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The healer gri out to the captain -- but he’s been pushing her away -- so there hasn’t been so on He knows she’s alive, as he says, and I guess he can oes no further than that Daeburners have been singled out for yet another betrayal, just because Paran’s not talking to you? He’s not talking to anyone! And if you had as uts as he does, you’d be pretty daht-lipped yourself! Now, all of you, just cut it! Look to yourselves and if that’s shame you see it’s daaze on the captain’s back The man had not moved Would not face his cos right over Paran was a sick ht Gods, I had torcs bitingit fast Oh, ain’t I just stepped in a pile of dung Swearing souess Pale’s burns are a far way fro Damn Hood’s heel on my rotted soul, please Down and twist hard

Paran barely heard the shouted exchanges behind him He felt assailed by the pressure of Silverfox’s presence, leading to a dark desire to be crushed lifeless beneath it -- if such a thing was possible -- rather than yield

A sword between his shoulder-blades -- no god to intervene this tiush of blood into his stoave way -- a painful option, but none the less as final as any other Or a leap down into the et torn apart, tra of freedoe of bones stretching from her to where he now stood No, not her Her power, that was soits relentless desire to break through his defences much deadlier of purpose than a lover’s siic necessity Unless Dujek and Brood and their armies are under assault and they’re not Gods, I don’t kno I know, but I do With certainty This -- this isn’t Tattersail at all It’s Nightchill Bellurdan One or both What do they want?

He was suddenly rocked by an i an alstones within a dark cavern, the deeply carved lines of a card of the Deck, stone-etched, the i to writhe as if alive

Obelisk One of the Unaligned, a leaningabove hipped waves -- no, dunes of sand Figures, in the ed, broken, dying

Then, beyond the strange scene, the sky tore

And the furred hoof of a god stepped onto ely pulled into the world -- oh, you didn’t choose that, did you? Soood as dead A god trapped in the mortal realm was like a babe on an altar All that was required was a knife and a wilful hand

As good as dead

Bleak knowledge flowered like deadly nightshade in hisde The Deck of Dragons … Elder Gods were playing it … and now sought to play him

And this is to be the role of the Master of the Deck, if that is what I’ve becoe and, now, a Hood-daod falls, push another into its place? Mortals sworn to one, swear them now to another? Abyss below, are we to be shoved -- flicked -- around like pebbles on a board?

Rage and indignation fanned white hot in Paran’shis pain He felt himself mentally wheel round, to face that incessant, alien presence that had so hounded hiht, you wanted htchill -- whoever -- whatever you really are Maybe there have been Masters of the Deck before, long ago, who Hood knows, maybe you’re the one -- you and your Elder friends -- who selected me this time round But if so, oh, you’ve od’s puppet once before But I cut those strings, and if you want details, then go ask Oponn I walked into a cursed sword to do it, and I swear, I’ll do it again -- with far less et so much as a whiff of manipulation from you

He sensed cold amusement in reply, and the bestial blood within Paran responded Raised hackles Teeth bared A deep, deadly growl