Maybe not. Maybe I misinterpret the interest of Narayan and Sindhu.

Probably not. Their goals arent mine. What do you know about them?

Nothing. They arent what they pretend.

I thought about that, decided he meant they werent what they pretended to be to the world. Have you heard of the Deceivers, Blade? Sometimes called the Stranglers?

Death cult. Legendary, probably. The Radisha mentioned them and their goddess. The wizard is terrified of them. The soldiers say they are extinct. That isnt true, is it?

No. A few still exist. For their own reasons theyre backing me. I wont bore you with their dogma. Its repulsive and Im not sure it was related to me truthfully.

He grunted. I wondered what went on inside his head. He hid himself well.

Id met others like him. I will be stunned the day I meet someone entirely new.

Go north without fear. Ill manage Ghoja.

I believed him.

I turned back. We walked toward camp. I tried to ignore the stench from across the river. What do you want, Blade? Why are you doing this?

He shrugged, an uncharacteristic action. There are many evils in the world. I guess Ive chosen one for my personal crusade.

Why such a hatred for priests?

He didnt shrug. He didnt give me a straight answer, either. If each man picks an evil and attacks it relentlessly, how long can evil persist?

That was an easy one. Forever. More evil gets done in the name of righteousness than any other way. Few villains think they are villains. But I left him his illusion. If he had one. I doubted he did. No more than a swords blade does.

At first Id thought him moved as Swan so obviously was when he looked at me. But he hadnt so much as hinted that he considered me anything but a fellow soldier.

He confused me.

He asked, Will you talk to Willow and Cordy? Or shall I?

What do you think?

Depends. What you want to discuss? How? You wiggle some, you can lead Swan anywhere.

Not interested.

Ill talk to them, then. You go ahead. Do what you have to do.

Sunrise next morning I was on the road north with two incompetent and incomplete battalions, Narayan and Ram, and all the trophies I had claimed from the Shadowmasters horsemen.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Radisha waited impatiently while Smoke bustled around making sure his spells were proof against eavesdroppers. The Prahbrindrah Drah lounged in a chair, looking indolent and unconcerned. But he spoke first when the wizard signalled satisfaction with his precautions. More bad news, Sis?

Bad? I dont know. Not pleasant. Dejagore was a disaster. Though experts tell me it hurt the Shadowmasters so badly they cant bother us this year. The woman you lust after did survive, though.

The Prahbrindrah grinned. Is that the good news or the bad?

Subject to interpretation. For once, though, I think Smoke might be right.

Ah?