House of Chains/Chapter 7

An army that waits is soon an army at war with itself.

Kellanved

Raraku, Pan'arak Oasis

Heboric

In the Pan'arak Oasis, home to the Army of the Apocalypse, Heboric Ghosthands collects flowers for Hen'bara tea. He thinks about delusions, about his eyesight failing him, and about being trapped in the desert, blocked by the impassable sand wall of the Whirlwind. The child now called Felisin Younger joins him, and they speak of Felisin Paran's poetry, a continuation of Felisin's mother's own work, Call to Shadow. Felisin Younger says Korbolo Dom has renamed his army the Dogslayers and reports that Sha'ik has banished the priest Mallick Rel and the noble Pullyk Alar, which Korbolo Dom sees as a strategy to remove his allies. They also talk about the Whirlwind Goddess, who draws her power from the Warren of Shadow, and more specifically, from a fragment of this Warren that wanders. And when he ponders the question about the real origin of the Goddess, they come to talk about the history of the Seven Cities subcontinent, with its origins in the First Empire of the T'lan Imass. The child concludes their conversation by notifying Heboric that Leoman wants to see him.

Leoman by Yapattack

Heboric leaves to see Leoman, finding him with the Toblakai, Karsa Orlong. The men speak of cults and faith and the High Mage Bidithal, who has turned his perverse attention to Felisin Younger. Heboric wishes to warn Sha'ik of the mage's intentions, but Leoman ​​tells him that she needs Bidithal to balance the forces of the other High Mages Febryl and L'oric, and that she will not act against him. Heboric thinks Biditihal ought to be killed outright. Heboric departs, and Karsa tells Leoman that he will tell Sha'ik everything, but Leoman thinks otherwise.

Heboric goes to the decrepit Rashan temple in the centre of the camp's Circle of Temples to find Bidithal. The choice of this temple reminds Heboric that Bidithal was an archpriest of Rashan before Ammanas came to occupy the Throne of Shadow. Before the historian enters, L'oric emerges and warns Heboric about Bidithal being angry about something. Outside the Shadow mage's tent, Heboric is greeted by the grotesque figure of Silgar, Karsa's still-living captive. Heboric's entrance interrupts Bidithal speaking with his shadow and the historian threatens the High Mage with death if he touches Felisin Younger. Bidithal brags about the warded temple, and that nothing can happen to him here. To this, Heboric asks how can Sha'ik have authorized a temple dedicated to Shadowthrone, which angers Bidithal because he accuses Shadowthrone of being a usurper, and says Meanas comes from an Elder Warren of Shadow. When Heboric leaves, Silgar is no longer at the entrance to the temple.

Karsa Orlong

Karsa thinks of Heboric, and that despite being almost blind, the historian has seen the ghosts that are chained to him. Their voices are constently echoing, masking Urugal's own, which makes the warrior think about the past glories of his people, the Toblakai, who had once stood beside the mortal Imass, the Jaghut, and the Forkrul Assail. He swears to go after those who caused his race's fall. He then considers Felisin Paran a victim of the madness of the Whirlwind Goddess, fearing that she is being used by the Goddess to command slayers as Karsa himself once did as Warleader. He understands that this Goddess is not rebelling against the Malazan Empire so much as sanity itself or the rules of order. He also thinks of Leoman, who may not be sunk in durhang fumes as he seems, but biding his time.

Karsa arrives at a grove of stones where he often now spends his time and finds the older Felisin. Together they speak about the Goddess' desire for destruction, about Dryjhna, whose Book of the Apocalypse only talks about killing and annihilating order without offering anything in return. They also talk about the statues Karsa is making there of his two friends Bairoth Gild and Delum Thord. Sha'ik notices hundreds of snakes in this clearing, but they are only there to watch without attacking anyone. She also senses a kind of magic that is not from the Whirlwind nor Raraku, but coming from Karsa, that he controls without knowing. They end up talking about Felisin's poetry and its purpose.

Heboric

Heboric has visions of jade and Fener. He thinks more on this strange dream, but tries to drink his tea to avoid the visions. He goes to Sha'ik's command tent where the mages L'oric, Bidithal, and Febryl have gathered along with the Renegade Fist Korbolo Dom and his mage Kamist Reloe. They talk about the reshaping of the pantheon: First Hero Treach has replaced Fener, while Togg and Fanderay have claimed the Beast Throne, which will impact all the Soletaken and D'ivers. And they speak of Dujek's Genabackis Campaign, and of Whiskeyjack's death. When it comes to naming the survivors, Kamist Reloe is in a panic over the survival of Quick Ben, and when Ganoes Paran's name is mentioned, Felisin freezes. Everybody continues to debate the strength of the inexperienced Adjunct Tavore, and whether the noblewoman and her novice army will be a match to the Whirlwind. Sha'ik abruptly orders everybody out except for Heboric. Alone, she cries out for her brother.