there； a forting breath on my cheek。
The whisper came again。 〃You must not 。。。 stop。 You cannot 。。。 surrender。〃
I wanted to cry out； what was the use？ What was the point？ The wisp of his touch stroked my face。 〃Heal； brother；〃 he whispered。 Then； 〃Sleep； Amalric 。。。 Sleep。〃
I slept。 It was the sleep of the dead； for no one could rouse me。
The servants carried me to my room and put me to bed。 They tended poor Emilie； burying her in the garden beside my wife。 Six days later； I awoke。 The grief was a knot of numbness in my chest。 I wanted to cut it out with a knife； but when such dark thoughts came to me； I remembered Halab's plea。 I obeyed； but with great difficulty。 I ate。 I drank。 I crept through my sorrow day by day。
Outside in the city there was joy to be mixed with all our sorrows。 The plague was gone。 The Dark Seeker had fed； and fed well； now he was satiated； and Orissa was safe。 But it didn't matter to me； one way or the other。 Dead or alive； sick or well； I did not care what fate awaited us。
Then； late one night there came a knocking at our gate。 Everyone was asleep； worn out from caring for me and my family； so I went to see who it was myself。 I flung open the gate and gave a start。 A ragged； injured man sagged against the gatepost。 It was Sergeant Maeen。
〃Sergeant；〃 I gasped in surprise。 〃Where have you e from？ What has happened？〃
Maeen answered； his voice a harsh rusk。 〃It's all gone to ruin； my lord。 To ruin。〃
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Sergeant's Tale
〃WHAT HAPPENED；〃 i demanded。 〃Where is he？〃
〃In 。。。 in Lycanth；〃 Sergeant Maeen managed。 〃In their dungeons。 Or； worse 。。。〃 He stopped abruptly； and I turned and saw my servants gathering around； gaping。 I quickly led Maeen into the house。 I gave orders for food and wine and for no one to repeat anything they'd heard； knowing the last order was in vain。 Maeen tried to continue； but I told him to be quiet…unless his story would require action within the hour。 Maeen was grim。 〃Not an hour； Lord Antero 。。。 nor a day。 Perhaps not ever。〃
I half carried Maeen to a guest chamber where food and drink was already being set out。 I had three of my most trusted men keep close attendance on him while he ate like a starveling； drank down a flagon of wine； and then collapsed。 Grinding my teeth； trying to be patient； I let the man sleep for four hours； knowing there was nothing to be gained by shaking him awake。 I ordered his tattered clothing burned。 I also noted he had arrived weaponless and knew something terrible must have happened to separate this soldier from his tools。 When Maeen awoke he was bathed； massaged； and brought to my study。 I poured him a restorative herbal drink； sat down behind the desk； and bade him tell his story in any manner he saw fit。 I expected a barely coherent babble； but I should have thought better of the good sergeant…and of the training he'd received from Janos。
Exhausted； seemingly in shock； Sergeant Maeen reported most succinctly。 〃Lord Antero； the second expedition to the Far Kingdoms has been destroyed。 We were annihilated by sorcery from without。。。 and by inpetency from within。 The sole surviving officer； to the best of my knowledge； is Captain Janos Greycloak。
He is currently being held in Lycanth as a prisoner。 I do not know where or under what charge…he gave me an opportunity to make my escape when we were arrested； and therefore I cannot be more specific。〃
〃But Janos lives？〃
〃Unless the Lycanthians have executed him； or tortured him to death； I would think； yes。 Their soldiery took great pains when they captured us to avoid harming the captain。〃
Now I told him to begin from the beginning； and tell me everything； no matter how damaging。 He did so。 Maeen was no bard； who would have begun the tale of the expedition with a doleful statement of purpose； of how the gods turned their faces away before the first sail was set。 He did not need to make the point so obvious as he talked about how； from that first day； things had gone wrong。 The ships had been overloaded； and once they reached the river mouth and sailed onto the Narrow Sea； it was clear they were of the wrong type。 Too many of them were shallow…draft river barges or hastily converted coastal traders。
Bad weather struck； and although it was less severe than the Archons' tempest that had been sent against the Kittiwake； the fleet was scattered。 The ship the officers were on； which included Janos and Sergeant Maeen； had been one of the first to make landfall； not many leagues from the Shore People's grounds on the Pepper Coast。 〃That was the only luck the gods gave us；〃 Maeen added。
It had taken several weeks for the rest of the fleet to straggle to the Shore People's village； and five ships were never seen again。 The expedition had laboriously unloaded： horses tossed over the side and expected to swim to shore； small boats planked across and used as barges； and even long lines of soldiers used to pass along lighter items from grounded ships to shore。 Finally the expedition was on land。 By that time there had been several incidents between soldiers and the Shore People： several of their women had been assaulted； there had been a few brawls； and some of the expedition's supplies had been stolen。 It had taken all of Janos' diplomacy and Black Shark's reasoning to keep matters from being worse。 Maeen； heading the guard platoon for the expedition manders； was privy to most of the meetings。 He told me General Versred had said this was so much nonsense… the Shore People were not worth the time。
Eventually the expedition lumbered off； roughly following the same path as my Finding； roughly； since there was no way a host of nearly two thousand men could follow the same paths and trails we did； or live off the land as we had。 Their insistence on carrying luxuries like tents； two missaries…one for the men； one for the officers…and full wardrobes also slowed the travel。 Their freight wagons also dictated the route。 Maeen told me that five or six of the officers had brought female 〃friends〃 along； and these friends could not be expected to travel afoot。 The horses themselves were an irritant； much more skittish and choosey about their rations than our asses； and requiring more attention。 Men began dying even as the expedition moved through that pastoral； abandoned land we thought parklike…dying of errors； disease； and ignorance。 Twice the expedition became lost and had to retrace its path。 This I did not understand…what were their Evocators doing？ The sergeant said it seemed their spells were blocked or sent awry with an even greater severity than Cassini had suffered。 I asked about the relict； the scroll from the Watcher。 It had worked just intermittently。 The most reliable guide was a copy of the map I'd drawn。 And what of Janos？ Janos had bee interested in one of the officer's 〃friends。〃 The officer seemed not to object to the attentions paid his inamorata。 Sergeant Maeen said it seemed Janos was traveling with only half his mind on the journey； but 〃perhaps he was reserving his strength for the wasteland。〃 I remembered Janos' lassitude among the Rift Tribe； but said nothing。
Maeen said the expedition cut a desolate path nearly a league wide as it went。 Like the locusts of his youth； he went on； except that he remembered locusts traveling more rapidly。 They reached the river's headwaters and moved into the desert。 I asked if they'd been harassed by the slavers or their sorcery。 Maeen said they had not。 I asked if the Evocator's powers had returned； and he said not to any noticeable degree。
Then he looked around the room nervously。 〃Perhaps； Lord； you are aware of Captain Greycloak's 。。。 interests？〃
〃You mean sorcery？〃
〃Yes； sir。 He had one of the tents set aside for his own use and spent much time in it。 When he did I was ordered to mount a guard about the tent； and to alert him if any officers or Evocators approached。 It's my belief； sir； the reason we weren't struck by magic in that place； as we were before； was the captain's doing。〃 There had been no sign of the Watchers； either。
The expedition had avoided the crater； Sergeant Maeen continued； although he had thought of using it for a resupply base。 I found my teeth on edge； imagin