In the dark he crouched, waiting.

Footsteps from a tunnel above echoed down the vent in which he hidden himself away. He didn’t know who they were; they could be friendly but more likely they were not. The Fishers were known to hunt in this territory, and their booby traps had been the death of many an Undersider.

Besides, they were almost certainly looking for him now. His oath of fealty had been broken, he had turned his back on those he swore to protect

He had to get to the cricket ground, to the Floating Market. Lady Palmeira would be there and surely give him sanctuary. She would listen to him, allow him to unburden his soul on her, and she would know what to do.

He had already had to kill a man this morning, a random thug undoubtedly sent by his former employer to silence him before he could speak. It was not a act he relished, but Lord Preston needed to know what was happening. The Preston’s had to be told the truth


He sat quietly and wondered to himself that maybe the angel was wrong. Statues rarely lie, and the rebellion he revealed could only harm the Bronze Court, but perhaps the figurine had misheard? Perhaps its was not true?.

No. There was no doubt in the angel’s words; there was treachery in the Noble House of Roe

A friendship blackened by the seduction of power; Lord Roe and his household were planning an attempt on the life of Lord Preston. Jealous of the respect and power which he had gained from his efforts in Brighton Below, the Roes were seeking to remove their rivals from power, and condemn them to exile or the grave


He darted out from his hiding place, and headed towards Lord Palmeira’s domains. In the end it was all futile as Lord Roe’s right hand man, a sage named Davigdor has undoubtedly already laid a curse upon him. His rituals were slow and subtle but they were lethally effective and, if Lord Roe’s henchmen didn’t catch him, then Davigdor’s Magick would.

He passed the Gold Stone, where there were two people making a deal. A dark skinned man dressed in foxfurs exchanged a package with an albino woman. As they saw him coming, the man stepping back into the shadows. The woman looked at him furtively

“Don’t see me”, she whispered as he passed.

By the time he’d left them both, he couldn’t even remember her face

Entering Lord Palmeira’s domains, he looked for the tunnel to take him to the World Above where he could continue to the cricket grounds. He could not risk attracting attention to himself by asking directions, he could only press on and pray that his memory had not failed him

He turned to hide his face from a Jugg woman who was fighting with a dog for what appeared to be a bone. He didn’t stop to think whether it was something the scavenger has fished from the sewers or whether it belonged to someone who still needed it.

A hatch lead the way to the Upworld. Pulling the door to behind him, the turned quickly to press on. Too quickly he turned, onto the blade of a grinning man.

“Oooh. That had to hurt. Lord Roe will be so pleased. He was worried that you might betray him. But you’d never do that now, would you, Jack?”.

The mockery of his tone was not nearly as painful as the blade that twisted between his ribs. He felt the warmth spreading in his chest. Could he feel his legs they would undoubtedly be turning cold.

The grinning man dropped him to the floor and stopping only to wipe his knife, walked off down the tunnel whistling a merry tune he’d heard someone play once

It wouldn’t be long now, he would bleed to death soon, and Lord Roe would take the lands of the Preston family for himself.

He lay on the floor starting into the blackness. After a moment the blackness stared back; two dark eyes peering from inside a discarded paper bag.

“Master Greytail?”

The rat scuttled out of the bag, nervously sniffing the air. He called out to it weakly.

“Master Greytail, I beg a service of you. I have information. You must take it to Lord Preston”

The rat came closer, and Jack told him the secret. The rat nodded knowingly and scurried off to the North

Master Graytail would tell Lord Preston and justice would be done. He accepted the fate that he had been dealt and was resigned that he would never see death avenged.

He closed his eyes and waited for death to take him.

As sure as time itself, it did.