Loveless stepped forward again, acknowledging the prince with a nod. ‘Corvel’s strengths are obvious: the armies of religious fanatics that Vassad assembled, cheaper and more zealous than any comparable force; total control over the kingdom’s hierarchy, again care of Vassad and the Rau Rel’s cack-handed attempts to unseat him; and …’ She flicked a glance up-deck, to where Kosh was worrying at her invention as she rearranged her targets. ‘… Rumours of new weapons, something that can change the face of warfare across the continent at a stroke.’

‘But?’ said Lemon. ‘I mean, there’s a but coming, eh? Cos if there wasn’t, we’d all be hauling on the tiller right now and swinging this fucker around for places new.’

With a half-smile, Loveless unrolled a sheet of canvas, by the look of it cut from excess sailcloth, and laid it out on the misty deck. It was the victim of much charcoal-marking and rubbing-out. Chel saw Rennic’s jaw flex at its arrival.

‘We expected him to spend the winter consolidating his forces, then begin his march at the first thaw. Thanks to nearly-queen Ruumi, we know he’s already begun disbanding and absorbing the mercenary companies in the north, under pretext of redundancy or illegality. We also know that, come the first moon of spring, she will land a war-band in the south-west and sow chaos. That gives us just enough time to enact our strategy.’

‘Aye, which is?’

‘Corvel’s forces are mighty but they’re concentrated and poorly trained. And, as the princeling said, with too many opposing forces pulling him in all directions at the same time, he’ll disintegrate. We’re going to stoke some fires.’

She gestured to the canvas, on which Chel was almost able to discern meaning. ‘First we go to the southern companies. The latest news from shore suggests they’re not blind to this threat. They’re holding an extraordinary council, and we’re going to join it.’

‘Let’s hope it goes better than the last conclave we attended.’

‘Lemon, don’t make me punch your eye out the back of its socket.’

Chel raised a hand, then felt foolish. ‘How are we going to join a mercenary council? They’re not going to … Well, they’re not going to let us in, are they?’

‘They’ll let me in,’ Rennic growled from the rail. ‘The bloated bastards owe me that much, and they know it.’

Loveless offered a smile as bright as it was artificial. ‘Our friend Gar has served alongside, ridden with, crossed paths with or drunk in the same alehouse as just about every company man in existence. He knows everyone in question, whether he’d admit it or not. You see? Problem solved. Next, we rouse the free cities. I have contacts we can use. Some coordinated whispers, the right motivation, they’ll do what we need.’

‘Poppy-merchants and leaf-peddlers,’ Rennic muttered.