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

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Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html "Emao-e, I would be glad to tell you how I got in, though I don't think anyone but a Zak could. I'll go through it with you point by point." She'd say she'd made herself invisible to the sentry who had let her by; he didn't deserve trouble for it.What did that one mean, saying I was close to him, perhaps I could help ? The scribe was holding the letter to Chevenga's half-encased hand so that, moving only his fingers, he could sign. The general's eyes softened. "Well enough. The scribe was doing the sealing now; four separate stamps with the Imperial seals, one with the Yeoli signet. Chevenga had made no attempt to get the spit off his face; Emao-e and the scribe, it seemed, were pretending not to notice. "I leave this in your hands, Emao-e," he said, prompting the scribe to hand the letter to the general, who took it civilly enough. The scribe scurried out. "Megan, if this isn't keeping my word well enough, I'm sorry." Sorry. As if that makes any difference. Then the signs fell together, so obvious she wondered how she'd missed them. Leaving it in Emao-e's hands, no one being let in, no announcements, his carelessness about security, his bonds, the sentry's words,tetyuyae … "You're trying to kill yourself," she said, amazement breaking through anger. "You're trying to fish-gutted kill yourself!" His dark eyes met hers. "Weep or spit on my pyre, as you choose." As if I haven't already shown what I'd be inclined to do, she thought.Why isn't Emao-e calling the guards to give me the heave ? She studied the casts, the linen bandages used as bonds, wrapped carefully so as to be comfortable. "Mind you, I don't see how you're going to do it," she said tartly. "Refusing water," he answered, as casually as if she'd asked the time of day. She glanced up at Emao-e, and read her grim face.Another voice to persuade him to change his mind , it said;I'm not about to stop you . "Another small, piddling, trivial question, if I may.Why ? You've won. You're Imperator. You've killed Kurkas, obviously, no doubt in some appropriately unpleasant way—and he wasn't your Habiku, you said. You've burned down the city and danced on the ashes. You should be happy! You're making no fish-guttedsense . Gold-bottom." "I know," he said. "Besides—are you going to leave this mess to everyone else to shovel up? There's going to be war all around the edges of Arkoand all through the middle for centuries, ifsomeone doesn't take it in hand—and who else in Halya can? I thought you gave a shit about that kind of thing!" "The hand that bore the scythe can't give the ivy branch." That old-school Yeoli formality again; but under it was pain beyond tears. "He's sentencing himself to death for the child-raping sack," said Emao-e. "If he dies Arko's hate will be purged, he keeps arguing. You'd think he'd forgotten his own people exist!" Megan gazed down at him.The scythe , she thought.Not the sword; the scythe. Chevenga. You don't do anything in half-measures, or without utter conviction, or without it creating its own truth and convincing everyone around you. Not even madness. You're bug-fuck, Imperturbable Chevenga .
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html The first time she'd ever seen him, she'd thought so. How many times after?Crazy from whatever they did to you. Come back to where it happened, and it's too much. Shit, I should have known, by how tight-lipped you were, by how you wouldn't face it. Two nights ago; seems like an iron-cycle. We all should have known it. For all I know maybe some did. What could they have done about it? No one was in a position to do anything. Your brilliance will ensure your madness leaves its mark across the whole world . She leaned close to him, took his chin in her hand. "Always know what you're doing, you said. You didn't, did you?" "No," he answered, in a half-whisper. "That's why, this."The ultimate wrong, to his mind , she thought, so he wants the ultimate punishment. Still . "And I'm supposed to think you know what you're doingnow ?" "Aigh,mamaiyana !" He clenched his eyes shut. "I've been arguing this all day with everybody and his sister, do I have to with you, too?" All through, his expression hadn't really changed, stone-hard, a closed book. If he hadn't turned away, it was only out of politeness.You are in a different world , she thought,a place I don't know, and can't understand . Suddenly her anger came apart like wet bread in her claws, and she just felt tired and vaguely sick.I know what you are, for all you make a good show of not being it: human. Fallible. The moral of the story: I shouldn't have expected any better . Against her hand, his cheek was warm. He lay quiet, eyes closed. I won't tear your throat out but I won't stand in the Dark Lord's way, either. I don't feel like lifting a finger either way. Why should I? You wouldn't let me anyway. She let go, and stood up. "Farewell," said Chevenga. She looked: however wanly, he was smiling. "I'll pray you find him. Live well." The sickness suddenly swelled, and tears,Koru-for-saken Dark-Lord-damned tears ! were burning behind her eyes.Damn you! Damn meif I show you anything! Like everyone else, everyone else you've fish-gutted betrayed, and are betraying now, I love you . "I just hope they find someone stubborner, or crazier, than you," she said, forcing the pain in her throat not to pinch her voice and show her heart. "Faint chance though that is. And I won't say farewell, or mourn you, until you're stiff." She stalked away, Emao-e following. XXV It was the third day. The fires were all but out now, leaving whole neighborhoods of ash, only humped fragments left of their walls. Getting rid of the thousands of fast-swelling corpses had been the first priority of whoever was in charge now, so they were mostly gone, leaving only their stains; but rubble-heaps still slumped across roads, and burst water mains had made puddles of filthy ash-mud deeper than a man could stand.
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Und now I vind dose two—Celestial
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Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...

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