Van, held in the milting caves beneath the Ripperthroats, had just been told by a slave there that any milting who dies before its million years are up becomes a Syncarid:
"And what if a syncarid snuffs it?" said Van.
"Then that milting's soul becomes dispersed into a shoal of Morivarid. And if that entire shoal dies before those million years have elapsed, the soul is lost forever, and is subsumed by the murk."
"We sent a few of them milting to the murk today then," said Siltibog, laughing.
"And for that, your death be the more terrible when it comes," she said.
