‘I… see.’ Shimmer swallowed a tightening sickness. ‘Is there anyone else who saw these tracks? Who could corroborate your testimony?’

The Guardsman glanced to Greymane, then down. ‘No, sir.’

‘No. Well then, Guardsman, I suggest you continue to keep this to yourself until such time as further information comes forward.’

Ogilvy saluted. ‘Yes, ma'am, sir.’

‘You are dismissed.’

‘Yes, ma – sir.’

Ogilvy left. Shimmer turned on Smoky. ‘You presume too much, mage.’

Smoky's long face hardened. ‘I got more to presume. The men won't say, but there's a lot of grumbling. Skinner's gathering Avowed to himself, treating everyone else like servants, not brothers or sisters. There's sides drawing up. Everyone's looking to you to do something. You or-’ he stopped himself, then barrelled on, ‘Greymane.’

Shimmer finally faced the massive ex-High Fist. ‘I would take great care if I were you, Malazan. You are not of the Avowed.’

‘A condition that perhaps allows me the proper perspective.’

‘Proper – explain yourself, soldier.’

‘It is plain that Skinner intends to defeat both Laseen and this Talian League. And once both are crushed, what then?’

Brows wrinkled, Shimmer shrugged. ‘Why, then, the terms of the Vow will have been fulfilled – the shattering of the Empire.’

Greymane and Smoky exchanged troubled glances. ‘And yet not. Any new force could then step into the vacuum, such as an alliance of Dal Hon and Kan forces, or any other such, yes?’

‘Possibly…’

‘Unless this position were already occupied by another organization, another force ready to act. Is that not so?’

‘I do not see what you are getting at, Malazan.’

Smoky gave an impatient snarl. ‘The Vow has you in too tight a grip, Shimmer. Open your eyes! Skinner intends to occupy the throne himself!’

Shimmer could only stare. Then she laughed outright at the absurdity of the assertion. ‘Smoky, you know as well as I that the terms of the Vow would never allow such a thing.’

‘You're not a mage, Shimmer. Even I can see a few possible ways around it and Cowl is leagues ahead of me. One way to construe it is that the Malazan Empire remains an impossibility so long as the Avowed occupy the throne. There? How's that? Life and power eternal. Worth a throw, wouldn't you say?’

Shimmer felt almost dizzy. She steadied herself at a wall. ‘But that would be-’

‘A monstrous perversion? Yes.’

‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘No, Smoky. You are inventing threats, conspiracies. Seeing enemies everywhere. Perhaps that is the Vow affecting you. You've never made a secret of your distaste for Cowl. Have you considered that?’

The mage was silent for some time. His stare was hard, gauging, and Shimmer was shaken to see disappointment colour the man's eyes. ‘Greymane is not Avowed, Shimmer,’ he said, and pushed his way past. Greymane remained, but Shimmer would not face him. She turned her back. After a time he bowed and left.

We are so close. Queen's Prophecies, the completion of the Vow is within reach! We can break them! Why then these doubts, these worries? None afflicted at the beginning. Everything was so clear then. The sides so cleanly drawn, our cause so pressing. Now, though, I can hardly muster the effort to go through with it. For whom did they fight? Not the Untans, nor the Cawnese. Then who? Skinner on the throne, and through him, what else?

Riding out alone into the night from the remains of the Sanctuary of Burn, Lieutenant-Commander Ullen felt extremely ill at ease until the detachment of Talian cavalry escortinging him rode up to rendezvous. Leading them was Commander Amaron, accompanied by Toc's new aide, Captain Moss.

‘They rejected the offer?’ Amaron called.

‘Yes.’

A sour shake of the head. ‘The fools. They're going to get themselves wiped out.’

‘You're so sure?’

Amaron smiled knowingly, signed for a return to the fortified encampment – Fort Urko, some called it. ‘You are not?’

Ullen merely raised a brow; he motioned to the ruins. ‘I've just come away from speaking with Skinner, Amaron. I never did meet him before, and I have to say he looks every bit as nasty as his reputation.’

‘Oh, I don't doubt that.’ The commander shifted his considerable broad weight on his tall horse. ‘I'm not saying we'll pull down the Avowed. What I'm saying is that if they are so foolish as to take to the field their regular force will be broken and the surviving Avowed will have to withdraw alone. Then what can they do? A handful of men and women cannot hold territory. They will have to flee once again. No, the whole thing, their recruiting and return, will all have been for nothing. A sad waste, really.’

Behind the commander's mount, Ullen and Moss shared a glance, saying nothing. Moss flicked his eyes to indicate the fifty troopers walking their mounts along behind and Ullen nodded. Amaron was not speaking to them; he was speaking to the men, fulfilling one of the obligations of command, bolstering morale.

The Napan turned to Moss. ‘So, Captain, served in Genabackis, did you?’

‘Yes, Commander.’

‘With Dujek?’

‘No, sir. Not directly. I remained up north. Rotated out.’

‘Up north? Why, so you've faced the Guard before, then! Didn't they have a contract with a warlord there, that fellow named Brood?’

‘Yes, sir. I've faced them.’

‘And they were beaten there, weren't they?’

Moss shot Ullen a glance of veiled amusement. Oh yes, sir,’ he responded loudly. ‘They were beaten.’

Half of the cavalry officer's expression told Ullen that he could play Amaron's game too – and had said what the men would be helped to hear. The other half of the expression told Ullen just how far from the truth were the man's words.

The Wickan camp occupied a stretch of the east shore of the River Jurd, just north of Unta. Circular yurts dotted hillsides in a sudden new township of some four thousand. The surrounding Untan villages and hamlets supplied fodder for horses, firewood and staples. Nil and Nether promised eventual payment in trade goods. Rillish and his Malazan command occupied a large farmhouse and compound in the middle of vineyards where bunches of white grapes hung heavy on the stems. Since his night foray with Nether, his sergeant, Talia, had been even more insistent on their intimacy – to his great relief and pleasure, he had to admit.

So it was they lay in bed together one morning when a discreet knock sounded on the door of his room. He pulled on his trousers, while Talia dressed as well, quickly strapping on her swordbelt. ‘What is it?’ he called.

‘Beggin’ your pardon, sir. Riders from the south.’

‘Yes?’

‘They carry the Imperial banner.’

‘I see. Thank you, sergeant. I'll be down shortly.’

He turned to Talia and she laughed at the embarrassment that must have been obvious. He splashed his hot face in a basin. Outside in the courtyard, horses readied by Chord waited. Rillish mounted, invited Chord to attend him, gave command of the compound over to him, and rode off with a troop of ten.

Wickan horsemen had already met and stopped the small column, which consisted of some twenty Untan cavalry. Room was made for Rillish to edge to the front. He inclined his head to the man leading the column, who, by the markings on his helmet, held the rank of Imperial Fist, though Rillish did not recognize him. The man's dark eyes glanced to him but in no other way did he acknowledge Rillish's presence. Eventually, Nil and Nether arrived from their more distant camp. They pushed through to the front, nodded to the Fist who saluted, bowing. ‘Allow me to introduce myself. I am Fist Tazil Jhern. I am come as envoy from the capital, empowered to discuss terms.’

Nether inclined her head in acknowledgement. ‘I am Nether, this is my brother Nil. And this is Lieutenant Rillish Jal Keth. Greetings.’ The man continued to studiously ignore Rillish.