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‘So it was only the Napans who deserted the new Empress?’ Gamet stared up at Nok, now as confused as Tavore ‘Yet Surly was of the royal Napan line?’

Nok said nothing for a long tiorous poison To now serve the new Empress… complicity and damnation Crust, Urko and Ameron were not party to the betrayal… but ould believe them? Who could not help but see them as party to the murderous plot? Yet, in truth,’ his eyes met Tavore’s, ‘Surly had included none of us in her scheme-she could not afford to She had the Claw, and that was all she needed’

‘And where were the Talons in all this?’ Gaods, too tired -

Nok’s eyes widened for the first tiht ‘You’ve a sharp ht, sensing the Adjunct’s hard stare fixing on him

The admiral continued, ‘I am afraid I have no answer to that I was not in Malaz City on that particular night; nor have I made enquiries to those ere The Talons essentially vanished with Dancer’s death It idely believed that the Claw had struck them down in concert with the assassinations of Dancer and the Emperor’

The Adjunct’s tone was suddenly curt ‘Thank you, Ader’

The man bowed, then strode from the room

Gaation Instead, she sihed ‘You have ion Best retire now’

‘Adjunct,’ he acknowledged, pushing himself to his feet He hesitated, then with a nod strode to the door

‘Gamet’

He turned ‘Yes?’

‘Where is T’amber?’

‘She awaits you in your chaht, Fist’

‘And to you, Adjunct’

Buckets of salt water had been sloshed across the cobbled centre aisle of the stables, which had the effect of da flies into a frenzy, as well asjust within the doors, could already feel his sinuses stinging His searching gaze found four figures seated on bound rolls of straw near the far end Scowling, the Bridgeburner shifted the weight of the pack on his shoulder, then headed over

‘Who was the bright sparkthe old smells of home?’ he drawled as he approached

The half-Seti warrior narunted, then said, ‘That would be Lieutenant Ranal, who then had a quick excuse to leave us for a ti long strands fros had seen his type before, obsessed with tying things down, or worse, tying things to their bodies Not just fetishes, but loot, extra equip on the cas half expected to see twists of straw sprouting froht a protracted ith the city-states of Quon and Li Heng, defending the barely inhabitable lands that had been their traditional home Hopelessly outnumbered and perpetually on the run, they had learned the art of hiding the hard way But the Seti lands had been pacified for sixty years now; aluous border that was the edge of civilization The various tribes had dissolved into a single,to dominate the population What had befallen them had been the impetus, in fact, for Coltaine’s rebellion and the Wickan Wars-for Coltaine had clearly seen that a similar fate awaited his own people

It was not, Strings had co Soressive The forainst the latter, not withouttwisted by the exigencies of desperation and violence The original Seti had not even ridden horses Yet now they were known as horse warriors, a taller, darker-skinned and s knew little of Koryk’s personal history, but he felt he could guess Half-bloods did not lead pleasant lives That Koryk had chosen to e the Malazan army as a marine rather than a horse warrior, spoke tomes of the clash in the s stood before the four recruits ‘As eant Officially, you’re 4th Squad, one of three squads under Lieutenant Ranal’s command The 5th and 6th squads are supposedly on their way over from the tent city west of Aren We’re all in the 9th Company, which consists of three squads of heavy infantry, three of hteen squads of medium infantry Our commander is a man na of hiion-us The 8th is under the coather is a veteran who’d retired to the Adjunct’s household before she becalazed faces before hiot one , but even with that one we’re undermanned as a squad, but so are all the others and before you ask, I ain’t privy to the reasons for that Now, any questions yet?’