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.Had the bloodfrom his nose not darkened his moustache, she never would have noticed it, because, like his faireyebrows, it could not be seen against his pale skin."What treachery is this?"The dazed boy said nothing coherent, but scarlet bubbles formed on his lips.Blood from his nose randown over his mouth to his chin, then dripped down to the floor.Had Berengar not held him up, Genaknew the boy would have collapsed again, and she felt sorry for him.Berengar held him aloft as he might a fox taken after a long hunt."Everyone here saw this.You all saw aRiveren strike at the man who would tear down the shield behind which they hide.Need any of you anymore proof of their baseness and dishonor? Suckling at their mothers' breasts, the Riverens learn to strikeat a man's back, so how much worse must they be as adults? And what adult if he has any concept ofresponsibility would use a child as an assassin?"He released the boy, and Titus pooled in a bony pile at Berengar's feet.The count looked down at Nealand extended his hand to him."Give me Cleaveheart, and I will strike the blow that will free the Fishersto avenge this assault upon you."Neal shook his head as he slowly rose."I'm thinking, Berengar, I've never needed avenging before, andI'm not going to start needing it now.""Your point is well-taken, Neal." Berengar crossed to the glass cabinet and opened the doors."There,use Cleaveheart to sunder the knot, then we Fishers will be your allies in destroying the Riverens."Again Neal shook his head."If you're thinking the rash act of a child means his family needs killing, thenI'm glad the knot exists.And even if Titus there were meant to assassinate me and since his bladewasn't poisoned, I'm not thinking anyone put him up to this I've got a question or two I want answeredbefore I throw the Fishers and the Riverens in a pit together."Berengar stiffened."Questions can be answered later.Give me the sword and I will sever the knot.""Hear him out!" shouted someone from the Riveren end of the room."The sword, Neal, now! You know not the forces with which you deal."Gena sensed a hardening in Neal and saw it reflected in the fire flashing through his green eyes.Sheslowly stood and pulled back away from him, clearing the space between him and Berengar.Neal's voice rumbled low like the growl of his namesake."Oh, I'm thinking I have a very good idea ofwhat I'm dealing with.I walked in your city yesterday, and I learned a number of things you'd not bewanting me to know if you had looked at me as more than a way to get your hands on Cleaveheart here."Berengar's eyes narrowed."I have no idea what you are talking about." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"No? I think you do, and I think even your family does not know how far you have gone." Neal lookedover at the Fishers."You believed Berengar would be bringing Cleaveheart back to sunder this knot, andwhen he did that, you knew there would be a war.So you've brought mercenaries into Aurdon.Fourcompanies, at the least, and their captains are here now.You've forgotten that I captained my ownmercenary company, so I know the look and understand the language.You may have thought yourselvessubtle having them come into town and storing their kits in one of your warehouses, but idle able-bodiedmen spending Fisher gold attracts attention in the lower reaches of your city."Neal smiled easily."Did you also know of a rumor old enough to have grown moss about a secretfoundry at Lake Orvir that's making flashdrakes? It's said there's at least ten thousand of the weaponsstored there, which is more than enough to equip the mercenaries in your employ.Just the thing anambitious heir to the imperial throne would need to press his claim and eliminate competition.And withCleaveheart and the prophecy concerning it, he might even imagine he could retake and reforge thewhole of the empire."Berengar shook his head."Baseless fantasies of a man whose brain rotted while he lay in his tomb.""Flight of fancy that might all be, but there are other things I know as facts." Neal glanced over at Genaand she felt her blood run cold."I know that you had Durriken murdered.""Preposterous!""How do you know, Neal?" Gena stared at the both of them, every kind thought she had ever had aboutBerengar turning into a barb that skewered her soul."How can you be certain?""Durriken's flashdrakes and Lord Orvir's ring were given to you after Durriken's death by Eight Cuts.Perhaps Haladin culture has changed since my time, but Eight Cuts was reserved for Haladin traitors.Durriken was not Haladin, was he?"Gena numbly shook her head."And even if the Haladina had changed that much, they never would have left his flashdrakes and the ringwith him after they killed him.That mistake the Reithrese made five centuries ago, and I spotted it then.Berengar has repeated Takrakor's blunder here and now."Berengar forced a laugh."Speculation.You offer no link between me and Durriken's death.It wouldhave been just as easy for the Riverens to have killed him, or the Haladina who were then frightened offbefore they could loot his body."Neal shook his head and pointed to the ring lying flat against Gena's chest."Even when I was young, aslapdeath ring was well-known.Durriken was wearing it and didn't know until too late that your peoplehad come to kill him.He could not use one of the flashdrakes, but he got one man with the ring.You maybe well liked in Aurdon, Berengar, but your cousin Waldo was not, and many was the person whorecounted the tale of his death by food poison at the time of Durriken's demise."Neal looked the crowd over and shook his head."I'm thinking, Berengar, that you decided that withCleaveheart you could win yourself an empire, so you set out to recover the sword [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Had the bloodfrom his nose not darkened his moustache, she never would have noticed it, because, like his faireyebrows, it could not be seen against his pale skin."What treachery is this?"The dazed boy said nothing coherent, but scarlet bubbles formed on his lips.Blood from his nose randown over his mouth to his chin, then dripped down to the floor.Had Berengar not held him up, Genaknew the boy would have collapsed again, and she felt sorry for him.Berengar held him aloft as he might a fox taken after a long hunt."Everyone here saw this.You all saw aRiveren strike at the man who would tear down the shield behind which they hide.Need any of you anymore proof of their baseness and dishonor? Suckling at their mothers' breasts, the Riverens learn to strikeat a man's back, so how much worse must they be as adults? And what adult if he has any concept ofresponsibility would use a child as an assassin?"He released the boy, and Titus pooled in a bony pile at Berengar's feet.The count looked down at Nealand extended his hand to him."Give me Cleaveheart, and I will strike the blow that will free the Fishersto avenge this assault upon you."Neal shook his head as he slowly rose."I'm thinking, Berengar, I've never needed avenging before, andI'm not going to start needing it now.""Your point is well-taken, Neal." Berengar crossed to the glass cabinet and opened the doors."There,use Cleaveheart to sunder the knot, then we Fishers will be your allies in destroying the Riverens."Again Neal shook his head."If you're thinking the rash act of a child means his family needs killing, thenI'm glad the knot exists.And even if Titus there were meant to assassinate me and since his bladewasn't poisoned, I'm not thinking anyone put him up to this I've got a question or two I want answeredbefore I throw the Fishers and the Riverens in a pit together."Berengar stiffened."Questions can be answered later.Give me the sword and I will sever the knot.""Hear him out!" shouted someone from the Riveren end of the room."The sword, Neal, now! You know not the forces with which you deal."Gena sensed a hardening in Neal and saw it reflected in the fire flashing through his green eyes.Sheslowly stood and pulled back away from him, clearing the space between him and Berengar.Neal's voice rumbled low like the growl of his namesake."Oh, I'm thinking I have a very good idea ofwhat I'm dealing with.I walked in your city yesterday, and I learned a number of things you'd not bewanting me to know if you had looked at me as more than a way to get your hands on Cleaveheart here."Berengar's eyes narrowed."I have no idea what you are talking about." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"No? I think you do, and I think even your family does not know how far you have gone." Neal lookedover at the Fishers."You believed Berengar would be bringing Cleaveheart back to sunder this knot, andwhen he did that, you knew there would be a war.So you've brought mercenaries into Aurdon.Fourcompanies, at the least, and their captains are here now.You've forgotten that I captained my ownmercenary company, so I know the look and understand the language.You may have thought yourselvessubtle having them come into town and storing their kits in one of your warehouses, but idle able-bodiedmen spending Fisher gold attracts attention in the lower reaches of your city."Neal smiled easily."Did you also know of a rumor old enough to have grown moss about a secretfoundry at Lake Orvir that's making flashdrakes? It's said there's at least ten thousand of the weaponsstored there, which is more than enough to equip the mercenaries in your employ.Just the thing anambitious heir to the imperial throne would need to press his claim and eliminate competition.And withCleaveheart and the prophecy concerning it, he might even imagine he could retake and reforge thewhole of the empire."Berengar shook his head."Baseless fantasies of a man whose brain rotted while he lay in his tomb.""Flight of fancy that might all be, but there are other things I know as facts." Neal glanced over at Genaand she felt her blood run cold."I know that you had Durriken murdered.""Preposterous!""How do you know, Neal?" Gena stared at the both of them, every kind thought she had ever had aboutBerengar turning into a barb that skewered her soul."How can you be certain?""Durriken's flashdrakes and Lord Orvir's ring were given to you after Durriken's death by Eight Cuts.Perhaps Haladin culture has changed since my time, but Eight Cuts was reserved for Haladin traitors.Durriken was not Haladin, was he?"Gena numbly shook her head."And even if the Haladina had changed that much, they never would have left his flashdrakes and the ringwith him after they killed him.That mistake the Reithrese made five centuries ago, and I spotted it then.Berengar has repeated Takrakor's blunder here and now."Berengar forced a laugh."Speculation.You offer no link between me and Durriken's death.It wouldhave been just as easy for the Riverens to have killed him, or the Haladina who were then frightened offbefore they could loot his body."Neal shook his head and pointed to the ring lying flat against Gena's chest."Even when I was young, aslapdeath ring was well-known.Durriken was wearing it and didn't know until too late that your peoplehad come to kill him.He could not use one of the flashdrakes, but he got one man with the ring.You maybe well liked in Aurdon, Berengar, but your cousin Waldo was not, and many was the person whorecounted the tale of his death by food poison at the time of Durriken's demise."Neal looked the crowd over and shook his head."I'm thinking, Berengar, that you decided that withCleaveheart you could win yourself an empire, so you set out to recover the sword [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]