Nasu sneered in disgust. “Kammani’s plan to give Uruku the poison is likely what alerted Uruku to our presence.”

“Your failure to communicate one another’s plans is the problem.” Iltani spat. “Had you simply joined forces, as Arwia has told you time and again, Uruku’s body would be feeding the worms as we speak. Yet here we sit.”

“Wait, friends. Please.” I held up my hands, misery wrapped around my throat. “Many of these problems came about because I was not listening to anyone, not even myself. But I want to now. The Boatman has given me an idea about how to save both of your lives until Assata does whatever it is she is planning to do.” I’d told them about Assata’s wink, but though they all thought it could mean anything, I was holding on to the hope that it was a message that she had some sort of plan to rescue us.

“But I need help putting it all together. Isn’t it worth at least listening to me so you don’t have to try to kill Dagan?”

Nasu sighed and looked down at his bare knees.

“Explain again what you want to coat the blades with?” Dagan asked me.

“The nerium. The blades will dry, and will make whoever is cut with the tip appear to be dead.”

Nasu met my eyes. “According to the Trial of Ordeal, that would prove the man standing to be honest, and would prove the man who’d ‘died’ a liar. But what then?”

It appeared he would work with us. At least for now.

“How long does the nerium last?” Dagan asked.

“Half a day. Not long enough for someone to bury you.”

“But long enough for the person to be dragged away for burial rites without chains and without being watched.” His eyes lit up.

“Yes. Exactly.”

Dagan craned his neck to see Nasu. “So in the Pit, you could cut me to make it look fatal.”

Iltani piped up. “And when Dagan is dragged away, he can go to Laraak if Assata hasn’t already done so, and bring the Manzazu army in to take out Uruku.”

“And what will you say when Uruku questions you about Arwia?” I asked Nasu.

“Tell him,” Dagan started, rubbing his chin against his shoulder, “that she’s in hiding somewhere.”

Nasu twisted in his restraints with a grimace. “Wussuru. It’s a half day’s ride away. He’ll be forced to send some of the guardsmen to go looking for her and will move the numbers more in our favor with us. They’ll have fewer to fight.”

“Yes!” I sat up taller. “You could give Uruku a false message! He will be forced to give credence to anything you say once the gods have proven you to be true. Our ensis would kill him for sacrilege themselves if he did not listen.”

“But once they got what they want out of you, they’ll—” Iltani drew a line over her throat.

“Maybe,” Nasu told her. “But hopefully I could draw out my usefulness until Dagan arrived with the Manzazu army.”