The sticksnare’s laugh was soft. ‘Oh yes. And I listened, I listened indeed. So, you know the cause of the illness besetting the Sleeping Goddess. You would set yourself in the Crippled God’s path, match his wits if not his power, and defeat all he seeks. Mortal, yours is a surpassing conceit ... which I cannot but applaud.’

Quick Ben sighed, scanning the tumbled contents of the tent. ‘Mockingly, no doubt. Where are the rest of my clothes?’

‘I do not mock you, Wizard. Indeed, I am humbled by the depth of your ... integrity. To find such, in a common soldier, one serving a malevolent, spiteful Empress who sits on a blood-stained throne, ruling an empire of murderers—’

‘Now hold on, you misbegotten puppet—’

Talamandas laughed. ‘Oh, but it has always been so, has it not? Within the rotting corpse hide diamonds! Pure of heart and stalwart with honour, yet besieged within their own house by the foulest of masters. And when the historians are done, the ink drying, may the house shine and sparkle even as it burns!’

‘You’ve lost me, runt,’ Quick Ben muttered. ‘How long have I been ... out?’

‘Long enough. With the city retaken, the Thrall yielding the bones of our Founders, and the Pannions driven into the maw of Brood and your Malazan kin, well, you have missed most of the fun. For the moment, in any case. The tale’s far from done, after all.’

The wizard found his quilted tunic. ‘All of that,’ he muttered as he pulled the heavy garment on, ‘would have been nice to witness, but given my present lack of efficacy—’

‘Ah, as to that. . .’

Quick Ben glanced at the sticksnare. ‘Go on.’

‘You would best the Crippled God, yet you find yourself unable to use the powers you possess. How, then, will you manage?’

He reached for his leggings. ‘I’ll think of something, eventually. Of course, you think you have an answer for me, don’t you?’

‘I do.’

‘Well, let’s hear it, then.’

‘My gods are awakened, Wizard. Nose in the air, gleaning the scent of things, given to troubled thought and dour contemplation. You, Ben Adaephon Delat, pursue a worthy course. Sufficiently bold to snare their regard. Leading to certain conclusions. Sacrifices must be made. To your cause. Into the warrens, a necessary step. Thus, the need to supply you with ... suitable armour. So that you may be fended from the Crippled God’s poisons.’

Quick Ben massaged his brow. ‘Talamandas, if you and your gods have sewn together some kind of impervious cloak or baldric or something, just say so. Please.’

‘Nothing so ... bland, Wizard. No, your flesh itself must be immune to infection. Your mind must be implacable to fevers and other similar plagues. You must be imbued with protective powers that by nature defy all that the Crippled God attempts when he seeks to thwart you.’

‘Talamandas, what you describe is impossible.’