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Tehol held up his hands as if in surrender, then he said in his most reasonable tone-one Brys recognized with faint dismay-‘I still see no reason why you can’t be First Concubine as well.’

‘I keep telling you,’ Bugg said. ‘Wife to the Emperor means she’s Empress.’ He then turned to Janath. ‘Giving you three legitimate titles.’

‘Don’t forget scholar,’ Tehol observed, ‘which most would hold cancels out all the others. Even wife.’

‘Why,’ said Bugg, ‘now your lessons will never end.’

Another moment of silence, as everyone considered all this.

Then Tehol stirred on his throne. ‘There’s always Rucket! She’d make a fine First Concubine! Goodness, how the blessings flow over.’

Janath said, ‘Careful you don’t drown, Tehol.’

‘Bugg would never let that happen, sweetness. Oh, since we’re discussing important matters before the Adjunct arrives to say goodbye, I was thinking that Preda Varat Taun needs an able Finadd to assist his reconstruction efforts and all that.’

Brys straightened. Finally, they were getting to genuine subjects. ‘Who did you have in mind?’

‘Why, none other than Ublala Pung!’

Bugg said, ‘I’m going for a walk.’ * * *

Using an iron bar as a lever, Seren Pedac struggled with the heavy pavestones at the entrance to her house. Sweat glistened on her bared arms and her hair had come loose from its ties-she would get it cut short soon. As befitted her life now.

But on this morning, this task remained before her, and she set about it with unrelenting diligence, using her body without regard to the consequences. Prying loose the heavy stones, dragging and pushing them to one side with scraped and bleeding hands.

Once done, she would take a shovel to the underfill, as far down as she could manage.

For the moment, however, the centre stone was defeating her, and she feared she would not have the strength to move it.

‘Pardon my intrusion,’ said a man’s voice, ‘but it looks as if you need help.’

She looked up from where she leaned on the bar. Squinted sceptically. ‘Not sure you want to risk that, sir,’ she said to the old man, and then fell silent. He had a mason’s wrists, with large, well-worked hands. She wiped sweat from her brow and frowned down at the pavestone. ‘I know, this must look.,. unusual. Where everywhere else in the city people are putting things back, here I am…’

The old man approached. ‘Not in the least, Acquitor-you were an Acquitor, were you not?’

‘Uh, yes. I was. Not any more. I’m Seren Pedac’

‘No, not in the least, then, Seren Pedac’

She gestured at the centre stone. ‘This one defeats me, I’m afraid.’

‘Not for long, I suspect, no matter what. You seem very determined.’

She smiled, and was startled by how odd it felt. When had she last smiled-no, she would not think back to that.

‘But you should be careful,’ the old man continued. ‘Here, let me try.’

‘Thank you,’ she said, stepping back to give him room.

The old man promptly bent the bar.

She stared.

Cursing, he set it aside, then crouched down to dig his fingers into one side of the enormous stone block.

And pulled it into its edge, then, hands going out to the sides, he lifted it with a grunt, pivoted, staggered two steps, and laid it down atop the others. He straightened, brushing dust from his hands. ‘Hire a couple of young men to put it back when you’re done.’

‘How-no, well. But. How do you know I intend to put it back?’

He glanced across at her. ‘Do not grieve overlong, Seren Pedac. You are needed. Your life is needed.’

And then he bowed to her and left.

She stared after him.

She needed to go inside now, to collect the stone spear and his sword, to bury the weapons beneath the threshold of her home, her terribly empty home.

Yet still she hesitated.

And the old man suddenly returned. ‘I found the Errant,’ he said. ‘We had much to… discuss. It is how I learned of you, and of what happened.’

What? Is he addled, then? One of the Errant’s new zealots? She made to turn away-

‘No, wait! Seren Pedac. You have all there is of him, all that’s left. Cherish it, please. Seren Pedac, cherish it. And yourself. Please.’

And, as he walked away, it was as if his words had blessed her in some unaccountable way.

‘You have all there is of me, all that’s left…’

Unconsciously, her hand lifted to settle on her stomach.

Before too long, she would be doing a lot of that.

This ends the seventh tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen

Glossary

Acquitor: a sanctioned position as guide/factor when dealing with non-Letherii people

Ahkrata: a Barghast tribe

Andara: temple of the cult of the Black-Winged Lord

Arapay: the easternmost tribe of Tiste Edur

Artisan Battalion: a military unit in Lether

Atri-Preda: military commander who governs a city, town or territory

Awclass="underline" a town in Lether. Also the name of a tribe

Awl’dan: grasslands east of Drene

Barahn: a Barghast tribe

Barghast: pastoral nomadic warrior people

Bast Fulmar: battle site

Beneda: a Tiste Edur tribe

Blue Style Steeclass="underline" a Letherii steel once used for weapons

Bluerose: a subjugated nation in Lether

Bluerose Battalion: a military unit in Lether

Caladara whip: an Awl weapon

Cabiclass="underline" an archipelago nation south of Perish

Ceda: a High Mage of the Letherii Empire

Cedance: a chamber of tiles representing the Holds, in Letheras

Crimson Rampant Brigade: a military unit in Lether

Den-Ratha: a Tiste Edur tribe

Docks: coin of Lether

Down Markets: a district in Letheras Drene: a Lether city east of Bluerose

Emlava: a sabre-toothed cat

Eternal Domicile: seat of Lether Emperor

Faraed: a subjugated people of Lether

Fent: a subjugated people of Lether

Finadd: equivalent of captain in the Letherii military

Froth Wolf: Adjunct Tavore’s command ship

Gilani: tribe in Seven Cities

Gilk: a Barghast tribe

Harridict Brigade: a Lether military unit

Hiroth: a Tiste Edur tribe

Ilgres: a Barghast tribe

Jheck: a northern tribe

Just Wars: mythical conflict between the Tiste Liosan and the Forkrul Assail

K’risnan: Tiste Edur sorcerers

Kenryll’ah: demon nobility

Liberty Consign: a loose consortium of businesses in Lether

Lupe fish: a large carnivorous fish of Lether River

Meckros: a seafaring people

Merchants’ Battalion: a Lether military unit

Merude: a Tiste Edur tribe

Nerek: a subjugated people of Lether

Nith’rithaclass="underline" a Barghast tribe

Obsidian Throne: traditional throne of Bluerose

Onyx Wizards: Andii wizards ruling the Andara of Bluerose

Patriotists: Lether Empire’s secret police

Pamby Doughty: comic poem

Preda: equivalent of a general or commander in Letherii military

Quillas Canaclass="underline" a main canal in Letheras

Rat Catchers’ Guild: a now outlawed guild in Lether

Refugium: a magical realm surrounded by Omtose Phellack

Rhinazan: a winged lizard

Rise (The): Shake title Rygtha: Awl crescent axe

Scale House: centre of Rat Catchers’ Guild in Letheras

Senan: a Barghast tribe

Settle Lake: a decrepit lake in the centre of Letheras

Second Maiden Fort: a penal island now independent

Shake: a subjugated people in the Lether Empire

Shore (The): religion of the Shake

Sollanta: a Tiste Edur tribe

Thrones of War: Perish ships

Twilight: Shake title

Watch (The): Shake title

Verdith’anath: the Jaghut Bridge of Death

Zorala Snicker: comic poem