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 that. Are you trying to tell me we don'tchoose these things, then? Is human nature so limited? Suppose one had sworn an oath, or believed one would be punished by one's gods, or would corrupt oneself… or had suffered the same and didn't want to inflict it?" Shkai'ra shrugged. "I suppose it's possible. Odd, though." "Then youwill believe me, if I say I haven't? I can'tmake you. If you won't believe me I won't bother answering." "You have a name for honesty. All right, all right, I'll believe you." "Well…" Chevenga laced his hands behind his head, a smile quirking his lips. "Ihave , actually. My people asked it of me. You recall the name Abatzas Kallen?" Shkai'ra leaned forward on her elbows beside him. "The Arkan general who was a great asset to an army—yours ." "Yes," he chuckled. "That's the one. Well, at Siriha we captured him, and it was suggested to me I do the Arkan thine—do you know what I mean by that?" What Arkans did to enemy leaders they captured, he meant. Sexual humiliation, in front of the assembled army and prisoners, if there were any. She'd never seen it; since she'd joined, Arko had never captured an enemy leader. "My command council argued it was what my warriors wanted. I wasn't sure. So I called them to Assembly, and put it to a vote, which went very strongly chalk. So I did it." "Don't tell me," Shkai'ra said drily. "You hated every moment." He gave a sardonic chuckle. "Hardly. Else it wouldn't have been what they asked, would it?Semana kra … the people wills. And—before you accuse me of not telling the whole truth—the body will feel what it will feel." "Of course. I've used that principle a time or two myself," she added, "when I was less civilized. It was my right, after all, as I thought then." "I didn't feel it was my right. My people did, though…" For a moment he seemed troubled, despite the stillness of his eyes; then he shrugged. "Well, it doesn't matter, as long as I remember not to let you loose among prisoners Idon't want abused. I should go back to the fire. I seem to recall saying quite a while ago, that you were hogging me." Shkai'ra mock-sighed and chuckled. "Right." "They'll think you never put me down!" she giggled, as she heaved him up onto her shoulder. Megan sat by the breakfast fire, listening to Shkai'ra's account of the night before, thinking of her own last time with Shyll. She'd got so sensitive he couldn't do more than just cuddle her.Goddess, I'm tired of being oversensitive .
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html "You had him writhing on the moss?" The Zak raised an eyebrow. "Probably squeezed him dry." She smiled sweetly. "Going to have his baby?" "Sheepshit—!" Shkai'ra started up counting on her fingers, then stuck out a bare foot to finish counting on her toes. "Don't scare me like that!" she said, rummaging in the saddlebags for the birth-herb and the special tea-pot, grimacing as she set the round brown clay by the fire, throwing in a double pinch of herb and adding the water. "Jaiwun, I hate the way this tastes. Better safe than sorry, though. Oh, well, men have to havesome advantage to make up for being stiff and crotch-kick-able." She broke the eggs into the pan and stirred them around with a stick. "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing." "News from the machine-scribedPages; wrinkled granny takes advantage of young, good-looking commander…" Megan ducked the stick. "Heis handsome."I'm attracted and scared shitless all at the same time , she thought,as usual . Shkai'ra smiled more seriously. "Actually, I was thinking of bearing one when we get back." She sighed. "I miss Shyll and Rilla and even the brat." She reached out to touch Megan on the cheek. "I never thought I'd say that about my family, my family were all—good Kommanza, easy to hate." Her eyes were full of ghosts for a moment. "Glad you're here, love." "Where else would I be?"She's actually not that bad with a child , Megan thought,as long as it's in the walking, talking phase and she can give it to someone else, and as long as someone reminds her not to tease too far . "Love you, Shkai'ra." "Love you, Megan." Softly. "More than my heart's blood. It'd be better for Sova if she were back home; better for the mission, more convenient all round. I'm still glad she's here; someone else we can trust. I must be going soft in my old age." Reveille gongs sounded, and the call: "Rise and shine and sma-a-a-a-ash Aa-a-a-a-a-ar-ko-o-o-o-o-oh!" Megan frowned down at her cup of fish oil.Sometimes these claws are more trouble than they're worth . "Shit," she said, standing up. "Sova's not back yet." "Yes, she is, there she comes." Shkai'ra pointed. "Jaiwun All-mate, I think… do you?" "No, love, I don't think. I'msure ." The look on the girl's face was unmistakable. Matthas had found a half-decent contact in the retreating Arkan army. Manajas Sennen, an infantry commander who was high enough to authorize what he needed. That was as high as he cared to go. Manajas had been the only one in the command awake when Matthas had come in the first night, using overheard passwords to pass the first barriers, stony looks and the bark of "Irefas" to get through the deeper. "Yes, Nerasas, old pal," Manajas had said sympathetically—no sense for Matthas to use his real name, let it be thought a code name—when he gave a heavily edited explanation of his plight. "I understand all too well; I've received orders to buy the town and two copper chains to do it with often enough myself. Cutbacks. Back in my day it wasn't this way… I'll help you out." A good egg, his only fault having got too entwined in the vine.Maybe it was cutbacks killing off his soldiers that drove him to drink . Well, disadvantages were to turn into advantages; Matthas had got Manajas to sign for a thing or two while too sozzled to read.
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