Toll the Hounds/Chapter 3

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==Darujhistan==
Kruppe continues to tell his story from the book's Prologue, which once more returns to Darujhistan on a fair morning.
==Phoenix Inn==
At the Phoenix Inn, Kruppe eats his breakfast and chokes on a pie, spraying pieces onto a hungover Meese. Sulty quickly cleans up the mess.
==Quip's Bar==
In the street outside Quip's Bar, an enormous carriage pulled by six screaming horses bursts from an open Warren and crashes into a building. It is Master Quell of the Trygalle Trade Guild who has somehow arrived short of his actual destination in the city. After the survivors collect themselves, Quell, Faint, Glanno Tarp, Reccanto Ilk, and Sweetest Sufferance make their way inside the bar for a drink. Quip Younger recognises Faint as a former love interest while he serves them.
==Phoenix Inn==
Kruppe spits out a swig of expensive wine on the floor to wash the pie from his mouth, earning Meese's ire. A tired and pale Mallet descends from upstairs. The healer says Murillio will recover so long as the man's mind comes out of its current funk. Kruppe tells him that Bluepearl has already left, but Irilta will accompany him back to K'rul's Bar to make sure he remains safe. Kruppe promises he is still investigating who has offered the contract on the Bridgeburners' lives and an answer is near. After Mallet departs, Meese speculates whether the Malazan Empire is responsible. They have established an embassy in the city and may have caught wind of the deserters. Kruppe says the empire has two of its own assassins stationed at the embassy. It would not need to make use of Seba Krafar's Assassins' Guild. He assures Meese he will soon know the answer to the mystery.
==Darujhistan docks==
Scorch and Leff are at the city docks watching the fisher boats bringing in the morning catch. A groggy Scorch complains while Leff argues that this is the time of day when fleeing debtors are most likely to try to catch a boat out of town.
==Worrytown and Estate District==
A caravan of four battered and fire-charred wagons works its way through Worrytown towards Darujhistan's northeastern gate. They are accompanied by only one guard on horseback, his clothing shredded to reveal skin nearly blackened by tattoos. Only strangely feline eyes pierce the shadow of his hood. Once in the slums, the wagons are swarmed by the desperately poor. But when they discover the wagons are being steered by animated dead men and the lone guard drops his hood to reveal a face tattooed like a tiger, they retreat with screams.
At Worry Gate, the city guard recognises the caravan as one of Sirik's and its leader as Gruntle. Gruntle is in no mood to explain, and the ashen-faced guard waves him through. At Sirik's estate, the merchant and his bodyguards have gathered to meet the caravan, which is expected to bring back Kelyk from Bastion. Sirik is shocked to learn half of his wagons are missing along with their drivers and all of the guards are dead except for Gruntle. Gruntle says they were attacked by a hundred Dwell raiders on the return trip across the Dwelling Plain. Captain Kest of Sirik's guard does not believe Gruntle's account. If there were as many raiders as he claimed, Gruntle would be dead as well. When Sirik notices the drivers are dead, Gruntle is unable to explain beyond the fact that when he made commands, the dead followed his orders. With a word he releases the drivers back to Hood and demands his money from Sirik. Sirik tries to pay only half the agreed amount until Gruntle promises to have him blacklisted by the Caravanserai Guild.
Soon, Gruntle heads for the hovel he calls home. He covers himself with his cloak, annoyed that the markings on his skin brought out by battle will not fade for weeks. He took no pleasure in killing the raiders and lost two friends in the bargain. Amidst the crowds of the Gedderone Fête, he comes upon the wreckage of the Trygalle carriage and is surprised when their horses show no reaction to his tiger nature. He considers that he could make far more money as a shareholder with Trygalle then his current work for merchants like Sirik. Then he mulls where this new power to command the dead comes from.
==Darujhistan docks==
An unkempt figure in strangely mismatched clothing abandons his coracle near the docks of Daru Bay and makes his way into the city. He is immediately stopped at knifepoint by Scorch and Leff, who recognise him as Torvald Nom. Torvald pretends to welcome the sight of his former partners in crime, but the two thugs are not having it--their old friend is on Lender Gareb's list of debtors. Years ago, Gareb had plied Torvald with supper and wine to woo him for a job. But when Torvald declined, Gareb charged him the cost of the meal. Now Torvald is shocked to learn the amount has ballooned to a thousand silver councils.
When Scorch asks where he has been all these years, Torvald says he has quite a tale of Nathii slave pens, Malazan slavers, and a trip to Seven Cities. He says he has returned home to pay his debts and presses them to give him one night to make good. Scorch and Leff agree before heading back to the docks to keep watch for more debtors. Torvald wonders how complete idiots manage to live on and on before concluding he has to do something about Gareb.
==Eldra Iron Mongers==
Humble Measure, the young native of One Eye Cat and now owner of Eldra Iron Mongers in Darujhistan, hates and distrusts the Malazan Empire. He and his father had initially welcomed the opportunities presented by the Empire's siege of their home city. But when his father conspired to open the city gates to the invaders, he was caught and executed by the city garrison and Measure's mother and half-sisters were raped and murdered. Measure and the rest of the household would have followed but for the intervention the city's nominal allies, Jorrick Sharplance and the Crimson Guard. The city leaders then banished the Guard, who safely brought Measure's household outside the city. One Eye Cat soon fell to the Malazans while Measure brought his household first to Pale, then to Darujhistan once the Malazans began the Siege of Pale. 
Rebuilding his father's iron business in Darujhistan, Measure is determined that the Empire will never threaten his family or city again. He sees the establishment of the new Malazan embassy within the city as only the most recent act by the Empire to infiltrate and destabilize its enemies. But this time he is ready. A discovery of hidden vaults below the iron works has revealed six-hundred-year-old scrolls which have helped him put together a complicated plan against his enemies. The work will be bloody and ruthless. 
Sitting in his secret office among the vaults, he is delivered a message from the Assassins' Guild. Their attempt against the Bridgeburners has failed. Measure considers whether he will need to resort to other means.
==Lowstone Pier==
A foreign ship pulling into Darujhistan's docks quickly gains the attention of the waterfront crowds. At its bow stands Sister Spite, a pale woman of ethereal beauty, while a score of Bhok'arala man the steering oar and rigging. The ape-like creatures' work is chaotic but proficient. A clerk sent from the harbour master to collect mooring fees is met with a half-dozen fanged snarls as Spite disappears below deck.
Below deck await Cutter, Scillara, Barathol Mekhar, Chaur, Mappo Runt, Iskaral Pust and his mule, and Mogora in various states of agitation. Spite asks that the guests she brought all the way from Seven Cities wait until it is safely dusk before departing. Cutter chafes at her request. This is his home where his friends are and he needs to warn them of impending danger. Pust squabbles with nearly everyone. Barathol is eager to lose himself among the crowds of a city for the first time in years. Spite advises Mappo to make the long trek to the Lamatath Plain to catch a ship if he wants to follow Icarium to Lether. Mogora warns Pust that she has foreseen he will meet his nemesis in the city, then collapses into a pile of spiders when she can stand Pust's "charms" and Spite's arrogance no longer. Cutter finally promises to wait as Spite notes she can sense the presence of some alarming personages within the city.
Barathol and Chaur follow Mappo into the hold, where Barathol offers to join the Trell on his journey, protecting his back. They have become friends during the sea voyage. Mappo thanks him, but says the peril and responsibility is his own. Besides, he knows another path that does not mean crossing all of Genabackis, and Barathol must stay with Chaur. Barathol admits he must now face a terrible choice--what to do with his life. He thought he had the answer while hiding away as a village blacksmith in Seven Cities, but he was lying to himself. When Mappo suggests he serve as Cutter's protector, Barathol notes the young man is back home among friends, and what he has seen of Cutter practicing with his knives suggests he needs no help. And he trusts Scillara to rein him in. It is clear Mappo means to leave without saying goodbye to the others, although he knows it will hurt Cutter especially. The two men clasp hands and Barathol leaves Mappo to his preparations. Later when Chaur realises the Trell is gone, there will be tears.
Iskaral Pust and Mogora are arguing near their bunks when Mogora notices Pust's mule is now female. They fight over which of the two would more prefer the mule as a sexual partner. Then Pust speaks aloud his thoughts of instead romancing one of the local priestesses of Shadow and is astonished by Mogora's ability to read his mind.
Scillara and Cutter retreat to their berths. Scillara asks if she should join him when he visits the Phoenix Inn that night, and Cutter is a little too slow to agree. He says his friends will not be happy when they learn the Crokus Younghand they knew is long dead. Scillara decides it would be better if Cutter went alone--her presence would make the situation more confusing for his friends. She leaves to find Barathol to join him instead. She is hurt to realise her time with Cutter may be over. They needed each other, but now that time may be over. And their time together has changed her. She no longer feels armoured against the world by a habitual brazen certainty. She seems to have absorbed Cutter's lack of confidence. Up on deck, she finds mayhem as the Bhok'arala appear ready to go to war with the harbour master's agent and the city guards. Scillara pulls coins from her purse to pay the fee and avoid bringing Spite into an argument that will see half of Darujhistan burn.
==The Finnest House==
Rallick Nom awakens to a kick in the head in the Finnest House and finds Raest looking down at him. He vaguely recalls something about Malazans in the city during the Gedderone Fête and bringing a wounded Vorcan Radok to this Azath House. Raest does not know how long Rallick Nom has lain in his foyer, but it has been awhile. And he does not know when Vorcan, who he identifies as a demon, escaped on her own. Now Raest supposes Rallick will leave, just like the House's other former squatter, the Master of the Deck. Rallick Nom thanks Raest after the Jaghut grumbles over his lack of gratitude and is barely out the door when the Jaghut slams it shut behind him. Then Rallick Nom sets out to rediscover his city.
==Darujhistan==
Kruppe's story of the day's events draws to a close as the city's gaslights begin to turn on and night settles in. Vorcan, dressed all in black and eyes cold as a raptor's, looks down on the city from a tower and thinks of the future. Rallick Nom pauses outside Coll's estate thinking a public return might not yet be wise. Cutter heads towards the Phoenix Inn. Barathol, Scillara, and Chaur amble in wonder through the city's night markets. Iskaral Pust leaves Spite's ship pursued by spiders and a score of Bhok'arala. On board the ship, Spite catches a scent redolent with memories. She does not think this time and place is an accident. In his secret library, Humble Measure pores over his ancient literature. Gruntle frowns at a cup of spiced, hot wine in his hands and cringes at the sound of child laughing nearby. Torvald Nom approaches the high, spike-topped wall of a moneylender's estate, concluding he knows an easy way to relieve his debts. A dejected Murillio lays in his bed in the Phoenix Inn looking back on his fading youth--some wounds are more easy to heal than others. Kruppe sits at his private table in the main room below stuffing his face with treats before looking to the inn's front door and its promise of arrivals. 
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