'Crying, your Majesty? Perhaps she is merely homesick. I always suspected she was a much gentler spirit than she appears to be.'

'She is! She is. A gentle spirit.' Jezal thought about it for a moment. 'Do you know, I think you may be right. Homesick.' A plan began to take shape in his mind. 'Perhaps we should have the gardens of the palace redesigned, to give a flavour of Talins? We could have the stream altered, in the likeness of canals, and so forth!'

Glokta leered his toothless grin. 'A sublime idea. I shall speak to the Royal Gardener. Perhaps another brief word with her Majesty as well, to see if I can staunch her tears.'

'I would appreciate whatever you can do. How is your own wife?' he tossed over his shoulder, hoping to change the subject, then realising he had strayed onto one even more difficult.

But Glokta only showed his empty smile again. 'She is a tremendous comfort to me, your Majesty. I really don't know how I ever managed without her.'

They moved on in awkward silence for a moment, then Jezal cleared his throat. 'I've been thinking, Glokta, about that scheme of mine. You know, about a tax on the banks? Perhaps to pay for a new hospital near the docks. For those who cannot afford a surgeon. The common folk have been good to us. They have helped us to power, and suffered in our name. A government should offer something to all its people, should it not? The more mean, the more base, the more they need our help. A king is only truly as rich as his poorest subject, do you not think? Would you have the High Justice draw something up? Small to begin with, then we can go further. Free housing, perhaps, for those who find themselves without a home. We should consider—'

'Your Majesty, I have spoken to our mutual friend of this.'

Jezal stopped dead, a cold feeling creeping up his spine. 'You have?'

'I fear that I am obliged to.' The cripple's tone was that of a servant, but his sunken eyes did not stray from Jezal's for a moment. 'Our friend is… not enthusiastic'

'Does he rule the Union, or do I?' But they both knew the answer to that question well enough.

'You are king, of course.'

'Of course.'

'But our mutual friend… we would not wish to disappoint him.' Glokta came a limping step closer, his left eye giving a repulsive flutter. 'Neither one of us, I am sure, would want to encourage a visit to Adua… on his part.'

Jezal's knees felt suddenly very weak. The faint memory of that awful, unbearable pain nagged at his stomach. 'No,' he croaked, 'no, of course not.'