Dust of Dreams

weapon!
‘Errant’s bouncing eye,’ she said, ‘he’s the High Mage. He can’t hide for ever.’
    Bottle’s eyes were wide on her. ‘Never heard that curse before,’ he said.
    ‘I just made it up.’
    ‘Seems oddly irreverent coming from a Letherii. I’m slightly shocked, in fact.’
    ‘It’s all your bad habits, I suppose.’ She stepped to the tent-flap and rapped the hide with her knuckles. ‘We’re coming in.’
    ‘Fine!’ came the snapped reply.
    The cramped interior was steamy, as scented candles flickered from the floor in a circle surrounding a crosslegged Quick Ben. The High Mage dripped with sweat. ‘Bastard’s reaching out to me,’ he said, voice grating. ‘Do I want a conversation? No, I do not. What’s to say? Anomander killed Hood, Dassem killed Anomander, Brood shattered Dragnipur, and now Draconus walks free. Burn trembles, the Gate of Starvald Demelain rages with fire, and cruel twisted warrens the like of whichwe’ve never before seen now lie in wait—when will they awaken? What will they deliver?
    ‘And there’s more. Do you realize that? There’s more—stop staring, just listen. Who brokered the whole damned mess? Bottle?’
    ‘Sorry, I was listening, not thinking. How should I know? No, wait—’
    ‘Aye. Shadowthrone and Cotillion. Does the Adjunct really believe she chooses her own path? Our path? She’s been driving us hard, ever since we landed—sure, it’s all a matter of logistics. It’s not like the Akryn traders are happily handing over everything they have, is it? It’s not like things won’t get worse the further east we march—the Wastelands are well named.’
    ‘Quick Ben—’
    ‘Of course I’m babbling! Listen! There are T’lan Imass out there!’ His wild gaze fixed with sudden intensity on Aranict. ‘The dust will dance! Who commands them? What do they want? Do you know what I want to do with that dirt? I want to throw it away. Who wants to know? Not me!’
    ‘The T’lan Imass,’ said Bottle, ‘knelt to the Emperor. He took the First Throne and never relinquished it.’
    ‘Exactly!’
    ‘We’re being set up. We need to speak with Tavore. Now.’
    But the High Mage was shaking his head. ‘It’s no use. She’s made up her mind.’
    ‘About what?’ Bottle demanded, his voice rising.
    ‘She thinks she can cheat them. Did you know she was the pre-eminent scholar of the lives of Kellanved, Dancer and Dassem? You didn’t, did you? Before she was made Adjunct. Even before she inherited command of House Paran. A student of war—imperial war. The Conquests—not just tactics on the field, but the motivations of the Emperor and his mad cohorts. The lives of them all. Crust, Toc the Elder, Urko, Ameron, Admiral Nok, Surly, even Tayschrenn—why do you think she keeps Banaschar around? That drunk fool is her potential emissary should Tayschrenn finally decide to do something.’
    But Bottle was clearly stuck at Quick Ben’s first revelation. ‘Cheat them? Cheat the Lords of Shadow? Cheat them of what?’
    Quick Ben’s bared teeth glimmered like gold in the flickering candlelight. ‘I dare not say.’
    ‘You don’t trust us to keep our mouths shut?’
    ‘No. Why would I?’ He pointed a long finger at Bottle. ‘You’d be the first one running for the hills.’
    ‘If it’s that bad, why are you still here?’
    ‘Because Draconus changes everything, and I’m the only one who can stand against him.’
    Bottle gaped, and then a thin word creaked out: ‘
You?
’
    ‘But don’t think for a moment that I’m doing it for Shadowthrone and Cotillion. And don’t think I’m even doing this for the Adjunct. All that time inside Dragnipur—it’s changed him. He was never so subtle before—imagine, a gentleinvitation to converse—does he think we’re idiots? But wait’—and he waved his hands—‘it’d only be subtle if it wasn’t so obvious! Why didn’t we think of that?’
    ‘Because it makes no sense, you damned fool!’
    But the High Mage did not react to Bottle’s outburst. ‘No, he
really
wants to talk! Now that’s subtle for you! Well, we can match that, can’t we? Talk? Not a chance! No, and let’s see what he makes of it, let’s just see!’
    Aranict ran both hands through the thick hair on her scalp, and then rummaged in her belt-bag for a smoker. She crouched and snatched up one of Quick Ben’s candles. As she was lighting up she happened to glance across at the High Mage and saw him staring, his