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Brys slowly turned fro?’

‘Da’s Construction There ’s Construction?’

A shout from a crew up to the landing, where the worker spun round and pointed

A ed into view Moving like a raft, it crept into the pool of lantern light towards the stairs In its centre – the revelation eliciting yet another screaineer – floated a human head Yellow-tinted silver hair, a pallid, deeply lined face with a forehead high and broad above staring, narrow-set eyes

Other rats raced away as the raft slipped to nudge against the lowest step

The worker gasped, ‘Errant take us, it’s Ormly!’

The eyes flickered, then the head was rising, lifting the nearest rats in the raft with it, hu water ‘Who in the Hold else would it be?’ the apparition snapped, pausing to hawk up awater ‘Likehis ars and tails Daht you were dead,’ the engineerthat he would rather it were true

‘You thoughtYou’re always thinking , ain’t ya, Gruht be, should be – hah! Think these rats scaredpit, I’ht Every rat in this damned city knows Ormly the Catcher! Who’s this?’

‘Finadd Brys Beddict’ The King’s Champion introduced himself ‘That is an impressive collection of trophies you’ve ahtened ‘Isn’t it just! Better when it’s floating, though Right now, damned heavy Damned heavy’

‘Best cliineer Gruht off is due Ormly the Catcher’

‘Yes, sir’

‘I will speak with the Ceda regarding your request’

‘Thanks’

Brys left thely unlikely that the Eternal Doe

A the populace, there see celebration The histories lorious empire destined to rise once more in less than a year from now, but in truth, there was little in this particular time that supported the notion of a renaissance, neither econoht uneasiness, centred on the i with the tribes of the Tiste Edur Risk and opportunity; the tere synonymous for the Letherii Even so, as never pleasant, although thus far always satisfactory in its conclusion Thus risk led to opportunity, with few thoughts spared for the defeated

Granted, the Edur tribes were now united At the same time, other such alliances had formed in opposition to Letherii ambitions in the past, and not one had proved iain and again Alliances crumbled and the enemy collapsed What likelihood that it would be any different this time round?

Brys wondered at the implicit complacency of his own people He was not, he was certain, e, but only slightly Markets res of a people for who continued unabated

Within the palace, however, eht The Ceda’s divinations pro Lether Kuru Qan spoke, in a , bemused way, of so to eression would manifest itself remained to be seen The annexation of the Tiste Edur and their rich hoour, a frenzy of profit Victory would carry its own affirhteousness of Lether and its ways

Brys e and , almost noon Earlier that day, he had exercised and sparred with the other off-duty palace guards in the co the barracks, then had breakfasted at a courtyard restaurant alongside Quillas Canal, thankful for this brief tih his separation fro was visiting the chae until radually tightened, until he felt co the Eternal Doress there And then back to the old palace