Smoke said, Theres another way.... But he could not tell them. He had not told them everything when he had reported the approach by Longshadows agents. Too late now. If he brought up overlooked details they would no longer trust him. They might even think his opposition to the woman had been ordered by Taglios enemies.

That wrinkled little man had foreseen this. Damn him.

Well? the Radisha demanded.

I had a thought. It was impractical. Emotion guiding the mind. Forget it. Kina is stirring. The Daughter of Night walks among us. We must silence her.

The Prahbrindrah Drah said, We can talk about this all night. None of us will change our minds. Wed better concentrate on staying a step ahead of the priests till we do agree.

Smoke shook his head. That would not do. The woman would keep everyone confused and divided; then it would be too late. That was the way of darkness. Deceit. Endless deceit.

No point talking anymore. There was only one choice left.

They would hate him if they caught him. They would brand him traitor. But there was no other answer.

He had to pray for courage and a clear head. The Shadowmasters were masters of deceit themselves. They would use him if they could. But if he played the game carefully he could serve Taglios better than any dozen armies.

He started trying to cut the conversation short. As brother and sister were leaving, the prince said, Smoke, I meant to ask. Why would she put a bounty on bats all of a sudden? A what?

The Shadar Singh mentioned it. He heard it on his way here. She put out word that any children who wanted could pick up a few coppers by bringing her dead bats. Every poor family in town will start hunting them. And the treasury will have to pay for them. Why? I have no idea, Smoke lied. His heart was in his throat. She knew. That business about reporting strangers... It wasnt a propaganda ploy. She knew. A few exotic spells use bat parts powdered. Fur, claws, livers. But theyre the kind that make your neighbors cattle sterile or his hens stop laying. Nothing of use to her.

But live bats were useful to the Shadowmasters. He barely waited till the prince and his sister turned a corner down the hall. Then he headed for the world outside, before there were no bats left to find him.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

Croaker sat on a rock in the wood, leaning against a tree, twisting an animal figure. He finished it and tossed it at a stump. Crows watched. He paid them no heed. He was thinking about Soulcatcher.