Nantani, but it was near the Westlands. Moving what wealth it had back
to Galt would be simpler than the other inland cities.
"And the school?" Balasar said, and a cloud passed over Eustin's face.
""They were younger than I'd thought. It wasn't the sort of thing they
sing about. Unless they're singing laments. Then, maybe."
"It was necessary."
"I know, sir. "That's why we did it."
Balasar poured him another cup of the wine, and then one for himself,
and they drank in silence together before Eustin went on with his
report. The men they'd sent to take the Southern cities had managed
quite well, apart from an incident with poisoned grain in Lachi and a
fire at the warehouses of Saraykeht. That matched with what Balasar
himself had heard. All the poets had been found, all the books had been
burned. No Khai had lived or left heir.
In return, Balasar shared what news he had from the North. TanSadar, the
nearest city to the I)ai-kvo, had known about the destruction of the
village for weeks before Balasar's prisoner-envoys had arrived. The
story was also widely known of the battle; one of the Khaiem in the
winter cities had fielded an army of sorts. The estimates of the dead
went from several hundred to thousands. Few, if any, had been Coal's.
The retelling of that tale as much as the sacking of Udun had broken the
back of Utani and Tan-Sadar.
A letter in Coal's short, understated style had conic south after
Amnat-"Ian had fallen. Another courier was due any day bringing the news
of Cetani and Machi. But if Coal had kept to the pace he'd intended,
those cities were also fallen.
"It'll he good to know for certain, though," Eustin said.
"I trust him," Balasar said.
"Didn't mean anything else, sir."
"No. Of course not. You're right. It will he good to know it's done."
Balasar took a bite of the brown cheese and stared at the dancing flames
where the wood glowed and blackened and fell to ash. "You'll put your
men in I'tani?"
"Or send some downriver. Depends how much food there is. There's more
than a few who'd he willing to make a winter crossing if it meant
getting home to start spending their shares."
"We have made a large number of very rich soldiers," Balasar said.
""They'll he poor again in a season or two, but the dice stands in
Kirinton will still he singing our praises when our grandsons are old,"
Eustin said, then paused. "What about our local man?"
"Captain Ajutani? lie's here, in the city. Wintering here with the rest
of us. He's done quite well for himself. And for us. I le's given me
some very good advice."
Eustin grunted and shook his head.
"Still don't trust him, sir."
"He's more or less out of opportunities to betray us," Balasar said, and
Eustin spat into the fire by way of reply.
Over the next days, the arms' shifted slowly from the rigorous
discipline of the road to the bawdy, long, low riot that comes with