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Back Four Roads Cross Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. Acknowledgments
  73. Also by Max Gladstone
  74. About the Author
  75. Newsletter Sign-up

She did a little math in her head. Removed the black book from her purse, consulted her notes from yesterday’s flight. Lady of Sky and Stone, okay, and the moon had tidal influence. “Cat, that’s a really good idea.”

“You don’t have to sound so surprised.”

“As Justice, she’s pledged to support Kos; as Seril, she’s independent. And since the Blacksuit is a repurposed temple contract, you’re technically her priestess. You said you seized this boat—”

“Ship.”

“Ship, you seized it with other Blacksuits?”

“And with Raz.” She made a face when she said his name.

“Something wrong?”

“Don’t start.”

“Fine,” she said. Cold bodies lay behind the closed door. “So, you and Raz. Anyone else?”

“Aev.”

“Good. We can claim Seril, rather than Kos, seized the boat. Ship. Seril died—at least, we all thought she did—before they started building idols on Kavekana, so she’s never signed a full-faith-and-credit agreement with them. That should work.”

“So Seril gets the ship.”

“In a way, the timing’s perfect. Yesterday I would have said no, because this would tip off the world that Seril was still alive. But we’re announcing her survival in an interview tonight. I can set up the triggers in advance. When we’re ready, you and Raz sign the paper and wake these people up, giving us more evidence Seril’s separate from Kos—because if she was not, we couldn’t break this circle.” She rifled through her purse. Vials, vials, astrolabe, sextant, compass, paring knife, rabbit’s foot, black bag, silver nails, more vials. “Shit. Do you have any cinnabar?”

“I’ll send someone,” Cat said.

“We need the good stuff. There’s a guy on Twenty-third and Vine—”

“I’ll send someone.”

“And I’ll get to work.”

25

25

Matt woke at quarter to three as usual, and found Claire sleeping. He lit the stove with his morning prayers, made coffee, and pondered eggs. The coffee smell woke her, and she entered the kitchen wearing Donna’s robe belted tight around her waist and closed up to her throat. Couch cushions left a deep crease down her cheek.

“Coffee?” she asked before he could offer. Her voice was a crackle of dead leaves. He poured from the percolator and she drank as if racing to reach the bottom. “Thank you,” she said when she finished, and he poured more. The coffee filled in the cracks of her voice.

“Do you like eggs?”

“Every way but boiled.”

He’d planned to take a few hard-boiled from the bowl in the refrigerator, but she was a guest. “Cheese?”

“Yes.” She poured herself more coffee. Emptied the percolator halfway through the cup. “I’m sorry. I didn’t ask if you wanted—”

“I’ll make more.” He was not whispering, but he talked low. “I don’t have company in the mornings.”

“I’ll do the coffee. You make eggs.”