Chapter One
Konrad dived into his study and all but slammed the door behind him. What an infernal crush. At least half the gentry of the city of Ekamet were crammed into his ballroom tonight, or so it seemed; he had reached the point where he could scarcely breathe amidst the bustle and the tumult of his lamentably successful event.
To his decided dejection, he was the host of this particular piece of organised, purposeless chaos. He was obliged to hold gatherings at Bakar House once or twice a year; it kept him involved in the social whirl of the city, allowing him to maintain useful contacts among Ekamet’s social elite. But he detested the obligation. He was the Malykant, chief servant of The Malykt, the spirit Overlord of death; his role was to punish murderers, not to dance with sill
