‘If something happens to me, you’ll look after Aslade, won’t you? – and the boys?’

‘Nothing’s going to happen to you, Kurik.’

‘Probably not, but I need to know anyway.’

‘You’ve got a pension coming – quite a sizeable one, actually. I may have to sell off some acreage to cover it. Aslade will be well taken care of.’

‘That’s assuming you survive this trip as well,’ Kurik said wryly.

‘You don’t have to worry about that, my friend. It’s in my will. Vanion will see to it – or Ehlana.’

‘You think of everything, don’t you, Sparhawk?’

‘I’m in a dangerous line of work. I’m sort of obliged to make provisions – just in case of accidents.’ Sparhawk grinned at his friend. ‘Is this particular subject designed to cheer me up in some obscure way?’ he asked.

‘I just wanted to know, that’s all,’ Kurik said. ‘It’s good to have your mind at rest about such things. Aslade should be able to set the boys up in trades of their own then.’

‘Your boys already have a trade, Kurik.’

‘Farming? Sometimes that’s a little dubious.’

‘I wasn’t talking about farming. I’ve talked with Vanion about them. Your oldest boy’s probably going to be entering his novitiate when this business is all over.’

‘That’s ridiculous, Sparhawk.’

‘Not really. The Pandion order always needs good men, and if they’re at all like their father, your sons are some of the best. We’d have had you knighted years ago, but you wouldn’t even let me talk about it. You’re a stubborn man, Kurik.’

‘Sparhawk, you –’ Kurik broke off. ‘Somebody’s coming!’ he hissed.

‘This is pure idiocy,’ a voice from the other side of the thicket said in the crude mixture of Elene and Styric that identified the speaker as a Zemoch.

‘What did he say?’ Kurik whispered. ‘I can’t follow that gibberish.’

‘I’ll tell you later.’

‘Why don’t you go back and tell Surkhel that he’s an idiot, Houna?’ the other voice suggested. ‘I’m sure he’ll be very interested in your opinion.’

‘Surkhel is an idiot, Timak. He’s from Korakach. They’re all either insane or feeble-minded there.’

‘Our orders come from Otha, not from Surkhel, Houna,’ Timak said. ‘Surkhel’s just doing what he’s told to do.’

‘Otha,’ Houna snorted. ‘I don’t believe there is an Otha. The priesthood just made him up. Who’s ever seen him?’

‘You’re lucky I’m your friend, Houna. You could get yourself fed to the vultures for that kind of talk. Stop complaining so much. This isn’t so bad. All we have to do is ride around looking for people in a countryside where there aren’t any people. They’ve all been rounded up and sent off to Lamorkand already.’

‘I’m tired of all the rain, that’s all.’