A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 3

is a piss trough in the alley behind it, which he
will frequent throughout the night.'
    'Yes,' Pearl said, suddenly exhausted. 'That would be
ideal.'
    The two cowled figures before him waited.
    'There is more?' Pearl asked.
    'Such matters are for you to command.'
    'What matters?'
    'Sir, killing undesirables.'
    'Yes. Go on.'
    'Just that, sir. This target was delivered to us ... from
elsewhere. From one who expected unquestioned
compliance.'
    Pearl's eyes narrowed, then he said, 'This assassination
tonight ... you would not accede to it without my direct
command.'
    'We seek ... affirmation.'
    'Did not the Empress herself confirm the Jhistal's words?'
    'Sir, she did not. She ... said nothing.'
    'Yet she was present.'
    'She was.'
    Now what am I to make of that? Was she just feeding out
enough rope? Or was she, too, frightened of Tayschrenn
and so was pleased to unleash Mallick Rel on Banaschar? Damn! I don't know enough about all of this. No choice, then,
for now. 'Very well. The command is given.'
    The Claw, Mallick Rel, are not yours. And the Empress has
... abstained. No, it seems that, until – or if – Topper returns,
the Claw are mine. Convenient as well, Laseen, that you
brought six hundred with you ...
    The two assassins bowed, then departed through the
postern door.
    Then again, why did it feel as if he was the one being
used? And worse, why did it seem that he no longer cared?
No, it was well. Tonight he would not think, simply obey.
Tomorrow, well, that was another matter, wasn't it? Tomorrow, then, I will kick through what's left. And decide what
needs to be decided. There you have it, Empress. Tomorrow, the
new Clawmaster once more cleans house. And maybe ... maybe
that is what you ask from me. Or you have asked it already, for it
wasn't just the Adjunct for whom you assembled that tribunal, was
it? You just gave me command of six hundred assassin-mages,
didn't you? What else would they be for?
    The truth was, he could not guess the mind of Empress
Laseen, and in that he most certainly was not alone.
    Nerves slithered awake in his stomach, born of sudden
fears he could not comprehend. Six hundred ...
    Face it, Pearl. The Adjunct did not kill Lostara. You did. You
sent her away, and she died. And that's that.
    But that changes nothing. It makes no real difference what I
do now.
    Let them all die.
    Pearl turned about and made his way to his rooms. To
await more orders. Six hundred killers to unleash ... but upon
whom?
     
    Hellian decided she hated rum. She wanted something
else, something not so sweet, something better suited to her
nature. It was dark, the wind warm and humid but falling
off, and the harbourfront of Malaz seemed to whisper an
invitation, like a lover's breath on the back of her neck.
    The sergeant stood watching as the Froth Wolf moved
ahead of the rest of the ships, the Silanda following in its
wake. Yet, from all around now came the liquid rattle of
anchor chains sliding down, and the craft beneath her was
tugged to a halt. Staring wildly about, Hellian cursed.
'Corporal,' she said.
    'Me?' asked Touchy behind her.
    'Me?' asked Brethless.
    'That's right, you. What's going on here? Look, there's
soldiers on the jetties, and well-wishers. Why aren't we
heading in? They're waving.' Hellian waved back, but it
was unlikely they could see that – there were hardly any
lights from the fleet at all. 'Gloom and gloom,' she
muttered, 'like we was some beaten dog creeping home.'
    'Or like it's real late,' Brethless said, 'and you was never
supposed to be with your mother's friend at all especially
when Ma knows and she's waiting up with that dented
skillet but sometimes, you know, older women, they come
at you like a fiend and what can you do?'
    'Not like that at all, you idiot,' Touchy hissed. 'More like
that daughter of that priest and gods below you're running
but there ain't no escaping curses like those, not ones from
a priest, anyway, which means your life is doomed for ever
and ever, as if Burn cares a whit she's sleeping anyway,
right?'
    Hellian turned round and stared at a space directly
between the two men. 'Listen, Corporal, make up your
damned mind, but then again don't bother. I wasn't
interested. I was asking you a question, and if you can't
answer then don't say nothing.'
    The two men exchanged glances, then Brethless shrugged.
'We ain't disembarking, Sergeant,' he said. 'Word's just come.'
    'Are they mad? Of course we're disembarking – we've
just sailed a million leagues. Five