“Now, Lord Protector. Why don’t we talk a bit about the city we’re both so fond of, eh? Seems like the forces there must be mighty thin to have the man in charge of the place leading the forces in the field. Or was it just that you felt all cocksure and glory-hungry?”
Broot swallowed. Karol took a small, thin knife out and started cleaning the dead tobacco from the bowl.
“All right,” Karol said. “Better if I’m specific, then. How many men do you have defending the city, and how are they deployed?”
Broot rolled his jaw, stretched his thick neck. His gaze came up to meet Karol’s. The white of his left eye was all bloody red. Karol tamped in a fresh wad of leaf and lit it, knowing before the prisoner spoke the sense of what he would say, if not the precise words.
“I will never betray my men,” the prisoner said. “And you will never defeat the Lord Regent.”
Karol took a long, slow draw on the pipe, nodding thoughtfully, then took the small cleaning knife and the pipe of burning tobacco, one in each hand, leaned forward, and did something terrible.
It took a few minutes for Broot’s breath to slow. The screaming turned to a long, high whine broken only by the ragged gasps when he drew in breath. His cheek and shoulder were pressed against the ground, and bits of dirt stuck to his eyelid. The ropes dug into his neck and his face darkened with blood, but not so much as to kill him or let him pass out.
Karol threw the ruined pipe to the corner and leaned back on his stool. “Truth is, I don’t greatly care whether you tell me. Do or don’t, I’m still taking that city back, and all the ghost tales you’d care to tell about your great and powerful Lord Regent don’t mean piss t’me.”
The whine shuddered. Karol sat forward with a sigh and wrenched Broot back up to squatting. He ran a finger along the rope around the prisoner’s neck, putting enough slack in it that the blood could flow again.
“You got any brothers or sisters? Children?” Karol asked, his tone conversational. “I got a brother lives in Daun. No children I know of, so I call it none. I’m guessing you’ve got some family back in Antea. Hell, maybe even a lover on the side. Friends. Favorite dogs. What my father used to tell me, whatever a man loves, that’s what you grab him by. Not a kind man, my father, but not a stupid one either.”
Broot was weeping now, snot and blood running out his ruined nose. His eyes were pressed closed. There was fresh blood on his belly.
“Here’s what you can do for me,” Karol said, his voice losing its false gentleness. “You picture them. All of them. And you picture everything you’ve done to the people under your fucking protection happening to them. Because when I am done with you, we will roll back every step you bastards took to get here. All the way back to Camnipol. I will find that little grey tower again, and I will bring every soldier I’ve got that’s lost a son or a mother or any loved thing along with me. And you think right now on how that day’s going to be.”
“Please…” Broot said, and then didn’t go on.
“We’ll have back for every last thing you broke. Every child you took. Every slaveman’s lash. All of it,” Karol said between clenched teeth. “And we’ll show your Geder Palliako what war looks like when he isn’t winning.”
Dramatis Personae Persons of interest and import in The Widow’s House
IN THE GREATER WORLD
Inys, the last dragon
Marcus Wester, mercenary captain
Kitap rol Keshmat, former actor and apostate of the spider goddess
The Players
Cary
Hornet
Smit
Charlit Soon
Mikel
Sandr
Callon Cane, a convenient fiction
IN BIRANCOUR The Medean bank in Porte Oliva
Cithrin bel Sarcour, voice of the Medean bank in Porte Oliva
Magistra Isadau, formerly voice of the Medean bank in Suddapal
Pyk Usterhall, notary to the bank
Yardem Hane, personal guard to Cithrin, also
Enen
Roach (Halvill)
Corisen Mout
Maestro Asanpur, a café owner
Mastién Juoli, master of coin
IN IMPERIAL ANTEA The Royal Family
Aster, prince and heir to the empire House Palliako
Geder Palliako, Regent of Antea and Baron of Ebbingbaugh
Lehrer Palliako, Viscount of Rivenhalm and his father House Kalliam
Clara Kalliam, formerly Baroness of Osterling Fells
Barriath
Vicarian, and
Jorey; her sons
also Sabiha, wife to Jorey, and
Pindan, her illegitimate son
Annalise, her daughter
Vincen Coe, huntsman formerly in the service of House Kalliam
Abatha Coe, his cousin House Skestinin
Lord Skestinin, master of the Imperial Navy
Lady Skestinin, his wife House Annerin
Elisia Annerin (formerly Kalliam), daughter of Clara and Dawson
Gorman Annerin, son and heir of Lord Annerin and husband of Elisia
Corl, their son House Daskellin
Canl Daskellin, Baron of Watermarch and Ambassador to Northcoast
Sanna, his eldest daughter Also, various lords and members of the court, including
Sir Namen Flor
Sir Noyel Flor
Cyr Emming, Baron of Suderland Fells
Sir Ernst Mecelli
Sodai Carvenallin, his secretary
Sir Curtin Issandrian
Sir Gospey Allintot
Fallon Broot, Baron of Suderling Heights
and also Houses Veren, Essian, Ischian, Bannien, Estinford, Faskellan, Emming, Tilliakin, Mastellin, Caot, and Pyrellin among others
Basrahip, minister of the spider doddess and counselor to Geder Palliako
also some dozen priests
IN ELASSAE
Fallon Broot, protector of the fivefold city
Carol Dannien, a mercenary captain Cep Bailan, his officer
Salan, soldier and cousin of Isadau
IN NORTHCOAST The Medean bank in Carse
Komme Medean, head of the Medean bank Lauro, his son
Chana, his daughter
Paerin Clark, bank auditor and son-in-law of Komme
Magister Nison, voice of the Median bank in Carse
King Tracian
IN HALLSKAR
Magra of Order Murro and several of his compatriots
THE DEAD
King Simeon, Emperor of Antea, dead from a defect of the flesh
King Lechan of Asterilhold, executed in war
Feldin Maas, formerly Baron of Ebbingbaugh killed for treason
Phelia Maas, his wife dead at her husband’s hand
Dawson Kalliam, formerly Baron of Osterling Fells, executed for treason
Alan Klin, executed for treason
Mirkus Shoat, executed for treason
Estin Cersillian, Earl of Masonhalm, killed in an insurrection
Lord Ternigan, Lord Marshal to Regent Palliako, killed for disloyalty
Magister Imaniel, voice of the Medean bank in Vanai and protector of Cithrin
also Cam, a housekeeper, and
Besel, a man of convenience, burned in the razing of Vanai
Alys, wife of Marcus Wester
also Merian, their daughter, burned to death as a tactic of intrigue
Lord Springmere, the Mayfly King, killed in vengeance
Akad Silas, adventurer, lost with his expedition
Assian Bey, collector of secrets and builder of traps, whose death is not recorded