‘Lord, the Mane of Chaos frightens them. If they surrender to it for too long … Son of Light, you could lose control of them—’

‘When I am veered they well comprehend my power – my domination. What more is needed to bend them to my will? Do you truly believe that I do not understand the nature of the Eleint?’

‘The risk, Lord—’

‘It frightens you, does it, brother?’

‘I fear we might lose control of our own people, Lord, and not through any flaw in our purpose, or leadership. Iparth Erule and his sisters no longer semble. The blood of the Eleint has taken them, it has stolen their minds. When they cease to be Tiste Liosan, how soon before our cause becomes meaningless? How soon before they find their own ambitions?’

Kadagar Fant said nothing for some time. Then he leaned forward over the wall and looked straight down. ‘It has been some time,’ he said in a musing tone, ‘since we last set a traitor upon the White Wall. Brother, do you think my people begin to forget? Must I remind them again?’

Aparal Forge thought about it. ‘If you feel it necessary, Lord.’ He held his gaze on the column crawling towards the Wedding Gate.

‘This is new,’ the Son of Light said.

‘Lord?’

‘I see no answering fear in you, brother.’

The Mane of Chaos, you fool. It devours fear like bloody meat . ‘I am as ever your servant, Lord.’

‘So much so, I now see, that you would risk your own life to speak your mind.’

‘Perhaps.’ As I once did, long ago, when we were different people, not yet who we are now . ‘If so, then I will add this. The day you cease to hear me will be the day that we will have lost.’

Kadagar’s voice was so quiet that Aparal barely made out what he was saying. ‘Are you that important, brother?’

‘I am now, Lord.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I am the last among your people to whom you still listen, Lord. You look down upon this cursed wall and what do you see? Brave warriors who disagreed with you. The rotting remnants of our priesthood—’

Kadagar whispered, ‘They opposed the path of the Eleint.’

‘They did, Lord, and now they are dead. And four of the Thirteen will not return.’

‘I can command them.’

‘As it pleases them to appear loyal, so that shall remain, Lord.’

Veiled eyes lifted to meet his gaze. ‘You draw close, brother Aparal Forge, so very close.’

‘If my counsel is treason, then condemn me, Lord. But you will not see fear, not in me. Not any more and never again.’

Kadagar Fant snarled and then said, ‘There is not time for this. The legions are ready, and I need you down there, commanding the assault. The enemy beyond the breach was surprisingly weak—’

‘Weak, Lord?’

‘I will accept bold words from you, brother, but not outright rudeness.’

‘Sorry, Lord.’

‘Weak. Indeed, it seems they are not even true Shake. Devoid of Tiste blood entirely. It is my thought that they are mercenaries, hired because the Andii now in Kharkanas are too few to personally oppose us. In fact, I now believe that the Shake are no more. Gone, like a nightmare before the dawn.’

‘They fought surprisingly well for mercenaries, Lord.’

‘Humans are like that, brother. Decide on something and there’s no moving them. You have to cut down every last one of them. Until not one is left breathing.’

‘The surest way to win an argument,’ Aparal commented.

Kadagar reached over and gripped his upper arm. ‘Better! Return to the living, old friend! Today, we shall gain the Shore. Tonight, we shall dine in the High Palace of Kharkanas!’

‘Lord, may I descend to take command of the legions?’

‘Go, brother! You shall see me soon enough, flying above you.’

Aparal hesitated. ‘Lord, might I speak one last word of advice?’

Kadagar’s face clouded, but he nodded.

‘Do not be the first of our Thirteen through the breach. Leave that to Iparth Erule, or one of his sisters.’

‘But why?’

‘Because the enemy knows that we are here. Soletaken or true Eleint. They will have plans to deal with our eventual arrival, Lord. Use Erule to discover it. We cannot risk losing you, Son of Light.’

Kadagar’s pale eyes searched his, and then he smiled. ‘Friend, it shall be as you say. Go now.’

Father Light, is this what you want? What was in your mind when you walked out from the city, through the gate that would be named for the day of your wedding, for your procession’s path into the realm of Dark? Did you ever imagine that you would bring about the end of the world?