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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Noon; somehow, through the pall of smoke that hung trapped in the great pit, <strong>and</strong> the aging sick smell of<br />
burned living-places, the temple bells still rang each day.If the others not there in, say, an eieht-day,<br />
we'll know for sure . Megan remembered Shkai ra's acknowledging nod faintly, like a ghost's face.<br />
She was just waiting for the eight days to pass; it was only for the sake of sticking to the plan she came<br />
to the Marble Palace steps. Every time hope tempted her, she reminded herself of Hotblood's last<br />
thougnt-cry. Hope would be nothing but a hindrance to her mourning, she knew from experience, <strong>and</strong><br />
delay her final acceptance.<br />
On the ninth day, she would make use of Chevenga's note:full use, price no object. He owed her that.<br />
As he had admitted, dictating it.<br />
Though just showing at noon would do, she had been on the gleaming marble steps, wide as a field,<br />
most of today, sitting back against a sun-globe clasped <strong>by</strong> the familiar eagle, that had once had gilding,<br />
<strong>and</strong> a head. They'd cleared away the broken tower, <strong>and</strong> there was a small crowd here, all looking as if<br />
they were waiting for someone.We weren't the only ones who thought this was a good meeting place<br />
.<br />
The great palace gates stood open. She absently looked that way. Tiny in their yawning hugeness, a<br />
Yeoli warrior staggered out into the light, slid to his knees, <strong>and</strong> threw back his head with his h<strong>and</strong>s raised.<br />
"Aiiiiiiigggh!" The scream froze <strong>and</strong> silenced everyone; h<strong>and</strong>s clasped hilts. "Naaaaiiggh! Amiyaseye<br />
mya!" He drew his sword, <strong>and</strong> smashed it down on the marble, breaking the layer-forged blade in two.<br />
The silence deepened. "We've lost him! He's dead!"<br />
Megan hissed in a breath.As usual , she thought.He got his way . Then:oh, shit . After an instance's<br />
stunned quiet, the people on the steps took up the cry, some dashing away. She heard it spread out into<br />
the City like a circular ripple, its tone anguished, then enraged.They'll go nuts . Whenever Chevenga had<br />
got wounded badly enough in this war that his life was in danger, the army, especially the Yeolis, had<br />
gone on a rampage. She'd heard tales of fleeing Arkans being chased for days, prisoners <strong>by</strong> the thous<strong>and</strong><br />
tortured, babies flung into fires…<br />
She jumped down <strong>and</strong> dashed flat out to the manor, outrunning the news. Biting back her panting, she<br />
sauntered shaking her head into the main hall, where some of the Yeolis loitered. "I tell you, somerumors<br />
! I don't know who could be stupid enough to believe the one I just heard."<br />
"What's that?" a stocky woman doing stretches turned her head to ask.<br />
"Oh, some dumb thing that the Invincible's dead. They started that one thelast three times he was<br />
wounded. I've never heard anyone with a decent healer die of broken arms."<br />
"Dead?" the woman gasped. The rest all started, froze blinking; fast Yeoli words flew back <strong>and</strong> forth,<br />
<strong>and</strong> then they were all yelling, "Boru! Boru! Amiyaseye-mya-sema-nakraseye-mya-boru-boruboru-naaiiiiiigghr"<br />
Well, that answers my question, who could be stupid enough. "No, no,no !" she yelled in her<br />
ship-captain's voice. "He's not dead, dammit, it's just a stupid rumor, didn't youlisten to me?!" The roar<br />
outside was distant, but audible. Then the centurion came running in, snapping orders angrily, making<br />
them all freeze in place. By the time the first keening warriors had reached the manor, the rumors that<br />
Chevenga was dead <strong>and</strong> that he wasn't were being bellowed in equal amounts, as far as she could tell.<br />
But the centurion, having got warning enough, managed to hold his people in check.