Their escort led them briskly out of the citadel and left them on the street. Himin gazed forlornly back at her former home before turning to Kano. “I just don’t understand how Miusvon took control like that. The ghouls were only supposed to listen to me.”

“Why is that?”

“Because Shorin left me in charge.” Himin sighed. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“What do you mean we? Figuring out what to do now is your problem, not mine.”

“You’re really not planning on doing anything to fix this? Don’t you care what happens to the citadel? Or Shorinstown, for that matter?”

“No, not really.” Kano gestured toward Nove and the children. “I already have more than enough to deal with.”

Himin scoffed. “You don’t get it, do you? Things are going to change a lot around here if we let them take over. You think they’ll just let you go on living your life?”

That had been Kano’s plan, but it was starting to seem less feasible than she’d thought. Was there seriously another necromancer coming to take over the town? How many of those horrible things lived around here? Kano had been hoping she’d wiped out the last of them in the vicinity, but they seemed to keep coming.

And she was the one who was supposed to deal with this incursion? Despite basically being a walking corpse at this stage? It felt awfully unfair, but she supposed that was the nature of life. “Fine, come with me for now. We’ll figure out what to do once I’ve found a place for the children to stay.” Technically she could just take them back to her house, but if things really were going to get worse around here, she’d rather take them somewhere safer.

“Urick, do you know if that company you used to work for is still living in the old barracks?”

He shrugged. “I haven’t been back there, but I assume so. Why?”

“They’re a bunch of idiots, but they should be able to look after the children.” For all their incompetence, they were heavily armed. That had to count for something.

“Maybe,” Urick said. “But how are you going to get them to help you? You weren’t exactly on the best of terms last time you were there, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“It’s fine. I’ll convince them to help.” She didn’t know how exactly she’d do it, but she was confident she could convince them, given her newfound skill in negotiation. Winding her way through the twisting streets of the town with her growing train of followers, Kano reached the barracks. Judging by the immaculate exterior of the bright-red building, Urick’s former band of ghouls still lived within.

Kano was going over to knock on the door when she recalled how touching it had shocked her last time. There was no need to risk that happening again, which made this was a perfect time to exercise her expertise in delegation. “Urick,” she said, “go and tell their leader I want to meet with him.”

Stepping up to the door but without touching it, Urick called, “Hello? Is anyone there? I’m looking for Quort.”

Seconds passed, and the heavy steel door swung open. A ghoul in red combat fatigues peered out at the group assembled before the barracks and said, “Who are you?”

“I’m Urick, I—”

That was as far as Urick got before Kano interrupted. Now that he’d made contact, there was no sense in allowing him to speak on her behalf; his task was over. “I’m here to make a deal,” Kano said. “Is Quort or whoever here?” The name wasn’t familiar to her, but she assumed it was their leader or some other important person.

“Yeah, he is. Why? What kind of deal do you want to make?”

Did this lackey really expect her to explain everything to him? Who had time for such nonsense? “Just go and get him already. I’ll tell him what I want in person.”

The ghoul looked like he wanted to refuse, but as his gaze swept across the group assembled before him again, he apparently thought better of it. Grunting, he said, “I’ll see if he wants to meet with you.” And with that, the door closed.

“What is this place, anyway?” Nove asked, inspecting the garish building while she worked to keep the children together.

Kano’s memories on the subject were somewhat hazy, so rather than strain herself trying to remember, she just stuck to the basics. “Remember a little while ago when some people tried to kill us in Shorinstown? That was these guys.”

“And now you want them to help us?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“They don’t exactly sound like people we should be associating with. Isn’t it dangerous?”

“It’s dangerous everywhere,” Kano said. “And this is the safest option I know of right now.” Besides, if they were anything like Urick, they weren’t all that bad. At least not compared to necromancers and their ilk. If they could keep the children away from the more dangerous elements and provide some modicum of protection, that was good enough for Kano.

Kano was watching as Nove tried to keep the children away from the barracks until negotiations had concluded when the door opened again. This time it was a bald man with a trimmed beard. “You wanted to see me?” he said.

Kano frowned. He’d come alone and unarmed. Was this really their leader? “Are you Quort?”

“That’s right. Don’t you remember me?”

“No.” She felt like she’d seen his face before, but that was hardly worth mentioning, particularly when in all probability it could just have been a similar-looking ghoul.

“You shot me in the hand?” He held up his right hand, showing off the scar in an apparent attempt at jogging Kano’s memory.

“Uh-huh,” Kano said with a cultivated look of disinterest. “I shoot a lot of people. You can’t expect me to remember all of them. Also, I don’t know why you’re complaining, it’s not like I killed you. Maybe then you’d have something worth complaining about, but that’s nothing.”

Grimacing, Quort seemed to struggle with some aspect of what she’d said, but eventually his features settled. “Forget I said anything. I heard you wanted some kind of deal?”

“That’s right.” She gestured toward Nove and the children. “I want you and your men to protect these people for a while. Say at least two weeks.”

“Yeah?” Quort asked, interested and looking far more in his element. “And what’re you offering in exchange?”

Kano froze. She’d forgotten about that part of deal-making. Offer in exchange? What kind of things did people usually offer? Money or some other valuables, she supposed, but she didn’t have any of those. Unless… she sidled up to Himin and whispered, “Do you have anything we can use to pay him?”

“I’ve got some money but—”

“Hand it over.”

With a token show of reluctance, Himin gave Kano a handful of crude metal coins.

Kano walked over to Quort and handed them to him. “Is that enough?”

Inspecting each in turn, he smiled and pocketed the lot. “It’ll do. Get your people inside, and my men will help get them settled. After your recent visit, we’ve got plenty of spare beds.”

Kano nodded, happy to be done with the negotiations. The whole process was far more work than she’d assumed. She went over to where the abomination was trapped in the never-ending process of trying to keep the children from wandering off. “Nove, get them inside.”

“Okay, but what’re you going to do?”

“Something. I’m not really sure yet. But you can all wait here.”

“No.”

“What was that?” Kano asked, sure she must have misheard.

“I said no. I’ll take them inside, but I’m coming with you. I won’t be left behind, not again. Besides, we still need to talk about what happened while you were away.”

A tortured, choked sound of disgust and frustration issued forth from Kano’s throat. Did everyone have to argue with her? After her theatrics, she sucked in enough air to be able to speak again and said, “Fine, just hurry up.”