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Fro above the ancient barracks, Karnadas stood facing the storusts Though the parapet’s killing arc guarded the southeast approach, from his position he could justthe wall, the object of his fiercest attention
The brooding, cliff-like palace of Prince Jelarkan was like no other building in Capustan Windowless, the grey-stoned structure towered in a chaotic confusion of planes, angles, overhangs and see coast-facing wall, and in histowards it fro the whole edifice down into ruin
Unworthy of you Where resides the coe of history’s vast, cyclical sweep, the ebb and floars and of peace? Peace is the ti for war A tinorance, blind, blinkered and prattling behind secure walls
Within the palace, the Mortal Sword Brukhalian waswith the prince and a half-dozen representatives of the Mask Council The Grey Swords’ coled marathons hat seemed to Karnadas superhuman patience I would never have suffered this spider-bitten dance, not this long, not night after night, weeks on end Still, it’s ree on, and on How many of the Mortal Sword’s -- and Prince Jelarkan’s -- proposals have already been i and those norance It’s too late, you fools -- we’ve already done e could to save your damned city
In his mind’s eye rose the fur-painted, articulated mask of the one priest on the Council he and the company should have been able to count on as an ally Rath’Fener spoke for the Boar of Suod But political ambition consumes you, as it does your rivals in the Council You kneel before suht but a lie?
The wind howled, the only answer to Karnadas’s silent question Lightning lit the clouds churning over the distant bay Rath’Fener was a priest of the Sceptred Rank, a veteran of temple politics and thus at the pinnacle of what a mortal could achieve within Fener’s sanctified walls But the Boar of Suod Ranks and orders and ivory-clasped gowns secular poance in the pursuit of n Rath’Fener with questions of his faith -- he serves our god in his oay
The Boar of Surisly, as ancient as hu and the vengeful, the discordant, hackingto blows, of hissing arrows and quarrels … And forgive us all, the voice grows to a roar It is not the time to hide behind temple walls Not the ti the soaked, stea earth, weapons bared in quicksilver proe, pain and terror …
Rath’Fener was not the only priest of the Boar in this city to have achieved a Sceptred Rank The difference was this: while Rath’Fener possessed such an ambition -- to kneel before the boar cloak and hu -- Karnadas had already achieved it
Karnadas could put Rath’Fener in his place with a si of his own position in the mortal hierarchy In his place? I could depose the bastard with a gesture But Brukhalian had forbidden him that sweet revelation Nor could the Mortal Sword be swayed The time for such a move was not propitious, he’d said, its yield as yet of too low a currency Patience, Karnadas, that ti to accept…
’Is this a welcoht, Destriant?’
’Ah, Itkovian, I did not see you there in the gloo have you stood there, Shield Anvil?’ How long, in your cold, closed-in fashion, have you stared upon your High Priest? Black-mannered Itkovian, will you ever unsheathe your true self?
There was no way to read the man’s expression in the darkness ’Moments only, Destriant’
’Does sleep elude you, sir?’
’Not when I seek it’
Looking upon the Shield Anvil’s blue chain surcoat beneath the grey rain-cape, the wrist-length cuffed gauntlets now slick and black with rain, Karnadas slowly nodded ’I had not realized it was so close to dawn Do you anticipate being gone for long?’