Henry is so close now.

The crawler has died. The Overlander has cried. Even the rat has turned dismal. And Henry has overheard Luxa tell the Overlander that she understands why Vikus had left them with a rat.

His lips purse. Weaklings, the lot of them, he cannot help but think. He clenches his fist to keep it from shaking. It— it is a crawler, why are anyone surprised? Why? Why why why?

Why do everybody insist on weeping and cowering like such weaklings?

Henry is not afraid. Soon, he will never have to even think of its meaning again.

He is not afraid.

He is not afraid.

Even as he edges his way around the lip of the gorge, he is not afraid.

He is not afraid!

Luxa had said that she understood Vikus' decision.

Henry wants to strike her for it.

But he cannot, will not, because his plan must work, it must, it must it must it must it must—

Never again will he be allied to cowards who will never have his back. Never again will he be among weak creatures. Never again will he be weak—

Luxa must see reason. She did say (even if Henry disagreed greatly with the part about Vikus) that she understood why they must have a rat.

And if she understands that— she must understand Henry's decision too, must she not?

She must.

She must.

SHE MUST!

Henry is not afraid. Never again will he be afraid. He only has to do his part of the deal, deliver the warrior, betray every coward he has known, and then he will be a king.

He will be a king.

And fear will tremble before him, because nobody frightens a king.

Nobody touches a king.

Except, whispers his mind, when your uncle was murdered by the very gnawer you have allied yourself to. And when your aunt was murdered by that same gnawer. And when the king of the fliers was murdered, and when the king of shiners was, and when your grandfather was, and when your father, the prince, and your mother, the princess—

SILENCE!

His lips move, but no sound comes out.

He is so close now; he must not blow his cover.

Henry will survive. Henry will live. Henry will be great, and he will never, ever be afraid again.