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Trull held himself where he was The air hissed its way down his constricted throat, and he could feel his li

‘Well, cowardice was never a flaw aure turned and walked towards the forest edge

Blessed lungful of air, then another Head spinning, Trull planted his spear and leaned on it ‘Wait!’

The Betrayer halted, faced him once more

‘This – this has never happened before The vigil-’

‘Contested only by hungry earth spirits’ The Betrayer nodded ‘Or, eveninto the flesh to do… what? Nothing, just as they did in life There are myriad forces in this world, Tiste Edur, and the majority of them are weak’

‘Father Shadow imprisoned you-’

‘So he did, and there I rehastly sift, a reet A reet’

‘This is not a dream,’ Trull said

‘They were shattered,’ the Betrayer said ‘Long ago Fragments scattered across a battlefield Why would anyone want them? Those broken shards can never be reunited They are, each and every one, now folded in on themselves So, I wonder, what did he do with theone

‘This,’ Trull whispered, ‘is not a dream’

Udinaas opened his eyes The stench of the seared corpse remained in his nose and house’s close slanted ceiling, rough black bark and yellowed chinking He remained motionless beneath the blankets

Was it near dawn?

He could hear nothing, no voices from the chambers beyond But that told him little The hours before the moon rose were silent ones

As were, of course, the hours when everyone slept He had nets to repair the co day And rope strands to weave

Perhaps that is the truth ofbutit, as proof of its sanityMend those nets Wind those strands See? I have not lost theof my life