inside of the drawbridge, there extended lines of warehouses and taverns and side streets like the ones they were in. And on the inside of that was a vast square space, bigger than the entire footprint of the Tower of Records. Tables and markets were strung out in rows or cobbled together wherever they could, and they were selling their wares at a furious rate.
“All of those people. All of that life… The world is good, is it not?” Ikrit purred some more. Vekal felt suddenly confused. How small his life had been before coming here! Even with teaching and training such as his—able to recite the hundred names of Annwn, to speak fluent in many languages—and yet he had no idea how to deal with what he saw in front of him right now.
“It could all be yours, Sin Eater. All you have to do is trust me,” the devil was saying, just as he was interrupted.
“Vekal! Did you hear me? At all?” Suriyen raised her eyebrows at him.
“Oh, sorry. A bit overwhelmed, I think,” he said, risking a smile. Even that felt vaguely sacrilegious. But surely out here, in this place of heathenry and idolatry, the gods expected it?
“I said, the gypsies whom I worked for will probably be here by midday. And that means that we have to get to the Council as quickly as possible. They have many friends and family here, and they could raise the alarm at… what happened…”
At the murder, you mean? Vekal frowned. To him, the actions that they had taken had been necessary, the sort of actions that the gods would have approved of, surely.
But maybe the gods do not get such a free reign out here as they do back in Tir. He suddenly became worried. “The Council?” he asked.
“Yes.” Suryien nodded. “But first we all probably need something substantial to eat, rest, and to get washed up. Even in a city of thieves and brigands like Fuldoon, it pays to look presentable when talking to the Council.”
Vekal’s frown deepened into a scowl. Seeing it, the boy at his side laughed.
“You look like you just walked out of the desert, mummy!” Talon said.
Vekal looked down at his rags and wrappings. Large, almost diaphanous robes wound and covered with leather and cotton straps similar to those used to bind the dead. It was their way of reminding themselves of what they were, as well as protecting their body and hiding many numerous tools. “What’s wrong with this?” he mumbled.
Now it was Suriyen’s turn to suppress a smirk. “Let us hope that you don’t find out just yet, Sin Eater. Come on, this way.”
She turned down the side street, pointing in the direction deeper into the city.
16
Despite Suriyen’s wishes, it seemed as though the party was not so lucky as to pass unnoticed. They had barely wound their way past a few streets before they started to hear mutterings from some of the shop keepers and pedestrians that they passed.
“Sin Eater!” one person hissed in surprise.
“Keep walking,” Suriyen said, not that Vekal had even paid them any heed at all.
Seeing Talon’s slightly more worried glance at the others, Vekal put a hand on his shoulder. “Do not worry, Talon. I am not upset, and neither should you be. It is common for people to hate what they do not understand.”
The guard striding a few steps ahead of them, however, seemed to have different ideas. “You may be used to it, Vekal, but the people around here are not used to having a Sin Eater wandering through their streets. They think that you will steal their souls and raise the dead.”
“What?” Vekal almost laughed. “What craziness do these people believe?”
“Actually…” Talon swallowed nervously. “It is what everyone thinks of your kind. It is what the gypsies thought. That the priests of Tir cavorted with devils and slept with the dead and raised their shades.”
Vekal felt himself blushing in shame at the slur. How could the rest of the world be so stupid? “I see,” he said, his jaw clenching as he tried to control his
“All of those people. All of that life… The world is good, is it not?” Ikrit purred some more. Vekal felt suddenly confused. How small his life had been before coming here! Even with teaching and training such as his—able to recite the hundred names of Annwn, to speak fluent in many languages—and yet he had no idea how to deal with what he saw in front of him right now.
“It could all be yours, Sin Eater. All you have to do is trust me,” the devil was saying, just as he was interrupted.
“Vekal! Did you hear me? At all?” Suriyen raised her eyebrows at him.
“Oh, sorry. A bit overwhelmed, I think,” he said, risking a smile. Even that felt vaguely sacrilegious. But surely out here, in this place of heathenry and idolatry, the gods expected it?
“I said, the gypsies whom I worked for will probably be here by midday. And that means that we have to get to the Council as quickly as possible. They have many friends and family here, and they could raise the alarm at… what happened…”
At the murder, you mean? Vekal frowned. To him, the actions that they had taken had been necessary, the sort of actions that the gods would have approved of, surely.
But maybe the gods do not get such a free reign out here as they do back in Tir. He suddenly became worried. “The Council?” he asked.
“Yes.” Suryien nodded. “But first we all probably need something substantial to eat, rest, and to get washed up. Even in a city of thieves and brigands like Fuldoon, it pays to look presentable when talking to the Council.”
Vekal’s frown deepened into a scowl. Seeing it, the boy at his side laughed.
“You look like you just walked out of the desert, mummy!” Talon said.
Vekal looked down at his rags and wrappings. Large, almost diaphanous robes wound and covered with leather and cotton straps similar to those used to bind the dead. It was their way of reminding themselves of what they were, as well as protecting their body and hiding many numerous tools. “What’s wrong with this?” he mumbled.
Now it was Suriyen’s turn to suppress a smirk. “Let us hope that you don’t find out just yet, Sin Eater. Come on, this way.”
She turned down the side street, pointing in the direction deeper into the city.
16
Despite Suriyen’s wishes, it seemed as though the party was not so lucky as to pass unnoticed. They had barely wound their way past a few streets before they started to hear mutterings from some of the shop keepers and pedestrians that they passed.
“Sin Eater!” one person hissed in surprise.
“Keep walking,” Suriyen said, not that Vekal had even paid them any heed at all.
Seeing Talon’s slightly more worried glance at the others, Vekal put a hand on his shoulder. “Do not worry, Talon. I am not upset, and neither should you be. It is common for people to hate what they do not understand.”
The guard striding a few steps ahead of them, however, seemed to have different ideas. “You may be used to it, Vekal, but the people around here are not used to having a Sin Eater wandering through their streets. They think that you will steal their souls and raise the dead.”
“What?” Vekal almost laughed. “What craziness do these people believe?”
“Actually…” Talon swallowed nervously. “It is what everyone thinks of your kind. It is what the gypsies thought. That the priests of Tir cavorted with devils and slept with the dead and raised their shades.”
Vekal felt himself blushing in shame at the slur. How could the rest of the world be so stupid? “I see,” he said, his jaw clenching as he tried to control his
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