rebuilding needs. I think the days of swaggering swordsmen are numbered in
Sanctuary.’
‘Have you reached a decision yet on Mor-am and Moria?’
Jubal shook his head. ‘There’s no rush,’ he said. ‘Mor-am is ours anytime we
want him. I don’t want to eliminate him until I’ve made my mind up on Moria.
Those two were close once, and I’m still unconvinced she has totally quelched
her feelings for her brother.’
‘It’s said she has developed a taste for wine. If we wait too long, she may not
be worth the recruiting.’
‘All the more reason to wait. Either she is strong enough to stand alone,
without brother or wine, or she isn’t. We’ve no room for employees who need
tending.’
‘They were good people,’ Saliman said softly.
‘Yes, they were. But we can ill afford generosity at this time. What about the
other? Is there any danger our spies in Walegrin’s force will be discovered?’
‘None that we know of. Of course, they have an advantage over the rest of us.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Only that they’re exempt from the order to assist the Stepsons, whenever
trouble arises. I’ve told you before, it’s a dead giveaway to come to the aid of
those mercenaries every time they get into a scrape. No one else in town likes
them, except the whores, and it breeds suspicion when one of ours takes their
side in a quarrel.’
‘Have they honoured their pledge not to hunt the old hawk-masks?’
‘Yes,’ Saliman admitted grudgingly. ‘In a way, they still go through the
motions, but they have been notably ineffective since the alliance.’