K Parker: Shadow

Poldarn looked at him, and saw fear in his eyes: fear of that loneliness, which no longer threatened him; fear of what he'd done-in those eyes, Poldarn could see a reflection, the crazy old woman from Vistock at the moment when the backsabre started to come down. All that was to be expected, it belonged there and was all quite right and proper. Beyond that he could see another fear, dividing the two of them like a wall of ice. Halder was afraid of him.

'You won't,' he said, 'I promise you.' He started to reach out, to put a hand on the old man's shoulder. Halder evaded his touch, with a small, subtle movement. Somewhere behind them, someone was singing. Poldarn couldn't catch the words, but he knew them already: Old crow sitting in the tall mast-tree, Old crow sitting in the tall mast-tree, Old crow sitting in the tall mast-tree, Of the ship that carried Dodger home across the sea.

'It's all right,' Poldarn said, nevertheless. 'Everything's going to be fine now, you'll see.'