‘We have cash to spare, captain,’ said Hendrick matter-of-factly. ‘We can hole up in this inn and start looking for a way to escape your city tomorrow if you’ve no use for us. We’ll likely do some damage on our way out, hazard of the job. And I understand you’re already short on watchmen.’

‘You can spend the next few turnings in the scald-cells instead, if you like?’ asked Helena, cocking an eyebrow.

‘You can try to arrest us,’ said Hendrick. ‘It’ll cost you. And besides, what use would we be to you in the cells?’

Aelyn felt her lips quirk slightly in amusement. Hendrick wasn’t as good with people as Varlen had been, but she had always admired his blunt courage. Evidently, Helena felt something the same as, after a moment, she laughed.

‘Very well, Sergeant Saul, consider yourselves hired. Find rooms here and I will send a scribe across first thing tomorrow to swear you all in and draw up a contract.’

‘Send the details of whichever matters you want us to look into, also,’ said Romilla.

‘We’re quite happy with the stranger cases,’ added Bartiman with undisguised relish. Olt shrank lower in his chair but made no comment.

‘Well–’ began Helena as she stood from the table, but she was interrupted by a phenomenal crash of thunder so violent that it shook the window panes and killed conversation in the common room quicker than a headsman’s axe. Outside, the ferocity of the rain redoubled. Then came a cry of alarm and disgust.

‘Oh, Sigmar! Oh that’s revolting!’

There came the sound of a tankard hitting the floor, then others. Cries of alarm and horror rose throughout the common room, shocked shouts of disgust and oaths to Sigmar filling the air. Aelyn looked down at the glass of spring water she had been nursing and slowly, carefully, took her hands away from it. The water had turned thick and clotted, and now gave off a rancid stink. Something moved in it, something black and squirming pinwheeling in circles as it drowned. She looked around the table; all of her comrades had recoiled from their own drinks while Borik, who had just thumped another three ale tankards down on the table, was cursing roundly in Kharadron.

‘Whatever this is, Captain Morthan, we need to resolve it swiftly,’ Aelyn said to the horrified captain. Helena could only nod in return, as outside the rain fell harder.

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

CRACKS