Or I could leave Blade. Blade is a man of respect, with a strong reputation down here.

Excellent idea, Mistress.

I wondered who was manipulating whom. Do you suppose Sindhu is a man of enough respect to leave with him?

More than enough, Mistress.

Good. Blade will have to know something about him. Something about your brotherhood.

Mistress?

If youre going to use a tool you should know its capabilities. Only a priest demands we take things on faith.

Priests and functionaries, Narayan corrected. Youre right. Blade will take nothing on faith.

He was the last man alive who would. That might come between us someday.

Are any of your brotherhood cynical enough to be hiding inside other priesthoods?

Mistress? He sounded hurt.

I have few sources of information. If we had friends within the priesthoods...

I dont know about Taglios, Mistress. It seems unlikely.

I did miss the old days, when Id had the unbridled use of my powers, when I could summon a hundred demons to spy for me, when I could recall the memories of a mouse that had been in the wall of a room where my enemies had congregated.

Id told Narayan that Id built an empire from beginnings as humble as ours. That was true, but Id had more weapons. This time I often felt disarmed.

The weapons were coming back, but far too slowly.

Send Blade to me.

I took Blade for a walk up the river, east of the fortress. He was content to wait on me. He spoke only once, cryptically, as we approached a bankside tree where a fishing pole leaned. Looks like Swan never got back.

I had him explain. It didnt mean much. I looked at the fortress. Swan and Mather were in there, nominal commanders of all Taglian forces below the river. I wondered how seriously they took that. They hadnt been out much. I wondered if Blade was in touch. Hed hardly had time. Hed been working hours longer than mine, teaching himself as he taught his men. I wondered why he made the effort. I sensed a deep reservoir of irrational hatred inside him.

I suspected he was a man who wanted to change the world.

Such men are easy to manipulate, easier than the Swans, who mostly just want to be left alone.

Im thinking of promoting you, I told him.

He responded sardonically. To what? Unless youre promoting yourself, too.

Of course. You become legate of the Ghoja legion. I become general of the army.

Youre going north.

He didnt waste words and didnt need many to extract a lot of information. I should be in Taglios now. To guard my interests.

Its a bad spot. In the crocodiles jaws.

I dont follow.

You need to be here to gather soldiers, to gain power. You need to be there to control the priests who can keep recruits away.

Yes.

You need trustworthy lieutenants. But youre alone.

Am I?