Dust of Dreams (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #9)

Dust of Dreams (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #9) Page 274

‘How did it go again?’ Sechul asked her. ‘Your mother’s lover and child both? Just how did you beget yourself, Olar Ethil?’

‘Eleint!’ growled Kilmandaros.

Olar Ethil spoke: ‘I have travelled in the realm of birth-fires. I have sailed the dead sky of Kallor’s Curse. I have seen all I needed to see.’ Her neck creaked and made grinding noises as she turned her head until she faced the Errant. ‘You were nowhere to be found. You hid behind your pathetic throne, ever proving the illusion of power-the world has long ago grasped your message, though by nature it will not ever heed it. You, Errastas, are wasting your time.’

Sechul Lath was startled that her words so closely matched his own thoughts. Save it, Olar Ethil. He does not listen.

She then turned to Mael. ‘Your daughters run wild.’

The old man shrugged. ‘Daughters will do that. Rather, they should do that. I would be disappointed otherwise. It’s a poor father who does not nudge and then cut loose-as I am sure the Errant will eagerly chime, once he gathers what wits he has left. When that witch stole your eye, what else spilled out?’

Olar Ethil cackled.

Errastas straightened. ‘I have summoned you. You could not deny me, not one of you!’

‘Saved me hunting you down,’ said Mael. ‘You have much to answer for, Errant. Your eagerness to ruin mortal lives-’

‘It is what I do! What I have always done-and you should talk, Mael! How many millions of souls have you drowned? Hundreds of millions, all to feed your power. No, old man, do not dare chide me.’

‘What do you want?’ Mael asked. ‘You don’t really think we can win this war, do you?’

‘You have not been paying attention,’ Errastas replied. ‘The gods are gathering. Against the Fallen One-they don’t want to share this world-’

‘Nor, it seems, do you.’

‘We never denied any ascendant a place in our pantheon, Mael.’

‘Really?’

The Errant bared his teeth. ‘Was there ever the risk of running out of mortal blood? Our children betrayed us, by turning away from that source of power, by accepting what K’rul offered them. And in turn, they denied us our rightful place.’

‘So where is he, then?’ Sechul asked. ‘Brother K’rul? And the Sister of Cold Nights? What of the Wolves, who ruled this realm before humans even arrived? Errastas, did you reach some private decision to not invite them?’

‘K’rul deserves the fate awaiting the gods-his was the cruellest betrayal of all.’ The Errant gestured dismissively, ‘One could never reason with the Wolves-I have long given up trying. Leave them the Beast Throne, it’s where they belong.’

‘And,’ Mael added dryly, ‘ambition does not beset them. Lucky for you.’

‘For us.’

At the Errant’s correction, Mael simply shrugged.

Olar Ethil cackled again, and then said, ‘None of you understand anything. Too long hiding from the world. Things are coming back. Rising. The stupid humans have not even noticed.’ She paused, now that she had everyone’s attention, and something like breath rattled from her. ‘Kallor understood-he saw Silverfox for what she was. Is. Do any of you really think the time of the T’lan Imass is over? And though she made a youthful error in releasing the First Sword, I have forgiven her. Indeed, I have seen to his return.

‘And what of the Jaghut? Popping up like poison mushrooms! So comforting to believe they are incapable of working together-but then, lies can prove very comforting. What if I told you that in the Wastelands but a handful of days ago, fourteen undead Jaghut annihilated a hundred Nah’ruk? What if I told you that five thousand humans carrying the blood of the Tiste Andii have walked the Road of Gallan? That one with Royal Andiian blood has ridden through the gates of dead Kharkanas? And the Road of Gallan? Why, upon that path of blood hunt the Tiste Liosan. And,’ her head creaked as she regarded Kilmandaros, ‘something far worse. No, you are all blind. The Crippled God? He is nothing. Among the gods, his allies break and scatter. Among the mortals, corruption devours his cult, and his followers are the wasted and the lost-Kaminsod has no army to summon to his defence. His body lies in pieces scattered across seven continents. He is as good as dead.’ She jabbed a bony finger at the Errant. ‘Even the Deck of Dragons has a new Master, and I tell you this, Errastas. You cannot stand against him. You’re not enough. ’

The wind moaned in the wake of her words.

None spoke. Even Errastas stood as one stunned.