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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html that's… injurious to the self, if nothing else, I've learned that. I was under obligation; I'd taken you from your home, such as it was, and for your brother's sake, who died like azolda , a hero—he was in my care, so itwas in a way, as you said, my fault." "Sova called Far-Traveller." The girl blinked, to hear herself named so formally. "If you feel I still owe your honor a debt, I will pay any sum within reason, if that will settle accounts; you can break my sword or strike me in public, if you wish." Sova's jaw dropped, her eyes showing white all around the pupils; the red on her cheeks deepened. "Break your sword? Break yoursword ?" Always in excess, my love, Megan thought.Fighting, making love, paying for goods, honoring debts . Shkai'ra inclined her head. "Whatever you wish. When you decide, I will abide by it." The girl went on staring, anger and amazement and shame and fear fighting it out in her eyes. "I… I have to think about this. Excuse me." She sprang up, whirled, and darted away to the other side of the ship. She lay in her berth, her mind a storm of thoughts, but her insides full of a strange, huge peace. Ican't believe I said all that , she thought, for the hundredth time. Ican't believe I did it . Then it came to her. That's what I chased them to the war for. I chased them to say that . Papa hits Mooti, Mooti hits 'Talia, Franc and I hit Piatr, khyd-hirdhits me … She'd had one big brother before—never two little ones. At first, on the trip, they'd been unnaturally well-behaved, fearing, it turned out, that Ardas would get put off at some port if they were bad. But they'd slowly come to realize—partly from Sova's own reassurances—that no such thing would happen, that the full-Arkan boy would be publicly adopted as she had been. So now, she thought,they run like little hellions all over the ship, pestering the crew, talking back, playing pranks. It's because they have nothing to do . It hadn't escaped her notice, that they weren't being made to do pushups or sword-drill or fetch and carry much for Shkai'ra. Iknow why , she thought. Because Lixand really isa child of the blood, and zhymata'sfiguring it wouldn't be fair to make Ardas do it as well . Though whenever Shkai'radid make one of them fetch and carry, it was always Ardas, she'd noticed. He was always happily willing.Ya. He knows where hisbread's buttered, too . Impact, low, from behind. Shrieking little-boy laughter. She whirled around. They were playing tag, and Ardas had blundered into her. She grabbed him by the collar, drew back her hand.Maybe you don't know quite well enoughwhere you're bread's buttered, Arkan brat, and you need to learn some more. I'll get some of my own back … She froze. The boy had flinched and thrown his hands over his head; now his bright blue eyes peeked between tiny shielding fingers, terror-stricken. She saw tears brimming, caught in the sunlight. Papa hits Mooti, Mooti hits 'Talia, Franc and I hit Piatr, khyd-hirdhits me …
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html But I don'thaveto. I don't. He's just a little kid playing tag. He didn't mean to hurt me. Why hit him ? "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Sovee! I didn't mean to! Please forgive me,please?" Someone hit him a lot , she thought.Too much. And other things… he was a pleasure-boy. Gotthumml curse me, if I make that go on . "I forgive you," she said, letting go. "Of course I do—I'm yoursister ! But be careful. It's rude to run into people, it makes them mad." With another apology, Ardas ran off, Lixand with him. I can choose, she thought then. It hit her like a lightning flash, but a lightning flash of sunlight: warm and dazzling instead of grey and cold.I dohave choices. I can be anything I want, do anything I want . "I've thought about it," Sova announced, "and I've decided what I want to do to collect my honor-debt, khyd-hird ." They had just put into port in Brahvniki, and were arranging the transfer of the spoils to a ship of the Slaf Hikarme. The early fall sun shone bright on the white onion domes and brilliant blue walls of the Benaiat across the river, the duller grey of thekreml wall on this side, above. Shkai'ra walked to her, stood straight, facing her. "As I said, I'll abide by it." Megan came to stand at one side, with the boys. The crew, sensing something was afoot, went on with their work but with one eye over their shoulders. Except for those who were off-shift; they gathered openly. On the piers, people nudged each other, curious, recognizing some of the players in this scene. "You said I could break your sword, demand any sum, or strike you in public," said Sova, in a tone not unlike a politician's making a speech. "Well…" "As far as your sword goes, it's far too valuable to break. And since I'm the only one in the family with the heft for it, as you said, you re going to bequeath it to me. So it seems to me breaking it would be quite against my own interests." "As for paying compensation: since your money is the family's money, and mine is too, our financial affairs all bound up in each other's, it would seem somewhat superfluous to demand such."It must be Megan taught her those big words , thought Shkai'ra. Isure didn't . "That leaves only one alternative." Zaik-damned, thought Shkai'ra.That's why she's been doing strength-exercises so hard and long ever since we had that talk. This could hurt.If she remembers half of what I taught her, she should lay me out … But in the silence, as they faced each other, the Thane-girl seemed to lose some of her nerve, her look of pride and triumph fading some. "Maybe I should do this where no one's watching," she said. "No." Shkai'ra chopped with her hand.Tempting; but honor is honor . "I said public, and I meant it." "All right then," said Sova. "Turn around." "Turn around?" But she did as the girl asked, and understood as soon as the first kick came.A loose definition of the word "strike." Oof. That didhurt. Close enough, oww! Glitch, I didn't specify strike "once," did I? Dip me in shit , ouch!,damn …
Page 1 and 2:
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M.
Page 3 and 4:
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converte
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
people around for camouflage, and t
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Und now I vind dose two—Celestial
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
X Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conver
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
wounded only in the carts on march,
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182: Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converte
Page 191 and 192: — Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
Page 231: Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converte
show all

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?