'It would seem he has moved up in the world.' Or down, depending on how you look at it.

'He could be taken care of.' Goyle wore a most unsavoury expression. 'Quite easily—'

'No!' snapped Sult. 'Why is it, Goyle, that no sooner does a problem appear than you want to kill it! We must tread carefully for now, and show ourselves to be reasonable men, open to negotiation.' He strode to the window, the bright sunlight glittering purple through the great stone on his ring of office. 'Meanwhile the business of actually running the country is ignored. Taxes go uncollected. Crimes go unpunished. This bastard they call the Tanner, this demagogue, this traitor, speaks in public at village fairs, urging open rebellion! Daily now, peasants leave their farms and turn to banditry, perpetrating untold theft and damage. Chaos spreads, and we have not the resources to stamp it out. There are only two regiments of the King's Own left in Adua, scarcely enough to maintain order in the city. Who knows if one of our noble Lords will tire of waiting and decide to try and seize the crown prematurely? I would not put it past them!'

'Will the army return from the North soon?' asked Goyle.

'Unlikely. That oaf Marshal Burr has spent three months squatting outside Dunbrec, and given Bethod ample time to regroup beyond the Whiteflow. Who knows when he'll finally get the job done, if ever!' Months spent destroying our own fortress. It almost makes one wish we'd put less effort into building the place.

'Twenty-five votes.' The Arch Lector scowled at the crackling papers. 'Twenty-five, and Marovia has eighteen? We're scarcely making progress! For every vote we gain we lose one somewhere else!'

Goyle leaned forwards in his chair. 'Perhaps, your Eminence, the time has come to call again on our friend at the University—'

The Arch Lector hissed furiously, and Goyle snapped his mouth shut. Glokta looked out the great window, pretending that he had heard nothing out of the ordinary. The six crumbling spires of the University dominated the view. But what help could anyone possibly find there? Amongst the decay, and the dust, from those old idiots of Adepti?

Sult did not give him long to consider it. 'I will speak to Heugen myself.' And he jabbed one of the papers with a finger. 'Goyle, write to Lord Governor Meed and try to elicit his support. Glokta, arrange an interview with Lord Wetterlant. He has yet to declare himself one way or the other. Get out there, the pair of you.' Sult turned from his sheets full of secrets and fixed on Glokta with his hard blue eyes. 'Get out there and get… me… votes!'

Being Chief

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'Cold night!' shouted the Dogman. 'Thought it was meant to be summer!'

The three of 'em looked up. The nearest was an old man with grey hair and a face looked like it had seen some weather. Just past him was a younger man, missing his left arm above the elbow. The third was no more'n a boy, stood down the end of the quay and frowning out at the dark sea.