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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

“Gave them away. Like a sacrifice, only no gods involved. We’re supporting a spinoff Concern of, I guess you’d call them paladins—heal the broken world, protect the innocent, all that crunchy granola stuff. The sky rights don’t move the needle for RKC anymore, but they’re a key asset for the Two Serpents Group’s portfolio.” He snapped his fingers. A white business card appeared and floated to her hand. “Their team’s up north, dealing with a mining disaster in Centervale. My office has the details. Have fun telling the do-gooders they should stop feeding orphans to save your goddess. I’d watch, but your five minutes are up, and I want you out of my nonexistent hair.”

“Thank you,” she said.

He grinned, not that he had a choice. “Tell Elayne to drop by when she’s ready to talk. We’re neither of us going anywhere.”

“Come on,” she said to Shale. “We have work.”

The King in Red waved to them, then settled back into his chair to watch a view that seemed no more or less perfect to Tara than it had five minutes before.

48

48

Stone walls narrowed the sky over Claire’s head to a slit. “You’re sure the woman we want lives down here?”

“‘Sure’ is a funny word,” Ellen mused from farther down the alley. Scratches and graffiti marred the stone higher than human hooligans could reach. “It’s not spelled like it sounds, and in plays when someone says they’re sure of something, you know they’re wrong.”

Claire slipped in something she hoped was mud and caught herself against balloony painted letters that read BEWARE LEOPARD. That morning before dawn she’d sat beside Matt for a grim ride through the fog during which they’d both failed to think of things to say. He’d gone silent after their chat with Ms. Abernathy the day before. He didn’t know what to tell Claire to do.

As if she needed telling.

Which didn’t mean she was eager to do it. Last night, on the moonlit roof, offering Ellen help seemed a way to make a difference without returning to that cold hospital room where her father lay. This afternoon, rubbed raw by coffee and hoarse by shouting after customers in the market, she felt less sure. “You can’t trust folks in the Ash.”

“That’s Dad talking.”

She caught her retort between clenched teeth. Ungrateful—

Sister.

“Sorry,” Claire said.