Midnight Tides

‘Finadd,’ the squad leader said upon arriving, ‘we had some luck. The brother at the far lookout was flushed out into the street by a pack of Edur. He took six of the bastards down with him. Once the Edur left I sent Crillo out to make sure he was dead-’



‘He was cut to pieces,’ Crillo interrupted, grinning.



‘-and he was at that,’ the squad leader resumed, with a glare at Crillo, whose grin broadened.



‘And the other?’ Gerun asked, scanning the vicinity. It wouldn’t do to run into a company of Tiste Edur right now.



The squad leader scowled. ‘Crillo got ’im. A damned lucky knife-throw-’



‘No luck at all,’ Crillo cut in. ‘Poor bastard never knew it was coming-’



‘Because he’d caught out the rest of us-’



‘They’re both dead?’ Gerun asked. Then shook his head. ‘Luck indeed. It should not have been that easy. All right, that leaves the one on the roof. He’ll have been looking for signals from his brothers and he won’t be seeing them now. Meaning, he’ll know we’re coming.’



‘It’s just one man, Finadd-’



‘A Shavankrats, Crillo. Don’t get overconfident just because the Errant’s nudged our way so far. All right, we stay as a group now-’ He stopped, then gestured everyone low.



Thirty paces ahead and coming from a side alley, a lone figure ran into the street. A Tiste Edur woman. Like a startled deer she froze, head darting. Before she had a chance to look their way, she heard something behind her and bolted. A metallic flash in her right hand revealed that she carried a knife of some sort.



Gerun Eberict grunted. She was heading the same direction as he was. An undefended Tiste Edur woman. He would enjoy her before killing her. Once his other business was out of the way, of course. Might let the lads have a go, too. Crillo first, for the work he’d already done getting rid of Brys’s damned guards.



The Finadd straightened. ‘After her, then, since it’s on the way.’



Dark laughs from his troop.



‘Take point, Crillo.’



They set out.



Faces behind shutters at second floor windows – the whole city cowered like half-drowned rats. It was disgusting. But they were showing him, weren’t they, showing him how few deserved to live. This new empire of the Tiste Edur would be little different, he suspected. There would need to be controllers, deliverers of swift and incorruptible justice. People would continue to be rude. Would continue to litter the streets. And there would still be people who were just plain ugly, earning the mercy of Gerun’s knife. He would have his work, as before, to make this city a place of beauty-



They had reached the place where the woman had emerged from the alley. Crillo was turning round, pointing in the direction she had run, when a spear struck his head, spinning him round in a mass of blood, brain and shattered bone.



From the alley rushed a score or more Tiste Edur warriors.



‘Take them!’ Gerun Eberict commanded, and was pleased to see his men surge forward.



Past the Finadd, who then stepped back.



I can always get more men.



And ran.



Onto the trail of the woman. Coincidentally, of course. His real target was Tehol Beddict. He’d take her down first, leave her trussed and gagged close by, to await his return. More difficult, now, since he was alone. Tehol’s bodyguard would be a challenge, but when one’s sword edges were painted with poison, even the slightest cut would be sufficient to kill the man. Quickly.



There!



The woman had been hiding in a niche twenty paces ahead. She bolted at his approach.



Gerun broke into a sprint.



Oh, he wanted her now. She was beautiful. He saw the knife in her hand and laughed. It was a fish knife – he’d seen the Letherii slaves using them in that Hiroth village.



Running hard, he quickly gained on her.



Across another street, into another alley.



Close, now, to Tehol Beddict’s home. But he could reach her in time – five more steps-



‘There’s trouble.’



Stunned, Tehol Beddict turned. ‘Not mute after all…’ His words trailed away at seeing the unease in the bodyguard’s eyes. ‘Serious trouble, then.’



‘My brothers are both dead. Gerun Eberict is coming.’



‘This city’s full of Edur,’ Tehol said, throwing both hands up to encompass a vast sweep of rooftops, tiers and bridges. ‘Ranging round like wolves. And then there’s those real wolves-’



‘It’s Gerun.’



Tehol studied the man. ‘All right. He’s on the way for a visit. What should we do about it?’