Dwara considered Timir's words for a while before asking, "And this god... Koru. He speaks to you?"

"Not always," Timir replied. "And even when he does, he does not tell me much. He is weakened and without a body of his own. That is why he needs a vessel to be able to travel west."

"What's in the west?"

"I am not sure," Timir said. "Though he is too weak to keep all of his wisdom from leaking into my mind, *that* is a secret he protects with all his might."

"This is why you can sense the magic in things? Because of Koru's wisdom?"

"No. It's much simpler than that," Timir smiled. "Daitya magic does not mix with the magic of the gods. At their strongest, they can even react violently to each other. Because Koru lives in me, so does his magic, and so daitya magic turns my stomach. That is how I *sense* it."

"But..." Dwara said, remembering what Timir had said earlier. "But you said there is daitya magic in everything."

"True."

"Are you saying everything turns your stomach?" Dwara said in horror. "You find everything unpleasant?"

Timir looked away towards the light filtering in through the dark curtain. "Some things are more trouble than others, but yes. Everything I touch hurts. The water I drink burns my throat, the air is sand on my skin, most things I eat upset my insides."

Dwara stared at Timir. How was it possible for one such as him to exist? Not just exist, but to smile and be good. "Sounds like a curse."

"It used to feel like one too. Now I barely notice it," Timir said and continued with a smile. "Most things don't really have much magic in them. So it's not really that bad."

Dwara nodded, even though she could tell he had sensed her shock and was trying to keep her from worrying. "Is that why you didn't..." Dwara hesitated. "Back at the inn. You didn't... want me."

A scream split the quiet afternoon wide open. Timir pushed the curtain aside and found one of Kastha's lizards had frightened a child. The compound was beginning to fill up as Yamuk folk crowded by the stockades, spooking horse and lizard alike. Kastha's men were about as well, yelling commands and throwing their weight around.

"Do you know what is happening?" Timir asked, without turning away from the sight.

"Lord Kastha has public hangings sometimes for captured Aramban spies. That is the only time townsfolk are allowed in here. To watch."

"What fun!" Timir said before pretending to ponder a moment and saying, "Wait! He's not going to hang me, is he? After that amicable deal of ours!"

"You should not underestimate Lord Kastha," Dwara said. "He commands strange and powerful magics. Surely you saw the shadow he cast upon you."

"Just as I am sure you saw the ease with which that was taken care of."

Dwara sighed and looked as if she was going to say more, but just ended up repeating herself, "You should not underestimate him."

"Do you think him a good man, Dwara?" Timir asked and took her by surprise.

"He is all Yamuk has - the only one who can protect us."

"Protect you from what?"

"Arambans, Timir, and all manner of strange creatures from beyond who will take this town and enslave its people and..." Dwara trailed off and the silence that followed was broken only by the occasional yell from outside.

Timir parted the curtain a little and looked. Then he lay back down and stared at the roof as he spoke, "I will not pretend this world is a safe place, Dwara. I have seen the horrors that plague it, fought some of them, even slayed a few monsters. Trust me when I tell you that Kastha isn't up to the task of protecting Yamuk against any of them."

"We're still here, Timir. Is that not a testament to Lord Kastha's strength and leadership?"

"It is testament to the fact that Yamuk is of little use to anyone who might come this way. Arambans are too busy taking over prosperous coastal cities and controlling the island nations in the south. Your blessed Yamuk holds nothing that might interest them."

"Then why do we find Aramban spies in our midst?"

Timir turned to face Dwara. "Do you?"

"There are hangings."

"How do you know they're Aramban spies? Kastha hasn't even been able to tell that I am not Aramban. I doubt he has ever even met or spoken to one. He would have been able to tell from the way I speak otherwise."

"It can't all be a lie."

"Why not?"

Dwara turned away from Timir then, and he could tell he was killing something in her - the comfort that things were as good as they could possibly be, and that whatever else Kastha might be, he was not the cause of all she had gone through.

"You killed Trivikram for me," Dwara said without turning towards him. "I thank you for that. But if you are so convinced that Lord Kastha is as guilty as him, why did you not end him then and there?"

"Trivikram was a brute, loved by none. His power lay in his strength and cruelty. Kastha's truth needs to be seen by those that admire him. Unless he meets his end with all of Yamuk watching, he will not truly die."

"And what happens then? What becomes of Yamuk?"

"There are good people here. Any of them will do a better job than a man whose greed has sucked this town dry."

"Where?" Dwara turned to Timir, tears in her eyes. "Where are the good people? Those who will help a child trying to keep her mother from going mad. Those who will walk with her when she tries to get heard. Those who will not seek to possess and use her when she is at her weakest. Where are those people?"

Timir sat up, then stood up, and stared calmly at Dwara. "I am looking at one of them."

Turning away, Dwara laughed something bitter. "I am not good, Timir."

"If that is true, friend, you have done a great job of fooling me. I could have sworn you stood up to defend me when three armed men interrupted my lunch earlier today."

Dwara laughed, despite herself. "You hardly needed my help."

"You did not know that then. All you knew was that I was a hungry stranger being accosted by Kastha's goons. Something I wager you have seen many times before in Yamuk."

If Dwara had an answer to these accusations of kindness, she could not give it to Timir, because just then, drums and trumpets began to sound out in Kastha's compound. The evening's revelries were about to be announced.