Six of Crows, #2
Crooked Kingdom
by Leigh Bardugo
Contents
32. Inej
Overview
Inej slips into the Church of Barter ahead of the auction, plants Kaz’s emergency explosives, and watches Kuwei’s sale draw every major power into one volatile room. The bidding rises to staggering heights, confirming how dangerous Kuwei’s knowledge of jurda parem has become and how far Van Eck’s scheme could reach.
The auction is abruptly disrupted when the mysterious Council of Tides intervenes and denounces the proceedings. At the same time, Inej’s private threat becomes immediate as Dunyasha appears on the roof and challenges her to a deadly confrontation.
Summary
Inej infiltrates the heavily guarded Church of Barter before the auction by hiding beneath a stadwatch lumber cart, rolling into the cathedral, and crawling through the pews and chapels. She climbs through an upper chapel, breaks out through a small window, stashes Jesper’s rifle on the roof, and ascends the familiar spires of the church.
On the roof, Inej plants the small explosives Kaz arranged as emergency distractions. From a concealed perch above the nave, she reflects on the Church of Barter’s use as an auction site, Kerch hypocrisy about slavery, and her own hope of one day using a ship and money to fight the slave trade. She thinks of the crew’s shared danger and expects both Pekka Rollins and Dunyasha to be somewhere near the coming conflict.
As the church fills, Inej watches guards, Dime Lions deputized by the stadwatch, merchants, Barrel criminals, and foreign delegations arrive. The Fjerdans, Zemeni, Ravkans, Kaelish, and Shu all take places amid mounting tension. Sturmhond’s Ravkan delegation nearly provokes a clash with the Fjerdans, while Van Eck intervenes when the Shu ambassador objects to the seating order.
Kuwei enters with Kaz, Matthias, and a stadwatch escort, setting off an uproar. Dime Lions jeer Kaz, drüskelle shout at Matthias as a traitor, and the Shu cry out at Kuwei, who appears terrified. Auctioneer Jellen Radmakker confirms Kuwei’s health and consent, then opens bidding at one million kruge.
The bidding escalates rapidly among the Shu, Fjerdans, Zemeni, and Ravkans. Sturmhond waits before forcing the price higher, while the Shu repeatedly drive the auction upward until Sturmhond bids one hundred and twenty million kruge. The impossible sum signals that the auction has spiraled beyond control.
Before the auction can continue, the church doors burst open under a wave of seawater and fifteen blue-cloaked figures enter, declaring themselves the Council of Tides and calling the auction a sham. At the same moment, Dunyasha attacks Inej from the roof with a thrown blade, announcing that she intends to look Inej in the eye when she kills her.
Who Appears
- Inej GhafaInfiltrates the church, plants explosives, observes the auction, and faces Dunyasha’s attack.
- Kuwei Yul-BoTerrified auction subject whose indenture draws massive bids from rival nations.
- Kaz BrekkerEscorts Kuwei into the auction under protection, drawing hostility from Dime Lions.
- Matthias HelvarEscorts Kuwei beside Kaz and is recognized and condemned by drüskelle.
- Dunyasha LazarevaAppears on the church roof and begins a lethal confrontation with Inej.
- SturmhondLeads the Ravkan delegation and pushes the bidding to one hundred and twenty million kruge.
- Jellen RadmakkerHonest city auctioneer who verifies the rules, consent, and escalating bids.
- Jan Van EckOversees the auction smugly, anticipating profit from Kuwei and jurda parem.
- Jesper FaheyDisguised among the Zemeni delegation while Inej stores his rifle on the roof.
- Council of TidesMysterious blue-cloaked figures who interrupt the auction and declare it a sham.
- Shu ambassadorLeads the Shu delegation, protests seating, and drives the bidding to extreme sums.
- Fjerdan ambassadorClashes verbally with Sturmhond and joins the bidding for Kuwei.