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Authors: Adrian Tchaikovsky
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him, he’ll go looking for another, just like he did after Myna. Oh,
he’s good at it – I have never seen anyone fight as well as Tisamon – but that doesn’t mean he’s immortal. I need to find him before he goes into one fight too
far.’
And she had been right, of course, and Tisamon himself was not so young any more. We none of us are.
Amidst a scatter of larger airships, the Buoyant Maiden seemed makeshift and dowdy. Jons Allanbridge had been more than happy to renew his contract with Stenwold and, based on
Tynisa’s recommendation, Stenwold had been more than happy to offer it. Destrachis had been right, they would need to travel by air, and Allanbridge seemed to be a good man for slipping
something as large as an airship into places with a minimum of fuss.
The Spider himself was already at the rail of the gondola, gazing back at Collegium without expression. The Lowlands were full of odd homeless types, hiring out their skills wherever the road
took them. Tisamon has rejoined that brotherhood now. Destrachis, too, was on that path, but Stenwold wondered whether he secretly hoped the Commonweal would take him back.
Standing at the Spider’s shoulder was the cloaked form of Felise Mienn. She had said nothing yet to Stenwold, who did not know what to say to her. The bulk of her shrouded form showed that
she wore her armour again. He guessed it provided a protection that was more than the mere physical. She would be a difficult travelling companion, he thought.
‘Are we ready for the off?’ Arianna asked, at his elbow.
He gave her a weak smile. ‘Not you,’ he said.
She stared at him. ‘Sten—’
‘I have done my thinking. I would have argued it out with you before, save that everyone else has claimed my time in other arguments. Not you this time, Arianna.’
Her look was pure hurt. ‘After all we’ve done, you don’t trust me?’
‘No! Hammer and tongs, no! Of course I trust you, Arianna, and I love you. You have brought to me . . . such joy as no man in my place deserves.’ He gripped her by the arms.
‘And it could have been you, you must have known, that the cursed Sarnesh had stretched out on their rack. You instead of poor Sperra. No, Arianna, you stay here.’
‘Oh, Che’s already told me how much you like to keep people safe—’
‘Well, this time I’m bloody well going to succeed at it,’ he said.
‘And it could have been you on that rack, too,’ she pointed out. ‘And then what would I have done? Sten, you can’t—’
‘This is my war,’ he said simply. ‘I was fighting this war when you were – hah, when you were still a child.’
‘But you need me.’
‘Yes, yes I do.’ The utter sincerity in his voice finally got through to her. ‘Yes, I need you. And because of that you must stay here. You’ll not be idle, either.
You’ll be running my agents while I’m away, taking in the intelligence of the Wasp advance, liaising with the Assembly – and I’m sure you’ll charm those old men and
women far better than I ever could. But this is a mad journey, and a long one, and I . . .’ He found he was trembling. ‘I realized at Sarn that if anything happened to you, it would
break me, it would destroy me. I do not know the Commonweal. No Lowlander does. This voyage is a necessary madness and I do not want to draw you into it.’
There were tears in her eyes, tears beyond any Spider pretence. ‘This isn’t fair.’
‘No,’ he agreed. ‘But it’s the only way I can do this. I’m sorry.’
He held her for a long time, aware and careless of Allanbridge and the others watching and waiting for him.
But even after Arianna had fled the airfield they would wait longer, for here was Tynisa now with her pack slung over her shoulder. No airship for her, though: she would be making her own way,
tracking any news of a lone Mantis duellist whose passage, like enough, would be written in bodies.
Stenwold started over towards her, and she regarded him
he’s good at it – I have never seen anyone fight as well as Tisamon – but that doesn’t mean he’s immortal. I need to find him before he goes into one fight too
far.’
And she had been right, of course, and Tisamon himself was not so young any more. We none of us are.
Amidst a scatter of larger airships, the Buoyant Maiden seemed makeshift and dowdy. Jons Allanbridge had been more than happy to renew his contract with Stenwold and, based on
Tynisa’s recommendation, Stenwold had been more than happy to offer it. Destrachis had been right, they would need to travel by air, and Allanbridge seemed to be a good man for slipping
something as large as an airship into places with a minimum of fuss.
The Spider himself was already at the rail of the gondola, gazing back at Collegium without expression. The Lowlands were full of odd homeless types, hiring out their skills wherever the road
took them. Tisamon has rejoined that brotherhood now. Destrachis, too, was on that path, but Stenwold wondered whether he secretly hoped the Commonweal would take him back.
Standing at the Spider’s shoulder was the cloaked form of Felise Mienn. She had said nothing yet to Stenwold, who did not know what to say to her. The bulk of her shrouded form showed that
she wore her armour again. He guessed it provided a protection that was more than the mere physical. She would be a difficult travelling companion, he thought.
‘Are we ready for the off?’ Arianna asked, at his elbow.
He gave her a weak smile. ‘Not you,’ he said.
She stared at him. ‘Sten—’
‘I have done my thinking. I would have argued it out with you before, save that everyone else has claimed my time in other arguments. Not you this time, Arianna.’
Her look was pure hurt. ‘After all we’ve done, you don’t trust me?’
‘No! Hammer and tongs, no! Of course I trust you, Arianna, and I love you. You have brought to me . . . such joy as no man in my place deserves.’ He gripped her by the arms.
‘And it could have been you, you must have known, that the cursed Sarnesh had stretched out on their rack. You instead of poor Sperra. No, Arianna, you stay here.’
‘Oh, Che’s already told me how much you like to keep people safe—’
‘Well, this time I’m bloody well going to succeed at it,’ he said.
‘And it could have been you on that rack, too,’ she pointed out. ‘And then what would I have done? Sten, you can’t—’
‘This is my war,’ he said simply. ‘I was fighting this war when you were – hah, when you were still a child.’
‘But you need me.’
‘Yes, yes I do.’ The utter sincerity in his voice finally got through to her. ‘Yes, I need you. And because of that you must stay here. You’ll not be idle, either.
You’ll be running my agents while I’m away, taking in the intelligence of the Wasp advance, liaising with the Assembly – and I’m sure you’ll charm those old men and
women far better than I ever could. But this is a mad journey, and a long one, and I . . .’ He found he was trembling. ‘I realized at Sarn that if anything happened to you, it would
break me, it would destroy me. I do not know the Commonweal. No Lowlander does. This voyage is a necessary madness and I do not want to draw you into it.’
There were tears in her eyes, tears beyond any Spider pretence. ‘This isn’t fair.’
‘No,’ he agreed. ‘But it’s the only way I can do this. I’m sorry.’
He held her for a long time, aware and careless of Allanbridge and the others watching and waiting for him.
But even after Arianna had fled the airfield they would wait longer, for here was Tynisa now with her pack slung over her shoulder. No airship for her, though: she would be making her own way,
tracking any news of a lone Mantis duellist whose passage, like enough, would be written in bodies.
Stenwold started over towards her, and she regarded him
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