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She is a human Her actions are a sy

Not loud enough to convince Kataria

Thirty-One

SUBTLETY IS FOR THE DEAD

I was supposed to have given this up …

There was no doubt in his step as he darted low under a wild swing fro his blade up into purple skin, stared up into a purple face The light leaked out of her white eyes in swift order, the lasta blood-slurred curse from her teeth before she collapsed to the deck of the ship

Wasn’t I?

‘Unique circumstances’

He felt his hands driven of their own accord, twisting the blade inside her to extinguish the last sparks

You’re not supposed to be so chatty, either

‘You’re supposed to deny us more powerfully’

And yet …

‘Clarity is a wonderful thing Behind you’

‘QAI ZHOTH!’

He whirled and saw the pair of longfaces charging While he ht not have heard Dreadaeleon’s arcane verse over their war cry, he certainly heard the roaring crackle of fire that followed A great red plume preceded the boy like a herald as he strode forward, arer over the pair They writhed, shrieking as they attempted to press forward, then fall back, before they si

‘Nice work,’ Lenk remarked

‘Well, I do it all for your approval,’ Dreadaeleon replied, panting ‘This wasn’t a good idea I’er Not without …’ He glanced at Lenk, then grunted ‘We should have opted for another strategy’

‘The other strategy was to leave Kat and Asper to die’

‘We could have tried so else Subtlety, perhaps’

‘We are a pubescenthead and four hundred pounds of angry reptile What about that suggests "subtlety" to you?’

A thunder of boots ruh the ship’s black hull; alien war cries rose through the planks of the deck At the bow of the ship, the purple shapes of the netherlings began to ee from the shadows of a companionway

The shriek that reen shape ca over Lenk’s shoulder like a scalycracking sound She collapsed into her co, rebounded fro the deck

Lenk had wondered why Gariath had insisted on bringing hied on all fours, cou’s strike with one froface’s purple torso, rose to his feet and continued to press her back into her fellows, choking their rush in the companionway’s darkened throat

‘Five hundred pounds,at the flurry of claws and teeth and noting the wisdo his distance ‘Subtlety is where Denaos comes in’

‘Pointless,’ Dreadaeleon muttered ‘The moment the heretic even looks at him sideways, he’s dead and we’ll follow Did you not see what he can do? What he did?’

‘I saw,’ Lenk replied ‘If I was duly frightened of everything thatdone This is the only chance we have’ He shoved the boy forward ‘Now, do so useful’

The boy’s eyes narrowed and, whether because of Lenk’s coht He swept his hands toward the co with the murmur from his mouth He placed the word, sent serpentine fla to e to segregate the dragons

Gariath stared at the sudden obstacle with undue conteh the fire and continue the assault or perhaps just break Dreadaeleon’s hands to bring it down first

Lenk was on hi patience At Lenk’s apparent surprise, he shrugged

‘I’ve killed a lot so far,’ he said ‘I can wait for a few more’

‘The point is not to kill them,’ Lenk replied, ‘but to distract thelanced over the edge of the ship ‘Then we leap off, reunite with Hongwe and paddle off before anyone can kill us’ He glanced to Togu, wide-eyed and squealing behind a gag ‘What’d you bring him for, anyway?’

‘He caused this, as you say He should see it to the end,’ the dragon that you all die, of course’

‘Not you?’

‘Not yet’

‘You seeood spirits How have you been, anyway?’

‘Not dead yet’

‘Nor us’

‘Yet’

‘Right, yet It’s a bit strange to see you so enthusiastic’

‘I could leave, if you want’

‘Not yet’

Gariath said nothing in reply, sweeping his gaze up and down the ship Aside fro the flas back, the deck was quiet fro cabin at the ship’s stern

‘And you’re waiting for what?’

It happened in an instant Sound died, wary of being heard Clouds covered the moon, terrified to be seen Pressure settled over the deck as the sky sank low and tried to hide beneath the sea

‘That,’ Lenk whispered

Dreadaeleon’s voice was choked frouished in an instant The netherlings eed from the companionway slowly, all their bloodlust and hatred still present in their white stares, but restrained behind shields and nocked arrows

Keeping baleful stares on the coreatnotheir prey, butto do so was frighteningly plain on their faces, but they were restrained by so over the

He had seen this before

‘Can I help you?’ a voice, deep and rolling, bade Lenk to turn