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.Though nobody knew who she was, her noble attire and hair were enough to mark her as not being of Zila, and her proximity to Xejen when she was found was damning.She was kept under guard and nursed until she awoke, at which point she demanded to see Barak Zahn tu Ikati, claiming that she was Mishani tu Koli.‘I will see her,’ he had told the messenger who brought him the news.Then, remembering himself, he added: ‘Have my servants bathe and dress her first, if needs be.She is highborn.Treat her as such.’And so he strode through the newly hushed streets of Zila, to where Mishani waited for him.Mishani met him by her sickbed, but not in it.She was weak from breathing dust and badly bruised all over, and she had suffered a terrible blow to the back of her head that was causing her eyes not to focus properly.The physicians would not let her leave her room; indeed, they hovered about in case she should faint from the exertion of getting out of bed.The knowledge that she was noble and important to their Barak had turned them from imperious and haughty men into fawning servants.When Zahn chimed and entered, he dismissed them with a flick of his hand.The physicians had commandeered a row of undamaged houses for their base of operations, and filled the beds with injured soldiers and townsfolk.Mishani, whether by chance or by virtue of her dress, had been put in the master bedroom of some wealthy merchant’s abode.The bed was plainly expensive, and the walls were decorated with charcoal sketches and elegant watercolours.In an ornate bone cradle there was a pattern-board depicting a seascape, the washes of colour suspended within a three-dimensional oblong of hardened transparent gel.Zahn idly wondered if the person who possessed all of this had been killed at the hands of the townsfolk during the revolt, in last night’s bombardment, or if they were still alive now and simply thrown out on the street.Revolution was an unpleasant business.Mishani tu Koli was standing by her bed, dressed in borrowed robes with her voluminous hair combed and loose.She appeared to be entirely unhurt, but Zahn knew well enough that she was simply not letting it show.There were clues: she was wearing her hair in a style that covered her cheeks, to hide scratches on her ear; there was a faint patch of blue on the back of her wrist where the cuff of her robe did not hide it; then there was the telling fact that she had not strayed far from the edge of her bed, in case her strength failed her.He had met her several times before in the Imperial Court when she was younger, and her poise had always been remarkable.‘Mistress Mishani tu Koli,’ he said, performing the correct bow for their relative social rank.‘It grieves me to hear that you have been injured in this calamity.’She returned the female form of the same bow.‘By Ocha’s grace, I have not suffered as much as I might have,’ she said.None of the weakness of her condition bled into her voice.‘Would you like to sit?’ Zahn offered, gesturing at a chair.But Mishani was not about to take any concessions.‘I prefer to stand,’ she said levelly, knowing that there was only one chair and no mats in the room.He was well over a foot taller than her; if she sat then he would be looking down on her at a steeper angle than he already was.‘My servants have told me that you wished to see me,’ he said.‘Indeed,’ came the reply.‘I have been wanting to see you ever since I was detained in Zila by the Ais Maraxa.Though in the end you had a somewhat violent way of bringing our meeting about.’Zahn gave her a hint of a smile.‘May I ask you a question?’ she said.‘Of course.’‘What has become of Xejen tu Imotu?’Zahn considered that for a moment.‘He lives, barely.’‘Might I know where he is?’‘Are you concerned for him?’‘I am concerned, but not for the reasons you imagine,’ she told him.Zahn studied her for a moment.She was a sculpture in ice.‘I let Barak Moshito deal with him,’ Zahn said.He linked his hands behind his back and walked over to the pattern-board, studying it.‘Moshito will undoubtedly turn him over to his Weaver.I cannot say I feel sympathy.I have little love for the Ais Maraxa.’‘Because they remind you of your daughter,’ Mishani finished.‘They make you believe in the possibility that she is still alive, and that is a raw wound indeed.’Zahn’s head snapped around, his eyes flashing angrily.‘Forgive my bluntness,’ she said.‘I was heading to Lalyara to find you with the intention of divining your feelings towards her.Now I cannot afford the time to be delicate.’ She fixed him with a steady gaze.‘Her life hangs in the balance.Xejen tu Imotu knows where she is.’Zahn made the connection immediately.If Xejen knew, then the Weaver would get it out of him.And if the Weavers knew.This was too fast, too much to believe.If he accepted that, then he accepted his daughter was still alive.He shook his head, running his fingers down his bearded chin.‘No, no,’ he murmured.‘What is your agenda, Mishani tu Koli? Why were you here, in Zila?’‘Did Chien not tell you this?’ she asked.‘Chien? Ah, the hostage.I am sorry to say he died the night he was brought out of Zila.’Mishani’s face showed nothing [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Though nobody knew who she was, her noble attire and hair were enough to mark her as not being of Zila, and her proximity to Xejen when she was found was damning.She was kept under guard and nursed until she awoke, at which point she demanded to see Barak Zahn tu Ikati, claiming that she was Mishani tu Koli.‘I will see her,’ he had told the messenger who brought him the news.Then, remembering himself, he added: ‘Have my servants bathe and dress her first, if needs be.She is highborn.Treat her as such.’And so he strode through the newly hushed streets of Zila, to where Mishani waited for him.Mishani met him by her sickbed, but not in it.She was weak from breathing dust and badly bruised all over, and she had suffered a terrible blow to the back of her head that was causing her eyes not to focus properly.The physicians would not let her leave her room; indeed, they hovered about in case she should faint from the exertion of getting out of bed.The knowledge that she was noble and important to their Barak had turned them from imperious and haughty men into fawning servants.When Zahn chimed and entered, he dismissed them with a flick of his hand.The physicians had commandeered a row of undamaged houses for their base of operations, and filled the beds with injured soldiers and townsfolk.Mishani, whether by chance or by virtue of her dress, had been put in the master bedroom of some wealthy merchant’s abode.The bed was plainly expensive, and the walls were decorated with charcoal sketches and elegant watercolours.In an ornate bone cradle there was a pattern-board depicting a seascape, the washes of colour suspended within a three-dimensional oblong of hardened transparent gel.Zahn idly wondered if the person who possessed all of this had been killed at the hands of the townsfolk during the revolt, in last night’s bombardment, or if they were still alive now and simply thrown out on the street.Revolution was an unpleasant business.Mishani tu Koli was standing by her bed, dressed in borrowed robes with her voluminous hair combed and loose.She appeared to be entirely unhurt, but Zahn knew well enough that she was simply not letting it show.There were clues: she was wearing her hair in a style that covered her cheeks, to hide scratches on her ear; there was a faint patch of blue on the back of her wrist where the cuff of her robe did not hide it; then there was the telling fact that she had not strayed far from the edge of her bed, in case her strength failed her.He had met her several times before in the Imperial Court when she was younger, and her poise had always been remarkable.‘Mistress Mishani tu Koli,’ he said, performing the correct bow for their relative social rank.‘It grieves me to hear that you have been injured in this calamity.’She returned the female form of the same bow.‘By Ocha’s grace, I have not suffered as much as I might have,’ she said.None of the weakness of her condition bled into her voice.‘Would you like to sit?’ Zahn offered, gesturing at a chair.But Mishani was not about to take any concessions.‘I prefer to stand,’ she said levelly, knowing that there was only one chair and no mats in the room.He was well over a foot taller than her; if she sat then he would be looking down on her at a steeper angle than he already was.‘My servants have told me that you wished to see me,’ he said.‘Indeed,’ came the reply.‘I have been wanting to see you ever since I was detained in Zila by the Ais Maraxa.Though in the end you had a somewhat violent way of bringing our meeting about.’Zahn gave her a hint of a smile.‘May I ask you a question?’ she said.‘Of course.’‘What has become of Xejen tu Imotu?’Zahn considered that for a moment.‘He lives, barely.’‘Might I know where he is?’‘Are you concerned for him?’‘I am concerned, but not for the reasons you imagine,’ she told him.Zahn studied her for a moment.She was a sculpture in ice.‘I let Barak Moshito deal with him,’ Zahn said.He linked his hands behind his back and walked over to the pattern-board, studying it.‘Moshito will undoubtedly turn him over to his Weaver.I cannot say I feel sympathy.I have little love for the Ais Maraxa.’‘Because they remind you of your daughter,’ Mishani finished.‘They make you believe in the possibility that she is still alive, and that is a raw wound indeed.’Zahn’s head snapped around, his eyes flashing angrily.‘Forgive my bluntness,’ she said.‘I was heading to Lalyara to find you with the intention of divining your feelings towards her.Now I cannot afford the time to be delicate.’ She fixed him with a steady gaze.‘Her life hangs in the balance.Xejen tu Imotu knows where she is.’Zahn made the connection immediately.If Xejen knew, then the Weaver would get it out of him.And if the Weavers knew.This was too fast, too much to believe.If he accepted that, then he accepted his daughter was still alive.He shook his head, running his fingers down his bearded chin.‘No, no,’ he murmured.‘What is your agenda, Mishani tu Koli? Why were you here, in Zila?’‘Did Chien not tell you this?’ she asked.‘Chien? Ah, the hostage.I am sorry to say he died the night he was brought out of Zila.’Mishani’s face showed nothing [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]