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He had begun his speech in a voice soft and perfectly modulated ’I a Every city has its secret veils, and I a Of course I realize that ht see me as cut from the same cloth as your avowed enemy, but I assure you this is not the case You have expressed your concern as regards the influx of priests of the Pannion Domin into Saltoan They speak of cities newly come under the divine protection of the Pannion Seer’s cult, and offer to the common people tales of laws applied ies, of the welcome imposition of order in defiance of local traditions andyour subjects -- a dangerous precedent, indeed’
Murreement followed from the masters and mistresses Gruntle al these street-bred killers Glancing over, he saw, his brows rising, Nektara’s hand plunged beneath the leather folds of Stonny’s leggings at the crotch Stonny’s face was flushed, a faint smile on her lips, her eyes almost closed Queen of Drea, not todeep from their cups of wine He himself reached for his tankard
’A wholesale slaughter,’ one of the rowled ’Every da, that’s the only way to deal with this, I say’
’Martyrs to the faith,’ Keruli responded ’Such a direct attack is doomed to fail, as it has in other cities This conflict is one of information, lords and ladies, or, rather, n of deception The Pannion Domin, for all its imposition of law and order, is a tyranny, characterized by extraordinary levels of cruelty to its people No doubt you have heard tales of the Tenescowri, the Seer’s army of the dispossessed and the abandoned -- all that you eration Cannibals, rapers of the dead-’
’Children of the Dead Seed’ Oneforward ’It is true? Is it even possible? That women should descend onto battlefields and soldiers whose corpses are not yet cold …’
Keruli’s nod was soeneration of followers aye, there are the Children of the Dead Seed Singular proof of what is possible’ He paused, then continued, ’The Domin possesses its sanctified faithful, the citizens of the original Pannion cities, to whoes the priests speak of applies No-one else can acquire that citizenship Non-citizens are less than slaves, for they are the subjects -- the objects -- of every cruelty conceivable, without recourse to mercy or justice The Tenescowri offers their only escape, the chance to match the inhumanity inflicted on theate this city, will be one and all cast from their homes, stripped of all possessions, denied food, denied clean water Savagery will be their only possible path, as followers sworn into the Tenescowri
’Masters and ht this ith the weapon of truth, the laying bare of the lies of the Pannion priests This deanization, of disseence Tasks at which you all excel, my friends The city’s commonalty uided to that decision, to that cause, not with fists and knouts, but ords’
’What makes you so sure that ork?’ a master demanded
’You have no choice but to make it work,’ Keruli replied ’To fail is to see Saltoan fall to the Pannions’
Keruli continued, but Gruntle was no longer listening His eyes, half shut, studied the man who had hired them An intermediary had brokered the contract in Darujhistan Gruntle’s first sight of theoutside Worry Gate, at the rendezvous, arriving on foot, robed as he was now The carriage was delivered scant moments after him, of local hire Keruli had quickly entered it and from then on Gruntle had seen and spoken with hisjourney
Abefore which god, I wonder? No obvious signs That itself is telling enough, I suppose There’s nothing obvious about Keruli, except enerosity Any new temples in Darujhistan lately? Can’t recall -- oh, that one in Gadrobi District Sanctified to Treach, though why anyone would be interested in worshipping the Tiger of Sus’
’Been quiet these two nights past, though’
The st theh he said nothing