But Bhaal is not Death, is he? Not quite. He is the God of Murder. Murder, as it so happens, is a precursor to Dying. He stands not even second, but third on the food chain here, in Mortanne's seat of power, on her planet, in her season, and is not even fully realized in his presence. He may be used to obedience where he comes from, but here, Bhaal will find himself quite low in the pecking order.

Mortanne leaves the monologuing to Sheogorath. Mother Death simply looks at this figment of Fever's ex-father, candle flame in her eyes. With the same heaviness to her words, like a large stone cast into water, dragging down, down, down with incredible weight, Mortanne speaks only two words.

"Heel, dog."