'What in hell…' Glokta's breath smoked before his smarting lips. Mysterious articles were scattered widely about the wintry room. A long, snaking length of black tubing was frozen to the panelling, like a string of sausages left in the snow. There were patches of black ice on the books, on the desk, on the crunching carpet. There were pink fragments frozen to the ceiling, long white splinters frozen to the floor…

Human remains?

A large chunk of icy flesh, partly coated in rime, lay in the middle of the desk. Glokta turned his head sideways to better take it in. There was a mouth, still with some teeth attached, an ear, an eye. Some strands of a long beard. Enough, in the end, for Glokta to recognise whose parts were scattered so widely around the freezing room. Who else but my last hope, my third suitor, High justice Marovia?

Cosca cleared his throat. 'It seems there is something to your friend Silber's claims after all.'

An understatement of devilish proportions. Glokta felt the muscles round his left eye twitching with a painful intensity. The secretary fussed up to the door behind them, peered through, gasped, and reeled away. Glokta heard him being noisily sick outside. 'I doubt the High Justice will be lending us much assistance.'

'True. But isn't it getting a little late in the day for your papers and so forth anyway?' Cosca gestured towards the windows, flecked and spotted with frozen blood. 'The Gurkish are coming, remember? If you've scores to settle, get them settled now, before our Kantic friends tear up all the bills. When plans fail, swift action must serve, eh, Superior?' He reached behind his head, unbuckled his mask, and let it drop to the floor. 'Time to laugh in your enemy's face! To risk all on one final throw! You can pick up the pieces afterward. If they don't go back together, well, what's the difference? Tomorrow we might all be living in a different world.'

Or dying in one. Not the way we wanted it, maybe, but he is right. Perhaps we might borrow one final shred of Colonel Glokta's dash before the game is over? 'I hope I can still count on your help?'

Cosca clapped him on the shoulder and sent a painful shudder through his twisted back. 'A noble last effort, against all the odds? Of course! Though I should mention that I usually charge double once the diabolical arts are involved.'

'How does triple sound?' After all, Valint and Balk have deep pockets.

Cosca's grin grew wider. 'It sounds well.'

'And your men? Are they reliable?'

'They are still waiting for four fifths of their pay. Until they receive it I would trust any one of them with my life.'