They parted with the cleric the next afternoon as they passed Elmbridge. Her god had a good-sized following in that city, so she hoped to find supplies there as she rested from her ordeal. Calvin hoped she’d have time to spread the word about Unichi’s collapse while she was there.

  The trek back to Tikray took a few more days, but the only real difficulty was putting up with Danti’s grumbling. His arm wasn’t getting any better, and his stomach was constantly upset.

  Calvin was relieved when they reached the base and told the guards about their success. The guards ushered them inside, where a celebration had been prepared, waiting for their victorious return. The party started as soon as Calvin entered and announced their success. Hundreds of Tikray poured into the feast hall. Musicians played lively songs. The dance floor filled with people joining in the traditional Tikray victory dance. Long tables were covered in three-foot-high mountains of food, and entire kegs of drink were rolled in.

  Calvin and his crew attacked the food with the gusto of ravenous lions. Edwin in particular had a fantastic time. He’d never been to a Tikray celebration before, and when people stopped at their table to congratulate them, they paid him a special welcome to the community.

  Calvin started to feel sated when their mountain of food had been reduced to about two feet high. He pushed himself away from the table. Edwin paused mid-bite. “Where you goin’?” he asked through his mouthful of meat.

  “I still need to report to Cambiador. I’ll be back.”

  “Better make it quick,” Danti said, “or there won’t be anything left.”

  Calvin grinned and hurried out of the feast hall.

  Calvin stepped through the curtain into Cambiador’s chamber. Four thin candles lit the room's small entrance, leaving the rest in shadow. Two large white eyes shone from the deepest part of the shadow, peering down at Calvin.

  Calvin knelt. “My lord.”

  “Report,” Cambiador’s deep voice ordered.

  Calvin drew the Unichi knife from his belt and held it up in both hands, his head bowed. “Enganaq is dead. Unichi collapses as we speak.” He told the story of how they’d captured Edwin, converted him to Tikray, and infiltrated the Unichi ziggurat to complete their mission.

  The knife lifted out of his hands, taken by hands Calvin was unworthy to see. After a moment, Cambiador said, “Well done. Your work greatly pleases Talkus.” A scraping sound followed, and the sapphire from the knife’s pommel dropped to the ground before Calvin. “Add that to the funds for your next mission. Are you ready to hear it?”

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  Calvin tucked the gem into a pouch. “Yes, my lord.”

  “Your next target is Waska, leader of the Hark’akuy. Kill him, and Hark’akuy will fall apart as surely as Unichi does now.”

  “Of, course, my lord. Consider it done.”

  “Hark’akuy is more wily than Unichi. They won’t be as easily fooled. To complete this mission, you need to recruit from the city.”

  Calvin frowned. “You don’t have recruits for me?”

  “I need to keep our recruits here and train them for the next phase of my plan.”

  “I’ll need more negotiators, my lord.”

  “No, you won’t. I need them. You may keep the supply you have and harvest your own. You needn’t convert all of your recruits for this mission.”

  Calvin almost looked up, but he stopped himself when his stomach twitched. “You expect this mission to be more deadly, my lord?”

  “I know it is. I cannot risk the negotiators falling into Hark’akuy hands.”

  Calvin’s stomach clenched, and his face paled. “No. Of course not. I understand.”

  “Good. You may return to the celebration. Your mission begins tomorrow.”

  Calvin made to withdraw, then hesitated. He deepened his bow.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s Danti, my lord. He was injured in the fight with Enganaq, and a cleric tried to heal him. It’s causing him a lot of pain. He won’t be able to fight in the state he’s in.” Calvin bowed even lower, his brow brushing the ground. “Do you have a way to help him?”

  The question hung in the air for much longer than Calvin had hoped. Eventually, Cambiador said, “Send him to me. We shall see what I can do.”

  Calvin smiled and released a breath of relief. “My lord, thank you. Thank you.”

  “Go now. Send him immediately.”

  “Yes, my lord, of course.”

  Calvin found Danti amid the celebration, nursing a tankard of ale and rubbing his arm. “Danti, Cambiador wants you. He’s going to try to fix your arm.”

  Danti perked up. “Fantastic!” He dropped his tankard and raced for Cambiador’s chamber.

  Calvin watched him go with a smile, glad to hope the dwarf would be back to his normal self soon. The smile faded as he remembered similar situations in the past, times when a crewmate had retired from fieldwork instead of coming back healed. Borris, Mike, Harold, Ruven. Had Cambiador truly been unable to heal them?

  His stomach gave a violent jerk, and he bent over, catching a table to keep himself from falling. His insides pinched and writhed. This wasn’t just a brief spell. He needed his mantra. “I had no life before Tikray,” he breathed. “I had no life before Tikray.” Slowly, the writhing subsided. He took a few deep breaths, repeating the mantra in his mind. I had no life before Tikray.

  Of course, he had existed before joining Tikray, but that had been no life compared to what had come after his initiation. This life had excitement and intrigue, purpose and meaning. The only purpose of his past was to supply him with information and skills to enact his duties. The memories were purely practical and had no sentimental worth.

  I had no life before Tikray. With that last repetition, he straightened, smiled, and rejoined the celebration.