It didn’t take long for the screaming to start.

  Whatever lull had occurred in the immediate aftermath of the first explosion had ended before I even made it a hundred feet. A few isoted voices shrieking sorrow turned into a deluge that joihe ringing in my ears. For the doze, I limped. The dominant tone of that was sorrow, but it turned swiftly to anger and only grew in volume.

  If the other bombings had been as btant as the one I’d witnessed, hundreds if not thousands of people who’d marched in here as a show of force against Infernals had just seen Infernals drive exploding wagons into their midst.

  Varrow had slowed enough I could catch up with him, a kindness I didn’t really expect. Expeg more payment iure? Or maybe just because I was the only person who was treating his lungs?

  “I don’t think I’m making it out of the Quarter on time,” I said iween gulps of air as I moved forward as fast as I could, each impay hoof on the dirt a nce of pain up my leg. “How well do you think your house could stand up a mob?”

  “Not well,” Varrow said, looking behind us. “If we had more people with us, maybe, but just the two of us? Maybe if you’d be willing to keep the worst of it at bay with the devil magic.”

  We hadn’t even made it to the interse yet. Not good. I couldn’t really go any faster, I was already risking my leg hitting the ground wrong and colpsing to the ground as is.

  “I think even with my new acquaintances, spraying diabolism all over citizens of the empire is likely to end with my head in a noose or being separated from my body with an axe. Also the st thing this Quarter needs is another fire. Why do we insist on making everything out of wood?”

  “It’s cheap.”

  Fair enough.

  “Hells’ Own?” I suggested. “We’d have to cut back across the street, but it’s sto’ll have staff there, plus whoever else was already there drinking to block out those voices from the sky.”

  “Not a bad suggestion,” Varrow said. “One problem. Doesn’t Edwards want you dead? And he’s friendlier with me in the sense he’ll just throw me out.”

  Oh. Yes, wearing this face around Edwards was not a good idea.

  “He lets Bck Fme inside his bar,” I protested weakly.

  “Because he’s not going to fight Versalicci,” Varrow said. “No leadership, and no one he might hold a grudge against. Whicludes you for what I heard was a very good reason.”

  I sighed. Okay, he wasn’t wrong, but it had been Skall that had started it, and I’d only gotten involved when they’d started trying to kill her, and in my defense we hadn’t succeeded in burning down the bar for what would have been its fifth time.

  “Let’s see about getting there first. Because I’d rather take Edwards over any of those marchers.”

  ***

  A trick you picked up if survived any of the Quarter’s big riots: if you heard noise from somepever head there. ypically meant fighting, or at least people, and just because the opped didn’t mean those people went away.

  It wasn’t much prote. Riots got chaotid eant it would spring up from a different street. But so far the screaming seemed to not spread out of it’s initial locations as we made it to the Hell’s Own.

  We’d entered remarkably few people on our way here. Far too few in fact. The ck of Infernals was uandable, they’d be hiding inside whatever shelter they could find if they knew what was good. Where were the marchers though? We’d crossed the street a while baot a sign of any anti-Infernal protesters. Had the bombs scared them out of the Quarter entirely, or had they scattered themselves too thin throughout?

  I should learn to keep my thoughts quiet.

  "There they are!"

  I didn't want to guess who the 'they' was, instead ign the pain in my leg as I hurried. Hell's Own was across the road, I could see it in the distance, figures on the rooftop yelling at us to hurry.

  Varrow shot past me, having the be of having a funing leg. I hobbled behind, hearing yelled slurs and the sound of boot leather spping stone.

  Something hit my back, hard aween the shoulders. I toppled down, pulling on Diabolism. Damnations, this would not look good, but better alive and a wanted murderer than dead.

  I turned on my back, a stampede of citizenry before me. No, talking would not work. Instead all would o burn.

  A rifle sh out, fkes of stone flying up between me and the crowd where the bullet struck.

  "Want to keep your life, go somewhere else," an Infernal on top of the tavern called out. Three others were waiting with rifles.

  The crowd scattered like rats back across the street, away from the rifle barrels. No one wao risk being the oo die it seemed.

  A der-block y o me and I kicked it with my non-broken hoof.

  "Better e inside," one of the rooftop sentries yelled down to me. "Don't know how long bullets will keep that lot gone. Better make it into sanctuary fast."

  A fair point, as I picked myself up and headed inside.

  Ihe greeting was colder.

  “Harrow,” Edwards hissed, leveling the shotgun at my face. “And Varrow as well. What gods be damned pit did you crawl out of? Y your psychotic girlfriend with you?”

  “I’m not with he-” Varrow started.

  “Shut up!”

  “Edwards,” I replied even as others cautiously leveled guns at me, most of them seeming a little shocked at the bartender’s vehement dislike for me. Apparently being out of circution for five years had degraded my reputation some. The Bck Fme members were all aiming without hesitancy though. Something to keep in mind. “I’ve been active for wo weeks now, so don’t act so shocked I’m back. If you have an issue with me being ba the city, take it up with Mr. Voltar. He’s the one whed my return after all.”

  That more of a rea from the assorted patrons as whispers picked up and guns wavered more.

  “Voltar,” Edwards noted with distaste in his mouth. “You’re mixed up with that mess involving Katheryn Fara and those poisoned nobles.”

  “Yes, brought in for that,” I replied. “Since you were w where my ‘psychotic girlfriend’ is, well first we stopped being that a long time ago, and sed she’s been one of your patrons for many years at this point.”

  “I know,” he snapped. “She’s apparently improved her attitude over the years, somehow. Probably mellowed out after being separated from you. What are you doing here?”

  I didn’t know which to be more offended by: Skall getting credit for something involving me or Edwards thinking I’d been the one spurring Skall.

  “Willing to offer my services, iurn for shelter,” I said. “If you don’t want them, I’m happy to find another pce to hole up tonight.”

  “None of that gas you used on the One-horns,” Edwards warned me.

  I bit down on a protest that I hadn’t used the gas; I’d just made it fio, and he’d been the oo order its use. It wasn’t even that deadly pared to some of the mixtures Her Majesty’s Army used otlefield. Sure, I wouldn’t wish to literally puke yuts out on most, but to pretend the One-Horns had been i wasn’t remotely true.

  “Don’t listen to her, Edwards,” one of the Bck Fme said, keeping a gun trained on me. “She’s not part of the gang any longer. You don’t owe her anything from that.”

  I tried to keep a growing grin under trol. Not the right move.

  “Are you saying if she were, I’d owe her for that?” Edwards s the Bck Fme member, eyes turning to him instead. Another one I didn’t reize.

  He sputtered, realizing how little he and his group were among all the others.

  Cowed, the Bck Fme faltered back, while Edwards came over, shotgun still carefully aimed my way.

  “Don’t make me regret this,” he warned me. “I’m ting on you being dangerous even with one of ys broke.”

  “Oh, don’t worry,” I assured him. “Those marchers try to get into your establishment, they’ll wish they hadn’t.”

  ***

  Three hours ter, I hadn’t had to back up those words. And looking down below, it didn’t seem I would o.

  Well, the Marchers had finally turned up. Some of them. Being escorted by the Watch, and looking far worse for wear. I looked down, watg as they trundled past, wounds on dispy. Mostly bruises and broken bones, but quite a few had bandaged cuts and improvised splints much like my own. Forty being escorted by ah of their number in Watch Officers.

  “Well, that was anti-climatic,” Varrow noted beside me.

  “I overestimated it,” I admitted. “It makes sehey came for a marot for a war. Ohe anger wore off and it became clear people were willing to fight back, the fight in them died. I figured more of the Watch would side with them as well. Although if you mean Edwards, I didn’t think it would go anywhere. He wants to keep his patrons safe. Having me as a deterrent helps with that.”

  “Makes you wonder,” Varrow said. “Wanting to keep riots from breaking out in the Quarter again. Even if the higher ups believes all this stuff involving gers and such, why not let us be scapegoats?”

  “More fodder for the battlefields?” I questioned. “The Quarter’s been drained dry when pickpockets like yourself find houses to hole up in, no offense.”

  “Oi, I stole the deed to that, so it is legally mine. Assuming the owner never es back.”

  “Kind of my point. I’d have to see how many of roups are left iy as well, but it might be that they don’t want ahs. The test wars are over; now it’s time for a lull while they wait for o build back up. Automatons are suddenly getting a lot more funding that they used to. You should see those buildings they’re putting up in the Ironworks. Fewer workers in the factories, more for the battlefields.”

  “They could just hire Infernals,” Gio noted. “Owhrow a fit, so do the other workers but-”

  “Again, that’s my point. We were the oo fill out the ranks for the army because we weren’t doing much else. For this transitory period, we still are, so no more burning down the Quarter until they’ve got new pools to tap. Ohese automatons are doing the jobs of the on borer, they’ll have those pools. Which, of course, makes me wonder what happens to us then?”

  Silence came for a bit, not leaving as both Varrow and I pensively looked down at the departing marchers. Most of them were gone now, letting themselves be herded away by the Watch, shying away from the Infernals who’s ehe street. No ons visible oher side now, but I had no doubt any Infernal willing to walk onto the street’s at this point had something sharp squirreled away.

  The main damage had been done. A whole host of people would e out of here with stories about Infernals bombing them then attag them. Any aggression on their part would be fotten by them and spread as little as possible outside the Quarter. They’d return home to families and tell stories of those horrififernals who bombed them and then tried to massacre the survivors.

  “Depressing bit of thought,” Varrow said finally.

  “It’s just a theory,” I replied. “I might be reading too muto things. It could just be they’re worried about a riot or fire spreading beyond the er. Could these Marchers f them to s their entire route multiple days in a row have irritated your average watch officer? It could be a few dozen other things. A better question is, why do this? gers or Versalicci. It’s aion.”

  The party had been one, but not to su extent as this. Two different goals were being pursued from their side. Infming tensioween Infernals and the rest of the city and whatever they wanted from Lord Montague. There didn’t seem to be a way for those two goals to cide.

  Well, hopefully, I’d know for sure soon enough. Breaking into the archives could e soon.