‘At Pale? No. Hood take us, we all were. That battle didn’t go as planned. Tayschrenn really believed he could take down Moon’s Spawn – and force Rake into the open. And had he not been left virtually on his own in the attack, things might well have turned out differently. From what I learned later, Tayschrenn didn’t know at the time who Nightchill really was, but he knew she was closing in on Rake’s sword. Her and Bellurdan, who she was using to do her research for her. It looked like a play for power, a private one, and Laseen wasn’t prepared to permit that. And even then, Tayschrenn only hit her when she took out A’Karonys – the very High Mage who came to Tayschrenn with his suspicions about her. When I said Bellurdan killing Tattersail was the worst foul-up in Malazan history, that day at Pale runs a close second.’

‘There have been more than a few lately ...’

Dujek slowly nodded, his eyes glittering in the lantern light. ‘All starting, I’d say, with the T’lan Imass slaughtering the citizens of Aren. But, as even with that one, each disaster yields its truths. Laseen didn’t give that order, but someone did. Someone returned to sit down in that First Throne – and that someone was supposed to be dead – and he used the T’lan Imass to wreak vengeance on Laseen, to shake her grip on the Empire. Lo, the first hint that Emperor Kellanved wasn’t quite as dead as we would have liked.’

‘And still insane, aye. Dujek, I think we’re heading for another disaster.’

‘I hope you’re wrong. In any case, I was the one who needed his confidence boosted tonight, not you.’

‘Well, I guess that’s the price of inverted commands ...’

‘For all that I’ve been saying, a new observation comes to me, Whiskeyjack, and it’s not a pleasant one.’

‘And that is?’

‘I’m beginning to think we’re not half as sure of what we’re up to as we think we are.’

‘Who’s “we”?’

‘The empire. Laseen. Tayschrenn. As for you and I, well, we’re the least of the players and what little we know isn’t even close to what we need to know. We stepped up to the assault on Moon’s Spawn at Pale knowing virtually nothing of what was really going on. And if I hadn’t cornered Tayschrenn after, we still wouldn’t.’

Whiskeyjack studied the dregs of ale in the tankard in his hands. ‘Quick Ben’s smart,’ he murmured. ‘I can’t really say how much he’s worked out. He can get pretty cagey at times.’

‘He’s still willing, surely?’

‘Oh yes. And he’s made it plain that he has acquired a powerful faith in Ganoes Paran. In this new Master of the Deck.’

‘Does that strike you as odd, then?’