the ground, he made One-Thumb mouth civil farewells to both the Stepsons before
he dropped him and let him dash away.
8
At sundown the next day (a perfectly natural sundown without a hint of wizard
weather about it), Niko’s partner’s long-delayed funeral was held before the
replied stones of Vashanka’s field altar, out behind the arena where once had
been a slaver’s girl-run. A hawk heading home flew over, right to left, most
auspicious of bird omina, and when it had gone, the men swore, Abarsis’ ghost
materialized to guide the fallen mercenary’s spirit up to heaven. These two
favorable omens were attributed by most to the fact that Niko had sacrificed the
enchanted cuirass Aske-lon had given him to the fire of his left-man’s bier.
Then Niko released Tempus from his vow of pairbond, demurring that Nikodemos
himself had never accepted, explaining that it was time for him to be a left
side fighter, which, with Tempus, he could never be. And Janni stood closeby,
looking uncomfortable and sheepish, not realizing that in this way Tempus was
freed from worrying that harm might come to Niko on account of Tempus’ curse.
Seeing Abarsis’ shade, wizard-haired and wise, tawny skin quite translucent yet
unswept eyes the same, smiling out love upon the Stepsons and their commander,
Tempus almost wept. Instead he raised his hand in greeting, and the elegant
ghost blew him a kiss.
When the ceremony was done, he had sent Niko and Janni into Sanctuary to make it
clear to One-Thumb that the only way to protect his dual identity was to make