Mother, wife, Withal’s lover, was still staring into Nimander’s eyes-a look that said loss was rearing from the dark, frightened places in her mind, rearing, yes, to devour the love she held for her husband-for the man with the innocent face; that told him, with the answer he might give to her question, two more lives might be destroyed. Did she? Through the window? Did she… die?
Nimander nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said.
Another dead woman screamed in his skull and he almost reeled. Dead eyes, devouring all love. ‘You have lied, Nimander!’
Yes. To save Withal. To save Sandalath Drukorlat-
‘To save yourself!’
Yes.
‘My love, what has happened to you?’
I heard a spinning sound. A whispering promise-we must stay here, you see. We must. Andarist chose me. He knew he was going to die. He knew that there would be no Anomander Rake, no Silchas Ruin, no great kin of our age of glory-no-one to come to save us, take care of us. There was only me.
My love, to lead is to carry burdens. As did the heroes of old, with clear eyes.
So look at my eyes, my love. See my burden? Just like a hero of old-
Sandalath reached up again, those two long-fingered hands. Not to take his face, but to wipe away the rain streaming down his cheeks.
My clear eyes.
We will stay here, on this island-we will look to the Shake, and see in them the faint threads of Tiste Andii blood, and we will turn them away from the barbarity that has taken them and so twisted their memories.
We will show them the shore. The true shore.
Burdens, my love. This is what it is to live, while your loved ones die.
Sandalath, still ignoring Lostara Yil’s questioning, now stepped back and turned to settle into her husband’s arms.
And Withal looked across at Nimander.
Outside, the wind screamed.
Yes, my love, see it in his-eyes. Look what I have done to Withal. All because I failed.
Last night’s storm had washed the town clean, giving it a scoured appearance that made it very nearly palatable. Yan Tovis, Twilight, stood on the pier watching the foreign ships pull out of the harbour. At her side was her half-brother, Yedan Derryg, the Watch.
‘Glad to see them go,’ he said.
‘You are not alone in that,’ she replied.
‘Brullyg’s still dead to the world-but was that celebration or self-pity?’
Yan Tovis shrugged.
‘At dawn,’ Yedan Derryg said after a long moment of silence between them, ‘our black-skinned cousins set out to build the tomb.’ His bearded jaw bunched, molars grinding, then he said, ‘Only met the girl once. Sour-faced, shy eyes.’
‘Those broken arms did not come from the fall,’ Yan Tovis said. ‘Too bruised-the tracks of fingers. Besides, she landed on her head, bit through her tongue clean as a knife cut.’
‘Something happened in that room. Something sordid.’
‘I am pleased we did not inherit such traits.’
He grunted, said nothing.
Yan Tovis sighed. ‘Pully and Skwish seem to have decided their sole purpose in living these days is to harry me at every turn.’
‘The rest of the witches have elected them as their representatives. You begin your rule as Queen in a storm of ill-feeling.’
‘It’s worse than that,’ she said. ‘This town is crowded with ex-prisoners. Debt-runners and murderers. Brullyg managed to control them because he could back his claim to being the nastiest adder in the pit. They look at me and see an Atri-Preda of the Imperial Army-just another warden-and you, Derryg, well, you’re my strong-arm Finadd. They don’t care a whit about the Shake and their damned queen.’
‘Which is precisely why you need the witches, Twilight.’
‘I know. And if that’s not misery enough, they know it, too.’
‘You need clout,’ he said.
‘Clever man.’
‘Even as a child, you were prone to sarcasm.’
‘Sorry.’
‘The answer, I think, will be found with these Tiste Andii.’
She looked across at him. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Who knows more of our past than even the witches? Who knows it as a clean thing? A thing not all twisted by generations of corruption, of half-remembrances and convenient lies?’
‘Your tongue runs away with you, Yedan.’
‘More sarcasm.’
‘No, I find myself somewhat impressed.’
The jaw bunched as he studied her.
She laughed. Could not help it. ‘Oh, brother, come-the foreigners are gone and probably won’t be back-ever.’
‘They sail to their annihilation?’
‘What do you think?’
‘I’m not sure, Twilight. That child mage, Sinn…’
‘You may be right. News of her imminent departure had Pully and Skwish dancing.’
‘She destroyed a solid wall of ice half as long as Fent Reach. I would not discount these Malazans.’
‘The Adjunct did not impress me,’ Yan Tovis said.
‘Maybe because she didn’t need to.’
Twilight thought about that, then thought about it some more.
Neither spoke as they turned away from the glittering bay and the now-distant foreign ships.
The morning sun was actually beginning to feel warm-the final, most poignant proof that the ice was dead, the threat past. The Isle would live on.
On the street ahead the first bucket of night-soil slopped down onto the clean cobbles from a second-storey window, forcing passers-by to dance aside.
‘The people greet you, Queen.’
‘Oh, be quiet, Yedan.’
Captain Kindly stood by the port rail, staring across the choppy waves to the Silanda. Soldiers from both of the squads on that haunted ship were visible on the deck, a handful gathered about a game of bones or some such nefarious activity, whilst the sweeps churned the water in steady rhythm. Masan Gilani was up near the steering oar, keeping Sergeant Cord company.
Lucky bastard, that Cord. Lieutenant Pores, positioned on Kindly’s right, leaned his forearms on the rail, eyes fixed on Masan Gilani-as were, in all likelihood, the eyes of most of the sailors on this escort, those not busy readying the sails at any rate.
‘Lieutenant.’
‘Sir?’
‘What do you think you are doing?’
‘Uh, nothing, sir.’
‘You’re leaning on the gunnel. At ease. Did I at any time say “at ease”, Lieutenant?’
Pores straightened. ‘Sorry, sir.’
‘That woman should be put up on report.’
Aye, she’s not wearing much, is she?’
‘Out of uniform.’
‘Damned distracting, isn’t it, sir?’
‘Disappointing, you mean, surely, Lieutenant.’
‘Ah, that’s the word I was looking for, all right. Thank you, sir.’
‘The Shake make the most extraordinary combs,’ Kindly said. ‘Turtleshell.’
‘Impressive, sir.’
‘Expensive purchases, but well worth it, I should judge.’
‘Yes sir. Tried them yet?’
‘Lieutenant, do you imagine that to be amusing?’
‘Sir? No, of course not!’
‘Because, as is readily apparent, Lieutenant, your commanding officer has very little hair.’
‘If by that you mean on your head, then yes sir, that is, uh, apparent indeed.’
‘Am I infested with lice, then, that I might need to use a comb elsewhere on my body, Lieutenant?’
‘I wouldn’t know, sir. I mean, of course not.’
‘Lieutenant, I want you to go to my cabin and prepare the disciplinary report on that soldier over there.’
‘But sir, she’s a marine.’
‘Said report to be forwarded to Fist Keneb when such communication is practicable. Well, why are you still standing here? Get out of my sight, and no limping!’
‘Limp’s long gone, sir!’
Pores saluted then hurried away, trying not to limp. The problem was, it had become something of a habit when he was around Captain Kindly. Granted, a most pathetic attempt at eliciting some sympathy. Kindly had no sympathy. He had no friends, either. Except for his combs. And they’re all teeth and no bite,’ he murmured as he descended to Kindly’s cabin. ‘Turtleshell, ooh!’