A big man stood at the head of the table—a faceful of scars, short hair grey and balding. He had a bushy moustache, the rest of his thick jaw covered in white stubble. Faithful Carpi himself, from what Monza had said. He was shaking the dice in one chunk of fist. “Come on, you shits, come on and give me nine!” They came up one and three, to a few sighs and some laughter. “Damn it!” He tossed some coins down the table to a tall, pock-faced bastard with a hook-nose and the ugly mix of long black hair and a big bald patch. “One of these days I’ll work your trick out, Andiche.”

“No trick. I was born under a lucky star.” Andiche scowled at Shivers, about as friendly a look as a fox spares for a chicken. “Who the hell’s this bandaged arsehole?”

The guard pushed in past Shivers, giving him a dirty look sideways. “General Carpi, sir, this Northman says he needs to speak to you.”

“That a fact?” Faithful spared Shivers a quick glance, then went back to stacking up his coins. “And why would I want to speak to the likes of him? Toss me the dice there, Victus, I ain’t done.”

“That’s the problem with generals.” Victus was bald as an egg and gaunt as famine, bunches of rings on his fingers and chains round his neck doing nothing to make him look prettier. “They never do know when they’re done.” And he tossed the dice back down the table, couple of his fellows chuckling.

The guard swallowed. “He says he knows who killed Prince Ario!”

“Oh, you do, do you? And who was that?”

“Monzcarro Murcatto.” Every hard face in the tent turned sharp towards Shivers. Faithful carefully set the dice down, eyes narrowed. “Looks like you know the name.”

“Should we hire him for a jester or hang him for a liar?” Victus grated out.

“Murcatto’s dead,” another.

“That so? I wonder who it is I been fucking for the past month, then?”

“If you’ve been fucking Murcatto I’d advise you to get back to it.” Andiche grinned around him. “From what her brother told me, no one here can suck a cock as well as she could.”

A good few chuckles at that. Shivers wasn’t sure what he meant about her brother, but it didn’t matter none. He’d already undone the bandages, and now he dragged the lot off in one go, turned his face towards the lamplight. Such laughter as there was mostly sputtered out. He had the kind of face now put a sharp end to mirth. “Here’s what she’s cost me so far. For a handful of silver? Shit on that, I ain’t half the fool she takes me for, and I’ve got my pride, still. I’m done with the bitch.”

Faithful Carpi was frowning at him. “Describe her.”

“Tall, lean, black hair, blue eyes, frowns a lot. Sharp tongue on her.”

Victus waved one jewel-crusted hand at him. “Common knowledge!”