Glokta cleared his throat. 'I will pack for Keln immediately.' Tickling the peasantry. Hardly my choice of task, but—

'No. I need you for something else. Dagoska has fallen.'

Glokta raised an eyebrow. Not so great a surprise, though. Hardly enough of a shock, one would have thought, to squeeze such a figure as his Eminence into my narrow quarters.

'It seems the Gurkish were let in by a prior arrangement. Treason, of course, but at a time like that… hardly surprising. The Union forces were massacred, such as they were, but many of the mercenaries were merely enslaved, and the natives, by and large, were spared.' Gurkish mercy, who could have thought it? Miracles do happen, then.

Sult flicked angrily at a speck of dust on one immaculate glove. 'I hear that, when the Gurkish had broken into the citadel, General Vissbruck killed himself rather than be captured.' Well I never. I didn't think he had it in him. 'He ordered his body burned, so as not to give the enemy any remains to defile, then he cut his own throat. A brave man. A courageous statement. He will be honoured in Open Council tomorrow.'

How wonderful for him. A horrible death with honour is far preferable to a long life in obscurity, of course. 'Of course,' said Glokta quietly. 'A brave man.'

'That is not all. An envoy has arrived on the very heels of this news. An envoy from the Emperor of Gurkhul.'

'An envoy?'

'Indeed. Apparently seeking… peace.' The Arch Lector said the word with a sneer of contempt.

'Peace?'

'This room seems rather small for an echo.'

'Of course, your Eminence, but—'

'Why not? They have what they want. They have Dagoska, and there is nowhere further for them to go.'

'No, Arch Lector.' Except, perhaps, across the sea…

'Peace. It sticks in the craw to give anything away, but Dagoska was never worth much to us. Cost us more than we made from it, if anything. Nothing more than a trophy for the King. I daresay we're better off without it, the worthless rock.'

Glokta bowed his head. 'Absolutely, your Eminence.' Although it makes one wonder why we bothered fighting for it.

'Unfortunately, the loss of the place leaves you with nothing to be Superior of.' The Arch Lector looked almost pleased. So it's back to plain old Inquisitor, eh? I suppose I'll no longer be welcome at the best social gatherings—'But I have decided to let you keep the tide. As Superior of Adua.'

Glokta paused. A considerable promotion, except that… 'Surely, your Eminence, that is Superior Goyle's role.'

'It is. And will continue to be.'

'Then—'