A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 4

the tavern of which was
frequented by undesirable elements – disenchanted
soldiers, in fact – and two of them are among these
detainees. We were informed of the sedition by an
honourable whore—'
    'Honourable whore, Invigilator?' The Edur half smiled.
    Karos blinked. 'Why, yes, Bruthen Trana.'
    'Because she informed on an innkeeper.'
    'An innkeeper engaged in treason—'
    'Demanding too high a cut of her earnings, more likely.
Go on, and please, keep your descriptions of the crimes
brief.'
    'Of course,' Karos Invictad said, the sceptre gently
tapping on his soft shoulder, like a baton measuring a slow
march.
    Tanal, standing at his commander's side, remained at
attention whilst the Invigilator resumed his report of the
specific transgressions of these Letherii. The eighteen
prisoners were fair representations of the more than three
hundred chained in cells below ground. A decent number
of arrests for this week, Tanal reflected. And for the most
egregious traitors among them waited the Drownings. Of
the three hundred and twenty or so, a third were destined
to walk the canal bottom, burdened beneath crushing
weights. Bookmakers were complaining these days, since
no-one ever survived the ordeal any more. Of course, they
did not complain too loudly, since the true agitators among
them risked their own Drowning – it had taken but a few of
those early on to mute the protestations among the rest.
    This was a detail Tanal had come to appreciate, one of
Karos Invictad's perfect laws of compulsion and control,
emphasized again and again in the vast treatise the
Invigilator was penning on the subject most dear to his
heart. Take any segment of population, impose strict yet clear definitions on their particular characteristics, then target them for compliance. Bribe the weak to expose the strong. Kill the strong, and the rest are yours. Move on to the next segment.
    Bookmakers had been easy targets, since few people liked
them – especially inveterate gamblers, and of those there
were more and more with every day that passed.
    Karos Invictad concluded his litany. Bruthen Trana
nodded, then turned and left the compound.
    As soon as he was gone from sight, the Invigilator faced
Tanal. 'An embarrassment,' he said. 'Those unconscious
ones.'
    'Yes sir.'
    'A change of heads on the outer wall.'
    'At once, sir.'
    'Now, Tanal Yathvanar, before anything else, you must
come with me. It will take but a moment, then you can
return to the tasks at hand.'
    They walked back into the building, the Invigilator's
short steps forcing Tanal to slow up again and again as they
made their way to Karos's office.
    The most powerful man next to the Emperor himself
took his place once more behind the desk. He picked up
the cage of bronze pins, shifted a dozen or so in a flurry of
precise moves, and the puzzle collapsed flat. Karos Invictad
smiled across at Tanal, then flung the object onto the desk.
'Despatch a missive to Senorbo in Bluerose. Inform him of
the time required for me to find a solution, then add, from
me to him, that I fear he is losing his touch.'
    'Yes, sir.'
    Karos Invictad reached out for a scroll. 'Now, what was
our agreed percentage on my interest in the Inn of the
Belly-up Snake?'
    'I believe Rautos indicated forty-five, sir.'
    'Good. Even so, I believe a meeting is in order with the
Master of the Liberty Consign. Later this week will do. For
all our takings of late, we still possess a strange paucity in
actual coin, and I want to know why.'
    'Sir, you know Rautos Hivanar's suspicions on that
matter.'
    'Vaguely. He will be pleased to learn I am now prepared to
listen more closely to said suspicions. Thus, two issues on the
agenda. Schedule the meeting for a bell's duration. Oh, and
one last thing, Tanal.'
    'Sir?'
    'Bruthen Trana. These weekly visits. I want to know, is
he compelled? Is this some Edur form of royal disaffection
or punishment? Or are the bastards truly interested in what
we're up to? Bruthen makes no comment, ever. He does not
even ask what punishments follow our judgements.
Furthermore, his rude impatience tires me. It may be worth
our while to investigate him.'
    Tanal's brows rose. 'Investigate a Tiste Edur?'
    'Quietly, of course. Granted, they ever give us the
appearance of unquestioning loyalty, but I cannot help but
wonder if they truly are immune to sedition among their
own kind.'
    'Even if they aren't, sir, respectfully, are the Patriotists
the right organization—'
    'The Patriotists, Tanal Yathvanar,'