Chapters (76)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART I
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- PART II
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- PART III
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- INTERLUDE
- PART IV
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- INTERLUDE
- PART V
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- PART VI
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- INTERLUDE
- PART VII
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- PART VIII
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
“Oh, and you’re above all that, then?” Simon rolled his head, kicking at the dirt of the training yard. It was empty but for the two of them and a sharp morning sunlight, but soon it would be flooded with the newest class of recruits for morning routines. “These five Gerolds you won’t stop going on about, you seem to think they’re evil enough.”
Guy stared at the double doors of the barracks, ready to vomit out its collection of wet boys. “Not evil, no. There’s no such thing, good and evil. There’s just good and … disappointing. Everyone starts off good, you know, until they choose to disappoint.”
“Is that how you punish your enemies?” the Scotsman laughed. “Sit ’em down and tell ’em how very disappointed you are?”
“I said nothing about enemies. You’re talking morality, and I’m talking politics.” He reached out for the axe from Simon, and tested out its weight. “If assuming your enemies are bad men makes you feel better about fighting them, that’s your prerogative, but it certainly doesn’t make it true.”
“I don’t have any enemies.”
“Of course not. You must have opinions first to have enemies.”
Simon balked. “I have opinions!”
“You have opinions on soup. Nobody goes to war for that.” Guy swung the axe down into a log, but it remained in one piece. Guy frowned at it, but still it did not split. “I bring you along to recruit from the gaols because pulling an ill opinion from you is a difficult thing. If you don’t like a recruit, they must be a particular new brand of filth. Myself, I tend to hate everyone. Primarily based on the fact that most people I meet are human, and humans are a generally foul lot. So everyone we interrogate rubs me the wrong way, but if one rubs you the wrong way, that’s something else. So do me a favor and judge harshly, so that our servant girls won’t have to be afraid of any monsters in their beds.”
Simon shook his big beefy head. “I lost track. Are humans all born good, or are they all filth? You seem to want it both ways.”
Guy tried to pry the axehead free. “Just because I hate most people doesn’t mean they’re evil. I’m just particular.” He gave up and moved away, not in the mood for being questioned. He was in the mood for yelling harsh things at people who were forced to listen to him, which was delightfully about to happen.