CHAPTER XLI
in which children are missing ...
Dream Negotiations
In an attempt to gain some insight into the city, Maus, Haas, and Glad go into the dreaming, based on an experience Glad had in the dreaming while in the Ruined Land. If there are Nulls in the city, they should cause voids in the dreaming that correspond to their location. Maus and Haas go on their dreaming together and awake in a land of waterfall, muddy mush where they chance upon two unseen wraiths. Both demand tribute but one seems to consume them. Haas eventually offers up the feeling of pride in Vulsh and with this tribute is able to free Maus and treat with the wraith known as Joy. She agrees to meet with them and answer what questions she can. Glad enters the dreaming alone and on encountering the two wraiths, he immediately offers up tusks carved out from fallen foes. The trophies dissolve and the wraith Glory appears. Glory only cares about getting nulls to leave his territory. He doesn't mind the Heretics business because he collects them and then spirits them away. But Glad argues that the time will come when the Heretic will have amassed enough Nulls to make his move on unconquered territories including Renamar. Troubled by this notion, Glory offers up a vial of some substance as assistance.
Kovius
Through various outlets, the Silver Foxes are able to also enter into a business arrangement with the Heretic's lieutenant people. In order to gain his trust, they're sent to assassinate three targets. The one they choose is a rival criminal named Osrick. They stake out an underground fighting spot and partake in fights themselves to pass the time. Eventually, Osrick arrives but he proves very capable when the Foxes start a scene so they escape undetected and later track him down at a home for displaced youths. Haas tries to treat with him, but negotiations go sour when he learns that Haas was the one who killed his boss Kovius. A fight breaks out, but eventually tensions are calmed. Kovius shares the intel learned from the Foxes with another of the Heretic's targets, Thorn, who is a secretive, merchant Null. Haas arranges an alliance between Kovius' remaining faction and Azzur to halt the kidnappings.
Restaurant Raid
Glad comes up with a smash and grab operation to get kidnap lieutenant who hired them and interrogate him. He, Red, Ra'jira, and Maus go it alone and the operation almost immediately goes south. The restaurant base proves to be staffed by Null adolescents there of their own free will and their quasith cancelling abilities throw a wrench into the Foxes' plan. Failing that, the four brawl to clear space and dart outside. Once clear of the Nulls' dampening, Glad rains arrows and lightning into the hideout until the Foxes are clear. Then he hides invisible in the sky while the lieutenant surveys the damage. Glad drops down in a final attempt to grab his target but the lieutenant is pulled inside by a bodyguard. Glad does manage to grab two of the more important looking bodyguards. They're transported to Osrick for interrogation. There they learn more about the Heretic's employment of Nulls and the use of threats and coercion to keep his people in line.