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’The lesson was hard, not easily sed, for the truth was this: there were intelligent beings in the world who exploited the virtues of others, their compassion, their love, their faith in kin Exploited, and ods were in fact Jaghut Tyrants? Hidden behind friendly masks Tyrants, who manipulated them with the weapon of faith

’The rebellion was inevitable, and it was devastating for the Iht, or what freedom would show them should they find it… But ould not relent We could not’

Kallor sneered ’There were never hut, woman’

’A handful was too hut -- those for whom the activities of the Tyrants were reprehensible Butcarried scars Scars born of mistrust, of betrayal We could trust only in our own kind In the nahut would have to die None could be left, to producethose children the rise of new Tyrants’

’And how,’ Korlat asked, ’does this relate to the K’Chain Che’Malle?’

’Before the Jaghut ruled this world, the K’Chain Che’Malle ruled The first Jaghut were to the K’Chain Che’Malle as the first Iazethem all ’In each species is born the seeds of do people, as a vibrant, evolving culture That was the price we paid, to ensure the freedom you now possess Our eternal sacrifice’ She fell silent once more, then continued in a harder tone, ’So, now, I ask you -- all of you, who have taken upon yourselves the task of waging war against a tyrannical, all-devouring e your own lives to the benefit of peoples who know nothing of you, of lands you have never and will never set foot upon -- I ask you, what is there about us, about the T’lan I? Destroy the Pannion Domin It must be done Forthe threat hiding behind the Pannion Seer, the threat that is the K’Chain Che’Malle’

She slowly studied their faces ’A Matron lives Flesh and blood Should she find a male of her kind, a flesh and bloodto that of the K’Chain Che’Malle This, then, will be our sacrifice’

Only the wind filled the silence following her words

Then Caladan Brood turned to Kallor ’And you find in this woman an abomination?’

’She lies,’ he rasped in reply ’This entire war ismore than a feint’

’A feint?’ Dujek repeated in disbelief ’By whom?’

Kallor snapped his alle Trade Guild e, Haradas, cleared her throat ’There may be so -- I believe she speaks true, as far as she is willing to tell us No, I meant the feint Consider the infection of the warrens Granted, its focus seeranted, as well, that the poison’s taint is that of the Warren of Chaos Granted all of that, one must then ask: ould a K’Chain Che’Malle Matron, who is the repository of a vast wellspring of sorcery, seek to destroy the very conduits of her power? If she was present when Morn was destroyed -- when the Rent was created -- ould she then try to harness chaos again ? Ambitious, perhaps, but a fool? That is hard to countenance’

Even as the import of her words sank in to Whiskeyjack, there came to him another realization There is another enemy indeed, and fro Dujek and, no doubt,as it should be True, we’d caught a hint, but we’d failed to ods, even Kruppe and Artanthos! Remind aaze back to Silverfox, was ard

No, that won’t work again ’Silverfox,’ he growled ’You spin a tale to sting sympathy from our hearts, yet it seems that your effort was ht to achieve If there is a deeper threat, a third hand, deftlyboth us and the Pannion Seer will you and your T’lan Imass then focus your attention on that hand?’

’No’

’Why?’

He was surprised as her steady gaze wavered, then fell away Her voice came out in a rahisper ’Because, Whiskeyjack, you ask too much of us’