Behind her, Ulshun Pral said, ‘Gothos said Silchas Ruin would one day come for the Finnest. Gothos thought that was… funny. Jaghut,’ he then said, ‘are strange.’
Kilava Onass added, ‘To win his freedom, Silchas Ruin bargained with an Azath, an Azath that was dying. And now he has done what was asked of him. And the Azath is reborn.’
‘Then… we need not have fought.’
Kilava scowled. ‘Never trust a Tiste Andii.’ Her luminous eyes flickered away briefly. ‘It seems there were other… issues.’
But Onrack was not ready to think of those. He continued staring up at Kilava Onass. ‘You, then, that night in darkness.’
Her scowl deepened. ‘Were you always this thick? I cannot remember-by the spirits, my panic worsens. Of course it was me. You bound me to stone, with your eyes and hand. With, Onrack, your love. Yours was a forbidden desire and it wounded so many. But not me. I knew only that I must give answer. I must let my heart speak.’ She laid a hand on his chest. ‘As yours now does. You are flesh and blood, Onrack. The Ritual has relinquished your soul. Tell me, what do you seek?’
He held his eyes on hers. ‘I have found it,’ he said.
Every bone in his body ached as he forced himself to his feet. At once his gaze was drawn to where he had last seen Trull Sengar; and a growing dread was swept from his mind upon seeing his friend.
Trull Sengar, you are as hard to kill as I am.
A moment later, he saw the tears on his friend’s face, and’ it seemed there would be, grief this day, after all.
At the mouth of a fissure not far away, in a small clearing, Rud Elalle stood in the midst of carnage. Where one of his mother’s sisters had died. Where three Imass had died.
And somewhere beyond, he knew in his heart, he would find the body of his mother.
He stood on blood-soaked ground, and wondered what it was that had just died within his own soul.
Some time later, much later, he would find the word to describe it.
Innocence.
Quick Ben still hobbled like an old man, amusing Hedge no end. ‘There you are,’ he said as they made their way towards the cave and its tunnel leading to the Gates of Starvald Demelain, ‘exactly how you’ll look twenty years from now. Creepy and gamey. Pushing wobbly teeth with a purple tongue and muttering rhymes under your breath-
‘Keep talking, sapper, and you’ll know all about loose teeth. In fact, I’m surprised a few weren’t knocked right out when that bone hit you. Gods below, that is probably the funniest thing I have ever seen.’
Hedge reached and gingerly touched the huge lump on his forehead. ‘So, we did our task today. How do you think the others fared?’
‘We’ll soon find out,’ the wizard replied. ‘One thing, though.’
‘What?’
‘There is now an Azath House growing in this damned realm.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Oh, lots of things. First, this place is now real. And it will live on. These Imass will live on.’
Hedge grunted. ‘Rud Elalle will be pleased. Onrack, too, I imagine.’
‘Aye. And here’s another thing, only I don’t think it’ll please anyone. In that Azath House there will be a tower, and in that tower, all the gates.’
‘So?’
Quick Ben sighed. ‘You damned idiot. The Gates of Starvald Demelain.’
‘And?*
‘Just this. Shadowthrone, and Cotillion. Who like using the Azath whenever it suits them. Now they’ve got a way in. Not just to this realm, either.’
‘Into Starvald Demelain? Gods below, Quick! Is that why we just did all that? Is that what brought you here?’
‘No need to scream, sapper. When it came to planting that House, we weren’t even witnesses. Were we? But you know, it’s what those two sneaky bastards know, or seem to know, that really worries me. See my point?’
‘Oh, Hood piss in your boots, Ben Adaephon Delat.’
‘Got all your gear there, Hedge? Good. Because once we get to the Gates, we’re going through one of them.’
‘We are?’
‘We are.’ And the wizard grinned across at the sapper. ‘Fid’s never been the same without you.’
Silchas Ruin stood among ancient foundations-some Forkrul Assail remnant slumping its slow way down the mountainside-and lifted his face to the blue sky beyond the towering trees.
He had fulfilled his vow to the Azath.
And delivered unto the soul of Scabandari a reprieve Bloodeye did not deserve.
Vengeance, he well knew, was a poisoned triumph.
