Steven Erikson - Gardens of the Moon

«What else?»

Whiskeyjack glanced at Paran, who nodded deferentially. «Adjunct Lorn's gambit failed,» the sergeant said. «She's dead. We have her body with us. The intersections remain mined-we're not detonating them, High Fist, since they're likely to open the gas caverns beneath the city and turn us all into ash. So.» He drew a deep breath, feeling a twinge from his leg-Mallet had done what he could, and that'd been a lot, but some damage remained, and it made him feel fragile. «So,» he repeated softly, «we're pulling out, High Fist.»

Dujek was silent, then he grunted. «Problems, Whiskeyjack. One, we're about to lose Pale. As I suspected, Caladan Brood left the Crimson Guard to handle things up north, and marched down here with his Tiste And?. He's also got Rhivi with him, and Jorrick's Barghast, who've just finished chewing up Gold Moranth. Two, it gets worse.» The High Fist swallowed audibly. «Seven Cities is maybe a week away from open rebellion. The Empress knows it. Some Claw from Genabaris arrived half an hour ago, looking for Tayschrenn. My people got to him first.

«Whiskeyjack, he was carrying a handwritten message from the Empress to Tayschrenn. I've just been outlawed by the Empire. It's official, and Tayschrenn was to have effected my arrest and execution. We're on our own, friend.»

The room was silent. Whiskeyjack closed his eyes briefly. «Understood, High Fist. So, when do you march?»

«Seems the Black Moranth are with us-don't ask why. Anyway, I have a parley at dawn tomorrow with Caladan Brood and Kallor. That will decide matters, I suspect. Either he lets us walk, or he kills us taking Pale. Everything's riding on what he knows about the Pannion Seer.»

Whiskeyjack said, «We're rendezvousing with some Black Moranth in a couple of days, High Fist. Makes me wonder how much they'd guessed when that arrangement was made. Anyway, they'll take us to you, wherever you are.»

«No,» Dujek replied. «We may be under siege here. The Black will drop you off on the Catlin Plain. Their orders are clear on this, but you're welcome to try overruling them.»

The sergeant grimaced. Not likely. «Catlin Plain it is. just means it'll take us longer to get to you, sir.»

The glow surrounding the bones flickered briefly and they heard an echoing thump. Fiddler chuckled. Dujek had just pounded a fist on the table at his end of the conversation.

Whiskeyjack shot the saboteur a ferocious look.

«Captain Paran?» Dujek bellowed.

«Here, High Fist,» Paran replied, stepping forward.

«What I'm about to say is to Whiskeyjack, but I want you to hear it, Captain.»

«I'm listening.»

«Sergeant, if you want to be in my army, you'd better get used to the new order. First, I'm placing the Bridgeburners under Captain Paran's command. Second, you're not a sergeant any more, Whiskeyjack. You are my second-in-command, and that means responsibilities. I don't want you anywhere near Pale. And you know I'm right, dammit. Captain Paran?»

«Yes?»

«Whiskeyjack's squad has earned the right to walk. Understood? If any of them elect to rejoin the Bridgeburners, fine. But I don't want any recriminations if they decide otherwise. I trust that's clear.»

«Yes, High Fist.»

«And with Whiskeyjack between commissions,» Dujek continued inexorably, «he's just coming along for the ride, if you follow me, Captain.»

Paran grinned. «I do.»

«Now, the Black Moranth will know the story by the time they pick you up, so go with them.»

«Yes, High Fist.»

Dujek growled, «Questions, Whiskeyjack?»

«No,» the grizzled veteran answered glumly.

«All right. Hopefully, we'll talk later.»

The bones» glow died.

Captain Paran rounded on the soldiers. He studied each face. They were to have been my command. I could not have done better anywhere.

«Very well,» he said gruffly. «Who is ready to be outlawed and counted among Dujek's rebels?»

Trotts was the first to rise, his teeth bared. He was followed by Quick Ben, Hedge and Mallet.

ey re.

ed i There was a shocked silence, then Kalam nodded at Fiddler and cleared his throat. «We're with you, only we're not going with you. Me and Fiddler, that is.»

«Can you explain that?» Paran asked quietly.

Apsalar spoke up, surprising everyone. «They'll find that hard to do, Captain. And, I admit, I'm not sure what they're up to, but they're coming with me. Back to the Empire. Home.»

With an uneasy shrug, Fiddler rose and faced Whiskeyjack. «We feel we owe it to her, sir,» he said. He looked to the captain. «And we're settled on it, sir. But we're coming back, if we can.»

Bemused, Whiskeyjack pushed himself painfully to his feet. As he turned to face Paran, he froze. Behind the captain, Coll sat upright on the bed. «Um,» Whiskeyjack said, gesturing.

Tension burgeoned in the room once again as everyone swung to Coll.

Paran stepped forward in genuine relief.

«Coll! I'm-» He stopped abruptly, then said tonelessly, «You've been awake for some time, I see.»

Coll's eyes flicked to the bones stuck in the tabletop, then returned to Paran. «Heard it all,» he said. «So tell me, Paran, do you soldiers need any help getting out of Darujhistan?»

Rallick stood in the darkness beneath the trees at the edge of the glade.

It seemed that his magic-deadening powers had proved insufficient after all. He'd been driven from his seat by what had felt like a giant hand-a god's hand, sure and powerful and unyielding. He'd watched in astonishment as a maze of roots clambered swiftly across the clearing, headed towards the terrace. He'd heard a shriek, then the roots returned, wrapped around a man-shaped: apparition, which the roots pulled unceremoniously into the earth.

Rallick had been filled suddenly with near-euphoria. He knew with unaccountable certainty, that what grew here was right, and Just.

It was new, young. Even now, as he continued watching it, he saw trembles of shaping ripple beneath its angular, geometric surfaces. What had been no more than a tree stump less than an hour ago was now a house. A massive door lay half buried in shadows beneath an arching branch. Vines barred shuttered windows. A balcony hung above and to the left of the door, festooned with leaves and creepers. It led into a kind of tower, turreted above the second storey and shingled to a gnarled peak. Another tower marked the house's front right flank, this one stockier and windowless, its roof flat with jagged merlons lining the edge. He suspected that this roof was a platform, with access through a trap-door of some kind.

The glade around the structure had changed, too, becoming mounded here and there as if the house's yard was a burial ground. Young, scraggly trees ringed each oblong mound, each growing as if an invisible wind twisted them away from the humped, grassy earth. The roots had dragged the apparition into one such mound.

It felt right, and just. These two words echoed in the assassin's head, with an appeal that wrapped calm around his heart. He almost imagined he felt an affinity with this child-house-as if it knew of him and accepted him.

He knew the house to be empty. Another sourceless certainty.

Rallick continued watching, as the lines of the house grew firm, sharply defined. A musty smell pervaded the area, as of freshly turned earth. The assassin felt at peace.

A moment later he heard thrashing behind him, and whirled to see Vorcan stagger through the undergrowth. Her face was covered in blood from a gash to her brow, and she nearly collapsed into Rallick's arms.

«Tiste And?» she gasped. «After me. Hunting. They seek to avenge a murder!»

Rallick looked past her, and his eyes, long accustomed to the surrounding darkness, detected silent movement among the trees, closing in. He hesitated, gripping the now unconscious woman in his arms. Then he bent down, threw Vorcan over one shoulder, turned and ran towards the house.