was easily voided. He would become a tool of no value, broken.
He put it out of mind. First he had to heal. Time enough later to do what had to be done.
More laughter. This from a woman adult and knowing. "Remember when we campaigned together, Croaker? The trick we played on Raker? The fun we had tormenting Limper?"
He grunted. He remembered. Everything but the fun.
"Remember how you always thought I could read your mind?"
He remembered that. And the terror it had inspired. That old fear crept back.
"You do remember." She laughed again. "I'm so glad. We're going to have such fun. The whole world thinks we're dead. You can get away with anything when you're dead." Her laugh gained an edge of madness. "We'll haunt them, Croaker. That's what we'll do."
He'd regained enough strength to walk. With help. His captor made him walk, forced him to gain strength. But still he slept most of the time. And dreamed terrible dreams when he did.
The place anchored the dreams. He didn't know that. His dreams told him it wasn't a good place, that the very trees and earth and stone remembered evils done there.
He felt they were true dreams but found no supporting evidence while he was awake. Unless he counted the ominous crows. Always there were the crows, tens and hundreds and thousands of crows.
Standing in the doorway to their shelter-a half-ruined stone structure, buried in vegetation, in the heart of a dark wood-he asked, "What is this place? The wood where I chased you a few months ago?"
"Yes. It's the holy grove of those who worship Kina. If we cleared the creepers you could see carved representations. Once it was important to the Black Company, who took it from the Shadar. The ground is filled with bones."
He turned slowly, looked into her empty cowl. He wouldn't look at the box she carried. He knew what must be in it. "The Black Company?"
"They made sacrifices here. One hundred thousand prisoners of war."
Croaker blanched. That wasn't something he wanted to hear. He had a long romance with the history of the Company. There was no place in that for a wicked past. "Truth?"
"Truth, my love. I've seen the books the wizard Smoke concealed from you in Taglios. They include the missing volumes of your Annals. Your forebears were cruel men. Their mission required the sacrifice of a million souls."
His stomach knotted. "To what? To whom? Why?" She hesitated. He knew she wasn't being honest when she said, "That wasn't clear. Your lieutenant Mogaba might know, though."
It wasn't what she said but the way she said it, the voice she used. He shuddered. And he believed. Mogaba had been strange and secretive throughout his association with the Company. What was he doing to the Company's traditions now?
"Kina's disciples come here twice a year. Their Festival of Lights comes in a month. We have to finish before then."
Troubled, Croaker asked, "Why are we here?" "We're recovering our health." She laughed. "Where we won't be bothered. Everyone shuns this place. Once I've nursed you back you're going to help me." Still amused, she pushed back her cowl. She had no head. She lifted that box she always carried, a battered
thing a foot to a side, opened a little door. A face looked out. It was a beautiful face, like the face of his lover, though less careworn and lacking life's animation.
Impossible.
His stomach knotted again. He recalled the day that head had been struck from its body, to lie in the dust staring up at him and Lady. Her sister. It had been a blow well-earned. Soulcatcher had betrayed the Lady. Soulcatcher had meant to supplant her sister as ruler of the empire.
"I can't do anything like that."
"Of course you can. And you will. Because it will keep both of you alive. We all want to live, don't we? I want her to live because I want her to hurt. I want to live because I want to watch her hurt. You want to live because of her, because you revere the Company, because..." Gentle laughter. "Because
He put it out of mind. First he had to heal. Time enough later to do what had to be done.
More laughter. This from a woman adult and knowing. "Remember when we campaigned together, Croaker? The trick we played on Raker? The fun we had tormenting Limper?"
He grunted. He remembered. Everything but the fun.
"Remember how you always thought I could read your mind?"
He remembered that. And the terror it had inspired. That old fear crept back.
"You do remember." She laughed again. "I'm so glad. We're going to have such fun. The whole world thinks we're dead. You can get away with anything when you're dead." Her laugh gained an edge of madness. "We'll haunt them, Croaker. That's what we'll do."
He'd regained enough strength to walk. With help. His captor made him walk, forced him to gain strength. But still he slept most of the time. And dreamed terrible dreams when he did.
The place anchored the dreams. He didn't know that. His dreams told him it wasn't a good place, that the very trees and earth and stone remembered evils done there.
He felt they were true dreams but found no supporting evidence while he was awake. Unless he counted the ominous crows. Always there were the crows, tens and hundreds and thousands of crows.
Standing in the doorway to their shelter-a half-ruined stone structure, buried in vegetation, in the heart of a dark wood-he asked, "What is this place? The wood where I chased you a few months ago?"
"Yes. It's the holy grove of those who worship Kina. If we cleared the creepers you could see carved representations. Once it was important to the Black Company, who took it from the Shadar. The ground is filled with bones."
He turned slowly, looked into her empty cowl. He wouldn't look at the box she carried. He knew what must be in it. "The Black Company?"
"They made sacrifices here. One hundred thousand prisoners of war."
Croaker blanched. That wasn't something he wanted to hear. He had a long romance with the history of the Company. There was no place in that for a wicked past. "Truth?"
"Truth, my love. I've seen the books the wizard Smoke concealed from you in Taglios. They include the missing volumes of your Annals. Your forebears were cruel men. Their mission required the sacrifice of a million souls."
His stomach knotted. "To what? To whom? Why?" She hesitated. He knew she wasn't being honest when she said, "That wasn't clear. Your lieutenant Mogaba might know, though."
It wasn't what she said but the way she said it, the voice she used. He shuddered. And he believed. Mogaba had been strange and secretive throughout his association with the Company. What was he doing to the Company's traditions now?
"Kina's disciples come here twice a year. Their Festival of Lights comes in a month. We have to finish before then."
Troubled, Croaker asked, "Why are we here?" "We're recovering our health." She laughed. "Where we won't be bothered. Everyone shuns this place. Once I've nursed you back you're going to help me." Still amused, she pushed back her cowl. She had no head. She lifted that box she always carried, a battered
thing a foot to a side, opened a little door. A face looked out. It was a beautiful face, like the face of his lover, though less careworn and lacking life's animation.
Impossible.
His stomach knotted again. He recalled the day that head had been struck from its body, to lie in the dust staring up at him and Lady. Her sister. It had been a blow well-earned. Soulcatcher had betrayed the Lady. Soulcatcher had meant to supplant her sister as ruler of the empire.
"I can't do anything like that."
"Of course you can. And you will. Because it will keep both of you alive. We all want to live, don't we? I want her to live because I want her to hurt. I want to live because I want to watch her hurt. You want to live because of her, because you revere the Company, because..." Gentle laughter. "Because
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