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hard to more properly defend.
Frantic, trying hard to block out the pitiful crying of his broken friend, the man stabbed again,
rushing forward.
He hit nothing, for the dwarf, in perfect balance, slipped out to the side.
"Ye're starting to try me patience," the dwarf warned. "Ye might be leaving with just a be-
ating."
Too terrified to even comprehend that he had just been offered his life, the man spun and
threw himself at the dwarf.
By the time the second morningstar ball smashed him on the side of his ribs, crunching them
to dust, he realized his mistake. By the time that second ball smacked him again, in the head, he
knew nothing at all.
His friend howled all the louder when the swordsman fell dead before him, his brains spilling
out all over the cobblestones.
He was still howling when the dwarf grabbed him by the front of his shirt and with frightening
strength stood him upright and smashed him against the wall.
"Ye're not listening to me, boy," the dwarf said several times, until the man finally shut up.
"Now ye get back to Setting Sun and ye tell Taerl's boys that this ain't yer place," said the
dwarf. "If ye're with Taerl then ye ain't with Rethnor, and if ye ain't with Rethnor, then go and
catch yerself some rats to eat."
The man gasped for breath.
"Ye hear me?" the dwarf asked, giving him a rough shake, and though it was with just one
hand, the man couldn't have any more resisted it than he could the pull of a strong horse.
He nodded stupidly and the dwarf flung him down to the ground. "Crawl out o' here, boy. And
if ye're meaning to crawl back, then do it with a pledge to Ship Rethnor."
The man replied, "Yes, yes, yes, yes& " over and over again as the dwarf calmly walked out of
the alleyway, tucking his twin morningstars diagonally into their respective sheaths on his back
as he went, and seeming as if nothing at all had just happened.
"You don't have to enjoy it so much," Kensidan said to the dwarf a short while later.
"Then pay me more."
Kensidan gave a little laugh. "I told you not to kill anyone."
"And I telled yerself that if they're drawing steel, I'm drawing blood," the dwarf replied.
Kensidan continued to chuckle and waved his hand in concession.
"They're getting' desperate," the dwarf said. "Not enough food in most quarters for Baram and
Taerl."
"Good. I wonder how fondly they look upon Captain Deudermont now?"
"Governor, ye mean."
Kensidan rolled his eyes.
"Yer friend Suljack's getting more than them other two," said the dwarf. "If ye was to send
him a bit o' ours on top o' what he's getting from Deudermont, he might be climbing up behind
yerself and Kurth."
"Very astute," Kensidan congratulated.
"Been playing politics since afore yer daddy's daddy found his first breath," the dwarf replied.
"Then I would think you smart enough to understand that it's not in my interest to prop Suljack
to new and greater heights."
The dwarf looked at Kensidan curiously for just a moment, then nodded. "Ye're making him
Deudermont's stooge."
Kensidan nodded.
"But he's to take it to heart," the dwarf warned.
"My father has spent years protecting him, often from himself," said Kensidan. "It's past time
for Suljack to prove he's worthy of our efforts. If he can't understand his true role beside Deuder-
mont, then he's beyond my aid."
"Ye could tell him."
"And I would likely be telling Baram and Taerl. I don't think that's a good thing."
"How hard're ye meaning to press them?" the dwarf asked. "Deudermont's still formidable,
and if they're throwing in with him& "
"Baram hates Deudermont to his soul," Kensidan assured the dwarf. "I count on you to gauge
the level of discontent on the streets. We want to steal some of their men, but only enough to ma-
ke sure that those two will understand their place when the arrows start flying. It's not in my inte-
rest to weaken them to anarchy, or to chase them to Deudermont's side for fear of their lives."
The dwarf nodded.
"And no more killing," Kensidan said. "Run the intruders out, show them a way to more and
better food. Break a few noses. But no more killing."
The dwarf put his hands on his hips, thoroughly flustered by the painful command.
"You will have all the fighting you desire and more when Deudermont makes his move," Ken-
sidan promised.
"Ain't no more fightin' than I'm desiring."
"The spring, early on," Kensidan replied. "We keep Luskan alive through the winter, but just
barely. When the ships and the caravans don't arrive in the early spring, the city will disintegrate
around the good capt-governor. His promises will ring as hollow as the bellies of his minions. He
will be seen not as savior, but as a fraud, a flame without heat on a cold winter's eve."
And so it went through Luskan's long winter night. Supplies reached out from Ship Rethnor to
Closeguard Island and Kurth, to Suljack and even a bit to Deudermont's new palace, fashioned
from the former Red Dragon Inn, north of the river. From Deudermont, what little he had to spa-
re, supplies went out to the two high captains in dire need, though never enough, of course, and
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