Ill be on the other side of camp for a while. If some of your men-especially Shadar-suffered a lapse of discipline and called him coward and deserter I doubt their punishments would be onerous. He grinned, started to dart away. Hold it. Mistress?

You seen to have friends everywhere. I wouldnt be averse to knowing whats going on around here if you found contacts. Maybe Ghopal and Hakim and a few others could desert when you werent looking. Or otherwise get out and poke around.

Consider it done.

I do. I trust you that far. I know youll do what needs to be done.

His grin faded. He caught the warning edge.

From Narayan I went to Swan. How are you doing?

Dying of boredom. Are we prisoners?

No. Guests with limited mobility. Now free to go. Or stay. I could use your cachet.

Smoke shook his head vigorously, as though he feared Swan would desert the Radisha. I told him, Youre awfully anxious to hang onto a Black Company spy.

He looked at me and went through some internal change, as though hed decided to abandon ineffectual tactics. It wasnt a dramatic shift, though. The role hed been in couldnt have been that far from the real Smoke.

He never said a word.

Swan grinned and winked. Im gone. But I got a feeling Ill be back.

The racket started up in Narayans sector as I watched Swan go. I wondered how Jah was taking it.

Swan was back within the hour. She wants to see you.

Why am I not surprised? Ram, get Narayan and Blade. Sindhu, too.

I took Narayan and Blade with me. Sindhu I left in charge, hinting that Id be pleased if the camp was finished when I got back.

I paused at the gate of the Ghoja fortress, glanced back. It was an hour short of noon. We had been here six hours. Already my camp was the most complete, best protected, most military.

Professionalism and preparedness are relative, I suppose.

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Croaker hobbled to the temple door, looked out. Soulcatcher was nowhere around. He hadnt seen her for days. He wondered if hed been abandoned. He doubted it. Shed just waited till he was able to care for himself, then had hurried off on some arcane business.

He thought of making a run for it. He knew the surrounding country. There was a village he could reach in a few hours, even at the pace he could make. But that escape would be no escape.

Soulcatcher was away but the crows had stayed to watch. They would stay with him. They would lead her to him. She had the horses. Those beasts could run forever without tiring. She could spot him a weeks lead and catch him.

Still...

This place was like an island outside the world. It was dark and depressing.