“On the contrary, I have one already.” Cosca was gratified to find them all staring at him. “Salier and I were quite close some years ago, when he employed me to settle his boundary issues with Puranti. We used to dine together once a week and he assured me I was welcome whenever I found myself in the city.”

The poisoner’s face was a caricature of contempt. “Would this, by any chance, have been before you became a wine-ravaged sot?”

Cosca waved one careless hand while filing that slight carefully away with the rest. “During my long and most enjoyable transformation into one. Like a caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly. In any case, the invitation still stands.”

Vitari narrowed her eyes at him. “How the hell do you plan to make use of it?”

“I imagine I will address the guards at the palace gate, and say something along the lines of—‘I am Nicomo Cosca, famed soldier of fortune, and I am here for dinner.’ ”

There was an uncomfortable silence, quite as if he had contributed a giant turd rather than a winning idea.

“Forgive me,” murmured Monza, “but I doubt your name opens doors the way it used to.”

“Latrine doors, maybe.” Morveer gave a sneering shake of his head. Day chuckled softly into the wind. Even Shivers had a dubious curl to his lip.

“Vitari and Morveer, then,” snapped Monza. “That’s your job. Watch the palace. Find us a way in.” The two of them gave each other an unenthusiastic frown. “Cosca, you know something about uniforms.”

He sighed. “Few men more. Every employer wants to give you one of their own. I had one from the Aldermen of Westport cut from cloth of gold, about as comfortable as a lead pipe up the—”

“Something less eye-catching might be better suited to our purpose.”

Cosca drew himself up and snapped out a vibrating salute. “General Murcatto, I will do my straining utmost to obey your orders!”

“Don’t strain. Man of your age, you might rupture something. Take Friendly with you, once the assaults begin.” The convict shrugged, and went back to his dice.

“We will most nobly strip the dead to their naked arses!” Cosca turned towards the stairs, but was brought up short by the sight in the bay. “Ah! Duke Orso’s fleet has joined the fun.” He could just see ships moving on the horizon, white sails marked with the black cross of Talins.

“More guests for Duke Salier,” said Vitari.

“He always was a conscientious host, but I’m not sure even he can be prepared for so many visitors at once. The city is entirely cut off.” And Cosca grinned into the wind.

“A prison,” said Friendly, and almost with a smile of his own.

“We are helpless as rats in a sack!” snapped Morveer. “You speak quite as if that were a good thing.”

“Five times I have been under siege, and always quite relished the experience. It has a wonderful way of limiting the options. Of freeing the mind.” Cosca took a long breath in through his nose and blew it happily out. “When life is a cell, there is nothing more liberating than captivity.”