He looked up to see three men approach. He recognized two of them, Nethpara and Tumlit. The fellow nobleman accompanying them was short and round, burdened beneath a gold-brocaded cloak that would have looked imposing on a man twice his height and half his girth. As it was, the effect held more pathos than anything else.

Nethpara was breathless as he hurried up, his slack folds of flesh quivering and mud-spattered. ‘Imperial Historian Duiker, we wish to speak with you.’

Lack of sleep – and a host of other things – had drawn Duiker’s tolerance short, but he managed to keep his tone calm. ‘I suggest another time—’

‘Quite impossible!’ snapped the third nobleman. ‘The Council is not to be brushed off yet again. Coltaine holds the sword and so may keep us at bay with his barbaric indifference, but we will have our petition delivered one way or the other!’

Duiker blinked at the man.

Tumlit cleared his throat apologetically and dabbed his watering eyes. ‘Historian, permit me to introduce the Highborn Lenestro, recent resident of Sialk—’

‘No mere resident!’ Lenestro squealed. ‘Sole representative of the Kanese family of the same name, in all Seven Cities. Factor in the largest trade enterprise exporting the finest tanned camel hide. I am chief within the Guild, granted the honour of First Potency in Sialk. More than one Fist has bowed before me, yet here I stand, reduced to demanding audience with a foul-bespattered scholar—’

‘Lenestro, please!’ Tumlit said in exasperation. ‘You do your cause little good!’

‘Slapped across the face by a lard-smeared savage the Empress should have had spiked on a wall years ago! I warrant she will regret her mercy when news of this horror reaches her!’

‘Which horror would that be, Lenestro?’ Duiker quietly asked.

The question made Lenestro gape and sputter, his face reddening.

Nethpara elected to answer. ‘Historian, Coltaine conscripted our servants. It was not even a request. His Wickan dogs simply collected them – indeed, when one of our honoured colleagues protested, he was struck upon his person and knocked to the ground. Have our servants been returned? They have not. Are they even alive? What horrible suicide stand was left to them? We have no answers, Historian.’

‘Your concern is for the welfare of your servants?’ Duiker asked.

‘Who shall prepare our meals?’ Lenestro demanded. ‘Mend our clothes and raise our tents and heat the water for our baths? This is an outrage!’

‘Their welfare is uppermost in my mind,’ Tumlit said, offering a sad smile.

Duiker believed the man. ‘I shall enquire on your behalf, then.’

‘Of course you shall!’ Lenestro snapped. ‘Immediately.’

‘When you can,’ Tumlit said.

Duiker nodded, turned away.

‘We are not yet done with you!’ Lenestro shouted.

‘We are,’ Duiker heard Tumlit say.

‘Someone must silence these dogs! Their howling has no end!’