‘Get in?’
‘To those elites. To the insiders, right? Well, he didn’t get anywhere. They were friendly enough, and the three of them got drunk – it was in Letheras. Got beastly drunk, and hired up a whole whorehouse of women. But Lap kept a bit of himself cold sober, and when he judged it right he just went and asked. Asked in. You know what Gesler said?’
Saltlick shook his head.
‘The bastard denied it to Lap’s face. Said it didn’t exist. Lied to Lap’s face. That’s how we know there’s no getting in.’
Saltlick continued studying her. ‘So,’ he said after a few strides, ‘why are you telling me?’
‘Urb’s one of the finest sergeants we marines got left to us. We know that. In fact, it’s got us pissing in our boots. The pressure’s getting unbearable, Saltlick. We can’t get a word outa him. And you can see in his eyes – he’s damned disappointed to be saddled with us.’
‘All right,’ said Saltlick.
She frowned up at him. ‘All right what?’
‘You’re in, Corporal. You and your soldiers. You’re all in.’
‘Really? You sure?’
‘You’re in.’
Smiling, she moved ahead again, paused to glance back and nod. He nodded back, saw the lightness in her step. Watched as she leaned in close to Lap Twirl, and the two soldiers spoke in whispers and gestures, and a moment later Sad and Burnt Rope closed up to listen in. Faces turned, looked back at him.
He waved.
I can’t wait till Flashwit hears this one .
Saltlick shifted uncomfortably. He’d sweated a lot in his tent, and now his sack was chafing. He could almost feel the skin peeling off. Fuck, that stings. Better air out my balls tomorrow .
The sergeant was glaring at her, gesturing. Flashwit frowned.
Mayfly nudged her. ‘Wants to talk to you.’
‘Why?’
‘He has seven questions. How would I know? Go on, Princess. The idiot lost his whole squad. He probably wants to try and explain. So he doesn’t get a knife in his back.’
‘I wouldn’t stick a knife in his back,’ Flashwit said, shaking her head. ‘No matter what he did.’
‘Really?’
‘If he killed them all and told me about it, I’d just break his neck. A knife in the back, that’s cowardly.’
‘No it ain’t,’ Mayfly objected. ‘It’s making a point. Victim’s not worth a look in the eye when y’kill him. Victim’s not s’posed to know what ended it, just that it ended, and there’s Hood’s Gate calling ’im.’
‘But sometimes you miss.’
‘Better go, he’s gettin’ cross.’
Grunting, Flashwit made her way up to Sergeant Gaunt-Eye. Wasn’t a friendly face, that one. But a face a person would remember anyway. For all the wrong things in it. ‘Sergeant?’
‘You don’t know the hand-talk, soldier?’
‘What talk? Oh, that. Yah, I know it. Mostly. Advance. Stop. Hit the ground. Fight. Go fuck yourself. Like that.’
‘A marine should know how to put together whole sentences, Flashwit.’
‘Yah? I’m a heavy, Sergeant.’
‘Tell me about the girly one.’
‘Using my hands? Can’t, Sergeant. I mean, I’d have to try and ask, “What girly one?” and I don’t know how to do that.’
‘Skulldeath. Talk to me, soldier. With words – but keep your voice down.’
‘I ain’t never raised my voice, not once, Sergeant, in my whole life.’
‘Skulldeath.’
‘What about him?’
‘Why’s he so girly, for one?’
‘He’s a prince, Sergeant. From some tribe in Seven Cities. He’s the heir, in fact—’
‘Then what in Hood’s name is he doing here?’
She shrugged. ‘They sent him to grow up somewhere else. With us. T’see the world and all that.’
Gaunt-Eye bared crooked teeth. ‘Bet he’s regretting that.’
‘No reason why,’ Flashwit said. ‘Not yet, anyway.’
‘So, he grew up all pampered and perfumed, then.’
‘I suppose.’
‘So how did he get that stupid name?’
Flashwit squinted at the sergeant. ‘Beggin’ yer pardon, Sergeant, but where was you and your squad? Back at the Trench, I mean.’
He shot her a vicious look. ‘What difference does that make?’