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

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
people—unless you throw yourself in its path and stop it now, at the cost of your own life. You have no
obligation elsewhere except what anyone has, to family, friends and so forth. No punishment will come
your way if you don't do it, or accolades if you do, because no one will ever know. Those ten thousand
people are neither friends nor enemies to you, just strangers; you've never even walked through the town.
Would you do it?"
Is this some kind of game? She'd play; anything else would look suspicious.Such a great moral
dilemma, whether to break my strength-oath, as if I haven't broken it already .
Chiravesa. She saw the scene in her mind, the mountain, the town hazy below, played it out.
"Yes," she said, finally. 'Though Shkai'ra would be angry at me for it, for leaving her."
"Would you want her ever to know?"
Megan thought for another long time. "Yes," she said finally. "Even though she'd hate me. I'd want her to
know I was dead, instead of being uncertain for the rest of her life… as I was with my son."
For whose life I would do anything, including kill you.
"Yes," he said, in understanding. "That makes sense. I should let you sleep. Give my regards to Sova,
and both of you sleep well."
"Not so fast, Gold-bottom," she said, forcing the smile again. "Chiravesaalways goes both ways, I've
heard. Wouldyou throw yourself under that rock?"
His answer came without hesitation. "Yes."
"You're saying that very easily. Convince me."
"I can't convince you, if you won't be convinced. I can only try." He shrugged. "They are ten thousand,
to my one.Setnana kra ."
Why can't you just be an asshole? she thought.If you were a child-raper or slave-seller or
slough-kin, I wouldn't have sent Shkai'ra off on a wild goose chase; I'd have just done it, easily,
and we'd all be half way home by now, her and Lixand beside me, and no regrets, knowing the
world was better off without you. Why do you have to make it so hard ? "Sleep sound," he was
saying.
"We will. You too."Forever , she wished.
In the cool darkness of the night, foul here in the standard meeting place, Matthas waited, watching two
Yeolis, an Enchian and a Lakan visit. Different races did eventhis different ways, he'd noticed—the
Enchian and Lakan quiet and furtive, the two Yeolis almost proud, with not a break or a change in their
arm-waving yammering, aside from waving only one hand for a time.
Finally the Zak came, leaning on a stick, limping no less than she had last time.Oh sure, the wound's
that bad. And I'm a yak's brother . "My leg got infected," she said in her high child-like whisper. "What
you're asking isn't something I can possibly do unless I in in perfect form. That's why I haven't done it,