Glen Cook doesn't seem to like following the usual convention of having things work out wonderfully and having it all be a happy ending, but sometimes he likes you to think it does. You're meant to think that the Limper's dead, and Raven as well, just like the company does. Almost like a false sense of security. And then a few years later when he releases the White Rose...boom. Kind of a shocker.
After all, things didn't exactly end in the White Rose either...the silver spike's wonderful vacation away from the tree and polluting people with those black blisters and all. The books of the south and glittering stone follow those conventions as well, from what I can remember, but you haven't read those...so never mind. ;)
That's how I interpret it anyway.
-Joy
