It was growing dark, now, and the stars were coming out. Feather had brought Kordas another bottle of wine from the Valdemar cellars, and Star had brought him a bowl of stew. It tasted better than anything he had eaten in the last several weeks.

Merrin had been back to Valdemar just long enough to make himself known to the people who had refused to leave, assured them that he was not going to punish them, and cemented his position as the new Duke.

He’d also taken over the Ducal manor, and had been relieved to discover there were no bats after all.

Then he’d come back once he’d gotten word of Kordas’s recovery, to find out what Kordas had planned.

Although I don’t know why I should plan anything. Plans never last for long once you put them in motion.

In the water was an echo of stars, and of the lights on the barges and the shore in the form of lanterns, mage-lights, and a few campfires.

Out there, among all those barges and campfires, the Dolls were circulating, giving an abbreviated version of what had just happened, and eliminating the fact that Kordas, Beltran, and Merrin had killed the Emperor. None of them wanted to claim that. Not because people would be angry with them for it, but because they were likely to be made into Great Heroes of the People, and—and that was just wrong.

Let them all think the Emperor fell into the lava when we released the Child. That will do.

“There is going to be chaos,” Merrin predicted. “There’s going to be some fighting and probably a bloodbath or two. Well, let them fight it out. When I get back to Valdemar, I’m going to make sure we sit this one out. Keep us out of it completely. Take in refugees, because there’s going to be a lot of perfectly good farms and houses empty, but otherwise—Valdemar doesn’t have a dog in this fight.”

“About that,” Kordas said. “I evacuated everyone who would agree to leave because the Emperor was surely going to take it out on Valdemar when some of us fled. But now—that’s not true. And I feel very good about leaving Valdemar in your hands, Merrin.”

“Wait—” said Merrin. “What? I thought you’d want—”

Kordas shook his head. “You say Valdemar doesn’t have a dog in this fight, but someone might try to take the fight to the dog. You know more about Imperial politics than I did. You have a better head for deciding who to back and who not to.”

“Well,” Merrin said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I’m not bad at it.”