The Complete Malazan Book of the Fallen (1197 page)

‘Redistribute your other guards accordingly, then.'

‘Yes sir. Very good, sir.'

‘I am trusting to your competence, Pores, and your discretion. Are we understood?'

‘We are, Fist Blistig.'

Satisfied, he left the tent, paused outside the flap to glower at the dozen or so soldiers still lingering. ‘First soldier caught trying to buy water gets tried for treason, and then executed. Now, you still got a reason to see the quartermaster? No, didn't think so.'

Blistig set out for his tent. The heat was building.
She's not going to kill me. I ain't here to die for her, or any other fucking glory. The real ‘unwitnessed' are the ones who survive, who come walking out of the dust when all the heroes are dead. They did what they needed to live.

Pores understands. He's cut from the same cloth as me. Hood himself knows that crook's got his own private store squirrelled away somewhere. Well, he's not the only smart bastard in this army.

You ain't getting me, Tavore. You ain't.

 

Frowning, Pores rose and began pacing, circling the folding table and the three-legged stool. Thrice round and then he grunted, paused and called out, ‘Himble Thrup, you out there?'

A short, round-faced but scrawny soldier slipped in. ‘Been waiting for your call, sir.'

‘What a fine clerk you've become, Himble. Is the list ready?'

‘Aye, sir. What did Lord Knock-knees want, anyway?'

‘We'll get to that. Let's see your genius, Himble – oh, here, let me unfold it. You know, it's amazing you can write at all.'

Grinning, Himble held up his hands. The fingers had been chopped clean off at the knuckles, on both hands. ‘It's easy, sir. Why, I never been a better scriber than I am now.'

‘You still have your thumbs.'

‘And that's it, sir, that's it indeed.'

Pores scanned the parchment, glanced at his clerk. ‘You certain of this?'

‘I am, sir. It's bad. Eight days at the stretch. Ten days in pain. Which way do we go?'

‘That's for the Adjunct to decide.' He folded up the parchment and handed it back to Himble. ‘No, don't deliver it just yet. The Fist is sending us ten handpicked thugs to stand guard over his private claim – a company's supply – and before you ask, no, I don't think he means to share it with anyone, not even his lackeys.'

‘Just like y'said, sir. That it weren't gonna be just regulars snivelling for a sip. Is he the first?'

‘And only, I should think, at least of that rank. We'll get a few lieutenants in here, I expect. Maybe even a captain or two, looking out for the soldiers under them. How are the piss-bottles going?'

‘Being d'sturbeted right now, sir. You'd think they'd make faces, but they don't.'

‘Because they're not fools, Himble. The fools are dead. Just the wise ones left.'

‘Wise, sir, like you 'n' me.'

‘Precisely. Now, sit yourself down here and get ready to scribe. Tell me when you're set.' Pores resumed pacing.

Himble drew out his field box of stylus, wax tablets and wick lamp. From a sparker he lit the lamp and warmed the tip of the stylus. When this was done he said, ‘Ready, sir.'

‘Write the following: “Private missive, from Lieutenant Master-Sergeant Field Quartermaster Pores, to Fist Kindly. Warmest salutations and congratulations on your promotion, sir. As one might observe from your advancement and, indeed, mine, cream doth rise, etc. In as much as I am ever delighted in corresponding with you, discussing all manner of subjects in all possible idioms, alas, this subject is rather more official in nature. In short, we are faced with a crisis of the highest order. Accordingly, I humbly seek your advice and would suggest we arrange a most private meeting at the earliest convenience. Yours affectionately, Pores.” Got that, Himble?'

‘Yes sir.'

‘Please read it back to me.'

Himble cleared his throat, squinted at the tablet. ‘“Pores to Kindly meet in secret when?”'

‘Excellent. Dispatch that at once, Himble.'

‘Before or after the one to the Adjunct?'

‘Hmm, before, I think. Did I not say “a crisis of the highest order”?'

Himble squinted again at the tablet and nodded. ‘So you did, sir.'

‘Right, then. Be off with you, Corporal.'

Himble packed up his kit, humming under his breath.

Pores observed him. ‘Happy to be drummed out of the heavies, Himble?'

The man paused, cocked his head and considered. ‘Happy, sir? No, not happy, but then, get your fingers chopped off an' what can y'do?'

‘I have heard of one of your companions getting a special leather harness made—'

‘Only one hand was done with 'im, sir. I lost the shield side in the first stand, and then the sword one in the fourth push.'

‘And now you're a clerk.'

‘Aye, sir.'

Pores studied him for a moment, and then said, ‘On your way, Himble.'

Once he'd left, Pores continued pacing. ‘Note to self,' he muttered, ‘talk to the armourer and weaponsmith. See if we can rig up something. Something tells me Himble's old talents will become necessary before too long. With respect to the well-being and continued existence of one Pores, humble, most obedient officer of the Bonehunters.' He frowned.
Eight at the stretch. Ten in pain. May the gods above help us all.

 

Fist Kindly ran a hand over his head as if smoothing down hair. For a brief instant Lostara Yil found the gesture endearing. The moment passed when she reminded herself of his reputation. In any case, the man's worried expression was troubling, and she could see quiet dismay in his eyes.

Faradan Sort set down her gauntlets. ‘Adjunct, that was a difficult march. This broken ground is pounding the wagons, and then there're the oxen and horses. Seven draught animals have come up lame and need slaughtering. Two horses among the Khundryl and another from the command herd.'

‘It's only going to get worse,' muttered Kindly. ‘This Glass Desert is well named. Adjunct,' and he glanced at Faradan Sort and then Ruthan Gudd, ‘we would speak to you of our misgivings. This course of action could well shatter us. Even should we manage to cross this wretched land, our effectiveness as a fighting force will be severely compromised.'

Faradan Sort added, ‘The mages are united in their opinion that no water is available, unless we were to halt for a few days and try sinking some deep wells. Very deep wells, Adjunct. And even then, well, the problem is that the mages have nothing to draw on. They're powerless. Not a single warren is available to them, meaning they don't know if there's water far down under us, or not.' She paused, and then sighed. ‘I wish I had some good news – we could do with it.'

The Adjunct stood over her map table. She seemed to be studying the lands of Kolanse, as marked on oiled hide by some Bolkando merchant fifty years ago, the notes etched in a language none here could read. ‘We shall have to cross a range of hills, or buttes, here' – she pointed – ‘before we can enter the valley province of Estobanse. It's my suspicion, however, that the enemy will reach us before then. Either from the passes or from the east. Or both. Obviously, I'd rather we did not have to fight on two fronts. The passes will be key to all this. The threat from Estobanse is the greater of the two. Fist Kindly, kill all the command horses but one. Request the Khundryl to cull their herd down to one mount per warrior with ten to spare. Fist Sort, begin selecting crew to pull the supply wagons – those oxen won't last many more nights.'

Kindly ran a hand over his scalp again. ‘Adjunct, it seems that time is against us. In this crossing, I mean. I wonder, could we push the duration of each night's march? Up past two bells after dawn, and a bell or more before the sun sets. It'll wear on us, to be certain, but then we are facing that anyway.'

‘Those wagons that empty of provisions,' Faradan Sort added, ‘could take the soldiers' armour and melee weapons, relieving some of their burden. We could also begin divesting the train of extraneous materiel. Reduce the armourers and weaponsmiths. All of that is more or less in decent repair – the soldiers didn't waste much time getting stuff mended or replaced. If we dropped seventy per cent of the raw iron, most of the forges, and the coal, we could redistribute the food and water on to more wagons, at least to start, which will relieve the oxen and the crews, not to mention reducing the damage to the wagons, since they'll ride lighter.'

‘We could triple soldiers up in the squad tents,' Kindly said.

‘We keep all the tents and cloth,' the Adjunct said without looking up. ‘As for your suggestions, Faradan, see to them. And, Fist Kindly, the longer marches begin, starting this evening.'

‘Adjunct,' said Kindly, ‘this is going to be…brutal. Morale being what it is, we could face trouble, soon.'

‘The news of the Nah'ruk defeat helped,' Sort said, ‘but the half-day and full night we've just walked have sapped the zeal. Adjunct, the soldiers need something more to hold on to. Something. Anything.'

At last, Tavore raised her head. She gazed levelly at Faradan Sort with red-rimmed eyes. ‘And what, Fist,' she asked in a dull voice, ‘would you have me give them?'

‘I don't know, Adjunct. The rumours are chewing us to pieces—'

‘Which rumours would those be?'

Faradan Sort hesitated, looked away.

‘Kindly,' said Tavore, ‘your fellow Fist seems to have lost her voice.'

‘Adjunct.' Kindly nodded. ‘The rumours, well. Some are wild. Others strike rather close to the bone.'

Ruthan Gudd spoke up. ‘We're in league with the Elder Gods, and you mean to spill the blood of your soldiers in a grand, final sacrifice – all of them – to achieve your own ascendancy. There's another one, that you've made a secret pact with the High Houses and the younger gods. You will bargain with them using the Crippled God – that's why we intend to snatch him, to steal what's left of him away from the Forkrul Assail. There are plenty more, Adjunct.'

‘You possess hidden knowledge,' said Kindly, ‘acquired from who knows where. And because no one knows where, they all invent their own explanations.'

‘But in each,' said Ruthan Gudd, now eyeing Tavore, ‘you are kneeling before a god. And, well, what Malazan soldier doesn't get a bitter taste from that? What Malazan soldier doesn't know the story of Dassem Ultor? Homage to a god by a commander is ever served by the blood of those under his or her command. Look around, Adjunct. We're not serving the Malazan Empire any more. We're serving
you.
'

In a voice little more than whisper, the Adjunct said, ‘You are all serving me, are you? You are all about to risk your lives for
me
? Please, any of you here, tell me, what have I done to deserve
that
?'

The tone of her question left a shocked silence.

Tavore Paran looked from one to the next, and in her eyes there was no anger, no outrage, no indignation. Rather, in her eyes Lostara Yil saw something helpless. Confused.

After a long, brittle moment, Kindly said, ‘Adjunct, we march to save the Crippled God. The problem is, as far as gods go, he's not much liked. You won't find a single worshipper of him in the Bonehunters.'

‘Indeed?' Suddenly her voice was harsh. ‘And not one soldier in this army – in this
tent
– has not suffered? Not one here has not broken, not even once? Not wept? Not grieved?'

‘But we will not worship that!' Kindly retorted. ‘We will not kneel to such things!'

‘I am relieved to hear you say so,' she replied, as if the fires inside had died down as quickly as they had flared. Eyes on the map, trying to find a way through. ‘So look across, then, across that vast divide. Look into that god's eyes, Fist Kindly, and make your thoughts hard. Make them cold. Unfeeling. Make them all the things you need to in order to feel not a single pang, not a lone tremor.
Look into his eyes, Kindly, before you choose to turn away.
Will you do that?'

‘I cannot, Adjunct,' Kindly replied, in a shaken voice. ‘For he does not stand before me.'

And Tavore met his eyes once more. ‘Doesn't he?'

One heartbeat, and then two, before Kindly rocked back. Only to turn away.

Lostara Yil gasped.
As you said he would.

But Tavore would not let him go. ‘Do you need a temple, Kindly? A graven image? Do you need priests? Sacred texts? Do you need to close your eyes to see a god? So noble on his throne, so lofty in his regard, and oh, let's not forget, that hand of mercy, ever reaching down. Do you need all of that, Kindly? You others? Do you all need it in order to be blessed with the truth?'

The tent flap was roughly pulled aside and Banaschar entered. ‘Was I summoned?' And the grin he gave them was a thing of horror, a slash opening to them all the turmoil inside the man, the torment of his life. ‘I caught some of that, just outside. Too much, in fact.' He looked to the Adjunct. ‘“Blessed with the truth.” My dear Adjunct, you must know by now. Truth blesses no one. Truth can only
curse
.'

The Adjunct seemed to sag inside. Gaze dropping back down to the map on the table, she said, ‘Then please, Septarch, do curse us with a few words of truth.'

‘I rather doubt there's need,' he replied. ‘We have walked it this night, and will again, beneath the glow of the Jade Strangers.' He paused and frowned at those gathered. ‘Adjunct, were you under siege? And have I, by some unwitting miracle, broken it?'

Kindly reached for his helm. ‘I must assemble my officers,' he said. He waited, standing at attention, until Tavore lifted a hand in dismissal, her eyes still on the map.

Faradan Sort followed him out.