‘Keep facing Paran in the right direction,’ Whiskeyjack finally said. ‘Shove when the opportunity arises. Quick Ben, find out all you can about Nightchill – through any and every source available. Mallet, explain about Paran to Spindle – I want all three of you close enough to the captain to count nose hairs.’ He gathered the reins and swung his mount round. ‘The Darujhistan contingent’s due to arrive at Brood’s any time now – let’s head back.’

They rode down from the hill and its ruinous vestiges at a canter, leaving the flies buzzing aimlessly above the summit.

Whiskeyjack reined in before the tent that had been provided for Dujek Onearm, his horse breathing hard from the extended ride, through the Bridgeburners’ encampment where he’d left Quick Ben and Mallet, and into Brood’s sprawled camp. He swung from the saddle, wincing as he stepped down on his bad leg.

The standard-bearer Artanthos appeared. ‘I’ll take the reins, Commander,’ the young man said. ‘The beast needs rubbing down—’

‘He ain’t the only one,’ Whiskeyjack muttered. ‘Onearm’s within?’

‘Aye. He has been expecting you.’

Without another word the commander entered the tent.

‘Damned about time,’ Dujek growled from his cot, grunting as as he sat up. ‘Pour us some ale, there, on the table. Find a chair. You hungry?’

‘No.’

‘Me neither. Let’s drink.’

Neither spoke until Whiskeyjack had finished repositioning furniture and pouring ale. The silence continued until they’d both finished the first tankards and the commander refilled them from the jug.

‘Moon’s Spawn,’ Dujek said after wiping his mouth then reaching for the tankard once again. ‘If we’re lucky, we’ll see it again, but not till Coral, or even later. So, Anomander Rake’s agreed to throw his – and the Moon’s – weight against this Pannion Domin. Reasons? Unknown. Maybe he just likes a fight.’

Whiskeyjack frowned. ‘At Pale, he struck me as a reluctant combatant, Dujek.’

‘Only because his Tiste Andii were busy elsewhere. Good thing, too, or we would have been annihilated.’

‘You might be right. Seems we’re mustering a whole lot to take on a middling-sized empire of zealots, Dujek. I know, the Domin’s smelled foul from the start, and something’s building. Even so ...’

‘Aye.’ After a moment, Dujek shrugged. ‘We’ll see what we see. Did you speak with Twist?’

Whiskeyjack nodded. ‘He agrees that his flights should remain unseen – no supplying of our forces on the march if at all possible. He has scouts seeking a strategic place to hold up close to the Pannion border – hidden but close enough to strike when the time comes.’

‘Good. And is our army ready to leave Pale?’

‘As ready as it’ll ever be. The question of supply on the march remains.’

‘We’ll cover that when the emissaries from Darujhistan get here. Now. Silverfox ...’