The Raven Tower

by Ann Leckie

seems to me that there are potential dangers for you in that. What if someone besides the gods of Ard Vusktia turns you? Or what if one of your own attendants makes some disastrous request?” “For the most part,” I replied, “I suspect my attendants would wish for rest, or better-tasting food.” And an end to the war, but nearly everyone here was wishing for that, and I was already working toward that end. Well, the woman with part of one arm missing had wished for a certain kind of cheese with honey, a wish that it had taken me some days to fulfill without raising the suspicions of the gods of the city. Still, fulfilling it had been costly, and I’d warned Siat to tell my other attendants that such wishes must be used carefully, and sparingly. But tricky to fulfill as it had been, I didn’t begrudge it—the woman had divided the treat into four portions and shared it with the other attendants, and I was surprised at how gratified I was by their enjoyment of it.