'Yes. You know Quick Ben, and the High Mage was there, after all. At Coral. He's not here for me to ask him, so I'm asking you. Is the Adjunct right?'
He resumed affixing the grenado to the quarrel head.
Keneb waited.
'Seems,' the sergeant muttered, 'I misjudged the Adjunct.'
'In what way?'
'She's better at reading signs than I thought.'
Hood's balls, I really did not want to hear that.
****
'You are looking well, Ganoes Paran.'
His answering smile was wry. 'My new life of ease, Apsalar.'
Shouts from the sailors on the deck as the carrack swung towards the harbour of Kansu, the sound of gulls a muted accompaniment to the creak of cordage and timber. A cool breeze rode the salty air coming through the cabin's round window portside, smelling of the shore.
Apsalar studied the man seated across from her a moment longer, then returned to her task of roughing with a pumice stone the grip of one of her in-fighting knives. Polished wood was pretty, but far too slick in a sweaty hand. Normally she used leather gloves, but it never hurt to consider less perfect circumstances. For an assassin, the ideal situation was choosing when and where to fight, but such luxuries were not guaranteed.
Paran said, 'I see that you're as methodical as ever. Although at least now, there's more animation in your face. Your eyes…'
'You've been at sea too long, Captain.'
'Probably. Anyway, I'm not a captain any more. My days as a soldier are done.'
'Regrets?'
He shrugged. 'Some. I was never where I wanted to be with them. Until the very end, and then,' he paused, 'well, it was too late.'
'That might have been for the better,' Apsalar said. 'Less… sullied.'
'Odd, how the Bridgeburners mean different things for us. Memories, and perspectives. I was treated well enough among the survivors-'
'Survivors. Yes, there's always survivors.'
'Picker, Antsy, Blend, Mallet, a few others. Proprietors of K'rul's Bar, now, in Darujhistan.'
'K'rul's Bar?'
'The old temple once sanctified to that Elder God, aye. It's haunted, of course.'
'More than you realize, Paran.'