‘What I think is that the blast doors outside can only be opened from in here,’ Sherzal said. ‘That’s what I think.’
‘If you leave now you might still escape,’ Nona said. ‘You know ways out of this city, tunnels beneath the walls. You have money, contacts, followers. You could buy your way along the ice and come down somewhere where Scithrowl and Durn are half a dozen kingdoms away.’
‘There’s no “might” about it,’ Sherzal sneered. ‘I have sleds that would take me to Reemarla, so far west that Durn is just a rumour. But why should I run? I have everything I want here.’
Out in the corridor Nona stopped, put Ara down awkwardly and produced the Noi-Guin shipheart from inside her habit.
‘Lano Tacsis is dead. The Noi-Guin Singular is dead, the Noi-Guin he took with him to Sweet Mercy Convent are dead. We have the shipheart.’ Nona said it with Ruli’s mouth, but the smile was all her own.
‘Those girls out there are barely able to walk. Clera is the only one of them who couldn’t be knocked over by a strong breeze.’ Sherzal returned the smile. ‘And she’s mine.’
‘Would you bet your life on it?’ Nona asked. ‘Because I would bet mine that she isn’t.’ With Ruli’s good arm bound and other arm trapped beneath Safira’s cooling body Nona had little to use now but bluff, and she had never been a good liar. The only advantage she had was that she believed what she was saying.
‘If I open the blast doors why would you let me go? If Clera’s on your side, what would stop her killing me?’
‘I swear by the Ancestor that we will make no move to stop you leaving.’
Sherzal snorted. ‘The Ancestor?’
‘You have your button. Let Clera and the two nuns past. Show Jula how to raise the blast doors again. If any of them come anywhere near you or try to stay on your side of the doors … make your explosion and have your grand end,’ Nona said.
‘And if the Scithrowl are already in the palace?’ Sherzal demanded.
‘Life is full of gambles,’ Nona said. ‘But my sisters are defending this place and they are not the kind to be overcome easily.’
‘It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size,’ Jula quoted, and offered a bloody grin from among Sherzal’s guards.
‘She’s right,’ said Nona. ‘And I’ve seen how many Adoma brought, and frankly I don’t think it’s enough.’ Without the shipheart Nona held Sherzal had nothing to bargain with when Adoma came. Nona and her friends could bottle her in the Ark and leave via the travel-ring as the battle-queen arrived.
The eyes Sherzal narrowed at Nona sparkled with fury. ‘This isn’t over. You know that? It won’t ever be over for any of you while I live.’ She took the short rod from her gown and wrapped a hand around it, thumb on the button. She folded her arms before her to shield the hand holding the rod. She raised her voice and started towards the exit. ‘Lower the blast doors.’ Turning back, she called to Joeli. ‘Come, girl.’ She waved to the guards with Jula. ‘Leave her.’
‘No.’ Nona said. ‘They all stay. Someone has to pay.’
‘Vindictive little novice, aren’t you?’ Sherzal allowed herself a smile. ‘At least we have that in common.’ She shrugged. ‘I’ve plenty of guards upstairs. And Joeli’s never really had the stomach for all this, have you, girl? A pity. I thought you might have more of your father in you, but once it got to be more than a few convent games you went to pieces.’
Joeli shook her head. ‘No! No! I can do it. Take me with you!’
Sherzal laughed and strode away. ‘Perhaps you can change my mind, thread-worker.’
Nona saw Joeli’s fingers twitching as she tried, but Sherzal had never seemed like someone who would be easily swayed … even if every article of her jewellery wasn’t worked with sigils to absorb destruction and to anchor her threads.
At the door Sherzal paused. ‘Abbess Glass really was a remarkable woman. I underestimated her too many times.’ She spoke loud enough for the room to hear but didn’t look up from her hand upon the door. ‘But if it’s the long game that impresses you then don‘t start to relax. This isn’t over.’
She looked at the strange window to check where Nona, Ara, and Clera were, then opened the door. The thick blast door outside