“The clans tracked the Alisters—I didn’t. I spent years trying to drink myself to death, but your charms always were unbreakable.” Lucius laughed harshly. “I finally moved up here on Hanalea, thinking I could just disappear, and then one day the boy came knocking on my door, asking if I need anything from town, or had anything to carry down. I knew he was yours when he mentioned the cuffs. He was trying to find someone who could remove them.”

“Cuffs?” Crow repeated, looking from Lucius to Han. “What do you mean?”

Han raised his hands, displaying his wrists. “The clans cuffed your gifted descendants to keep us from making mischief. It was part of Hanalea’s bargain.”

Lucius nodded. “So here he was—and every time he opened his mouth, I heard your voice, even with that Ragmarket cant, even after all that lowborn blood mixing in over the years.

“And I thought—maybe there was this little thing I could do. So I gave him a job. Though I couldn’t read anymore, I bought him books and paid him to read to me, and he cut right through them like he was made for learning. And I thought he could rise in the world. When he took your amulet back from the Bayars, I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. But I knew then that things were going to change. And they did, for better or worse.”

Lucius knew all this and he’d never told me, Han thought bitterly. How many tragedies could have been averted—beginning with Mama and Mari—if I hadn’t been traveling blind. He let me blunder along, while he drank and schemed and kept his secrets to himself.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Han demanded.

“I was ashamed,” Lucius said, ducking his head. “I was just an old drunk, but you always treated me with respect. You were loyal to a fault—the most honest thief I ever knew. You were the closest thing I had to a friend in a long time. And I was too weak to give that up.”

“Well, you’re consistent, anyway,” Han muttered. “Consistent in the way you treat your friends.”

“No argument there.” Lucius turned back to Crow. “If there’s nothing else, then could you do what you promised? Could you let me go?”

“Why should I give you what you want?” Crow said. “You ruined my life. You took everything from me that I care about. What, exactly, do I owe you now?”

“Nothing,” Lucius said. “Nothing at all. But I have hopes that you are still the Alger I knew. And that Alger would put me out of my misery.”

“No,” Crow said. “That Alger was a fool who trusted his friends. I think you need another thousand years to think about it.”

“Wait,” Han said.

Crow and Lucius swung around to look at him.

“They only win if they change you,” Han said.