Mappo watched the lad fuss over the hapless creatures, his long-fingered, almost delicate hands daubing the wounds with a blood-soaked piece of cloth. After a moment, the Trell straightened, slowly turning to stare down the long road. He heard a shout behind him, close to the gate, then heard the corporal named Gesler running to join Stormy.
Ah, Icarium. Soon you will awaken, and still I shall grieve, and so lead you to wonder . . . My grief begins with you, friend, for your loss of memories – memories not of horror, but of gifts given so freely . . . Too many dead . . . how to answer this? How would you answer this, Icarium?
He stared for a long time down Aren Way. Behind him the lad crouched over the cattle-dog's body, while the crunch of boots approached slowly from up the road. The cart pitched as Stormy clambered up to take his seat. Gesler swung himself into the flat-bed, expressionless.
The youth looked up. 'You find him, Gesler? Did Stormy find him?'
'No. Thought for a minute ... but no. He ain't here, lad. Time to head back to Aren.'
'Queen's blessing,' the youth said. 'Then there's always a chance.'
'Aye, who can say, Truth, who can say.'
The lad, Truth, returned his attention to the cattle-dog.
Mappo slowly turned, met the corporal's eyes and saw the lie writ plain. The Trell nodded.
'Thanks for taking a look at the dogs, anyway,' Gesler said. 'I know, they're finished. I guess we wanted ... well, we would have liked ...' His voice fell away, then he shrugged. 'Want a ride back to Aren?'
Mappo shook his head and climbed down to stand at the roadside. 'Thank you for the offer, Corporal. My kind aren't welcome in Aren, so I'll pass.'
'As you like.'
He watched them turn the cart around.
How would you answer this . . .
They were thirty paces down the road when the Trell shouted. They halted, Gesler and Truth straightening to watch as Mappo jogged forward, rummaging in his pack as he did so.
Iskaral Pust padded down the rock-strewn, dusty path. He paused to scratch vigorously beneath his tattered robes, first one place, then another, then another. A moment later he shrieked and began tearing at his clothes.
Spiders. Hundreds of them, spinning away, falling to the ground, scattering into cracks and crevices as the High Priest thrashed about.
'I knew it!' Iskaral screamed. 'I knew it! Show yourself! I dare you!'
The spiders reappeared, racing over the sun-baked ground.
Gasping, the High Priest staggered back, watching as the D'ivers sembled into human form. He found himself facing a wiry, black-haired woman. Though she was an inch shorter than him, her frame and features bore a startling resemblance to his own. Iskaral Pust scowled.
'You thought you had me fooled? You thought I didn't know you were lurking about!'
The woman sneered. 'I did have you fooled! Oh, how you hunted! Thick-skulled idiot! Just like every Dal Honese man I've ever met! A thick-skulled idiot!'
'Only a Dal Honese woman would say that—'
'Aye, and who would know better!'
'What is your name, D'ivers?'
'Mogora, and I've been with you for months. Months! I saw you lay the false trail – I saw you painting those hand and paw marks on the rocks! I saw you move that stone to the forest's edge! My kin may be idiots, but I am not!'
'You'll never get to the real gate!' Iskaral Pust shrieked. 'Never!'
'I – don't – want – to!'
His eyes narrowed on her sharp-featured face. He began circling her. 'Indeed,' he crooned, 'and why is that?'
Twisting to keep him in front of her, she crossed her arms and regarded him down the length of her nose. 'I escaped Dal Hon to be rid of idiots. Why would I become Ascendant just to rule over other idiots?'
'You are a true Dal Honese hag, aren't you? Spiteful, condescending, a sneering bitch in every way!'
'And you are a Dal Honese oaf – conniving, untrustworthy, shifty—'
'Those are all words for the same thing!'
'And I've plenty more!'
'Let's hear them, then.'
They began down the trail, Mogora resuming her litany. 'Lying, deceitful, thieving, shifty—'
'You said that one already!'
'So what? Shifty, slimy, slippery ...'
The enormous undead dragon rose silently from its perch on the mesa's summit, wings spreading to glow with the sun's light, even as the membrane dimmed the colour that reached through. Black, flat eyes glanced down at the two figures scrambling towards the cliff face.