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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"You had him writhing on the moss?" The Zak raised an eyebrow. "Probably squeezed him dry." She<br />
smiled sweetly. "Going to have his ba<strong>by</strong>?"<br />
"Sheepshit—!" Shkai'ra started up counting on her fingers, then stuck out a bare foot to finish counting<br />
on her toes. "Don't scare me like that!" she said, rummaging in the saddlebags for the birth-herb <strong>and</strong> the<br />
special tea-pot, grimacing as she set the round brown clay <strong>by</strong> the fire, throwing in a double pinch of herb<br />
<strong>and</strong> adding the water. "Jaiwun, I hate the way this tastes. Better safe than sorry, though. Oh, well, men<br />
have to havesome advantage to make up for being stiff <strong>and</strong> crotch-kick-able." She broke the eggs into<br />
the pan <strong>and</strong> stirred them around with a stick. "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."<br />
"News from the machine-scribedPages; wrinkled granny takes advantage of young, good-looking<br />
comm<strong>and</strong>er…" Megan ducked the stick. "Heis h<strong>and</strong>some."I'm attracted <strong>and</strong> scared shitless all at the<br />
same time , she thought,as usual .<br />
Shkai'ra smiled more seriously. "Actually, I was thinking of bearing one when we get back." She sighed.<br />
"I miss Shyll <strong>and</strong> Rilla <strong>and</strong> even the brat." She reached out to touch Megan on the cheek. "I never thought<br />
I'd say that about my family, my family were all—good Kommanza, easy to hate." Her eyes were full of<br />
ghosts for a moment. "Glad you're here, love."<br />
"Where else would I be?"She's actually not that bad with a child , Megan thought,as long as it's in<br />
the walking, talking phase <strong>and</strong> she can give it to someone else, <strong>and</strong> as long as someone reminds<br />
her not to tease too far . "Love you, Shkai'ra."<br />
"Love you, Megan." Softly. "More than my heart's blood. It'd be better for Sova if she were back home;<br />
better for the mission, more convenient all round. I'm still glad she's here; someone else we can trust. I<br />
must be going soft in my old age."<br />
Reveille gongs sounded, <strong>and</strong> the call: "Rise <strong>and</strong> shine <strong>and</strong> sma-a-a-a-ash<br />
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<br />
more trouble than they're worth . "Shit," she said, st<strong>and</strong>ing up. "Sova's not back yet."<br />
"Yes, she is, there she comes." Shkai'ra pointed. "Jaiwun All-mate, I think… do you?"<br />
"No, love, I don't think. I'msure ." The look on the girl's face was unmistakable.<br />
Matthas had found a half-decent contact in the retreating Arkan army. Manajas Sennen, an infantry<br />
comm<strong>and</strong>er who was high enough to authorize what he needed. That was as high as he cared to go.<br />
Manajas had been the only one in the comm<strong>and</strong> awake when Matthas had come in the first night, using<br />
overheard passwords to pass the first barriers, stony looks <strong>and</strong> the bark of "Irefas" to get through the<br />
deeper.<br />
"Yes, Nerasas, old pal," Manajas had said sympathetically—no sense for Matthas to use his real name,<br />
let it be thought a code name—when he gave a heavily edited explanation of his plight. "I underst<strong>and</strong> all<br />
too well; I've received orders to buy the town <strong>and</strong> two copper chains to do it with often enough myself.<br />
Cutbacks. Back in my day it wasn't this way… I'll help you out." A good egg, his only fault having got<br />
too entwined in the vine.Maybe it was cutbacks killing off his soldiers that drove him to drink . Well,<br />
disadvantages were to turn into advantages; Matthas had got Manajas to sign for a thing or two while too<br />
sozzled to read.