Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
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Generated <strong>by</strong> ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html<br />
"Thous<strong>and</strong>s. The rest scattered, or got thumbed."<br />
"Had their sword-h<strong>and</strong> thumbs cut off," Megan explained to Shkai'ra. "A quaint Yeoli custom."<br />
"What about Kranaj <strong>and</strong> Astalaz?" said someone else. "Are they going to invade too?"<br />
"I haven't heard."<br />
"So how big armies are they going to send?"<br />
"I just told you, sparrow-brain, I haven't heard!"<br />
"Kranazzh <strong>and</strong> Aztalazzh?" Shkai'ra hissed over the din.<br />
"Kings of Laka <strong>and</strong> Tor Ench, respectively," Megan stage-whispered back.<br />
"Are they still hiring mercenaries?" About ten people asked that, all at once, along with the rate of pay.<br />
"Apply at the embassy," the bard said. "You d have to move it to catch up with the army from here,<br />
though. This news is a few days old now, <strong>and</strong> with Chevenga, fast-march is fast-march."That army's<br />
grown <strong>by</strong> about ten just here, tonight , Megan thought.<br />
"Zhv'nghkua," said Shkai'ra. "That's the hot Yeoli king, hmm?"<br />
"Dah. Fourth Shchevenga." Ivahn's letters had mentioned the name, with the formal number tacked on<br />
front <strong>and</strong> the impossible-to-remember-let-alone-pronounce surname <strong>and</strong> titles behind, but Megan's eyes<br />
had skimmed over it.<br />
Now it snagged her memory. "Wait a moment!" That name… it had been in older news that had come<br />
up the river. "He'sdead ."<br />
Fourth Chevenga was the Yeoli king who got captured <strong>by</strong> the Arkans, made to fight in their<br />
arena, <strong>and</strong> given some kind of circus execution, she thought.Yes, dammit, I'm not remembering<br />
wrong, it was Fourth,Fourth Chevenga . Fifty thous<strong>and</strong> people had witnessed his death.<br />
"Fuckin' lively corpse," Shkai'ra said drily.<br />
The Benai Saekrberk always made Megan feel calmer. Nobody ran or shouted or pushed her against<br />
the wall; theFraousra , the monks, all looked as if they had something to do that made them, if not<br />
happy, at least at peace. There were more guard-monks down <strong>by</strong> the dock, though, five new galleys in<br />
the slipways, <strong>and</strong> she <strong>and</strong> Shkai'ra got an armed escort up to the hill. TheFraousra pruning the vines on<br />
the slopes stopped <strong>and</strong> waved; when they passed close, Megan heard them saying her name to each<br />
other, <strong>and</strong> pulled the floppy hat further down over her ears. The wind was from inl<strong>and</strong>, full of marsh <strong>and</strong><br />
plowed earth smells from the fields on the other side of the Benaiat, <strong>and</strong> a little salt from the Svartzee.<br />
Ivahn's secretary, Stevahn, white-haired but young, <strong>and</strong> her attendants came out to meet them at the<br />
gate. Their robes were crimson against the blue walls of the abbey, with the white domes above. A small<br />
image of the Divine Bear hung at Stevahn's waist, clicking against the writing case next to it on her belt.