[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

They ate in silence after that even when they heard the floorboards groan and
creak under the lumbering feet of their spy.
The Intii Vann came with the dark; he sat in the taproom drinking and grousing
with Coperic about the ingratitude of relatives, the miserable fishing, wives
and their whims, saying nothing that would trigger any interest in enemy ears.
Coperic served him and saw to it that his wine was heavily watered so he could
give the impression of drunk-enness without acquiring the real thing; the
repeated refill-ings of his tankard also gave him all the excuse he needed for
spending hours at that table. Sometime after midnight, he wobbled out, the key
to the alley door in his pocket and with instructions to knock on Rane s door,
then go on to Coperic s room and wait for him.
When enough time had passed after Vann s departure so the two things would not
appear connected, Coperic shooed out the last drunks, locked up, watched
Haqtar bumble off to his cellar room, waited until he was sure the man was
shut into his den, then went wearily up the stairs and down the hall to his
room.
Tuli was sitting on the bed stroking her invisible pet, Rane silent beside
her. Vann was standing with his shoul-ders braced against a wall, arms crossed
over his chest, his eyes fixed on the floor; he looked up when Coperic came
in.
Page 115
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Coperic swung a chair about, sat in it.  What s the problem?
Rane lifted a hand, let it fall.  He s been like that since we got here.
 Vann?
The. Intii began stroking his beard.   Tis not them.  Tis I ve a notion what
you re wanting of me, and it can t be.  Tis I ve been ordered to my village
with a trax on my tail to make sure I go straight there. He nodded at Rane.
 Knowing what that one has in her head is life-and-death for Biserica and
maybe me and mine.  Tis knowing too that the army has marched and we got
Kapperim thick as lice on a posser s back and a shaman like as not going to
gut the bunch of us if we sneeze wrong.
Coperic nodded toward the other chair.  Sit, old friend. I been doing some
thinking about that since last we met. I don t mind talking about them now
they re out and not going back. I put a couple plants in the Plaz. Picked up
an impression of the lock on the Guard Armory.  S afternoon a bunch of us, we
got in, cleared out what was left there. Not much, damn the bitch, but some
bolts and a few crossbows, a bundle of lances and a good pile of knives. We
keeping some, getting some ready for you to take.
Vann came away from the wall, his usual containment vanished. He said nothing
but threw himself into the chair; it creaked precariously and seemed about to
come apart beneath him. He ignored that, drew a huge breath.  How? A moment
later he added,  The trax.
 Packing them in water casks and a flour barrel with a bit of flour too,
courtesy of the Plaz. He rubbed his nose, glanced at the time candle burning
on its stand next to his bed.  Should be finished hauling the barrels soon.
When you come in, I got word to Bella; she s going to leave men on the wharf,
guards. You grab  em, tell,  em to help you load the barrels. My folk and me,
we figure the next couple days things going to be looser than before, agli
keeping one eye looking south instead of both on us.
Vann stroked his beard.  Can t take the barrels through the village gate.
Kappra shaman got a nose for edged steel. His hand smoothed repeatedly down
the oiled plaits of his beard. The oil had gone a trifle rancid and the plaits
were frayed, some of them coming undone, an outward sign of the disorder in
mind and spirit.  Stinking Kapperim, got half the women  n children shut up in
my hall. Sha-man s got it set to burn, we give him any trouble. Saw Vlam and
Vessey. He glanced at Rane, smiled.  My sons, he said.  We figured to go
after Kapperim bare-handed. Save part anyway. Them outside the hall. He
leaned forward, cupped large hands over his knees.  Cut more throats than we
can choke with those knives you got,  n half a chance we maybe can take out
the shaman and stop the burning. We owe you, Coperic old friend.
Coperic grinned at him.  We talk about that a passage from now.
Rane broke in.  Be easier if you could catch the Kap-perim asleep, she said.
 Especially the shaman.
 That viper? Vann ran his tongue over his teeth, his upper lip bulging under
the bristly moustache.  Evelly, that s my wife, she tells Vlam he set wards
that wake him if anyone even think too hard about him.
 Who cooks for the Kapperim?
 Our women. But they make them taste everything before they eat. He scowled.
 Children too; keep the women honest, they say.
 Seems to me a nice long sleep wouldn t hurt your women and children and your
men could dump one meal.
 Drug the trash?
 Right. There s a couple drugs I know could do it, probably lots I don t know,
put them to sleep without hurting them so your women and children would be
safe. She grinned.  I figure you and your men can do all the hurting the
Kapperim are very likely to need.
The Intii s lips moved back and forth as if he were tasting the idea, then
spread into a grin.  Yah. he said. Then he sobered.  Always that
Maiden-cursed shaman. He suspect his dam if he weren t hatched.
 I ate a kind of fish stew in a fisher village once when I was a lot younger
and tougher. Called tuz-zegel, if I re-member. I see you follow me. Rane
Page 116
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
chuckled.  The inside of my mouth still remembers. You couldn t taste
stinkweed through that. If you showed up with a collec-tion of the right
spices, a little present for your wife, wouldn t it be the most ordinary thing
if she fixed up a batch of tuz-zegel for the whole village? You could warn the
men you trust to dump theirs. Vann sighed and Rane chuckled again.  I suppose
it s your favorite dish; well, a little sacrifice won t hurt. Vann snorted,
his eyes gleam-ing, the sag in his spirit banished. Rane ran her hands through
her hair.  First thing, get those spices; you give Coperic a list. I suspect
he won t have too much trouble filling it. Next, what drug. I m a long time
out of my training, but there s a healwoman in the hanguol rookery. 
Tuli s eyes opened wide. Ajjin was right, she thought. Trust Rane to remember
after all that s happened and fit it right in with her plans.
 Healwoman? Never heard of any. Not there. Coperic scowled past her.
 Healwoman, mmm, she d disappear into the House of Repentance soon s an Agli
got a sniff of her.
 This one hasn t got the name since she didn t finish the last bit of
training. Debrahn the midwife.
 Oh, her. Yah, I know her.
 You can find her?
 Rane.
 Yeah, I know. Silly question. She d know about herbs, have a good mix tucked
away somewhere. One of those sleepytime drugs I was thinking of, a lot of
midwives use with difficult deliveries, doesn t hurt the baby, but puts the
woman s head to sleep. There should be at least one woman ready to birth in
your village.
 My middle daughter. He smoothed a forefinger along his moustache.  M wife
would have my ears for bringing a stranger in.
 Would the Kapperim know that?
 Don t see how.
 Would your wife make a fuss?
 Front of that trash? Never.
 Good enough. Ajjin Turriy asked me to coax Debrahn out of the rookery. This
is a better excuse than most. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

ssaver.htw.pl