We're withdrawing. The Malazan called their bluff. He faced them down – oh, wizard, I could kiss you – I could do more than that. Gods, I'd'What are the Edur saying?' Karsa Orlong demanded.
The Taxilian, frowning, shrugged, then said, 'They're disbelieving-'
'Disbelieving?' Samar Dev croaked. 'They're shaken, Taxilian. Badly.'
The man nodded, glancing over at Feather Witch, who was watching all three of them. 'Toblakai, the Edur are saying that these Malazans – they have a Ceda on board.'
Karsa scowled. 'I do not know that word.'
'I do,' Samar Dev said. She smiled as a sudden shaft of sunlight broke through the tumult overhead and bathed her face with unexpected warmth. 'Tell them, Taxilian, that they are right. They do. A Ceda.
The Malazans have a Ceda, and for all the Edur expected from this day, in their arrogance, these Malazans were not afraid. Tell them that, Taxilian. Tell them!'
****
Kalam knelt beside Quick Ben, studied the man's face for a moment, the slack expression, the closed eyes. Then he slapped the wizard. Hard.
Quick Ben swore, then glared up at the assassin. 'I should crush you like a bug, Kalam.'
'Right now, I think,' he rumbled in reply, 'a bug's fart might blow you right off this ship, Quick.'
'Be quiet. Can't I just lie here for a while longer?'
The Adjunct's coming. Slowly, I'll grant you. Idiot, you gave too much away-'
'Enough, Kalam. I need to think, and think hard.'
'Since when did you play with Elder magic?'
Quick Ben met Kalam's eyes. 'When? Never, you idiot.'
'What?'
'That was a Hood-damned illusion. Thank the gods cowering in their outhouses right now that the idiots swallowed the hook – but listen, it wasn't just that. I had help. And then I had help!'
'What does that mean?'
'I don't know! Let me think!'
'No time for that,' Kalam said, sitting back, 'the Adjunct's here.'
Quick Ben's hand snapped up and grasped Kalam's shirt, tugged him close. 'Gods, friend,' he whispered, 'I've never been so scared in my entire life! Don't you see? It started out as an illusion. Yes, but then-'
The Adjunct's voice: 'High Mage, you and I must talk.'
'It wasn't-'
'Ben Adaephon Delat, you and I will talk. Now.'
Straightening, Kalam backed away, then halted at a gesture from Tavore.
'Oh no, assassin. You as well.'
Kalam hesitated, then said, 'Adjunct, this conversation you propose… it cannot be one-sided.'
She frowned, then, slowly, nodded.
****
Fiddler stood next to Bottle where he lay on the deck. 'You, soldier.'
The man's eyes were closed, and at Fiddler's words the eyes scrunched tight. 'Not now, Sergeant. Please.'
'Soldier,' Fiddler repeated, 'you have, uh, made something of a mess of yourself. You know, around your crotch.'
Bottle groaned.
Fiddler glanced over at the others of the squad. Still busy with themselves for the moment. Good. He crouched down. 'Dammit, Bottle, crawl off and get yourself cleaned up – if the others see this – but hold on, I need to know something. I need to know what you found so exciting about all that?'
Bottle rolled onto his side. 'You don't understand,' he mumbled. 'She likes doing that. When she gets the chance. I don't know why. I don't know.'
'She? Who? Nobody's been near you, Bottle!'
'She plays with me. With… it.'
'Somebody sure does,' Fiddler said. 'Now get below and clean yourself up. Smiles sees this and you're looking at a life of torment.'
The sergeant watched the man crawl away. Excited. Here we were, about to get annihilated. Every damned one of us. And he fantasizes about some old sweetheart.
Hood's breath.
****
Taralack Veed studied the confusion on the deck for a time, frowning as he watched the commander, Tomad Sengar, pacing back and forth whilst Edur warriors came and went with messages somehow signalled across from the seemingly countless other Edur ships. Something had struck Tomad Sengar an almost physical blow – not the ritual sorcery that had challenged their own, but some news that arrived a short time later, as the Malazan fleet worked to extricate itself from the encirclement. Ships were passing within a quarrel's flight of each other, faces turned and staring across the gap, something like relief connecting that regard – Taralack had even seen a Malazan soldier wave. Before a fellow soldier had batted the man in the side of the head with a fist.
