[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.He was favoring his right side,and from the way he limped it appeared to be his right hip that was going,degenerating.Healing draughts would only relieve the pain and inflammationtemporarily, if that was so;the natural state of the bones and ligaments wasn't healthy.A good Spidersecthealer could probably keep the pain manageable, but it would take a Handcleric to teach the bone and muscle to be healthyGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlagain, and the Hand women kept clear of the Empire.Bitches.Enrel forced himself to straighten, and took a few steps away from Hivar.Hivar was the after picture to Durine's before: a huge man, now bowed withage, but with still enough strength in his wrinkled hands and enough gleam inhis dark eyes that only the very strong or the very foolish would have wantedto arm wrestle him.He and Hivar stood like a couple of mismatched bookends on either side of theyoung guards, two oldFurnael family retainers who probably weren't up to the job of seeing to theEmperor's needs, but who would go home and die if they were dismissed from hisservice, no matter what the pretext."The Emperor will see you now," Enrel said, his voice strong despite his age.Two heavily armed guards gave us an appropriate glare as the doors to thethrone room swung open.Everybody has to do things differently, I guess.Holding court was somethingthat Karl did only when he felt he had to, but Thomen had a different idea.And a different look.Old.It took me a moment to remember that the graying man on the raised throne atthe end of the long red carpet was actually younger than Aeia he was still inhis early twenties.I needed that self-reminder as Ilooked at a beard that now was shot with the same gray that touched hisreceding hairline.His forehead had begun to develop wrinkles, and hisshoulders a slouch, and there were crow's feet at the corners of his eyes.Dr.Slovotsky's diagnosis was overwork, his prognosis was guarded, and hisprescription would have been for about three tendays of hard physical laboralternated with good food and drink and long hours of sleep, but I didn't putit forward.For one thing, his mother was there in the throne minor to hisleft, and she was sure to slap down any suggestion I made.The years hadn't been kind to Beralyn, and for once I was in sympathy with theyears.Hair that had once been a rich brown had gone gray, and not a silvery, fullgray, but a dull and thin one.There were hollows in her cheeks, and her sharp jawline had gone all doughy.The eyes searched me, and then her gaze swung past, but I knew she was stillwatching me as she sat curled up inside a cloak that should have been too warmfor a room that was well heated against a chilly evening by a man-highfireplace.The servitor took up a position in front of the throne, then beckoned usforward, stopping us with a raised palm a good ten feet from the throne.Thomen didn't say anything for too long.His mother just watched me.I knew why Beralyn hated me she held Karl responsible for her older son'sdeath, and me for herGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlPage 205 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlhusband's, and there was some justice in her position but what the fuck waswith Thomen?The back of my neck itched, and it felt like there was a painful hole to myleft where Ahira should have been.We had been relieved of our firearms and mythrowing knives well, the ones they'd found; Iwasn't quite naked but had been allowed to keep our swords, in keeping withour positions: in Bren's case, as a baron of a fully invested barony; inAndrea's, as the other woman who was technically theDowager Empress; and in my case, because of what a swell guy I am, I supposed.That had made me feel better; but what didn't make me feel better were thearrow loops high in the wall beyond and behind the throne.For a pair ofarchers or gunners in the guardroom beyond, the combined beaten-fire areacovered the room, except for a roughly triangular area surrounding the throne.Karl had had the arrow loops plugged during his tenure, but the plugs weregone and we were being watched too carefully from behind the darkened curves.Finally, the Emperor spoke."Thank you for coming," he said, the chill in hisvoice making the words purely pro forma."I don't see Baron Cullinane."I should have simply let it slide; after all, if he didn't know that Jasonhadn't accompanied us, his staff work left more than a lot to be desired.But my mouth had its own mind."Well, maybe if you looked a little harder?" Isaid, pretending to go through my pockets.It was a tough room; the audience didn't appreciate it.Thomen just eyed meimpassively, while his two old retainers glared and the guards pretended notto have heard.A flicker of a smile crossed his mother's dry lips, but it wasone of victory, not amusement.There was a long silence [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.He was favoring his right side,and from the way he limped it appeared to be his right hip that was going,degenerating.Healing draughts would only relieve the pain and inflammationtemporarily, if that was so;the natural state of the bones and ligaments wasn't healthy.A good Spidersecthealer could probably keep the pain manageable, but it would take a Handcleric to teach the bone and muscle to be healthyGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlagain, and the Hand women kept clear of the Empire.Bitches.Enrel forced himself to straighten, and took a few steps away from Hivar.Hivar was the after picture to Durine's before: a huge man, now bowed withage, but with still enough strength in his wrinkled hands and enough gleam inhis dark eyes that only the very strong or the very foolish would have wantedto arm wrestle him.He and Hivar stood like a couple of mismatched bookends on either side of theyoung guards, two oldFurnael family retainers who probably weren't up to the job of seeing to theEmperor's needs, but who would go home and die if they were dismissed from hisservice, no matter what the pretext."The Emperor will see you now," Enrel said, his voice strong despite his age.Two heavily armed guards gave us an appropriate glare as the doors to thethrone room swung open.Everybody has to do things differently, I guess.Holding court was somethingthat Karl did only when he felt he had to, but Thomen had a different idea.And a different look.Old.It took me a moment to remember that the graying man on the raised throne atthe end of the long red carpet was actually younger than Aeia he was still inhis early twenties.I needed that self-reminder as Ilooked at a beard that now was shot with the same gray that touched hisreceding hairline.His forehead had begun to develop wrinkles, and hisshoulders a slouch, and there were crow's feet at the corners of his eyes.Dr.Slovotsky's diagnosis was overwork, his prognosis was guarded, and hisprescription would have been for about three tendays of hard physical laboralternated with good food and drink and long hours of sleep, but I didn't putit forward.For one thing, his mother was there in the throne minor to hisleft, and she was sure to slap down any suggestion I made.The years hadn't been kind to Beralyn, and for once I was in sympathy with theyears.Hair that had once been a rich brown had gone gray, and not a silvery, fullgray, but a dull and thin one.There were hollows in her cheeks, and her sharp jawline had gone all doughy.The eyes searched me, and then her gaze swung past, but I knew she was stillwatching me as she sat curled up inside a cloak that should have been too warmfor a room that was well heated against a chilly evening by a man-highfireplace.The servitor took up a position in front of the throne, then beckoned usforward, stopping us with a raised palm a good ten feet from the throne.Thomen didn't say anything for too long.His mother just watched me.I knew why Beralyn hated me she held Karl responsible for her older son'sdeath, and me for herGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlPage 205 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlhusband's, and there was some justice in her position but what the fuck waswith Thomen?The back of my neck itched, and it felt like there was a painful hole to myleft where Ahira should have been.We had been relieved of our firearms and mythrowing knives well, the ones they'd found; Iwasn't quite naked but had been allowed to keep our swords, in keeping withour positions: in Bren's case, as a baron of a fully invested barony; inAndrea's, as the other woman who was technically theDowager Empress; and in my case, because of what a swell guy I am, I supposed.That had made me feel better; but what didn't make me feel better were thearrow loops high in the wall beyond and behind the throne.For a pair ofarchers or gunners in the guardroom beyond, the combined beaten-fire areacovered the room, except for a roughly triangular area surrounding the throne.Karl had had the arrow loops plugged during his tenure, but the plugs weregone and we were being watched too carefully from behind the darkened curves.Finally, the Emperor spoke."Thank you for coming," he said, the chill in hisvoice making the words purely pro forma."I don't see Baron Cullinane."I should have simply let it slide; after all, if he didn't know that Jasonhadn't accompanied us, his staff work left more than a lot to be desired.But my mouth had its own mind."Well, maybe if you looked a little harder?" Isaid, pretending to go through my pockets.It was a tough room; the audience didn't appreciate it.Thomen just eyed meimpassively, while his two old retainers glared and the guards pretended notto have heard.A flicker of a smile crossed his mother's dry lips, but it wasone of victory, not amusement.There was a long silence [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]