"Get the money back," Shagot said from the wagon.

"As soon as this damned dog … Shit. Give me a sword. I'll chop the fucker's head off." Svavar was not afraid of the mongrel, though it was large and still had most of its teeth. After the Great Sky Fortress it would never occur to Svavar to be afraid of any mortal hound.

He was in a foul temper. "Shit! He must've left the money with his woman." He was not kind to the dog.

"Don't sweat it. We can always come up with money. Get shut of the bodies before somebody comes along."

Svavar did so, just in time. They had not traveled another two hundred yards before the vanguard of a cavalry force appeared ahead. Svavar guided the mule off the road in order to be out of the way.

"Recognize those standards?" Shagot asked.

"No. But the one with the keys must have something to do with the Patriarch."

The soldiers were from Maleterra, where their job had been to hold me road to Brothe if the Emperor decided to lash out at Sublime.

Svavar wondered who was poking it to whom in the romance between Johannes and the Patriarch.

The going was slow while the soldiers hogged the road.

The brothers turned east when they reached a road that ran across the Firaldian peninsula. Later, they turned south on the eastern coast road. Vondera Koterba was still hiring in Alameddine. His army would become their hideout.

Shagot remained immersed in his obsession. Shagot was confident that they would encounter the Godslayer again in Calzir. Svavar, no longer in control, lapsed into despair.

Svavar began to see things. Things that may have been there, following wherever he went – or maybe things that were just in his mind. Things that men who had not passed through the Great Sky Fortress would never notice.

THE WOMAN WAS TALLER THAN ANY OF THE SOLDIERS. SHE was attractive but not in the lush style favored in Firaldia. She was solidly built, well-muscled, without fat. She wore golden hair in braids rolled up at the sides of her head. Her stride was long and businesslike. The troops paid her little heed, which was remarkable for their sort.

The woman left the road. She moved some dead brush. Flies swarmed up, buzzing, angry about being disturbed at work. She considered the corpses of an old man and a headless dog.

The woman scowled. She was disgusted – despite having seen worse ten thousand times before.

Because no one was watching no one noted the fact that, at some point, the woman was no longer there.

27. Brothe, Preparing for a War with Calzir

Polo told Else, "This place is busier than a dog that's been dead for a week."

Else grunted. Polo was right. The Bruglioni citadel was in a ferment. Divino Bruglioni had bullied the rural family into providing funds to hire workmen. And rustic Bruglioni were returning – lest they lose what estate they enjoyed.

Principal Bruglioni's threats, in Paludan's name, were draconian.

Else went into the countryside twice, leading veterans of the fighting with the pirates. He dispersed parasitic Bruglioni relatives carefully selected by Uncle Divino. That electrified the rest of the family. That and the new wealth and new estates that were sure to fall to the Bruglioni during Sublime's upcoming Calziran adventure.

The Patriarch had proclaimed a crusade. A large majority of the Collegium urged him to do so.

Else expected to take part. Paludan had directed him to raise an infantry company at Bruglioni expense.

Else did not understand Sublime's confidence. It seemed based exclusively on faith.

History was littered with the bones of empires confident of the fearful swift sword of their god. But the scales never fell from men's eyes. They never failed to trust the treacherous Instrumentalities of the Night.

Else attended the planning meetings. His questions generated frowns but weakened no one's confidence.

More time went into divvying Calzir up, all the way down to the parish level, than went into planning the campaign.

Else appealed for instructions from al-Qarn, once through Gledius Stewpo via the Devedian route, once through the Kaifate's embassy. He received no response. He had to make his own choices. Meaning he would always be wrong. If Gordimer chose to see it that way.

Else's borrowed accountant had no trouble penetrating the number thickets of Mr. Grazia's accounts. Else took the evidence to Uncle Divino. The Principal betrayed a malicious delight. He used the material to bludgeon and blackmail those he wanted to keep in Bruglioni service.

Whenever Else left the citadel, it seemed, he ran into someone who was unhappy about the Bruglioni resurgence.

Principatй Doneto, in particular, complained that Piper Hecht was not sufficiently devoted to the advancement of Bronte Doneto's agenda.

PlNKUS GHORT FOUND DONETO'S EXASPERATION AMUSING.

"Pipe, I ain't never seen nobody as self-centered as our old jail buddy. Long as he's got pals who'll put up with him pushing them around."

"I'm not surprised. I've had to deal with his type since I was tall enough to toddle. I'll probably turn into his type if I live long enough and rise high enough. So will you."

"Yeah. I can see me wearing Grade Drocker's slippers next time we hit the Connec. Take me along a troupe of them baby whores like Bishop Serifs had, only girls."

"You're disgusting."

"But fun. You got to admit that. You gonna be ready to go when the troops head south?"

"Ready and looking forward to it." Which was a lie. He did not want to war against fellow Pramans. But al-Qarn left him no choice. He had to go on being this character he had created until he did receive instructions.

"That's good. Me, too. How's your lady?"

"Anna?" He and Anna Mozilla had begun to develop a social life. That made him nervous, of course, but Anna was right at home. She drew attention away from him. But if someone decided to study Anna Mozilla they might begin to wonder when Piper Hecht had had an opportunity to develop a relationship with a woman from Sonsa. "She's fine. Had a little scare last week, though."

"When those Calzirans came up out of the underground?"

"Happened right down the street. I hope that's the last bunch."

"Collegium says so."

"That the same Collegium that gave the all-clear a week before that mob popped up?"

"You'd think a gang of sorcerers like them would be a little sharper at their own racket, wouldn't you?"

"Wouldn't you? Can you tell me anything that'll make my job easier?"

"Nope. Well, don't turn your back on nobody. Like I said, the Principatй ain't thrilled about how things are working out. I don't think he'd do anything drastic. But he's a little freaky right now. Not much else is going the way he wants, either."

"Why should he be unhappy with me? I'll be moving over to the Collegium any day now. He wouldn't want me to jeopardize that, would he?"

"I'll remind him. He's just anxious for something to go his way so he can get some exercise patting himself on the back for being so clever."

"You ask me, things are going amazingly well. I thought it would take me twenty years to get where I've gotten in just a few months. And you…"

"Yeah, shit. I know. I'm lucky to have a job. And Doneto, too. He really screwed the bitch in the Connecten fiasco. But he got promoted anyway.”

"They do say nepotism works best when you keep it in the family. Which wasn't what I was going to say, but sometimes the truth just slides out."

"A joke? From you? Damn, Pipe. You're starting to come around. You'll turn into a real human being if you don't watch out."

"I'm trying. How're Bo and Joe?"

"Joe got kicked up to be in charge of the Principatй's Stables.”