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Well, dear Lady, I huize, now I am not the brave man I once was, if it was indeed bravery and not si’s been taken froood thing Ah, I can see you nod most wholeheartedly at that Mortals should not ods, because only they can afford its price So be it

Thank you, Lady Envy No recriminations will pursue you It ell run

’You should have seen Coral in its day, Malazan’

’It was your hoh my home now is in the heart of my Seer’

’Where the winds are even colder,’ Toc muttered

The Seerdo a blow froripping his frail arm Either one would have been an appropriate response; either one would have elicited an approving nod from the Seer Instead, the man said, ’This is a summer day, but not like the summer days I re as a lover’s breath My father, he fished out beyond the cut Up along the coast north of here Vast, rich shoals He’d be gone for a week or o down to the causeway to watch the fleets return, to see our father’s orange sail alanced up at theecho of a child’s joy in his eyes

Saw them die once more

’He came back the last time … to find that his family had embraced the Faith His wife, to the Tenescowri His sons, to the ranks, eldest begun schooling as Seerdohertothe boom, tacked onto the offshore breeze

’I watched his sail until I could see it nogoodbye,’ Toc whispered

’Of saying good luck Of saying … well done’

Destroyer of lives Seer, how could you have done this to your people?

A distant bell rang in the palace behind thehtened ’The allotted time is done’

’Back toto catch, one last time, the world before hier