Rud’s eyes found Hedge again. ‘Tell me, soldier, do you bleed?’
‘What?’
‘You were dead, yes? A spirit willing itself the body it once possessed. But now you are here. Do you bleed?’
Bemused, Hedge looked to Quick Ben. ‘What’s he mean? Like a woman bleeds? I’m too ugly to be a woman, Quick.’
‘Forgive me,’ Rud Elalle said. ‘Onrack proclaims himself a T’lan Imass-yet here he stands, clothed in flesh and bearing the scars of your journey in this realm. And there have been other such guests. T’lan Imass-lone wanderers who have found this place-and they too are clothed in flesh.’
‘Other guests?’ Hedge asked. ‘You almost had one more of those, and she would have been a viper in your midst, Rud Elalle. For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t be trusting those other T’lan Imass, were I you.’
‘Ulshun Pral is a wise leader,’ Rud answered with another smile.
‘I’m still a ghost,’ Hedge said.
‘Are you?’
The sapper frowned. ‘Well, I ain’t gonna cut myself to find out one way or the other.’
‘Because you intend to leave this place, eventually. Of course, I understand.’
‘Sounds like you do at that,’ Hedge snapped. ‘So, maybe you live with these Bentract Imass, Rud Elalle, but that’s about as far as this kinship thing goes. So, who are you?’
‘A friend,’ the man replied with yet another smile.
Aye, and if you knew how 1 felt about friendly people.
‘You have given me your names, and so now I welcome you among the Bentract Imass. Come, Ulshun Pral is eager to meet you.’
He set off.
They followed. With hand signals, Hedge drew Quick Ben closer to his side and they dropped back a bit from the others. The sapper spoke in very low tones. ‘That furry tree’s standing on the ruins of a dead city, Quick, like he was its Hood-damned prince.’
A Meckros City,’ the wizard murmured.
Aye, I guessed as much. So where’s the ocean? Glad I never saw the wave that carried it here.’
Quick Ben snorted. ‘Gods and Elder Gods, Hedge. Been here kicking pieces around, I’d wager. And, just maybe, a Jaghut or two. There’s a real mess of residual magic in this place-not just Imass. More Jaghut than Imass, in fact. And… other stuff.’
‘Quick Ben Delat, lucid as a piss-hole.’
‘You really want to know why Cotillion sent us here?’
‘No. Just knowing snares me in his web and I ain’t gonna dance for any god.’
‘And I do, Hedge?’
The sapper grinned. ‘Aye, but you dance, and then you dance.’
‘Rud has a point, by the way.’
‘No, he has a club.’
‘About you bleeding.’
‘Hood above, Quick-’
‘Oh, now that’s a giveaway, Hedge. What’s Hood doing “above”? Just how deep was that hole you crawled out of? And more important, why?’
‘My company soured already? I liked you least, you know. Even Trotts-’
‘Now who’s dancing?’
‘Better we know nothing about why we’re here, is what I’m trying to say.’
‘Relax. I have already figured you out, Hedge, and here’s something that might surprise you. Not only do I have no problem with you being here-neither does Cotillion.’
‘Bastard! What-you and Cotillion sending pigeons back and forth on all this?’
‘I’m not saying Cotillion knows anything about you, Hedge. I’m just saying that if he did, he’d be fine. So would Shadowthrone-’
‘Gods below!’
‘Calm down!’
‘Around you, Quick, that’s impossible. Always was, always will be! Hood, I’m a ghost and I’m still nervous!’
‘You never were good at being calm, were you? One would think dying might have changed you, some, but I guess not.’
‘Funny. Ha ha.’
They were now skirting the ruined city, and came within sight of the burial mounds. Quick Ben grunted. ‘Looks like the Meckros didn’t survive the kick.’
‘Dead or no,’ Hedge said, ‘you’d be nervous too if you was carrying a sack of cussers on your back.’
‘Damn you, Hedge-that was a cusser in your hand back there! When the dragon-’
‘Aye, Quick, so you just keep them kitties away from me, lest I jump back and turn an ankle or something. And stop talking about Shadowthrone and Cotillion, too.’