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The lie of wisdoue exposes it Most people purporting to wisdoue, lest they reveal the paucity of their assumptions and the frailty of their convictions Better to say nothing, to nod and look thoughtful

Was that notion worth a treatise? Yet another self-indulgent hts could one explore? Discuss, weigh, cast and count? All indulgences The wo for the next s The warrior shoulder to shoulder in a line facing an enemy can only curse the so-called wisdos and their avaricious terrors The brutal solidity of slights and insults, grievances and disputes Does it come down to ill eat and ill not! Or does it coe in deciding who cats and who starves, privilege that is the taste of power, its very essence, in fact!

Are gods and goddesses any different!

To that question, she knew Anomander Rake would but smile He would speak of Mother Dark and the necessity of every decision sheaway fro that his betrayal had forced upon her that final necessity

She would walk away then, troubled, until sohts, she would realize that, in describing the necessities binding Mother Dark, he was also describing his very own necessities-all that had bound him to his own choices

His betrayal of Mother Dark, she would comprehend-with deathly chill-had been necessary

In Rake’shad simply followed on from there, inevitably, inexorably

She could hear the rain lashing down on the temple’s domed roof, harsh as ar-rows on upraised shields The sky was locked in convulsions, a convergence of in-imical elements A narrow door to her left opened and one of her priestesses hurried in, then abruptly halted to bow ‘High Priestess’

‘Such haste,’ she murmured in reply, ‘so unusual for the telanced up, and her eyes were impressively steady ‘A question, ii I h Priestess, are ar?’

‘My sweetness-old friend-you have no idea’

The eyes widened slightly, and then she bowed a second tih Priestess?’

‘That dour creature? No, let the assassin stay in her tower Leave her to lurk or whatever it is she does to occupy her time’

‘Spinnock Durav-’

‘Is not here, I know that I know that’ The High Priestess hesitated, and then said, ‘We are noar, as you have surmised On countless fronts, only one of which-the one here-concerns us, at least for the moment I do not think weapons need be drawn, however’

‘High Priestess, shall we prevail?’

‘How should I know?’ Those words snapped out, to her instant regret as she saw her old friend’s gaze harden ‘The risk,’ she said, in a quieter tone, ’is the gravest we have faced since… well, since Kharkanas’