Page 49 (1/2)

He ran a ruined hand over a ruined face

‘And I didn’t scream’

Before the Librarian had even set foot upon the docks, Argaol could sense the man’s presence An invisible tre tiny ripples across the water, dock cats fleeing and the various sailors and fisherh struck

They parted before the wizard like a tide of tanned flesh, none eager to get in his way as he id, deliberate aze upon hi the wisdos,’ Bralston replied ‘Ktai How far is it?’

‘What?’

‘I ahten aol shook his head ‘They went that way, but if they survived, they’d be at Teji by now’

‘And how far froaol said ‘My crew is already in the city, but I can have the Riptide up and ready to go by then if you need--’

‘I do,’ Bralston said He purposefully shoved the man aside as he strode to the end of the docks ‘But I don’t have that long’

‘What are you doing?’

‘Leaving’

‘What? Why? What happened?’

‘That information is the concern of the Venarium alone’

‘And what aaol demanded hotly ‘He instructed me to help you!’

‘And you have Whatever you do next is the concern of anyone but the Venarium’ He adjusted his broad-brihter about his body He glanced at Argaol briefly ‘Captain’

Before Argaol could even ask, the wizard’s coat twitched, the air ripped apart as its leather twisted in the blink of an eye A pair of great, birdlike wings spread out behind Bralston, sending Argaol tu to the dock, and he left with as little fanfare as a e and taking flight, soaring high over the harbour before any sailor or fisher was happening outside, Rashodd could tell People were excited, shouting, pointing at the sky He could not see beyond the thick walls of his cell He could not hear above the nearby roar of the ocean slaainst the cliffs below But he knew all the same, because he knew the wizard would act

‘Just as you said he would …’ he whispered to the darkness

‘Those without faith are convinced of their righteousness,’ a pair of voices whispered back from a place far below ‘Faith is purpose To admit a lack of purpose is to admit that they possess no place in this world Understand this and the faithless become beasts to be trained and commanded’

‘It is with a fond lamentation that I hed, ‘but speaking as a man with only time and darkness to his na a point without a religious speech to accompany’

‘The point lay in the speech,’ the voices replied ‘You are no beast, Rashodd Not a beast, but a prisoner, and not rowled ‘Of course, and it is with no undue distaste that I point this out, I am only a prisoner because you failed to live up to your end of our prior bargain’

‘Lamentable,’ the voices said ‘But your presence here serves our purpose further You shall be free’

‘The door is scarcely more than sticks bound with twine,’ Rashodd replied ‘I can be free as soon as I wish to strangle the boy outside I remain only on your promises’ His voice becah, I ’

‘And yet, your faith coer’

‘We find our own faith in the Mouth falters The praises we heap upon hih to compel his service He wavers He wanes’

‘And you wish my service,’ Rashodd whispered ‘You wish a-Mer’

‘For Mother Deep to find her way, the Father must also find his’

‘And if I do …’

‘We grant you what you wish’

Rashodd’s thick fingers, what remained of them, ran across his face No matter how many times he did it, no matter how many times he knew they wouldn’t be there, he continued to anticipate pieces of himself still in their proper place: a nose, an eye, part of his lip And no ed rents where those parts were row

‘My face …’ he whispered

‘We can return it’

‘My fingers …’

‘We can bring them back’

He stared down at his hand He could still feel the kiss of steel, the dagger’s tongue that had taken his digits He could still see the hand that had held it He could hear the voice that had told him not to scream He could remember the tall man, the felon clad in black with the tears in his eyes

‘My revenge …’ he whispered hoarsely

With a hter, the Deepshriek replied

‘It will be yours’

Twenty-Four

NAMING THE SIN

The water is cold today

Lenk let that thought linger as he let his hand linger in the rush of the stream Between the clear surface and the bed of yellow pebbles below, he could see the legged eels, their vast and vacant eyes staring out fros clung to rocks and streamweeds to resist the current

Heblankly into the water as he waited for a reply to bubble up inside his

‘Mm’

The Steadbrook was never this cold

‘You ree was narain It was the heart of the village My grandfather told ood’

Is it?

‘Should it not be?’

You never seemed concerned with that before

‘You never spoke back before’

Do you suppose there’ll be more?

‘More what?’

Me patiently for an answer All that responded was the strea aimlessly over the rocks He furrowed his brow and frowned

Are you still there?

The sun felt warm on his brow, unco