this, the Dying God had no defence. In this embrace, the Dying God came to believe that he had not marched to the Redeemer, but that the Redeemer had summoned him. An invitation he could not have seen, nor recognized. To heal what none other could heal.
Here in this pure Darkness. At the very Gate of Mother Dark, there was, in fact, no other possible place for rebirth.
The Dying God simply…
And Salind, why, she felt soft in his arms.
The Redeemer leaves judgement to others. This frees him, you see, to cleanse all.
And the water is clear between them.
The ashes drifted down upon a still, silent scene. The legions of chaos were gone from Dragnipur, their quarry vanished. The wagon stood motionless, riven with fissures. Draconus looked round and he could see how few of the Chained were left. So many obliterated, devoured. His gaze settled for a moment upon the patch of ground where the demon Pearl had made its stand, where it had fallen, defiant to the very end.
He saw the soldier named Iskar Jarak, sitting astride his horse and staring up at the place where Anomander Rake had been, there on top of the now motionless, si lent bodies-not one of whom bore any remnant of the vast tattoo.
Draconus walked up to stand beside him. ‘You knew him, didn’t you?’
Iskar Jarak nodded. ‘He called me a friend.’
Draconus sighed. ‘I wish I could say the same. I wish… I wish I could have known him better than I did.’ He heard someone approaching and turned to see Hood. ‘Lord of Death, now what? We remain chained; we cannot leave as did the Bridgeburners and the Grey Swords. There are too few of us to pull the wagon, even had we anywhere to go. I see, I understand what Rake has done, and I do not hold him any ill will. But now, I find myself wishing I had joined the others. To find an end to this-’
Iskar Jarak grunted and then said, ‘You spoke true, Draconus, when you said you did not know him well.’
Draconus scowled. ‘What do you mean?’
‘He means,’ said Hood, ‘we now come to the final act in this bargain. He has been true to his word, but now what comes is out of his hands. He wrought a promise, yes, but will that suffice?’
‘Shame on you, Hood,’ said Iskar Jarak, gathering up the reins. ‘There is not a fool out there who would betray the Son of Darkness, not in this, not even now-though he has left us, though he has returned to his Mother’s realm.’
‘You chastise me, Iskar Jarak?’
‘I do.’
The Jaghut snorted. ‘Accepted,’ he said.
Barathol sat on the cobbles, feeling as if every bone in his body was fractured, as if every muscle was bruised. He wanted to throw up, but struggled against the im-pulse, lest the convulsions kill him. He glanced yet again at that sprawled corpse with the sword embedded in its face and skull. He could see the broad, deep punc-ture wounds on one thigh, where the Hound had picked it up. No blood leaked from them.
Antsy came over and crouched down. ‘Look at what we run into here. There’s beast blood everywhere, and you, y’damned idiot, you stood down one of them monsters-with a damned axe!’
‘Help me up, will you?’
Antsy stared, then sighed. ‘We’d need the ox for that-you’re big as a bhederin. Fine, I’ll squat here and you try using me like I was a ladder, but don’t blame me if my knees buckle.’
Another carriage had drawn up a short time earlier, and before it stood the High Alchemist Baruk-the one who’d turned them away-and beside him a warrior with Barghast blood, an enormous hammer strapped to his back. This one walked up to stare down at the dead Tiste Andii.
Barathol pulled himself upright, Antsy grunting under his weight, and then straightened with a soft word of thanks. He glanced over to study the others still remaining. The Toblakai warrior and the woman who seemed to be his companion. The two other Toblakai, young women-possibly even children-who might have been sisters, and a large dog bearing more scars than seemed possible. Great Ravens still lined the roof edges, or huddled like black, demonic gnomes on the street itself, silent as wraiths.
The dawn’s golden sunlight streamed through the smoke hanging over the city, and he could hear nothing of the normal wakening bustle that should have already begun filling Darujhistan’s streets.
Beyond this immediate gathering, others were appearing. Citizens, guards, blank-faced and empty of words, numb as refugees, none drawing too close but seemingly unwilling to leave.
The High Alchemist was standing a respectful distance away from the Barghast and the dead Tiste Andii, watching with sorrow-filled eyes. He then spoke, ‘Caladan Brood, what he sought must-’
‘Wait,’ rumbled the Barghast. ‘It must wait.’ He bent down then, reached out and grasped hold of the black- bladed sword. And, with little ceremony, he worked the weapon loose, and then straightened once more.
It seemed everyone present held their breath.
Caladan Brood stared down at the weapon in his hands. Then, Barathol saw, the warrior’s mouth twisted into a faint snarl, filed teeth gleaming. And he turned round and walked to the carriage, where he opened the side door and tossed the sword inside. It clanged, thumped. The door clicked shut.
The Barghast glared about, and then pointed. ‘That ox and cart.’
‘Caladan-’
‘I will have my way here, Baruk.’ His bestial eyes found Barathol. ‘You, help me with him.’
Barathol bit back every groan as he took hold of the Tiste Andii’s feet, watching as Brood forced his hands beneath the corpse’s shoulders, down under the arms. Together, they lifted the body.
Antsy had brought the cart close and he now stood beside the ox, his expression miserable.
They laid the body of Anomander Rake on the slatted bed with its old blood stains. Brood leaned over it for a long moment. And then he drew himself upright once more and faced the High Alchemist. ‘I shall build him a barrow. West of the city,’
‘Caladan, please, that can wait. We have to-’
‘No.’ He moved to where Antsy stood and with one hand pushed the Falari away from the ox, grasping hold of the yoke. ‘I will do this. None other need be burdened with this journey. It shall be Caladan Brood and Anomander Rake, together one last time.’
And so the ox began its fateful walk. A warrior at its side, the corpse of another in the cart.
The procession was forced to halt but once, not ten paces from where it started, as a short, round man in a red waistcoat had positioned himself directly in its path. Caladan Brood looked up, frowned.
The short, round man then, with surprising grace, bowed, before backing to one side.
Brood said nothing, simply tugging the ox into motion once again.
It was said that he had saved Darujhistan. Once, years ago, and now again. The Lord of Moon’s Spawn, who on
