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
Awl: 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 Steel: 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
Cabil: 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’rithal: 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 Canal: 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
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
PROLOGUE
BOOK ONE - THE EMPEROR IN GOLD
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
BOOK TWO - LAYERS OF THE DEAD
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
BOOK THREE - KNUCKLES OF THE SOUL
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
BOOK FOUR - REAPER’S GALE
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
EPILOGUE
GLOSSARY
Steven Erikson, Reaper's Gale
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