'Excuse me?'
'I have given you my orders, yet still you stand here-'
'Well that is precisely the problem, Captain. Not one of your orders can be carried out, for the imperative overriding them cannot be challenged, not by you, not even by the Empress herself.'
'What are you talking about?'
Keneb said, 'Follow me, please, Captain.'
They walked to the stern. In the bay beyond, the huge transports loomed a short distance away like gigantic, slumbering beasts.
'Granted,' Keneb said, 'darkness obscures, and for this reason it is understandable that you do not as yet comprehend. But, allow me to direct your gaze, Captain, to the topmost signal flag on those near ships, a flag identical to those on Nok's dromons. In a moment, when that cloud passes by the moon, with Oponn's blessing there will be enough light with which to see. There is an edict, Captain, pertaining to survival itself. You seem to forget, both the Fourteenth Army and the imperial fleet have come from Seven Cities.'
The cloud slid away from the blurred, hazy moon, and enough light licked waves, ships, and flags for Rynag to see. The captain's breath caught in a half-choke. 'Gods below!' he whispered.
'And Seven Cities,' Keneb continued in a calm voice, 'was struck by a most virulent plague. Which, as you can now see, we inadvertently brought with us. So, Captain, do you now understand why we cannot comply with your commands?'
The man spun to face him, his eyes filled with terror and panic. 'And this damned ship?' he demanded in a hoarse voice. 'And the other one that just docked? Fist Keneb-'
'Plague-free, both of them, Captain, as was the ship from whence came the Red Blades. We would not have moored alongside were it otherwise.
Anyway, beyond signal flags, there is no contact between ships. For obvious reasons. I suppose, if you believe the Empress would nonetheless insist we one and all disembark regardless of the slaughter our presence would deliver to Malaz Island – and, inevitably, to the entire mainland – you can insist on countermanding our collective gesture of compassion and mercy. Unquestionably, the name of Captain Rynag will acquire legendary status, at least among devotees to Poliel – nothing wrong with seeing the positives, don't you think?'
****
The group marched ever closer to the wall of belligerence blocking the streets. Kalam loosened the long-knives in their scabbards. Glancing over, he found himself walking alongside Captain Lostara Yil, who looked profoundly unhappy.
'Suggest you all draw your weapons any time now,' the assassin said to her. 'That should be enough to make them back off.'
She grunted. 'Until they start throwing bricks.'
'I doubt it. We're for the Empress, not them. The ones these people are hungry to sink their teeth into are out there in the transports.
The Wickans. The Khundryl Burned Tears.'
'Clever ruse,' Lostara said under her breath, 'those flags.'
'Fist Keneb.'
'Indeed?'
'Aye.' Then Kalam smiled. 'Spinner of Death. A prettier lie you won't find. Fid must be grinning ear to ear, if he ain't drowning.'
'Drowning?'
'He was over the side before the Silanda shipped oars, is my guess – probably Gesler and Stormy went with him, too.'
Just then they reached the line of City Watch, who parted to let them pass.
Weapons hissed from scabbards and shields were brought round by the Red Blades.
And, as Kalam had predicted, the crowds fell silent, watchful, and backed away to each side to let the party make its way through.
'So,' the assassin said under his breath, 'we've got ourselves a long, dull walk. Sound idea, by the way, Captain, your Fist deciding to act on his own.'
The look she shot him started sweat beneath Kalam's clothing, as she asked, 'Was it, Kalam Mekhar?'
'Well-'
She faced straight ahead again. 'The Fist,' she said in a whisper, ' hasn't even begun.'
Well… oh, that's not good at all.
Behind the troop, the mob closed in once again, and there arose new shouts, this time of horror.
'Plague flags! On the transports in the bay! Plague flags!'
In moments belligerence drained away like piss down a leg, and terror grabbed hold between those legs – squeezing hard – and people began swarming in every direction, but a heartbeat away from pure, frenzied panic. Kalam kept his smile to himself.
****
Ever so faint, the clatter of knuckles bouncing and skidding had alerted Banaschar. This night the Worm was awake, and with it the return of the ex-priest's old sensitivities to the whisper of magic.