Here, there, he sent rats to the jugulars of the sleeping. The dead he raised against the living. He shuttled from barracks to barracks. The Tervola mounted sleepwatches. He shifted his attention to the headquarters itself, then to the wall, hurling animal after animal at the sentries. He used dead men to open a gate, brought in beasts of the field and forest. Confuse and frighten, confuse and frighten, he chanted to himself.

When doing nothing else, he moved his hidden soldiers inward from the empty quarters. Slowly, slowly, they closed on Lord Ssu-ma’s headquarters….

There were no more large city animals. He had no time to recruit in the forest. The Tervola turned their art to the destruction of mice, rats, and squirrels. “It’s a race now,” he told Sahmanan. “I have them diverted, though. With luck, my next attack will kill so many Tervola you can overpower the rest.”

His attack lasted three hours. Afterward, he returned to Sahmanan. “That should do it. We’ll finish after I’ve rested.”

“Ethrian, something’s happened to the Great One.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. I don’t feel him there anymore. It worries me.”

“Does it matter?”

“Maybe. We might need him again.”

“Is he up to something?”

“I don’t know.”

“We’ll go see when this is done.”

“We can’t. The flyers are gone.”

Ethrian gave her a sharp look. He did not like her tone. “You trying to say something?”

“No… Yes. Ethrian, you’re Nahaman all over again. Just as filled with bitterness and hate and unreason.”

“Be quiet. I have to sleep. We finish them when I wake up.”

A morning sun hung low and red when Ethrian sloughed his haunted dreams. Sahmanan was shaking him. “What?” he grumbled.

“Wake up. They’re up to something. Look.” She pointed toward the city. Soldiers had come forth. A squat, chunky Tervola bore a white flag. His bodyguard spread out near the gate. Strangers moved up on the Tervola’s sides. Next to him, on either hand, a woman walked. A man walked outside each woman.

“Oh, Lord,” Ethrian said, stricken. “Oh, Lord, no.”

“What is it? What is it, Ethrian?”

His breathing became ragged. Deep inside him, something stirred. A shadow uncoiled. He shrieked. The darkness welled up. The world disappeared.

“Ethrian!” Sahmanan chafed his wrists, slapped his cheeks. “Wake up! Please?” She glanced toward the city. “They’re almost here. I need somebody to tell me what to do.”

Shih-ka’i stood at a stiff parade rest, ignoring the pain of his wounds. The Princess and her party entered the command center. He snapped to attention. His surviving commanders saluted. Mist eyed them, appalled. “What happened, Lord Ssu-ma?”