The Crippled God

growled. ‘It’s all right Ges handling the Che’Malle – it’s all down to smells, y’see? All he needs to do is fart orwhatever and all the swords come out, which come to think of it, is just like old times. In the barracks, why—’
    ‘It’s down to trust,’ said the boy. The bigger of the two dogs had drawn up next to him. Belligerent eyes glared out from a mangled face.
    No one spoke. The silence stretched.
    ‘You’d better explain that, Grub,’ said Gesler, his expression dark.
    Brys started to speak but Aranict stayed him with a hand on his arm.
    ‘It’s down to the people she knows best,’ Grub continued. ‘That’s all.’
    ‘We saved their lives!’ blurted the standard-bearer, his face flushed.
    ‘That’s enough, soldier,’ said Brys. ‘What the boy says makes sense, Gesler. After all, what can she make of our motives? This is her war, it always has been. Why are we here? Why does Queen Abrastal seem intent on making this her cause as well? The Bonehunters brought the Letherii to their knees – might we not harbour resentment over that? Might we not contemplate betrayal? As for Bolkando, well, from all accounts the Khundryl laid waste to vast regions in that kingdom, and spilled the blood of the queen’s subjects. Together with the Perish, they effectively subjected Bolkando to outright extortion.’
    ‘So why should she have any better reason to trust us ?’ Gesler demanded. ‘We got snatched, and now we’re commanding our own damned army of lizards. The fact is, we deserted the—’
    ‘I ain’t deserted nothing!’ Stormy shouted. The smaller of the two dogs barked.
    Brys noted the growing alarm on the face of the Awl woman. He caught her eye and said, ‘You are the Destriant?’
    ‘I am Kalyth,’ she said. ‘I do not understand what is going on. The way you use the trader’s tongue – there are words I don’t know. I am sorry.’ She faced Gesler. ‘He is Mortal Sword of the K’Chain Che’Malle. He is defender of Matron Gunth Mach. We must fight to stay alive. There are old wounds … old … crimes. We cannot escape. Gunth Mach cannot escape. We fight, will fight.’
    ‘And somehow,’ Brys mused, ‘the Adjunct understands the truth of that. How?’
    Kalyth shook her head. ‘I do not know her. But’ – and she pointed at the girl standing near Grub – ‘where this one goes, there will be fire.’
    Gesler rubbed at his face with both hands. ‘Our … Ceda. Sinn. Without her sorcery, and Grub’s, the Nah’ruk would have defeated us. Not on the ground, but from the sky keeps. So,’ he sighed, ‘Sinn and Grub saved us all. The Adjunct said we’d need them—’
    ‘No,’ corrected Stormy, ‘she said they’d be safer with us than with her.’
    Gesler said to Brys, ‘We’ve been thinking of going after them – into that desert.’
    ‘She will not be swayed,’ said Brys. ‘And she wants none of us to follow her. It is her conviction that we will be needed elsewhere.’
    ‘I can’t assume command,’ said Gesler. ‘I’m a Hood-damned marine, a fucking sergeant.’
    ‘You was a damned Fist , Gesler!’ Stormy said.
    ‘For three days—’
    ‘Till they busted you down, aye! And why was you busted down? No, you don’t want to say, do you?’
    ‘Leave it—’
    ‘I won’t!’ Stormy jabbed a finger at his companion. ‘You went and thought you could be another Dassem! You went and got us all to swear our souls to a damned god! This ain’t your first time as a Mortal Sword, is it?’
    Gesler wheeled on Stormy. ‘How should I know? It’s not like Fener reached down and patted me on the head, is it? And what about you, Adjutant ? You lied to the damned Empress!’
    ‘I did what Cartheron and Urko asked me to do!’
    ‘You betrayed the Empire!’
    Ceda Sinn was laughing, but it was a cold, cruel laugh.
    Kalyth had gone white and had backed up a step, her eyes wide as she looked from Gesler to Stormy and back again.
    Sinn said to Gesler. ‘That’s why you’ll be needed. But you won’t like it. Hah! You won’t like any of it!’
    Gesler made to advance on the girl but Stormy stepped into his path and shoved him back.
    ‘ Will all of you stop it! ’
    Aranict’s shout halted everyone.
    Swearing under his breath, Gesler turned away from Stormy’s challenging glare. ‘Prince, this ain’t what I was looking for. I wanted you to take overall command – you or Krughava. Gods, even that queen you talked about. I don’t want any of