“Battle sounds don’t end so abruptly. Battle noises are not short bursts followed by long silences. Battle noises keep going, longer than you ever want them to go. To the point that you’re begging for the noises to stop. But slaughter, that’s worse. Slaughter is quick. Slaughter is fast. Slaughter is terrible. Those are the noises I hear now.”

Temmins shook his head, refusing to listen. Then there was the terrible screeching, wrenching sound of metal on metal. Temmins turned his fat body toward the door and saw a sword protruding from it, a neat cut going around the locks.