Prince of Storms by Kay Kenyon

go they must.
    Anzi had a stunned look about her, as though she shared his sense of the momentous occasion. “What else did he say?”
    â€œToth said, ‘It has all played out. Nothing remains that can hold our interest.’”
    He glanced over at the Jinda ceb hut. They had chosen not to be present. So as not to witness the Tarig shame, Anzi had guessed. Perhaps they watched from inside their odd habitation.
    Quinn thought of Su Bei, and how he had been the first to say, they would follow you . That the Chalin people would welcome Quinn as their leader. Years ago, Quinn had dismissed this notion, but now…Well, Bei should have been here, but that was not to be. Lost in the void, escaping pursuit, in possession of the correlates that everyone had wanted.
    The next group of Tarig passed in front of him in silence, without so much as a glance.
    He had time to wonder if Lady Demat/Chiron would have been one to flee with the solitaires, or would have accepted exile.

    Early Day passed into Prime of Day, and the line of Tarig marshaling on the hill diminished to a handful.
    Breund’s old legs felt the strain of standing so long. He could have askedfor a bench, but as he had been appointed to attend Lord Inweer, and Inweer chose to stand, he could hardly do less.
    The lord stood with him at the base of the stairs. He could choose at any moment to join with a group moving into the plaza. Breund wondered if, when he did, the lord would bid him good-bye. They had not known each other long, but for his part, Breund would bow to the lord. It was only proper.
    If Inweer was afraid of the transition moment, he gave no sign. None of them did. Such indifference led Breund to worry that the Tarig were planning to come back. After all, they had done so repeatedly, and though their door in the Tower of Ghinamid was locked down, it might be a simple matter to construct another. And yet, this was not likely. They had declared themselves done with the Entire. These who walked through the devouring door were gone forever, so Breund thought.
    The last contingent of lords came down into the plaza. But instead of following them, Lord Inweer kept his place. He would walk alone to that door, then. Well, he had been one of the Five. It might suit him to keep aloof from the others.
    And of course, he might make a last appeal to the regent.
    The line of Tarig had gone to the door, moving quickly through and away. Inweer’s turn, now. Breund took note of the crowd’s rapt attention, all looking at the lord.
    Unhurried, Lord Inweer turned to him and said, “Master Breund. Do you serve me under the commission of the regent? And do you wish to continue?” He paused. “You may speak freely. Please say whether you can bear your post or not.”
    Breund’s skin fluttered in pleasure. He had never been asked what he wanted; certainly not in this assignment, and never in service to the Red Society. This was most gracious of the lord. In any case, he must do his duty. “Yes, Lord Inweer. I would be content. If you stay.”
    â€œThank you for your service, then, Breund. More may be asked of you. We shall see.”
    And with that, Lord Inweer walked out into the plaza.

    Quinn watched him approach. This was the Tarig who’d kept Ahnenhoon, guarding its awful purpose, who had kept his wife, and used her. This was the Tarig who’d shut down the engine at Quinn’s direction, under threat of the destruction of the door home, and who had brokered the surrender of the Tarig lords and ladies massed in the city—all but the solitaires.
    This was the ambiguous lord who asked to serve him—against the interests of the solitaires, if it came to that.
    Inweer did not want to join the collective mind of the Heart. He might have escaped with the others who shared that view, but he had not. It was that act of restraint that most moved Quinn.
    Next to him, Anzi placed her hand on his good arm.
    â€œI