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| - The Nerek slaves of Buruk the Pale believe the Edur are demons. They begin keening when they see an Edur approaching. The Edur is Binadas Sengar travelling to meet the caravan of Buruk the Pale, Hull Beddict and Seren Pedac. Binadas is angry about the illegal seal harvest, and it is obvious to Seren that Baruk already knew it was going to happen before they left Lether. She notes that Baruk’s face is showing the signs of alcohol and white nectar addiction. They talk, and it becomes obvious that the Edur are aware of the role Hull Beddict played in the decline of the Tarthenal, Nerek and Faread cultures, and the distrust with which the Edur regard the Letherii. We move to Lether where we witness The Drownings a spectacle for the masses. Criminals are forced to carry sacks of coin across the bottom of the canal. If they make it they are free. Brys Beddict is in company with Finadd Gerun Eberict, a man who has been granted the King’s Leave, and is thereby immune to criminal conviction. Since then he has become rich. They’re observing one Ublala Pung, a Tarthenal half-blood, about to make the crossing. Bets are being taken and the Finadd has wagered a substantial amount of money. He wins. The Tarthenal has four lungs, amongst other notable credentials. Tehol is also watching the Drownings with Shand and tells her to hire Ublala as a bodyguard. Brys and Gerun Eberict retire to a tavern to talk and it becomes apparent to Brys that Eberict has an unhealthy interest in his brother Tehol, and his financial acumen. Tehol is not happy about the company Brys is keeping. He suspects that Gerun Eberict knows he is not as destitute as he appears to be. Tehol decides to remove the threat before it removes him. He decides to start stripping Eberict of his wealth and assets, with Bugg’s help, and that of a thief. Shurq Elalle a thief, had taken part in the The Drownings. Unbeknownst to her someone had placed a curse upon her and although she had died, when her clothes snagged on the canal bed, she found herself still inside her corpse. An undead. Tehol offeres to employ her in return for improving her unhealthy appearance. They discuss a child, another undead, who lives in the grounds of the old tower behind the palace (an Azath house), and why a child would be cursed that way. Shurq wishes to find out who cursed the child and Tehol agrees to help. As she leaves his roof-top meeting place, Brys comes to pay him a visit. He’s come to warn Tehol that Gerun Eberict is showing an interest in Tehols’ affairs. Tehol reassures him everything is hand and Brys leaves. As he does so, he sees thick trails of blood leading away from a shadowy doorway near Tehol’s door, and the footprint of a child. Shurq visits the Azath, whose grounds contain many prisoners. She follows a trail of blood and finds the undead child Kettle. A body is being dragged down into the earth in front of her. Kettle tells Shurq that the Azath is under stress and that some of the inhabitants of the yard make her afraid. Shurq advises her to find a friend amongst the Azath prisoners. Kettle then tells Shurq she is feeding the Azath to try and stop it from dying, if it dies, everything will escape. Shurq promises Kettle plenty of victims. Unknown to both of them the Azath house, in desperation, has chosen someone from amongst it’s prisoners to help the Guardian.
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