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 Noon; somehow, through the pall of smoke that hung trapped in the great pit, and the aging sick smell of burned living-places, the temple bells still rang each day.If the others not there in, say, an eieht-day, we'll know for sure . Megan remembered Shkai ra's acknowledging nod faintly, like a ghost's face. She was just waiting for the eight days to pass; it was only for the sake of sticking to the plan she came to the Marble Palace steps. Every time hope tempted her, she reminded herself of Hotblood's last thougnt-cry. Hope would be nothing but a hindrance to her mourning, she knew from experience, and delay her final acceptance. On the ninth day, she would make use of Chevenga's note:full use, price no object. He owed her that. As he had admitted, dictating it. Though just showing at noon would do, she had been on the gleaming marble steps, wide as a field, most of today, sitting back against a sun-globe clasped by the familiar eagle, that had once had gilding, and a head. They'd cleared away the broken tower, and there was a small crowd here, all looking as if they were waiting for someone.We weren't the only ones who thought this was a good meeting place . The great palace gates stood open. She absently looked that way. Tiny in their yawning hugeness, a Yeoli warrior staggered out into the light, slid to his knees, and threw back his head with his hands raised. "Aiiiiiiigggh!" The scream froze and silenced everyone; hands clasped hilts. "Naaaaiiggh! Amiyaseye mya!" He drew his sword, and smashed it down on the marble, breaking the layer-forged blade in two. The silence deepened. "We've lost him! He's dead!" Megan hissed in a breath.As usual , she thought.He got his way . Then:oh, shit . After an instance's stunned quiet, the people on the steps took up the cry, some dashing away. She heard it spread out into the City like a circular ripple, its tone anguished, then enraged.They'll go nuts . Whenever Chevenga had got wounded badly enough in this war that his life was in danger, the army, especially the Yeolis, had gone on a rampage. She'd heard tales of fleeing Arkans being chased for days, prisoners by the thousand tortured, babies flung into fires… She jumped down and dashed flat out to the manor, outrunning the news. Biting back her panting, she sauntered shaking her head into the main hall, where some of the Yeolis loitered. "I tell you, somerumors ! I don't know who could be stupid enough to believe the one I just heard." "What's that?" a stocky woman doing stretches turned her head to ask. "Oh, some dumb thing that the Invincible's dead. They started that one thelast three times he was wounded. I've never heard anyone with a decent healer die of broken arms." "Dead?" the woman gasped. The rest all started, froze blinking; fast Yeoli words flew back and forth, and then they were all yelling, "Boru! Boru! Amiyaseye-mya-sema-nakraseye-mya-boru-boruboru-naaiiiiiigghr" Well, that answers my question, who could be stupid enough. "No, no,no !" she yelled in her ship-captain's voice. "He's not dead, dammit, it's just a stupid rumor, didn't youlisten to me?!" The roar outside was distant, but audible. Then the centurion came running in, snapping orders angrily, making them all freeze in place. By the time the first keening warriors had reached the manor, the rumors that Chevenga was dead and that he wasn't were being bellowed in equal amounts, as far as she could tell. But the centurion, having got warning enough, managed to hold his people in check.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Chevenga, she thought.Your people catch whatever you throw them. When you were fearless for them, they were fearless; when you were angry, they were angry. Now you are insane, so are they, the whole fish-gutted city-full . From the garden house, with Sova and Ardas trembling near, she watched the plumes of black smoke rise thick and fresh, heard the screams and the mad laughter, as Arko was sacked again. The great Yeoli war-gong, newly set up on top of the Marble Palace, began its crashing roar; the code alternated between "stay arms" and "assemble," and went on for most of the afternoon before things quieted. The centurion kept his unit here, sending a squire; she came back with the news that Chevenga was still alive, the whole thing a misunderstanding. "I saw him," the girl said, clutching her crystal, swearing. "Second Fire come if I lie, he came to the window, alive." A faint roaring chant came from the main square, where the assembly was.Three syllables; his name, what else? Someone convinced him it was a dumb idea . She felt her heart lift, then thought angrily, your charm still casts its spell, you bastard. Or … Thirst might just not have killed him yet, and his minions had dragged him out to stop the chaos.So… it could happen again. Your life-force is too strong to extinguish without taking a lot around you with it. What are you going to do to us all before you're finished ? Another day, the city waited. In the manor-yard, Sova stood with Ardas, at the grave they'd dug for his trainer, Tikas; she could walk now, but it was difficult, even with a cane they'd found in the manor. Megan watched from the now-cleaned-up fountain, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. She adjusted her seat on the edge of its bowl, filed a snag out of the third claw of her right hand. Smallsharpsnippydisagreeable Megan froze. Cautiously she sent out a thought.Hotblood ? Hmph. Hotboredtired. Concentrating, she paid little heed to the shape of a mount and rider coming up to the gate that she saw in the corner of her eye. A quick glance towards the rider's face; for a moment she wondered who the gaunt-cheeked crop-haired warrior was on Hotblood's back where her akribhan should be, and the boy peeking around behind her—then dropped the file,splash , into the water, stood up, stopped, hand outstretched, afraid to move, afraid to wake up from the dream she'd had so many times before. "Kh'eeredo. You do such a lovely gaffed fish imitation." "Shkai'ra!" Megan staggered a step forward. "And…" Blond hair, short but for the central strip, which was long in a dancing-boy's cut, black eyes, the face lengthened and strengthened with years butthe same, the same … "Lixand?" She'd spoken in a whisper. All through her month-long convalescence, as Rasas had nursed her, the witch-demon turned sword-fairy had told him the same thing, in broken Arkan.They weren't dreams. It was only the whip made you think they were dreams. She's your real mother. It's Rasasthat's your pretend name…
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Und now I vind dose two—Celestial
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wounded only in the carts on march,
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