“You promised me freedom, m’lord. If I honestly and scrupulously confessed everything.”

“You haven’t yet done so. In any case, why do you need freedom? Grellenort won’t give up until he’s tracked you down and finished you off. But he won’t find you in Sovinec.”

“You promised.”

“I know, Schilling, I know. I promised, and I’ll keep my promise. When you confess everything. So confess. How many people did you kill?”

Reynevan didn’t expect the question to disconcert Schilling. He wasn’t mistaken. Schilling wasn’t bothered. The renegade only narrowed his eyes a little. And weighed up his answer a little longer than usual.

“I think it’s probably more than thirty,” he finally replied, indifferently. “I’m only counting the ones who were the main target, the ones Grellenort ordered us to kill by name. If we didn’t manage to attack them alone, with no one else around… then others also died. Companions, camp followers, servants… Sometimes kin…”

“You murdered the merchant Czajka along with his wife,” said Horn in a calm voice, showing he was well informed and knew all about it. “Johann Cluger and his entire family perished at home, in a fire you started, after boarding up the doors and windows.”

“Things like that did happen, but seldom,” the renegade admitted dryly. “We usually lay in wait until they were alone—”

“As with my brother…” said Reynevan, surprising himself with his calm. “Tell me about that murder. For you took part in it, didn’t you?”

“Aye, I did.” Something strange flashed in Schilling’s dark-ringed eyes. “But… You need to know something… I was under the influence of ganja and hash’eesh. We all were, as usual. And then you don’t know if you’re awake or asleep… But I didn’t stab your brother, Brother Bielau. I’m not lying. To convince you, I’ll say that I wanted to, but I simply couldn’t get to him. There were eight of us then, Grellenort was the ninth. He, Grellenort, struck first.”

“My brother…” Reynevan swallowed. “Did he die quickly?”

“No.”

“Did you kill as a group on Grellenort’s orders?” said Horn, deciding it was time to intervene and change the subject. “I know he occasionally killed alone. By himself.”