40. The Baths of Edth

Kinch basks in the afterglow of a passionate rendezvous with Norrigal at the famed Baths of Edth, admiring the luxurious setting and recalling their intimacy. As Norrigal departs, a middle-aged bather approaches with idle chatter that sours Kinch’s mood.

The stranger abruptly reveals insider knowledge: Kinch will keep following Spanth Galva. The voice shifts, and Kinch recognizes Sesta—the assassin who rides the cat—now wearing a different body. Sesta bluntly warns that Kinch’s recent marriage-bond makes him a liability to the Guild and forbids any thought of abandoning his assignment.

Sesta outlines the mission: the Spanth seeks the infanta Mireya, niece of Ispanthia’s king; the Guild had her, lost her, and believes the Ispanthian birder can find her. Kinch is ordered to remain attached to Galva like a tick.

To enforce obedience, Sesta displays a beating, faintly glowing tattoo—“Heart, Drum, Call”—that mirrors her life in Pigdenay. If Sesta dies, the Guild will dispatch a “spoilsport” after Kinch and his companions. She warns him to reconsider renewing his moon-vow with Norrigal.

When Kinch bristles and threatens her, Sesta tightens leverage by reciting intimate details of his family—his mother, sister, and stuttering niece—proving the Guild’s reach. Their exchange turns bitter; Sesta mocks his notion of happiness and insists he accept his place. She departs, flesh shifting back into the froggy bather as Kinch is left powerless and enraged.