“And I the same.” On his way out, Arcolin thought of others who might be willing to share news of Immer. M’dierra of Golden Company. Other commanders he’d known over the years. Perhaps a visit to the Mercenaries’ Hall.

The next time Arcolin met with Dattur and Arvid, he asked Dattur about uniforms for the gnomes in the north. “I did not realize I had that responsibility,” he said. “I gave them cloth, but it was not gray.”

“They were kteknik; that was appropriate,” Dattur said. His accent had softened, Arcolin noticed, with familiarity.

“But now, if I am their prince, are they still kteknik?”

“No, my lord.”

“Then I need to supply them with gray cloth, do I not?”

“It is own weave.”

“But … they did not ask for sheep.” Arcolin considered the number of sheep on his northern lands and the wool production, all of it presently used by his human vassals. How would he afford more sheep? Did gnomes ever have sheep, or would he need to provide more sheep herders?

Dattur’s face contorted in what Arcolin now recognized as a stifled grin. “It is not needed, sheep.”

“But the design,” Arcolin said. “I know there’s a difference, from princedom to princedom—”

“It is prince’s name, in gnomish. What was name before?”

“My name?”

“Their clan name.”

“Karginfulk,” Arcolin said.

“Karginfulk!” Dattur jerked as if he’d been stabbed, and a long jabber of gnomish, too fast for Arcolin to follow, came out. Just as Dattur threw himself on the floor and kissed Arcolin’s boot, Arvid opened the door.

“What’s this?” Arvid said, in a drawl that sounded faintly dangerous.

“I’m not sure,” Arcolin said. “Is he—Dattur, are you Karginfulk?”

“Kteknik … but before, yes. It is—” Another jabber of incomprehensible gnomish followed. Then Dattur took a long breath and shifted back into Common. “Prince made kteknik for—for not having respect. Said Lawbreaker. Said go and learn Law among the Lawless; return only when make Lawless Lawful.” He glanced at Arvid.

“You were supposed to make him lawful?” Arcolin asked.

“Is not my master Arvid, to start,” Dattur said. “Prince meant all—it is that impossible. He knew. He knew … meant … forever. But now—it is prince’s word. It is prince must know of life debt owed to my master Arvid, for my blade in another’s hand drew his blood, and he also saved my life, twice. It is prince’s word: this one kteknik, not kteknik.”

“You saved my life, too, Dattur,” Arvid said. “I told you—”

“It is what prince says,” Dattur said. “Prince is Lawspeaker.” He bowed to Arcolin again.

Arcolin felt the responsibility on his shoulders like an iron bar. “I would hear exactly what you did, that the former prince called you Lawbreaker,” he said. What he really wanted to know was whether that gnome prince had been under Achrya’s influence at the time.