embellishing him, right? He truly is the shitsnake you’ve described?”
“He is. If anything, I’ve been casting him in the best possible light.”
“Bryn drown me, then.” He returned his gaze to Subodh and the others. “I have to tell you, kind sirs, I’m not inclined to help him. He’s a casual murderer and cares nothing for the suffering of his people.”
Panic grew in the Nentians’ eyes, and they all spoke at once some variation of “But sir, our families—”
Pelenaut Röllend held up a hand to silence them. “I didn’t say I’m not inclined to help you. I’m just not inclined to help Melishev Lohmet. Let me think on this, consult with some advisers, and try to come up with a solution.” He looked down at the body of Jahm Joumeloh Jeikhs, whose face was still planted in his plate of decadent swamp duck sauce. “I assume Melishev has his family, too?”
The Nentians nodded, and Ghurang added, “He has three children.”
“I’m sorry it ended like this. I didn’t realize what was at stake. But I understand now and thank you for speaking candidly with me. I assure you that I’m engaged and will be in touch soon.”
Rölly took his leave, and Fintan and I followed close on his heels, leaving behind the Nentians, their sumptuous feast, and the body of Jahm Joumeloh Jeikhs in the middle of it.
—
When Fintan took the stage the next day, he had two additional musicians with him, both with lutes—one bass and one rhythm. He lifted up his feet one by one and pointed at them. “I got new shoes!” he exclaimed, and I felt unobservant for not noticing earlier. They were simple brown leather but undeniably new. “I wanted to sing about them, but sadly I don’t know any shoe songs. Fortunately, the Nentians have a celebratory song about boots, and I was reminded of it by a Nentian bootmonger I met briefly yesterday. We’re going to perform that for you today.” The musicians launched into an up-tempo tune, and Fintan picked a blistering melody above it on his harp until he began to sing:
My hens all died and my plow is broke
My well is dry and my yak just croaked
My farm’s all rotted straight down to the roots
But I don’t care because now I can wearrrrr—!
My worldwide, superglide, yellow-dyed, verified,
Certified, ratified, justified and dignified,
Qualified ironside, fortified and purified,
Bona fide, amplified, khernhide boots!
—
“Let’s begin today with Abhinava Khose, who has a contract to fulfill at the Hathrim city of Baghra Khek.”
There are so many bones to the north of the Hathrim city. Charred, blackened, and some with strings of gristle left on them, but mostly just helmets and mail draping skeletons. An army’s open grave. I remained far out of range. If that mass of men could be burned at such a distance from the walls, I could be, too. I came upon another battlefield first where some bodies were burned but most had been halved or quartered by huge blades. There were still some scavengers in the neighborhood, but they left us alone. Murr and Eep hunted some of them for their next meal, and I led the horses around to the east, planning to circle the Hathrim city at a healthy remove until I reached the foothills.
I saw the reflected glare of glass boats down by the shore but no actual giants until I’d nearly reached the bottom of the Godsteeth. I’d never seen one in the flesh before because they had little reason to visit Khul Bashab. I saw a group from a distance that was clearing the timber closest to their walls on the forest side, the south side.
More than their stature—which was awesome, to be sure—I noticed their skin and hair. So pale you’d think they’d burn up in the sun. And their hair wasn’t just dark like ours; some of them had light yellow or red hair. I did see at least one who was bald, except his—or maybe her—skull was on fire. Definitely one of the lavaborn there. I doubted the others would be so helpful in identifying themselves. I’d never heard that fire skulls were how you could tell a blessed giant from a merely huge one. I think it was a woman, and for some reason she wasn’t pitching in but rather talking to the workers. Perhaps I could figure out more if I watched, but I couldn’t just stand there and be spotted.
The sawgrass was high and I could hide myself completely in it if I