Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...

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enough to make the wings of these devices—and rubber, from caravaneers associated with the army,
most prominently Goonter Frahnzsson of Neubonn, a Thane dealing through Brahvniki, and others…"
O Celestialis, he thought as he watched the no-longer-secret ritual. Two lines of sweaty black savages,
bodies heaving, muscles rippling, rough barbaric voices chanting to a primitive drum-rhythm, hauled on
the ropes attached to the monstrous black rubber strap, stretched between two tall tree-stumps on a
gentle rise. In the pocket of the giant sling sat the flyer with her—yes, certain signs were unmistakable in
any race, it was aher — masterfully-made silk and bamboo craft, like a huge sky-blue bird, but more
fragile looking.
On a signal they all let go, and with an unearthly, deep, whistlingbwwwoing-g-g , woman and wing shot
into the sky, like a huge blue dart at first, then slowing and catching the wind, like a hovering eagle, high
above.
Actually, he thought, as the next flyer stepped up and the whole process was begun again,it looks like
fun… Celestialis, what am I thinking!? No wonder the price of rubber went up. If home ever finds
out, my privates are mince .
It had been one and a half eight-days since he'd last spoken with Whitlock, and Shefenkas was still
horribly, unmercifully, disastrously alive.That little cat-clawed bitch is stringing me along , he thought.
We're past Kirliana, I don't have much more time… Arko doesn't have much more time… She's
going to push it to the limit, and I haven't made the limit hardenough yet, because of that fikken
arrow-wound. The next one's got to be it. Do, or he dies. All or nothing. Arko has nothing more to
lose .
The man's got the guts of a lake-quarter rat, Megan thought.Either that, or he's just plain crazy .
"It would add something to the illusion, wouldn't it," Chevenga was saying, "ifsome of the
Chevengal—Chevengas, I mean— traipsing about the Arkan camp happened to be real,seya ?"
She knew the stories. He'd assassinated a brilliant Lakan general by creeping throughtheir camp at
night, sneaking over the wall to open the gate of a city the Yeolis were besieging, at sixteen, and so on
and on… On his collar he wore two Serpent Incarnadines, the only person in camp who could wear such
openly.So, he has a name. But he has a few other things now, too, that he didn't then. Like a
position . She'd heard rumors of arguments with his command council over his taking personal risks. No
matter how good you are, someday someone will catch you … She was very conscious of the ache in
her leg, where the wound still twinged.
And yet… She kept her face as carefully neutral as if she were dealing with a Rand Jade Button, Third
Rank.Lixand. If he got killed I wouldn't have to kill him. If I could make that rokatzkbelieve I
arranged it… I should argue, though, since it would be unlike me not to .
She cocked her head. "With all due respect,semana-kraseye: you are First General First of this army,
said to be one of the finest generals in the last century, and the only one capable of keeping this fractious
bunch of nationalities together. That makes you alittle more valuable than your average Ikal agent." She
rubbed her wounded leg significantly.
Chevenga shrugged, shoulders lifting in the relaxed Yeoli way. "I know." In that
impossibly-innocent-of-conceit tone; it could be irritating. "But this sort of thing is my worth. They've just