"But I only saw a couple of them check out. None of you guys saw the others go. You heard about it. Maybe there was one more plot behind all the other plots. Maybe... "

Lady gave me an odd, almost speculative look, like maybe she had not thought much about it herself and did not like the ideas I stirred now.

"They died dead enough for me, Croaker," One-Eye said. "I saw plenty of bodies. Look over there. Their graves are marked."

"That don't mean there's anybody in them. Raven died on us twice. Turn around and there he was again. On the hoof."

Lady said, "You have my permission to dig them up if you like, Croaker."

A glance showed me she was chiding me gently. Maybe even teasing. "That's all right. Maybe someday when I'm good and bored and got nothing better to do than look at rotten corpses."

"Gah!" Murgen said. "Can't you guys talk about something else?" Which was a mistake.

Otto laughed. Hagop started humming. To his tune Otto sang, "The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, the ants play the bagpipes on your snout." Goblin and One-Eye joined in. Murgen threatened to ride over and puke on somebody.

We were distracting ourselves from the dark promise looming ahead.

One-Eye stopped singing to say, "None of the Taken were the sort who could lie low all these years, Croaker. If any survived we would have seen the fireworks. Me and Goblin would have heard something, anyway."

"I guess you're right." But I did not feel reassured. Maybe some part of me just did not want the Taken to be all dead.

We were approaching the incline that led up to the doorway into the Tower. For the first time the structure betrayed signs of life. Men clad as brightly as peacocks appeared on the high battlements. A handful came out of the gateway, hastily preparing a ceremonial in greeting to their mistress. One-Eye hooted derisively when he saw their apparel.