Otto. Hagop. One-Eye. Goblin. Geek. Freak. Bucket and Candles. You guys come with me. The al-Khul company will help us. Wheezer went to get them. Well go straight along the battlements. If the Nar get in the way we trample them. If they fight us, we kill them. That understood?

Not even Goblin or One-Eye tried to lawyer. We were some of the people Mogaba meant to drown.

The Taglians arrived. They were Vehdna by religion and the best Taglians attached to the Company. They were reliable and almost friendly. Of six hundred who had come south from Taglios months ago only about sixty were left.

I explained what was happening, what I wanted to do about it and how they could help. They would overrun anyone trying to open the gate after Goblin and One-Eye softened them up. Dont hurt anybody unless they just plain force you.

Why not? Candles demanded. Theyre trying to hurt us,

Mogaba is. These guys are just following orders. Ill bet you we dont find any Nar there when we get there. And Ill bet you that if they open the gate they get hurt as bad as anybody else. Mogaba doesnt need them anymore.

Lets just do it, Goblin groused. Or go back and catch a few beers.

I moved them out.

Maybe my blackouts gave me the gift of prophecy. There were no Nar at the North Gate. The fighting was so brief and desultory it almost did not take place. The Taglians working there fled. Damn! Mogaba would find out who foiled his latest nastiness. I told One-Eye, This will mean no more pretending were buddies.

Yeah. Show me how to sneak into the citadel. Ill put a sleep spell on him, then leave pieces of him all over his crazy temple.

That did not sound like a bad idea.

We had no opportunity to implement it.

Somebody yelled up at me. I peered down into the gloom. It was Uncle Doj. I had not included any Nyueng Bao in this. I had not seen any need to put them onto Mogabas bad side, too.

What?

He shouted, This was a diversion! The real flooding will start at...

Oh, shit! Yeah. Mogaba did know me well enough to anticipate that I might interfere. Come on! I snapped. Everyone! I hustled down to the street. Where? I demanded of Doj.

East Gate.

Would Mogaba also anticipate me crossing town to spoil his game, amidst the Jaicuri uprising?

He might. He might hope my crew would get trapped and overrun, or badly cut up. There was no guessing what he thought anymore. He was crazy.

One-Eye and Goblin eased us past bands of both Jaicuri and Taglians. We skirmished with the Jaicuri twice, our numbers and sorcery telling quickly. The light of scattered fires set scary shadows dancing everywhere.

What a time for the Shadowmaster to send his monsters out to play.