The three reached the top and here Blues called to her. She stepped out of her Warren right next to him. He gestured ahead. Dead Korelri Stormguard were piled before the single, now blasted open, doorway to the tower. ‘Anyone?’ he asked, raising his chin to the tower.
She studied it from her Warren. ‘No. None remain alive within.’
Fingers appeared, gestured, Sighted.
They closed on the tower wall, slid along around it. There, down the slope at an open sorcerous gateway into a roiling greyish Warren – Chaos? – the Disavowed. She recognized the Dal Hon mage Mara with her piled curled mane of hair, and Shijel, who favoured two swords and always fancied himself a match for Blues. More ducked through the gate, disappearing even as she watched.
But last, in his long coat-like glittering black armour, Skinner, holding a chest bound all in silver fittings.
Bars charged out from cover, bounding in great running leaps from boulder to boulder down the slope like some sort of hunting cat. ‘Skinnerrrrrr!’ he roared as he went.
‘Bars!’ Blues yelled, then, ‘Shit!’ And ran out after him. They all followed, clambering pell-mell down the rugged bare rocks.
Skinner’s helmed head snapped round, then leaned back as the man laughed. ‘Bars! Is that you? You look like Hood’s own shit!’
Mara and Shijel paused, but Skinner motioned them in and they disappeared. He edged one step backwards, right to the lip of the flickering portal, while Bars closed. The helm cocked as the man judged his timing. ‘Lost them all, did you, Bars?’ he called. ‘Always were murder on your people …’ and, laughing, he stepped back, disappearing just as Bars came crashing down on the spot.
The gateway snapped away with a rush of air. Bars lay writhing at the water’s edge, snarling, striking the stones. They joined him there, weapons bared, Shell’s heart hammering. Skinner! From her Warren the man’s aura had appeared even stronger than the last time. As for the chest … the quickest snatched glimpse of the astounding potency carried within still left glowing afterimages in her vision.
‘What damned Warren was that?’ Bars snarled from where he lay.
‘The Crippled God’s,’ Shell said. ‘Skinner’s thrown in with him. The Dragons Deck readers claim that the Fallen God has made him King of his new house, the House of Chains.’
Bars pushed himself up, hugging his chest, anguish twisting his face. ‘He’s his errand boy too.’
‘What’s with the chest?’ Lazar asked.
‘A fragment of the entity charading as the Lady,’ said Shell.
‘A fragment?’ Blues repeated, alarmed. ‘As in the other name for the Crippled God … the Shattered God?’
Fingers sat heavily on a boulder. ‘Shit!’
Shell stared across the dark waters of the small crater lake surrounding this isle, to the near-black cloud cover obscuring the night sky, without seeing any of it. All that strength collected by the Crippled God. Added to him! What have they allowed here? What further catastrophes may very well be laid at their feet? She shook her head in mute denial.
Lazar cleared his throat. ‘We should go.’
Blues blinked, shaking off his thoughts. ‘Yeah. We’ll go get Corlo and Jemain.’
‘K’azz must be told of this,’ Shell said.
But Bars waved a negative. ‘Not our fight. We just want Skinner.’
‘K’azz will decide,’ Blues said, finishing the matter, and he waved everyone to him.
Moments later the isle was empty but for the hundreds of corpses, silent but for the ragged surf surging over the rocks. Then kites and crows assembled wheeling overhead, gathering from all around, while an army of white crabs came scrabbling and feeling their way up among the rocks.
EPILOGUE
SUTH LAY IN HIS HAMMOCK AND LUXURIATED IN THREE CONSECUTIVE days of relative inactivity – other than repairing his gear, and the usual make-work of cleaning the vessel. He was on board the Velenth, a Roolian merchantman commandeered for transport. The reassembled Malazan expeditionary force was returning to Quon Tali, and Command had yet to get round to formally reassigning him, Goss, Keri and Wess. He lay, an arm over his eyes, and tried to sleep while the great mass of vessels slowly made its way back through Black Water Strait.
He’d almost succeeded when Sergeant Goss’ voice rumbled: ‘Your presence is requested up top,’ and the man yanked his leg.
Suth fumbled to regard his sergeant: the man was up again now that the few healers they had could access their Warrens. ‘What? Not more damned scrubbing, please.’
But the sergeant looked more serious that he had in days. ‘The High Mage is here. She has some questions for you.’
Suth stilled, knowing the instinctive nervousness every trooper feels when the high and mighty take an interest. ‘What about?’
‘Can’t say.’
‘Did she question you?’
‘Yes.’
‘And?’
The man gave a negative shake of the head. ‘Don’t think I’m stupid enough to dick with a High Mage’s inquiry. Now let’s go.’
Suth pulled on his boots and, hunched over in the cramped quarters, made his way through the maze of hammocks to the companionway. Up top it was still cold, but the air did not have the ruthless bite it used to. It was the wind that made one shiver. The massed cloud cover was still thick, but breaks were appearing, widening the farther south they went. Goss walked Suth to where the High Mage waited next to the ship’s side. With her was the unmistakable figure of the tall and broad Captain Peles, unarmoured in her long padded aketon and leather trousers.
The two were in plain view as all the troopers crammed on to the undersized vessel kept a respectful distance, as did all the sailors passing to and fro in their running of the ship. Suth was quite tense; everyone was full of the High Mage’s accomplishments: singlehandedly breaking the shore defences during the landing, saving the fleet from the titanic sea-wave. It seemed the Empire had finally once more found a mage worthy of the title.
Suth saluted them both. ‘High Mage. Captain.’
‘At ease,’ the High Mage said. She invited him to stand with her next to the side of the vessel and turned to face outwards, looking over the water. ‘Only private place on any crowded ship,’ she said with a wink.
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Now, firstly, be assured this is no official inquiry … no effort is being made to assign blame or censure. Is that clear?’
Somehow that failed to reassure him. ‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘I merely want a clearer picture of the events at Thol. That is understandable, yes?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
The woman let out a long exasperated breath. She pushed the unkempt mousy curls of her greying hair from her face. ‘Relax, marine. That’s an order.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
A hard one-eyed glare from her. ‘Now, I’ve questioned your squadmate, Keri – she’s recovering quite well, by the way …’
‘Glad to hear that, ma’am.’
‘And to your best recollection did no one touch this chest after the young child dropped it?’
‘No one, ma’am. Ipshank was most insistent.’
‘Not even Manask when he threw it into the inland sea?’
‘No, ma’am. He used a spear.’
‘I see. And you are sure you saw it fall into the sea?’
‘Yes, ma’am. Quite sure. I saw it thrown and fly out and then the sea foamed like boiling soup. Why, do you sense her?’
The High Mage chose not to take offence at the question. She shook her head. ‘No. It’s just Manask … the man’s notorious …’
‘Ipshank was watching.’
She turned to put her back to the side, nodding. ‘Yes, well, thank the gods for that. He seems to be the only one who can exert any control over the man … And finally, Kyle, the Adjunct. Did you overhear anything from him before he went his own way?’
Suth thought back to the confusion and upheaval of their arrival back in that flood-
panicked town. He and Wess rejoined the garrison – he never saw the Adjunct again. But before they went their separate ways he did overhear him and Ipshank talking. ‘I believe he said something about heading back home.’
‘I see. Thank you, trooper. Now, you accompanied Fist Rillish on a number of missions, did you not?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Well, before you go, and I have told this to Captain Peles here already … But I was the last to see Greymane, and I just want you to know that he spoke well of the Fist before he went. Since you served under him I wanted you to know that.’
‘Thank you, High Mage.’
‘That is all.’
Suth saluted and rejoined Goss.
The rest of the afternoon was spent reordering stores. All that time the High Mage and Captain Peles had the side of the vessel to themselves. They were there long into the evening as well.
Down in the hold, while Wess slept as usual, Goss and Suth watched the crowd gathered around a square of wood inscribed with a circle where cockroaches, released from a bowl in the centre, raced for the edges. The crowd of troopers let go huge roars with every race but they spent most of their time attempting to snatch up the escapees.
Uncrossing his arms, Goss winced and loosened his shoulders. ‘It’ll be a sergeancy for you, certain.’
‘I don’t particularly want it.’
Goss let go an irritated snort. ‘Haven’t you learned anything yet, man? The army doesn’t care what you think. What you think doesn’t matter. You’ll take what they give you even if it’s a dead dog and you’ll say yes, sir, thank you, sir!’
Suth couldn’t help a rueful smile crooking up his lips as he said, ‘Yes, sir, thank you, sir.’
Goss grunted his approval. ‘There you go. Now you’re learning.’
The freak wave that rolled over the docks of Ring city had smashed boats in their moorings, demolished the wharves, and driven on to wash through the sea-front blocks. The worst of the damage was the countless souls it then washed out to sea as it retreated taking everything with it. Yet only a few days later the first boat dared approach Ring again. They found the great sea-chain fallen and submerged. Carefully, they oared their small fishing vessel onward, over the broad Hole itself, the first to do so since anyone cared to keep records.
Here the water was so clear, so calm, it was as if they floated hundreds of feet above nothing. Ernen, who owned the boat, squinted at the surrounding rock walls. ‘Where’s their keep, their quarters?’ he asked of the three dock-front youths who’d agreed to accompany him. ‘See anything?’
‘No.’
It had been old Ernen’s idea. ‘Them Stormguard were gone, weren’t they?’ he’d argued. ‘Probably run to Korel. So they must’ve left gear behind, yes? All that silver inlay. All them fine swords and armour an’ such. A rich haul just waiting for the first one to dare …’
And so they snuck out at night, made their way across and entered. Now he waved them to one side, pointing into the gloom. The youths peered at one another, terrified in the dim glow of their covered lantern.
One fumbled at his oar then let out a horrific scream, flinching from the side and making everyone jump. ‘Riders!’
‘Quiet!’ Ernen ordered, sitting still, listening. They all sat motionless as well, straining to hear. But only the murmur of the waves returned, echoing and hollow. Ernen cuffed the lad. ‘Ain’t no Riders here!’
‘Something’s down there,’ the lad whispered, hoarse.
Huffing, Ernen extended his neck to peer over. He stared, squinting, then his eyes widened and he let go an oath, making a sign of blessing. The lads joined him.
Below, unknowably far down in the black depths of the Hole, a figure glimmered. The unnatural clarity of the water allowed extraordinary detail. An armoured giant of a fellow in a full helm and holding, point-downward on his breast, a great grey blade.
Ernen knew him to lie impossibly far below, but it was as if he could just reach down and touch him.
‘Who, what, is it?’ one of the lads breathed.
‘A guardian,’ another said. ‘Must be a guardian ready should the Lady return!’
‘It’s just a body …’ Ernen began, but the youths ignored him, all talking excitedly about what a great warrior he must be, and so the old man waved the subject off and grabbed the oars.
‘Where are you going?’ one asked.
‘For the cliff. They must have a dock somewheres …’
The lads were horrified. ‘You can’t do that! You’ll disturb him!’
Ernen stared. ‘What? Disturb who?’
‘The Guardian!’
‘It’s a body! Sunk to the bottom of the Hole!’
The lads yanked the oars from his hands. ‘We’re not disturbing him. No one should come here at all.’
Ernen looked to the night sky. ‘Oh, for the love of all the damned foreign gods …’
‘Don’t be disrespectful,’ one of them warned, rather sniffily.
Ernen muttered something and sat back against the pointed bow, crossed his arms. Damned pious idiots! A month ago they would’ve turned him in for cussing the Lady, now they’re all against her. He shook his head. Damned youth – so certain of everything. Walk everyone off a cliff, they would!
At his bench on the High Court of the Newly Sovereign Kingdom of Rool, High Assessor Bakune listened to the advocate for the defence detailing the intricacies of the twisted bloodline governing the competing family claims to the Earlship of Homdo Province. He blinked his eyes to force them open wider, set his chin in his hands. He glanced out of a window where spring’s thinning cloud cover allowed a glimpse of clear blue sky.
He sighed.
Roolian troops of the Baron, now General, Karien’el caught up with the ex-Lord Mayor of Banith near the frontier of Mare. Along the side of the east trader road they found his great carriage abandoned, empty. Not much further down the mud track, in a gloomy inn, they found the man himself, hunched by the fire, his fine fur cloak grimed and torn of its silver chains of office.
The sergeant of the detail dragged over a chair, reversed it, and joined the man at his table. The ex-Lord Mayor didn’t even glance up from studying the flames in the cobble and mortar hearth.
The sergeant cleared his throat. ‘So … where is it all?’
Rousing himself, the man rubbed the stubble on his drawn cheeks, blinked his bloodshot eyes, and lifted the tankard before him, only to frown and peer down into it. ‘Innkeeper!’ he called. ‘Another!’
The sergeant yanked the tankard from his hand and slammed it down on to the table. ‘Where is it?’
Ex-Lord Mayer Estiel Gorlings blinked at the sergeant. ‘Where’s what?’
‘The entire contents of the Banith treasury, y’damned traitor!’
The man’s lower lip began to tremble. Tears started from his eyes. He wiped his face with a fisted knot of cloth. ‘It’s gone,’ he wailed. ‘Gone!’
The sergeant made a face. ‘Pull yourself together, man. What d’you mean, gone? You can’t have spent it already – have you?’
‘No!’ Estiel leaned forward, lowering his voice. ‘It was stolen. I was robbed!’
‘Robbed?’
‘Yes! He jumped out upon us in the forest—’
‘He? One man? You, with all your guards?’
‘Yes!’
The sergeant crossed his arms, eyed the man as if disappointed. ‘You’ll have to do better than that.’
The one-time Lord Mayor reached out a hand, beseeching. ‘Truly! He overcame the guards, picked up the chest and walked off into the woods …’ His voice dwindled away into an awed silence as if even now he could not believe what he had seen.
The sergeant snorted his scorn. ‘No one man could overcome all your guards then walk off into the wilds with one of those huge chests – they’re made of iron!’
‘I’m telling you he did!’ Furious, Estiel attempted to push himself up, only to slump back into the chair, on the verge of weeping
. ‘The guards took what was left and deserted me – the ungrateful bastards! Now here I am. Stranded. Penniless.’
‘Stranded no longer.’ The sergeant waved his men forward. Two grasped the thick furred shoulders of the cloak and heaved the man up. ‘We’ll find out where you buried all that coin. Don’t fool yourself.’
As the man was dragged off he raged at the sergeant. ‘No! I’m telling you! He stole the chest. He’s the thief! Not me! And he was a giant of a fellow. A giant!’
In the midst of a grassed slope beneath the gleaming snow-topped Iceback range, Ivanr stopped walking. Idly rubbing his chest, he turned to the mule train of followers tagging along behind – the last clinging remnants he could not shake off. They attended the two wagons of their blessed martyrs: the Priestess and Black Queen. ‘Here,’ he told the girl close behind.
‘Here?’ she repeated, uncertain, peering around. ‘But there’s nothing here!’
‘We’ll raise a modest building … a monastery, I guess, is what it’ll have to be.’
‘You would live here, so far from the capital? Please return with us, Deliverer. You must rule.’
Ivanr growled something deep in his throat. Weren’t they through with this? ‘No. Everyone should know their limitations. I’m no ruler. I’m just … a gardener.’
‘We will build the mightiest monastery in the world! Eclipsing even Banith!’
Ivanr waved his hands. ‘No! No … just a small building. With a garden.’
‘And training grounds for weapon practice,’ and she raised the staff she still carried.
Ivanr felt his shoulders falling but he fought against it and smiled his encouragement. ‘Well, think of it more as a kind of meditation …’
Kiska awoke lying on a sand beach. She blinked, staring up at an empty night sky. Completely empty. Not overcast nor occluded by clouds, but clear and open yet pitch dark. A night sky utterly devoid of stars.
Strange. Was she in Kurald Galain, the Warren of Elder Night?
She sat up. Her staff lay nearby in the sand. And what strange sand … it too was black, yet as fine as any sand she’d felt. She stood. A surf broke gently against the charcoal shore. Kiska stared amazed: a sea of white light. Liquid brilliance shimmering and lapping, no different from any other sea. It extended out to a strange horizon that seemed to go on to a dizzying extent.
The Malazan Empire Series: (Night of Knives, Return of the Crimson Guard, Stonewielder, Orb Sceptre Throne, Blood and Bone, Assail) (Novels of the Malazan Empire) Page 190