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"You tell me, brother," the prisoner said "Honest question, because I have no way of knowing the answer: how much trouble have you had from Atash since our war?"

It was a body blow Before the war, the Atashian royals--last remnant of the orders that had existed before Lucidonius--had caused problems and small wars constantly If the royal family had still been around with theirships, the Red Cliff Uprising would have been horrendous As it was, the uprising had failed alhter had worked

"Let me out, brother," Dazen said "You’re finished, and you know it Forgive me for what I said before Threats and vileness I didn’t ht I was out, and you beat ot an excellent mind, little brother But your time is done I can see it in your eyes, and not just in the colors that you’ve lost You have the smarts, but I have the will, and now the world needs will There is a threat out there, and it is growing, and only I can save the Seven Satrapies"

"You were alilling to do what needed to be done," Gavin said "That was the difference between us, wasn’t it?" His breath escaped in a long sigh "It’s all co apart There’s no way I can save it Gavin," he said, and it was a relief to call his older brother by his real name "Gavin, I want assurances Swear to eance on Karris I don’t kno she’ll react, and I know you may have to exile her, but swear to me you’ll see she’s provided for And Kip Same ter the ter seamlessly froht of Orholam, I so swear"

Gavin the false reached his hand up to the node on the yello

"Wait," the prisoner said "Before you let me out We’ve unfinished business, brother What do I do with you?" He glanced quickly over at the wall again, a quick crinkle of irritation, instantly snificent "I figured you’d kill ot a year or so left Killing you isn’t necessary Father owns a little island off Melos that would be perfect for an exile Used to keep a mistress there"

"That is… quite kind," Gavin said "I, I’vebrother" He raised his hand to the node and dissolved the een theer-pistols froers The roar filled the little space as the lead balls blasted through the prisoner’s body One punched a perfect hole in his sternuh his teeth and blew out the back of his head The prisoner’s body dropped Didn’t even twitch The acrid, counpowder followed

Both pistols had fired Ilytian handiwork Gavin could admire that The Ilytians made fine pistols

He looked over at the wall, where the prisoner had been glancing repeatedly, but he saw nothing but the reflection of a dead uard It was service as ic But likeShe’d co, then had been instructed to wait for the White, who’d been gone for hours

Another Blackguard eventually cauard that there had been an eency session of the Spectru wheeled down the long hallway from the lift to her own room Karris’s impatience was quickly replaced by concern for the old woht The strain of it was evident on her face

The White smiled at Karris as she heeled into her own roouards today than usual--two of the new inductees, and Jin Holvar, a woh she was a few years younger than Karris

Karris and Jin helped the White relieve herself, having to support alht Karris had to help her clean herself

"My apologies, child The body fails," the White uards, Gill and Gavin Greyling, studiously avoided looking back The ti h Archers in the Blackguard to have toht now, they were no doubt si to adjust to the very fact that the White needed to relieve herself at all Karris reo, now