Delioron emerged from the darkness and spoke to Demrîng standing on the pier.
”Let’s go somewhere we can talk. I have things I need to discuss with you.”
”Is it over?”
”Yes.”
”What are you going to do?”
”I don’t know.”
”Sauron’s people want you dead. Your own people want you dead. You have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Just like me.”
”That’s right.”
”You cannot save the boy. So why linger here?”
”I did not say that. It is none of your business.”
Demrîng drew his dagger from the folds of his cloak and looked at the Gondorian gently. ”But it is my business. I am going to kill you.”
Delioron said nothing. He turned his gaze toward the Anduin. Behind them, Pelargir was already stirring into its night‑time bustle.
”I do not need you anymore. You carry all the silver you can give me. I will kill you, take the coin and flee. I have that treasure hoard in Ithilien I told you about. There’s nothing more you can do for me.”
”That’s great.”
”I am not going to take you with me. I am not going to share my treasure with you.”
”I was not going to ask that.”
”If you are dead, I will have had my revenge. If you are dead, nobody will come after me. If you are dead, I will be free.”
Delioron smiled in the dim moonlight. ”Was it such a bad prison?”
”No. It was nothing like the dungeons of Barad-dûr. But it was a prison all the same.”
Delioron looked at the man of Mordor for a long time.
”Don’t talk me to death”, Delioron said.
”That sea-captain. Fangnir. Did you kill him?”
”Why do you want to know so much?”
”There is not much to killing”, Demrîng said softly. ”Two men have been killed today. Maybe three. It could have been my turn today. Or yours.”
”But it wasn’t. Let’s go somewhere we can talk.”
”I kept thinking about you and that child, Si’nol. You don’t even know him, you have never even seen him. I think I understand now why you want to save him. When you were a child, you were taken away from your mother. Am I right?”
Delioron said nothing.
”Very touching”, Demrîng said.
”Isn’t it just?” Delioron turned his back to Demrîng. ”I am leaving now. Come with me, or kill me now.”
”Ironic”, Demrîng said.
”What is?”
”This city. You were born here, were you not? You and I. We worked against each other as enemies for so many years it was almost like being friends. And now we’re both dead men walking in the very place where you first drew breath.”
”No, Demrîng”, Delioron said. ”We both died a long time ago.”
”That’s right. So the matter is not very important then. To you, that is. What I’m about to do now.”
Delioron thought about it. With excrutiating weariness, he had to admit the truth of it. Everything had been a lie.
Demrîng set the dagger’s edge against Delioron’s throat. The steel bit coldly into his skin. Delioron shut his eyes and waited for the brief, final sting that would end it all.
