Messenger drowned. Cordy says Jah thinks he made it. Blade chuckled wickedly. He hated priests. Baiting them was his favorite sport. All priests, of whatever faith.

Good. Thatll keep him out of our hair till we figure out what to do with him.

I know what to do.

Political consequences, Swam cautioned. That your solution to everything? Cut somebodys throat?

Always slows them down.

The guards at the fortress gate saluted. They were favorites of the Radisha and, though neither Blade nor Swan nor Mather wanted it, they commanded Taglios defenses now.

Swan said, I got to learn to think in the long term, Blade. Never thought wed be back at this after the Black Company showed.

You got a lot to learn, Willow.

Cordy and Smoke waited outside the room where the Radisha holed up. Smoke looked like he had a bad stomach. Like hed make a run for it if he got a chance.

Swan said, Youre looking grim, Cordy. Just tired. Mostly of playing with the runt. Swan raised an eyebrow. Cordy was the calm one, the patient guy, the one who poured oil on the waters. Smoke must have provoked him good. She ready? Whenever.

Lets do it. I got a river full of fish waiting. Better figure on them getting grey hair before you get back. Mather knocked, pushed the wizard ahead of him.

The Radisha entered the room from the side as Swan closed the door. Here, in private, with men not from her own culture, she didnt pretend to a traditional sex role. Did you tell them, Cordy?

Willow exchanged glances with Blade. Their old buddy on a nickname basis with the Woman? Interesting. What did he call her? She didnt look like a Cuddles. Not yet. Whats up? Swan asked.

The Radisha said, Ive had my men mixing with the soldiers. Theyve heard rumors that the woman who was the Lieutenant of the Black Company survived. Shes trying to pull the survivors together south of here.

Best news Ive heard in a while, Swan said. He winked at Blade.

Is it?

I thought it was a crying shame to lose such a resource.

Ill bet. You have a low mind, Swan.

Guilty. Hard not to once youve had a gander at her. So she made it. Great. Gets us three off the hook. Gives you a professional to carry on.

That remains to be seen. Therell be difficulties. Cordy. Tell them.

Twenty-some men from the Second just came in. Theyd stayed off the road to avoid the Shadowmasters patrols. About seventy miles south of here they took a couple prisoners. The night before our guys grabbed them Kina and a ghost army supposedly attacked their camp and killed most of them.