[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
hand; at the sound of the approaching carriage shestepped back and lifted her
chin and stared at Crispin, and hersmile was feral. A quick gesture, hand up
to brush a stray lock ofhair from her forehead . . .
and the little fingerdragged for just an instant across her cheek. She turned
awaybefore he could even respond. It didn t matter. They would allcome
together. He and she and the rest. Hundreds of them throughoutthe city,
returned from the dead, invested into the youngest,strongest, most beautiful
bodies available, and into bodies withaccess to power.
Within a week, they would meet. Within another week, they wouldhave gained
control of the resources they needed to beginrebuilding the life-pillars that
the Great War had destroyed.
Andwith the life-pillars re-created . . .
. . . Well, then they truly would be immortal.
Dafril, the Dragon who wore Crispin s body, smiled andflexed his arms, and
stretched his legs, and arched his back. Hecouldn t believe how good it felt
to be embodied again; aftermore than a thousand years, he d forgotten many of
thepleasures of the flesh. He d have plenty of time to reacquainthimself with
them, though. The Dragons were back. And this time,they intended to stay.
Forever.
Book Two
There is noday so dark that it cannot grow darker, and no man so strong
thathe cannot be crushed. Or are you immortal, Rogan?
ALLIVITA, IN ACT II OF
THE LAST HEROOF MAESTWAULD
BY VINCALIS THE AGITATOR
Chapter
25
. . . a nd that s how we cameto be here, Dùghall said.
Kait sipped gratefully at the mug of plantain beer and leanedagainst the
bolster on the floor. Of all the rest of her fellowsurvivors, only Ry was
awake. He sat to her left, devouring themeat-
flavored rice dish that Dùghall had offered. The rest ofthem were sleeping on
the floor in the back room; she could hearsoft snores and the occasional
rustle as someone rolled over. But that explains nothing of how you arrived
here, or whyyou ve changed so much.
Dùghall smiled. He was thinner and harder to Kait helooked like he d been
put in an oven, where the fat had meltedoff his body and left him tough and
brown and wiry. Gone were theround belly and full jowls that were the mark of
the wealthy man inCalimekkan society.
Page 94
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
I ve told you how we escaped from the Sabirs, thoseof us who survived.
Perhaps others lived that I didn t see, ofcourse the House, after all, is
the friend of those who knowher secrets. He shook his head, and Kait saw pain
in hiseyes. I hope more live than the few that spent the night inthat room
with me. After the walking dead rid the House of itsinvaders, I returned to my
quarters. I d thought to help theFamily rebuild regain its foothold in the
city. But I
soughtguidance on how I could best do that; I threw the zanda, andit gave me a
message I d thought never to see in my lifetime.I was to leave the House,
taking nothing with me but what I
couldcarry on my back and telling no one of my departure, becauseaccording to
the zanda, there were traitors among oursurvivors. I was to journey in secret.
I was to go home and fromthere seek allies to stand with the Reborn and the
Falcons againstthe Dragons.
So I did exactly that. I slipped out of Galweigh Houseunseen and unremarked
and placed myself aboard the first ship Icould find that was sailing for the
Imumbarras. Once there, Iemptied the embassy treasury, sent out a call to my
adult sons tojoin me for battle, hired the best soldiers I
could find on theislands, claimed the Galweigh ships in harbor under martial
law,and sailed ships and men through the Imumbarra Isles, the FireIslands, and
the Thousand Dancers. Along the way
I hired more men,stocked my ships, trained them
Then you have a navy hidden here? Ry interrupted,his voice eager.
No.
No? Kait was puzzled. Then what happened tothe ships and men and supplies?
She kept seeing herselfsailing into Calimekka with a trained, eager marine
force toreclaim the Mirror of
Souls.
When we reached Falea and began to add to our supplies,the Reborn spoke to
me. He told me that I was to send my greatforce on to Brelst under the command
of my oldest son. He said Iwas to wait here.
Ry said, If you hadn t sent your fleet off,they d be here now to help us
retrieve the Mirror of
Souls. Orperhaps they could have prevented the Mirror of Souls from
beingstolen in the first place. We, after all, were also on our way toBrelst.
The ways of Vodor Imrish are . . . well,convoluted at best, and his motives
are rarely clear to the mortalmind. Dùghall managed a wry, wan smile. I
suspectI m here to help you reclaim the
Mirror of Souls. Though whythis could better be done by the few we have now
instead of themany we would have had a month ago, I don t know.
I would have sailed with the fleet, Ry said. To cold hell with oracles.
And had I done that, I wouldn t know my niecelived, Dùghall said, and I
wouldn t be ableto travel back to the city to assist you in regaining
theMirror.
I doubt a diplomat will be of much use to us, Rysaid.
And if I were a diplomat, I d have to agree with you.But I m a wizard, son
your better by far, even with allyour men assisting you; better than young
Hasmal in there; betterthan my little
Kaitcha here who I can see has been doing diligentstudy in the science since I
saw her last.
Ry flushed. How did you know . . . ?
That you were a wizard? A Wolf? His smile was sly. I m a Falcon. An old
Falcon. I ve beenwatching your sort all my life, and not one of you has ever [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
hand; at the sound of the approaching carriage shestepped back and lifted her
chin and stared at Crispin, and hersmile was feral. A quick gesture, hand up
to brush a stray lock ofhair from her forehead . . .
and the little fingerdragged for just an instant across her cheek. She turned
awaybefore he could even respond. It didn t matter. They would allcome
together. He and she and the rest. Hundreds of them throughoutthe city,
returned from the dead, invested into the youngest,strongest, most beautiful
bodies available, and into bodies withaccess to power.
Within a week, they would meet. Within another week, they wouldhave gained
control of the resources they needed to beginrebuilding the life-pillars that
the Great War had destroyed.
Andwith the life-pillars re-created . . .
. . . Well, then they truly would be immortal.
Dafril, the Dragon who wore Crispin s body, smiled andflexed his arms, and
stretched his legs, and arched his back. Hecouldn t believe how good it felt
to be embodied again; aftermore than a thousand years, he d forgotten many of
thepleasures of the flesh. He d have plenty of time to reacquainthimself with
them, though. The Dragons were back. And this time,they intended to stay.
Forever.
Book Two
There is noday so dark that it cannot grow darker, and no man so strong
thathe cannot be crushed. Or are you immortal, Rogan?
ALLIVITA, IN ACT II OF
THE LAST HEROOF MAESTWAULD
BY VINCALIS THE AGITATOR
Chapter
25
. . . a nd that s how we cameto be here, Dùghall said.
Kait sipped gratefully at the mug of plantain beer and leanedagainst the
bolster on the floor. Of all the rest of her fellowsurvivors, only Ry was
awake. He sat to her left, devouring themeat-
flavored rice dish that Dùghall had offered. The rest ofthem were sleeping on
the floor in the back room; she could hearsoft snores and the occasional
rustle as someone rolled over. But that explains nothing of how you arrived
here, or whyyou ve changed so much.
Dùghall smiled. He was thinner and harder to Kait helooked like he d been
put in an oven, where the fat had meltedoff his body and left him tough and
brown and wiry. Gone were theround belly and full jowls that were the mark of
the wealthy man inCalimekkan society.
Page 94
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
I ve told you how we escaped from the Sabirs, thoseof us who survived.
Perhaps others lived that I didn t see, ofcourse the House, after all, is
the friend of those who knowher secrets. He shook his head, and Kait saw pain
in hiseyes. I hope more live than the few that spent the night inthat room
with me. After the walking dead rid the House of itsinvaders, I returned to my
quarters. I d thought to help theFamily rebuild regain its foothold in the
city. But I
soughtguidance on how I could best do that; I threw the zanda, andit gave me a
message I d thought never to see in my lifetime.I was to leave the House,
taking nothing with me but what I
couldcarry on my back and telling no one of my departure, becauseaccording to
the zanda, there were traitors among oursurvivors. I was to journey in secret.
I was to go home and fromthere seek allies to stand with the Reborn and the
Falcons againstthe Dragons.
So I did exactly that. I slipped out of Galweigh Houseunseen and unremarked
and placed myself aboard the first ship Icould find that was sailing for the
Imumbarras. Once there, Iemptied the embassy treasury, sent out a call to my
adult sons tojoin me for battle, hired the best soldiers I
could find on theislands, claimed the Galweigh ships in harbor under martial
law,and sailed ships and men through the Imumbarra Isles, the FireIslands, and
the Thousand Dancers. Along the way
I hired more men,stocked my ships, trained them
Then you have a navy hidden here? Ry interrupted,his voice eager.
No.
No? Kait was puzzled. Then what happened tothe ships and men and supplies?
She kept seeing herselfsailing into Calimekka with a trained, eager marine
force toreclaim the Mirror of
Souls.
When we reached Falea and began to add to our supplies,the Reborn spoke to
me. He told me that I was to send my greatforce on to Brelst under the command
of my oldest son. He said Iwas to wait here.
Ry said, If you hadn t sent your fleet off,they d be here now to help us
retrieve the Mirror of
Souls. Orperhaps they could have prevented the Mirror of Souls from
beingstolen in the first place. We, after all, were also on our way toBrelst.
The ways of Vodor Imrish are . . . well,convoluted at best, and his motives
are rarely clear to the mortalmind. Dùghall managed a wry, wan smile. I
suspectI m here to help you reclaim the
Mirror of Souls. Though whythis could better be done by the few we have now
instead of themany we would have had a month ago, I don t know.
I would have sailed with the fleet, Ry said. To cold hell with oracles.
And had I done that, I wouldn t know my niecelived, Dùghall said, and I
wouldn t be ableto travel back to the city to assist you in regaining
theMirror.
I doubt a diplomat will be of much use to us, Rysaid.
And if I were a diplomat, I d have to agree with you.But I m a wizard, son
your better by far, even with allyour men assisting you; better than young
Hasmal in there; betterthan my little
Kaitcha here who I can see has been doing diligentstudy in the science since I
saw her last.
Ry flushed. How did you know . . . ?
That you were a wizard? A Wolf? His smile was sly. I m a Falcon. An old
Falcon. I ve beenwatching your sort all my life, and not one of you has ever [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]