[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
oath.
Wait! There was another face he knew. Not included in the offer of parole.
"Stop that man. Chiotto. Brench. In the gray jebalah, with the hood. Cut him
out."
The Mafti's chief chamberlain materialized. He had initiated negotiations
originally. "A thousand pardons, Lord!" he i££BL- gasped at Else. "Forgive the
Mafti! This gray rat forced him-lljlserf upon us. He was desperate to escape
the mad Drean-gerean. It was not the Mafti's plan to violate our parole."
"I see. You drugged him somehow?"
"Indeed. Yes, Lord." His evasive eye suggested that poison was more likely.
"Is this Masant el-Seyhan?"
"The same, Lord. He is a terrible man. We didn't dare ..."
"Enough. You lie like a dog. But I have no complaint now. Remind the Mafti
that he'll be followed to el-Negesi. I've ordered that no mercy be shown
parole breakers."
"Your generosity is heroic, Lord. Worthy of a Believer. Your mercy won't be
forgotten."
"Go. I can still be overruled by my superiors." There would be, for sure, an
outcry about his having let potential ransoms get away. Foo on how many
soldiers' lives the arrangement saved.
There were always more soldiers.
He was improvising, not only to save lives but to give old friends a chance
to elude the doom er-Rashal al-Dhulquarnen wanted to call down on the
remaining Sha-lug.
Else was angry. The Rascal had betrayed al-Prama and Dreanger on behalf of
some obscure ambition of his own. But he would pay, in time. Maybe even here,
at the hands of Deve-dian fusiliers. They would be eager to get off a shot at
Page 268
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
the man who had invented firepowder weapons. Thev loved ironv as
much as gold. Or maybe the payback would come later, after news of his
treachery crept back to Gordimer the Lion.
Once the groggy man in gray had been hustled off for an encounter with Grade
Drocker, Else settled in for a siege of the citadel. Which did not happen.
Private soldiers not as weary as he, still able to reason, saw an
opportunity to penetrate al-Khazen's citadel through the some postern the
Mafti had used to get away. The undead paid no attention. They were occupied
elsewhere.
Er-Rashal el-Dhulquarnen could not be found. Likewise, the commanders of the
Dreangeran and Lucidian expeditions. Nor was much treasure discovered. The few
servants left behind were so resolutely ignorant that it was obvious meir
memories had been bewitched.
"Here's what you do," Else told one of his captains. 'Tut the servants into
a slave coffle. We'll question them again later. Then set the citadel on fire.
If they're hiding in some secret place that'll bring them out. You can let
them surrender if they offer."
He settled down, then, out of the way, and napped. He had but to crack an
eye to see a hundred Brothen soldiers doing the same. He nodded off reflecting
on how much of his life he spent alone. He was alone even while he commanded
ten thousand men.
He would be with Anna Mozilla again, soon, though.
It began to snow. That respite was over.
EXHAUSTION DOGGED ELSE MERCILESSLY AS HE CLIMBED FROM one trail marker to the
next, while the snow fell, after dark, making his way back to camp. He was
part of a chaotic stream. Younger men passed him. He passed older men. Polo
met him and worried around him like a nervous puppy. "Just feed me and put me
to bed," he said. He was too tired to worry about the state of a Patriarchal
camp that had suffered several days of Titus Consent's tyranny. The confusion
could be sorted out later. Polo shielded him faithfully till well after
sunrise, though everyone wanted a chunk of his time. He pushed mem away
himself, then, and went to see Grade Drocker.
The Brotherhood sorcerer looked dreadful.
"Glad you came out, Hecht. Dramatic things have been happening. I need to
know what you can tell me. I have decisions to make." Drocker needed two
minutes to get all that out.
"Ask the questions. I'll do my best to answer."
"First, tell me what happened. I recall discouraging you from rescuing the
crown prince."
"We did back off and leave that to the Brotherhood."
"Yet men from the city regiment brought Lothar into camp."
"Your soldiers didn't get the job done. Without my men grabbing him when [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
oath.
Wait! There was another face he knew. Not included in the offer of parole.
"Stop that man. Chiotto. Brench. In the gray jebalah, with the hood. Cut him
out."
The Mafti's chief chamberlain materialized. He had initiated negotiations
originally. "A thousand pardons, Lord!" he i££BL- gasped at Else. "Forgive the
Mafti! This gray rat forced him-lljlserf upon us. He was desperate to escape
the mad Drean-gerean. It was not the Mafti's plan to violate our parole."
"I see. You drugged him somehow?"
"Indeed. Yes, Lord." His evasive eye suggested that poison was more likely.
"Is this Masant el-Seyhan?"
"The same, Lord. He is a terrible man. We didn't dare ..."
"Enough. You lie like a dog. But I have no complaint now. Remind the Mafti
that he'll be followed to el-Negesi. I've ordered that no mercy be shown
parole breakers."
"Your generosity is heroic, Lord. Worthy of a Believer. Your mercy won't be
forgotten."
"Go. I can still be overruled by my superiors." There would be, for sure, an
outcry about his having let potential ransoms get away. Foo on how many
soldiers' lives the arrangement saved.
There were always more soldiers.
He was improvising, not only to save lives but to give old friends a chance
to elude the doom er-Rashal al-Dhulquarnen wanted to call down on the
remaining Sha-lug.
Else was angry. The Rascal had betrayed al-Prama and Dreanger on behalf of
some obscure ambition of his own. But he would pay, in time. Maybe even here,
at the hands of Deve-dian fusiliers. They would be eager to get off a shot at
Page 268
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
the man who had invented firepowder weapons. Thev loved ironv as
much as gold. Or maybe the payback would come later, after news of his
treachery crept back to Gordimer the Lion.
Once the groggy man in gray had been hustled off for an encounter with Grade
Drocker, Else settled in for a siege of the citadel. Which did not happen.
Private soldiers not as weary as he, still able to reason, saw an
opportunity to penetrate al-Khazen's citadel through the some postern the
Mafti had used to get away. The undead paid no attention. They were occupied
elsewhere.
Er-Rashal el-Dhulquarnen could not be found. Likewise, the commanders of the
Dreangeran and Lucidian expeditions. Nor was much treasure discovered. The few
servants left behind were so resolutely ignorant that it was obvious meir
memories had been bewitched.
"Here's what you do," Else told one of his captains. 'Tut the servants into
a slave coffle. We'll question them again later. Then set the citadel on fire.
If they're hiding in some secret place that'll bring them out. You can let
them surrender if they offer."
He settled down, then, out of the way, and napped. He had but to crack an
eye to see a hundred Brothen soldiers doing the same. He nodded off reflecting
on how much of his life he spent alone. He was alone even while he commanded
ten thousand men.
He would be with Anna Mozilla again, soon, though.
It began to snow. That respite was over.
EXHAUSTION DOGGED ELSE MERCILESSLY AS HE CLIMBED FROM one trail marker to the
next, while the snow fell, after dark, making his way back to camp. He was
part of a chaotic stream. Younger men passed him. He passed older men. Polo
met him and worried around him like a nervous puppy. "Just feed me and put me
to bed," he said. He was too tired to worry about the state of a Patriarchal
camp that had suffered several days of Titus Consent's tyranny. The confusion
could be sorted out later. Polo shielded him faithfully till well after
sunrise, though everyone wanted a chunk of his time. He pushed mem away
himself, then, and went to see Grade Drocker.
The Brotherhood sorcerer looked dreadful.
"Glad you came out, Hecht. Dramatic things have been happening. I need to
know what you can tell me. I have decisions to make." Drocker needed two
minutes to get all that out.
"Ask the questions. I'll do my best to answer."
"First, tell me what happened. I recall discouraging you from rescuing the
crown prince."
"We did back off and leave that to the Brotherhood."
"Yet men from the city regiment brought Lothar into camp."
"Your soldiers didn't get the job done. Without my men grabbing him when [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]