‘The scar. Mendel had a scar, a failed hunt, something. Corvel, as Mendel, emerged from his trials with a fresh wound in the same area, but the old scar was gone from beneath.’

Tarfel was gazing at her, eyebrows pinched, a look of great scrutiny. ‘So you did know. How? How would you notice and nobody else?’

Ruumi’s smile returned, if anything a little prim. ‘How would you think, your highness?’

Tarfel’s mouth hung open.

‘It was only a brief time,’ she continued, ‘but that was no great shame.’

‘You … with my brother? My brothers?’

Demure, now. ‘Not at the same time, your highness.’

Loveless was cackling, her head lolling with mirth. ‘I think I like this one. Oh, really I do.’

Chel’s memory stirred. What had Corvel said? I cut my own face, you know that? I did this to myself. It was that or wait for a knife in the back. He might have been called ‘the Wise’, but someone had clocked his act.

‘Then you knew,’ Rennic said, speech barely slurred. ‘You knew Mendel … Corvel … whichever fucker. You knew he was acting up? Did you know he was running the church, and not the other way round?’

She sloshed the wine around in her horn. ‘I considered it a strong possibility. Why else do you think I sent Brecki’s war-band to kill him? Better safe than sorry, you might say.’

‘Fuck me. Brecki knew it. The whole time. While we had Corvel in our camp, while we made our plans. Fuck me! She could have said something!’

Chel repeated Ruumi’s words, mirthless. ‘She was never the most accomplished linguist.’

Ruumi nodded, smile persistent. ‘She was not.’ From across the dais came a great roar of stone-shaking laughter, and the slapping of a thick palm against the table. Borre was amused. Ruumi’s smile flickered, ever so briefly. ‘Tell me, sell-swords, is your scheming complete? The sooner you have acted on my situation, the sooner I can commit to your prince’s cause.’

‘I never actually—’ Tarfel began.

‘We’re on top of it,’ Loveless said over him.

‘We’ll discuss it,’ Rennic growled with a pointed look in her direction. Loveless flashed a brilliant smile, a perfect imitation of Ruumi’s, and Chel felt a sudden pang. ‘But … yeah, we’re on top of it,’ Rennic finished.

‘It pleases me to hear it,’ Ruumi said, ‘for Borre will likely depart on a hunt in the next day or so, and could be gone for some time. I would hate you to miss your opportunity.’

‘Like I said,’ Rennic replied, holding up his horn for a refill. ‘We’re on top of it.’

‘Then, my friends, let us drink, and eat, and talk of great things, as friends do.’

‘Any chance we could go easy on the drinking part?’ Tarfel spoke with the dejected tones of one who knows his pleas will fall on deaf ears, but feels he must make them nonetheless.