---
# System prepended metadata

title: 'TtH 8,9'

---

# TtH 8,9

## Chapter 8

Samar and Traveller follow the tracks of the Skathandi kingdom. They can't guess how many people are in the column and don't know if Karsa is beyond them or behind them. Learning that Karsa is a Toblakai of true blood seems to hurt Traveller (spoilers NotMe >!one of the small details where the 2 authors acknowledge one another's stories!<). Samar explains about Rhulad and how Karsa had killed him with finality. She doesn't know what happened to the cursed sword; one more reason for her to find him. Traveller says that if Karsa still carries the sword he would stand in opposition.  Samar says that Karsa always pretends to be obvious, but he is not. Somehow the conversation turns to civilisation (it keeps coming back over and over (ed.: for the whole book; we're just getting started)) and Samar says she is sickened by the way killers use words like civilised and barbarian, pretending great causes and hard necessities.

The Skathandi: a constantly moving kingdom, almost like a river that has been in motion for 7 years. Headed by a man called Captain who was once somebody's prisoner but left to die by crucifixion on the Lamatath plain. He had ripped his hands and feet from the cross to crawl into a river bed where some spirits sought him. They possess him and he allows it for mutual benefit. ("Giving is the same as taking"). He is a tyrant who usually sits on the balcony of a huge carriage pulled by thousands of his slaves/subjects. There are also wagons where the rest of his subjects sit/work/rest. Behind them is a mobile corral of highly prized horses. He has a strong cavalry in the flanks and groups of roving lightly armoured horse warriors to raid and bring in loot. The slaves are of many tribes, including Kindaru. There is also a slope-browed tribe of which only 7 remain called the Gandaru. Two of the women are pregnant and ride the wagons. They could be the Captain's children but he doesn't acknowledge any of them. He is waiting for an heir to appear whom he can adopt, but that is still centuries away.

A rider appears with bad news: they have found 2 parties slaughtered in the same way. Captain assumes it is a small army and sends a portion of his cavalry to help the troop track it down. 

Suddenly, Karsa appears in front of the Skathandi. He breaks the spar to which the slaves are chained and frees them. After 7 years, the Skathandi kingdom stops. The Captain decides that his heir has been found, so he invites him to dinner. Meanwhile, as soon as Karsa appeared, all the spirits he had housed fled him in terror. 
___
Nimander and company take a break. Kedeviss, the sharpest among the lot,  observes their new companion: Kallor. Nimander both loves and fears Kedeviss. Nenanda wanted to chase away the old man, but Nimander would not even consider it. Desra worries that Clip is weakening and that Kallor might kill them all. She asks Aranatha to examine Clip. Nimander doesn't understand but still approaches Aranatha, who is sitting and playing with flowers. She asks him "Do you feel me, Nimander?" He doesn't understand and asks her to look at  Clip. Aranatha replies that perhaps she wants company. All of a sudden, Nimander is struck by her beauty. She hands him some flowers and goes to the wagon. Skintick compliments Nimander as a good leader, in a roundabout manner. Kallor grumbles about taking a break and goes to the wagon, only to be sent flying by Aranatha. Apparently the old king had 'helped himself to a handful'. Nimander asks if Aranatha is all right and she replies with another innocent smile- 'Can you feel me now, Nimander?'
___
In Black Coral, Endest remembers the black river, Dorssan Ryl that encircled half the city of Kharkanas. He feels old and worthless. He remembers the way the city reacted to Mother Dark's abandonment. He had a lover who he wished he had drowned, but she had merely left with a group of pilgrims looking for Mother Dark. Most of them were insane and long dead by now. Kharkanas was an empty city when Rake took over as Lord. 

He had found Rake the day before at a corridor where some humans had hung up some Tiste tapestries. He seems to be watching one with a white skinned, onyx eyed, defiant warrior surrounded by a number of people, all backstabbed. Circling overhead are Locqui wyval with women's heads -- all screaming. Rake comments that he was used and he did not mean it. Endest says that he dislikes this corridor and so doesn't look at the tapestries. He then asks permission to make a trip to a river that flows into Coral Bay which reminded Spinnock of Dorssan. Rake says he can go provided he returns within a month. He even warns him that he might be disappointed. Endest packs up, thinks more of the poetry composed during the age of the Mad Poets, and leaves. 

Rake tells Spinnock that he must make a journey, soon. He enquires about the game with Seerdomin. Rake exposits about the Redeemer, who refuses nothing and nobody. Though he is called the Redeemer, what he offers is passive absolution. The cult worries him and he says this god is always unbalanced. He then asks Spin what it would take to restore balance: a man who refuses the Redeemer. That _was_ Seerdomin, but he has stopped visiting the Barrow. Spinnock is very impressed with his lord and feels he is ready to storm what he would have stormed and to stand for as long as needed. (As an aside, Rake has the habit of sitting with his feet too close to a fireplace.) Rake sends Spin with a 'send my regards to the priestess.'

Misunderstanding, Spin visits the Tiste Andii High Priestess and is very distracted. He even forgets to oil his sword, his usual post love making ritual. He tells the Priestess that Rake sends his regards and she is shocked. She tells him that their warren is a troubled one now and they are all trying what they can. And they all fail. She tells him that, no, Rake did not send his regards to her. Spin realises he meant Salind and goes to her. 

Salind, one of the Children of the Dead Seed, is one of the only women in the pilgrim camp who has been left alone since she is considered untouchable. She muses on the way the worshippers have been hounding the Redeemer for answers. 'Knowledge eases nothing. It just fills spaces that might otherwise flood with despair.'

She is sick and Spin carries her away to the Keep for healing. He tells the people nearby that the Son of Darkness will be informed of their difficulties. He seems to be falling for Salind and thinks back to Korlat and Whiskeyjack; could they have been truly happy?

Gradithan and Monkrat decide to do more looting and raping in the camp now that even the Priestess has left. Gradithan can feel the regard of Silanah as he returns. 

___

Nimander remembers meeting Deadsmell, who had told them that rage in battle was a gift of the gods. They all got drunk on the Adjunct's flagship and remembered their childhood with Rake as dad. The kids were under the care of Endest, who they treated pretty badly. At least until the day Andarist came, argued with Anomander, and took away the kids via warren. On Drift, they were no longer children. They were trained to be warriors and treated as adults. "Children made perfect soldiers, perfect killers. They had no sense of mortality. They did not fear death."

And that's when Nimander realises the Dying God is a child. A vessel that had broken and was now being filled by the priests knowing that he will never be satiated. He thinks back to a couple of washed up Dal Hon survivors at Drift who had a strange ritual of burying their dead in the walls of their houses.

The Andii gang explain to Kallor the scarecrows and saemankelyk, etc. He comments that nothing ever changes and Skin retorts that it gets worse in spite of what old farts like him say. By now Kallor has guessed they are all Rake's spawn. They ask if they were acquaintances and replies they were allies once and maybe they will be allies once more. Because nothing changes.

Somewhere on the way, they see Jaghut ruins and stop. At the entrance is a pot with some drooping flowers. Kallor knocks and he, Nimander, and Skintick are reluctantly let in by Gothos. Who [welcomes them with tea](https://www.reddit.com/r/Malazan/comments/znnm63/i_greet_you_as_guests_holiday_gift_from_my_mother/). Poisoned, obviously. Inside they see that 2 walls are made of some black glimmering substance. Gothos and Kallor have words. Gothos says he met one of the wolf gods who was hurt due to Kallor. He also casually brings up that Raest is one of his offspring and he had allied with the T'lan Imass to take him down but unfortunately the allies turned against him. Leaving him no choice but to kill them all. He keeps taunting Kallor and calls him Lord of Failures. He mentions that this tower used to be an Azath and warns Kallor that he could awaken it if he wanted. He also stops Kallor from drinking the tea and sends him out, while saying that these 2 Andii have to go somewhere for a while. 

Outside, Desra is restless. She remembers Andarist's last words to her- "You must take the world as it is". She has a lot of thoughts about the 'weak ones'. She sees Kallor return alone and rushes inside to find her kin.

Skintick is high. He wonders about the Dying God. He seems to be lying naked on a stone platform in an olive grove, surrounded by stumps of columns. He sees that he has reached a world in which someone had played a practical joke. A god has seeded this world with life, witnessed its burgeoning and then nudged the sun and destroyed everything. Because the god dies when the last believer dies. He starts sinking into deep despair, finding everything meaningless and understands that that's why the Dying god is dying. He is rudely awakened by Gothos by a hard slap. Skin being Skin, responds to despair with laughter and Gothos doesn't want that. Meanwhile, Desra rushes in, takes in the scene, and is shown the wall of ice by Gothos. 

Nimander is stuck in some realm where many Andii spirits fight over him. A giant child-like figure called Elder rescues him and takes him inside an old volcano. He finds out that this Elder is a builder of Azath houses who only remembers that each time he completes building a house, someone takes it away. He thinks it's Gothos and now doesn't remember how he has reached this realm. Which is made of dragon blood. Recall the prologue from RG where we were told that the solidifying dragon blood sinks into other worlds and traps spirits like flies. Nimander has a solution for him. Since he builds houses, he should just build one here. Inside the volcanic pit where the spirits wont be able to bother him. He also says that he will remain outside and finish the building for him, so that the Elder can escape even though that means he will be stuck here. 

Desra tells Gothos to bring him out; he can't. He advises her to not trust Kallor. He also has a message to pass to Rake: 'he chose wisely. each time, he chose wisely.' Desra looks into the wall of dragon blood and can see movement deep within. 

Kallor is outside, telling Aranatha not to trust any Jaghut, especially not Gothos. The Andii kids decide that Kallor has always been hunted. 

The house is almost built. Nimander says goodbye and asks the Elder to punch Gothos in the face the next time he sees him. The Elder agrees that that is a good idea. Nimander does what he needs to do, mangles his hands in the process, and would have almost given in when he is pulled to safety by Desra. He is back in the Jaghut tower and has no idea how much time has passed. Its been only moments for the others. He asks Desra why she rescued him and she only says they are not finished with him yet. Gothos is mad because he was saving Nim for later. He is even more mad that there is an Azath inside the blood of dead dragons. He would despair but he doesn't care enough and kicks them out to make [ashcakes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_cake).

Kallor says that they should entice Gothos out so that he can kill him. Aranatha says she needs to talk to him and goes inside. 

___

Meanwhile, Karsa kills the Captain, burns the huge carriage, and frees the entire Skathandi kingdom. He tells them all to 'live well' -- as a threat. A narrator commentary on Karsa here- 

> Some, you cannot kill. Some are deliverers of death and judgement. Some, in wishing you a full life, promise you death. There is no lie in that promise, for does not death come to us all? And yet, how rare the one to say so. No sweet euphemism, no quaint colloquialism. No metaphor, no analogy. There is but one true poet in the world, and he speaks the truth.

Samar and Traveller see the fire from a distance, like a beacon. She says that it is a pyre and that Karsa does not grieve. Traveller says he is frightened to hear of this Karsa and she finds him as honest as Karsa. 

## Chapter 9

The epigraph is *something*.  (ed.: Yeah, that's some not-exactly-subtle commentary on toxic masculinity.  I'll take it.)

Back to Kruppe in Darujhistan. We begin with "Expectation is the hoary curse of humanity." 

Gaz watches his wife Thordy working on her vegetable patch. He is a terse man who thinks paucity of words is sigil of manhood. (ed.: And we didn't have to wait long to get a justification for the epigraph.) Kruppe disagrees strongly and urges his listeners to wax eloquent. To tell the tale of their life as they would live it. Gaz considers Thordy as 'his woman' and hence she has to behave within the rules that are proscribed. Thordy carefully arranges flagstones in a pattern. He wonders why and decides that it is a clear transgression of the rules. Instead of beating his wife, he decides to beat some man to death. He still hears the flies buzzing in his head. 

Thordy, on the other hand, feels free in her garden. She thinks of how a mind could turn to stone, with the patterns getting stuck in the face of pressure. She can hear Gaz talk in his sleep. She sees butterflies which would fly away if she tried to reach out -- because life is uncertain and danger waits in peaceful repose. So many thoughts, but just like Gaz she too is expressionless. 

___

Barathol tries to get into the Blacksmith guild. He needs to be sponsored to join, but he is new to the city and unknown. He could apprentice with someone, but he's over qualified and too old. The guild clerk relishes in refusing his admission. They bicker. Finally, Barathol says that this guild is a closed shop and the Malazans were in the habit of opening such monopolies. The clerk is glad that Darujhistan was never conquered by them. Barathol leaves and meets Mallet. He tells him that he is going to open an independent smithy even if there is a good chance of being burned down. He calculates that the new embassy has Malazan guards, plus the retired Bridgeburners live in the city. He asks Mallet to help him find a suitable location for setting shop and makes him laugh. 

___

The ox is back. But after half a page, let's decide (ed.: "Of course, to know the mind of an ox is to waste inordinate amounts of time before recognizing the placid civility of a herbivore’s sensibilities.") to move past it and look at the 2 people nearby: Scorch and Leff. They have found all the people on their list but except Torvald whose debt was repaid. The others have escaped like 'slippery eels' -- but they are still free from the dreaded list. They are at an estate to join as gate guards, because Torvald has refused to go into any partnership with them. A Gadrobi guard meets them and with a bit of back and forth gets the Castellan Studlock. He is a figure wrapped in swaddles of cotton, with very small feet that could be cloven hoofs, hooded and probably masked. Gloved hands were drawn up like that of a praying mantis. He interviews them and gives them a physical. He diagnoses Leff with a parasitic infestation and offers to treat him. Meanwhile, Scorch is sent out to return with 3 more guards for hire. 

Tissera is shopping in the market, Torvald tagging along like a dutiful husband. She tells him to get lost in a round about manner and he flees like a brave, contented man. To the Phoenix inn where Scorch has just arrived. 

Leff is being treated by Stud who says he is "whatever one needs him to be". Meanwhile Tor has been recruited; they meet Stud, who promotes Tor at first sight. He does clarify that Torvald has nothing to do with House Nom since that would be a conflict of interest with his employer who is set to join the council. Leff has orange eyes now; Tor calls bs on the parasite infestation. Stud the healer takes it in his stride since misdiagnosis can afflict anyone. All 3 will be provided uniforms and weekly wages. 

___

Murillio is recovered but still shaky, maybe from old age. He seems to have gone back to the widow to explain what happened; obviously it didn't go well. He goes to Stonny's dueling school and applies to be an instructor. They are kindred spirits who don't particularly enjoy teaching, but it is a job. She takes him on when suddenly Myrla interrupts them to say that Harllo has been missing for 2 days. Stonny goes pale and rushes away. Murillio steps in to offer help in finding the missing child. 

Snell is being hounded by the grown ups with questions. He can't wait to grow up and step on their heads but somehow he goes back to the site where he hit Harllo. He can find the place easily since it's etched in his brain, this place being the first tapestry in his history, portrayed with wheeling dragons above the lake. He hoped to find a dead body but there's nothing. He is suddenly nervous and runs back. 

___

We switch to a grown up version of an entitled child, Gorlas Vidikas. (ed.: The narrator knows what he's doing here.) He worships coin which is the true source of all power. His life is good -- but it could be better. Hence, he needs to get out of town and asks Challice to host his 2 friends at dinner. She does not object and maybe he sees a flush of excitement in her. In his mind, just like someone is needed to do laundry and carry luggage, someone is needed to sleep with important people as rewards for past favours and to ensure future debts. He even hopes Challice would get pregnant so that she would stop spending money and stop being miserable. He leaves in his carriage following the same route that Snell had just taken. 

Challice is back with her snow globe with a moon. She understands perfectly and wonders what she has to lose. Except her reputation, of course. What she could gain is probably one man who would actually love her and she could then use him to set her plan in motion. (ed.: Of course, she assumes that she _has_ a plan.) She goes for a walk knowing that she's leaving something behind in this new path she'll start soon. 

___

Scillara meets Duiker. She has been overhearing him relating the Chain of Dogs to Fisher. Turns out Fisher had sent her to him since she knew Heboric. Duiker learns that Heb is dead and feels he's the last one of his friends. She says there's room to make new friends and drags him on a walk to Phoenix Inn, where she wants to embarrass another friend. 

___

Cutter and Kruppe chat. ‘Cutter would not speak of walking in shadows, why, not anyone’s! Even one which sways most swayingly, that cleaves most cleavingly, that flutters in fluttering eyelashes framing depthless dark eyes that are not eyes at all, but pools of unfathomable depth – and is she sorry? By Apsalar she is not!’

Kruppe says that some bad news is arriving. He moans about Murillio moaning about growing old. Kruppe instructs Cutter that should he grow too feeble, then to just throw him off a cliff and sing and laugh too. Cutter agrees, not fully aware of what he's agreeing _to_ exactly. 
___

Iskaral is in love with Sordiko. But he's being thwarted by his wife. During their conversation, Sordiko asks them both to commit mutual suicide and walks away. The married couple decide to go shopping, though Iskaral insists that Mogora not use the leash this time.

___

Gorlas inspects the atrocious working conditions at the mine that he now manages, owned by Humble Measure. The camp workmaster says they have been buying young children to squeeze them into the smaller spaces; they call them *moles* and those don't last long. A regular worker has about 5 years before kicking off and the few strong ones who survive and grow old get moved up to shift captain and such. They have prison labour too; they get exposed to arsenic. The workmaster says their profit is so high that he is looking to buy an estate. Gorlas thinks the man won't survive 3 years, and since he has no heirs, he offers to finance housing for him at low interest. 

Harllo works the mines now. His companion is a 16 year old veteran named Bainisk. The younger boy is being bullied by Venaz but Bainisk reassures him that he would take care of it. Off he goes thinking of finding the blind fish in the underground caverns that he sometimes eats. Earlier that day he was lowered into a crevasse where he saw a dessicated corpse sitting up against a wall. Its legs were clearly broken. Nearby there was a rotted bag containing antler picks, a bone punch, and a mallet. Not surprisingly (ed.: to us; Harllo is a bit shocked), the corpse speaks. 

It is an Imass of the Irynthal clan called Dev'ad Anan Tol who was once enslaved by Raest. He seems to be the lone survivor down here and has figured out it was due to the Tellann ritual. Harllo has heard of the evil T'lan Imass from his Uncle Gruntle. He has heard of this saviour who has taken their sorrow and died for it and even has a barrow built for him. Dev says he was an inventor and asks Harllo to take the tools with him. Harllo offers to tell the others about him so that he can be pulled out and can see the world again. Dev has seen enough of the world with the fancy lighter the boy carries. Harllo says they use orin picks now and Dev calls it skystone, which were shaped by the Jaghut using sorcery. He couldnt wuite figure out how to shape iron without magic. He asks if Raest still rules and Harllo has never heard that name. Dev tells him to say that this crevasse has white grit and the air is foul plus it is haunted by a ghost with these magical tools. Harllo wants to return sometime, and Dev asks him to bring splints if he can. 

___

Scillara and Duiker walk hand in hand across the city. He is morose and, to make conversation, she asks if he sees no point in history. He agrees so strongly that she asks him to pick a topic to talk about. They settle on Heboric. She talks about Felisin Younger and Cutter. Duiker thinks its hard to be miserable in her company and decides to avoid her in future. Duiker senses that she is a little hurt at the way Cutter has ghosted her. She is glad to have found the Bridgeburners, who have welcomed them enough that even Mallet is helping Barathol settle in. Everyone knows the raw deal Barathol of the Red Blades was given regarding opening the gates of Aren. That is the kind of history that they can't ignore, even this far away on a distant continent. Duiker has put together some of their story -- Crokus met Apsalar at the Phoenix Inn and then went away with Fid, Kalam and Apsalar, eventually calling himself Cutter. Slowly, Scillara has put together the story of Apsalar too. 

___

Murillio discusses the missing child with Kruppe. He thinks Harllo was probably snatched but Kruppe disagrees. He is happy to see that Murillio is gainfully employed now. Cutter offers to head to the docks and find out about the boy. Kruppe thinks Murillio might have a crush on his employer. Kruppe gleefully but ineffectively warns Cutter of an imminent reunion when Scillara finds him. Cutter is left speechless as she joins them at the table. Kruppe does the necessary welcoming and even tries to send Sulty to get them fine wine from a better tavern. Cutter introduces Scillara as a camp follower at Sha'ik's rebel city, 'but not that kind of follower'. Scillara, who doesn't dissemble, says she was exactly that kind of follower and was a plaything to the soldiers. She gives a brief run down of their story so far and concludes with Cutter's sense of failing at his task, his broken heart, and his current embarrassment about Scillara. Even Kruppe is left speechless, but then the wine arrives and once more the conversation flows. Kruppe claims he is gasted of flabber at this horrendous tale. Which has been told badly. They settle down for a proper recounting of their story and even Duiker, against his wishes, finds himself interested. Belatedly, Cutter tells her he doesn't think she is fat. He feels too low to think anyone would want him; even Apsalar was smart enough to get away from him. 

___

Meanwhile, Challice is at another awkward dinner with Shardan Lim and Hanut Orr. She is all dressed up; the wine is flowing but she is not hungry. Her thoughts are only 'which one first?' Hanut asks about an alliance between his house and her D'Arle House. But Shardan strikes with a 'Do you chafe?'. She thinks he is being too bold and Hanut replies that she has been drinking all night like a tavern harlot and takes his leave. Shardan observes that he got angry and left, because he expected that a possible alliance between their houses should be initiated by her father. He asks her to find out what Gorlas is up to with this iron mining venture, and somehow it leads to him declaring his love for her and so on. He even suggests he would have challenged Gorlas to a duel for her sake. He explains some sordid story of how Gorlas had actually promised Hanut can have Challice but Shardan has defended her honour tonight. He says that now that Hanut is angry, her reputation is as good as ruined. She says that she will taste freedom and takes him to bed. 

___

Kruppe begins his nightly review of Daujhistan: Challice committing adultery, Gaz prowling about, Captain Torvald about to end his shift, Gary (the nameless guard whom we have decided to name for *reasons*) has chest pains, Humble Measure plots the downfall of a city in his crypt, Bainisk listens to Harllo talk about Darujhistan, watched with hatred by the bully Vanaz, a Great Raven flies out of Baruk's tower etc etc. 

Kruppe ends his chapter with -

> Look around. Look around! On all sides, day and night, light and dark! Every step taken with the firm resolve to believe in the solid ground awaiting it. Every step, one after another, again and again, and no perilous ledge yawns ahead, oh no. 
> 
> Step and step, now, step and step—

Significant? Who knows?

