Dust of Dreams (The Malazan Book of the Fallen 9)

‘I know, Spax. And this forces upon me a dire decision, doesn’t it?’

But he would not see it that way, and he didn’t-she was certain of it, though he’d said nothing, and now the horses were brought forward and they mounted up and kicked the beasts into a quick canter, and then, once beyond the Evertine pickets, into a gallop. Such a pace did not invite conversation beyond a few terse words at best. Neither bothered.

Perish pickets marked them and the banner rising from the socket on Abrastal’s saddle. They quickly and efficiently cleared a path straight to the camp’s centre. As they rode into the main avenue between officer tents, Abrastal and Spax found themselves the subject of growing interest, as soldiers formed lines to either side to watch them pass. Certain moments, fraught and crowded, could spread a chilling fever.

A short time later they reined in at the headquarters of the Grey Helms. The Mortal Sword Krughava and Shield Anvil Tanakalian stood awaiting them, kitted in full armour as was their habit.

Abrastal was the first to slip down from her winded horse. The Gilk followed a moment later.

Krughava bowed with a tilt of her head. ‘Queen, you are welcome among the Perish-’

‘Forget the formal shit,’ Abrastal cut in. ‘Your command tent, if you please.’

A flicker of something in the woman’s hard eyes, and then she gestured to the tent behind her.

Spax said, ‘Might want to summon Gall.’

‘Already done,’ Tanakalian replied with a half-smile that did not belong to this moment. ‘It should not be long.’

Abrastal frowned at the Shield Anvil, and then swept past him and the Mortal Sword, trailed a step behind by Spax. A few moments later the four were in the tent’s main chamber. Krughava ushered her aides away and then sent the guards to the tent’s outer perimeter.

Drawing off her gauntlets, the Mortal Sword faced Abrastal. ‘Highness, the agenda is yours. Will you await Warleader Gall before beginning?’

‘No. He’s a smart man. He’ll work it out. Mortal Sword, we find ourselves in a storm that can only be seen from the outside. We ourselves as yet sense nothing, for we are close to its heart.’ She glanced to the Shield Anvil, and then back to Krughava. ‘Your priests and priestesses are in difficulty, do you deny it?’

‘I do not,’ Krughava replied.

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‘I know, Spax. And this forces upon me a dire decision, doesn’t it?’

But he would not see it that way, and he didn’t-she was certain of it, though he’d said nothing, and now the horses were brought forward and they mounted up and kicked the beasts into a quick canter, and then, once beyond the Evertine pickets, into a gallop. Such a pace did not invite conversation beyond a few terse words at best. Neither bothered.

Perish pickets marked them and the banner rising from the socket on Abrastal’s saddle. They quickly and efficiently cleared a path straight to the camp’s centre. As they rode into the main avenue between officer tents, Abrastal and Spax found themselves the subject of growing interest, as soldiers formed lines to either side to watch them pass. Certain moments, fraught and crowded, could spread a chilling fever.

A short time later they reined in at the headquarters of the Grey Helms. The Mortal Sword Krughava and Shield Anvil Tanakalian stood awaiting them, kitted in full armour as was their habit.

Abrastal was the first to slip down from her winded horse. The Gilk followed a moment later.

Krughava bowed with a tilt of her head. ‘Queen, you are welcome among the Perish-’

‘Forget the formal shit,’ Abrastal cut in. ‘Your command tent, if you please.’

A flicker of something in the woman’s hard eyes, and then she gestured to the tent behind her.

Spax said, ‘Might want to summon Gall.’

‘Already done,’ Tanakalian replied with a half-smile that did not belong to this moment. ‘It should not be long.’

Abrastal frowned at the Shield Anvil, and then swept past him and the Mortal Sword, trailed a step behind by Spax. A few moments later the four were in the tent’s main chamber. Krughava ushered her aides away and then sent the guards to the tent’s outer perimeter.

Drawing off her gauntlets, the Mortal Sword faced Abrastal. ‘Highness, the agenda is yours. Will you await Warleader Gall before beginning?’

‘No. He’s a smart man. He’ll work it out. Mortal Sword, we find ourselves in a storm that can only be seen from the outside. We ourselves as yet sense nothing, for we are close to its heart.’ She glanced to the Shield Anvil, and then back to Krughava. ‘Your priests and priestesses are in difficulty, do you deny it?’

‘I do not,’ Krughava replied.

‘Good. Your allies are but a day away-’

‘Half a day if necessary,’ Krughava said.

‘As you say.’ Abrastal hesitated.

At that moment Warleader Gall arrived, sweeping through the curtains of the doorway. He was breathing hard, broad face beaded with sweat.

‘You intend to leave us this day,’ Tanakalian said, glaring at the Queen.

Abrastal frowned. ‘I have said no such thing, Shield Anvil.’

‘Forgive my brother,’ said Krughava. ‘He is precipitate. Highness, what would you warn us against?’

‘I shall use the term Spax has given me-one you will understand at once, or so I am led to believe. The word is convergence .’

Something came alight in Krughava’s eyes, and Abrastal could almost see the woman straightening, swelling as if to meet this moment. ‘So be it-’

‘A moment!’ Tanakalian said, his eyes widening. ‘Highness, this is not the place-rather, you must be wrong. That time is yet to arrive-it is far away, in fact. I cannot see how-’

‘That will be enough,’ Krughava interrupted, her face darkening. ‘Unless, sir, you can speak plainly of knowledge you alone possess. We await you.’

‘You don’t understand-’

‘Correct.’

The man looked half-panicked. Abrastal’s unease regarding Tanakalian-which she had first discovered outside the tent-now deepened. What hid within this young soldier-priest? He seemed somehow knocked awry.

The Shield Anvil drew a breath, and then said, ‘My vision is no clearer than anyone else’s, not here in this place. But all that I sense of the coming convergence tells me that it does not await us in the Wastelands.’

Krughava seemed to be bristling with anger-the first time Abrastal had seen such a thing in the Mortal Sword. ‘Brother Tanakalian, you are not the arbiter of destiny, no matter the vast breadth of your ambition. On this day, and in the matter before us, you would do best to witness. We are without a Destriant-we cannot help but be blind to our future.’ She faced Abrastal. ‘The Grey Helms shall strike for the Bonehunters. We shall find them this day. It may be that they will need our help. It may be that we will need theirs. After all, to stand in the heart of a storm is, as you say, to be blind to all dangers yet safe from none.’