In silence.
Because something terrible has happened.
He lay down on his back, staring up at the slanted ceiling, feeling a strange, unnerving constriction in his throat. And could hear, in the rush of his blood, a faint echo behind his heart. A double beat. Hunh hunh Huh huh. Hunh hunh Huh huh …
Who are you? What are you waiting for? What do you want with me?
Trull clambered onto the landing, the cold haft of his spear in his right hand, its iron-shod butt striking sparks on the flagstones as he stepped away from the canal’s edge and halted beside Fear. Opposite them, but remaining five paces away, stood Tomad and Uruth. Rhulad was nowhere to be seen.
Nor, he realized, was Mayen.
A glance revealed that Fear was scanning the welcoming crowd. There was no change in expression, but he strode towards Tomad.
‘Mayen is in the forest with the other maidens,’ Tomad said. ‘Collecting morok. They are guarded by Theradas, and Midik and Rhulad.’
‘My son.’ Uruth stepped closer, eyes searching Fear’s visage. ‘What did he do?’
Fear shook his head.
‘They died without honour,’ Trull said. ‘We could not see the hand that delivered that death, but it was… monstrous.’
‘And the harvest?’ Tomad asked.
‘It was taken, Father. By that same hand.’
A flash of anger in Uruth’s eyes. ‘This was no full unveiling. This was a demonic summoning.’
Trull frowned. ‘I do not understand, Mother. There were shadows-’
‘And a darkness,’ Fear cut in. ‘From the depths… darkness .’
She crossed her arms and looked away. Trull had never seen Uruth so distressed.
And in himself, his own growing unease. Fully three-fifths of the Tiste Edur employed sorcery. A multitude of fragments from the riven warren of Kurald Emurlahn. Shadow’s power displayed myriad flavours. Among Uruth’s sons, only Binadas walked the paths of sorcery. Fear’s words had none the less triggered a recognition in Trull. Every Tiste Edur understood his own, after all. Caster of magic or not.
‘Mother, Hannan Mosag’s sorcery was not Kurald Emurlahn.’ He did not need their expressions to realize that he had been the last among them to understand that truth. He grimaced. ‘Forgive me my foolish words-’
‘Foolish only in speaking them aloud,’ Uruth said. ‘Fear, take Trull and Rhulad. Go to the Stone Bowl-’