[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
home. Sleepy took no trouble to keep them posted. She did not have much of a
diplomatic streak. I had best remind her that she will need their amity once
we are back across the plain.
They were not handsome, those two. And the Radisha looked more like the
Prince's mother than his sister. But he had been under the ground with me
while she rode the Taglian tiger and tried not to lose its reins to
Soulcatcher. They strove to remain unobtrusive here, the Prince because he had
been our active enemy in the field, the Princess because she had turned on us
at the very last moment of our victory over the last Shadowmasters.
Sleepy fixed her for that.
Technically, the Radisha was our prisoner. Sleepy had abducted her. She and
her brother will become tools of the Company once Sleepy stages our return.
Everyone agrees. But I suspect that the royals have reservations.
"Rajadharma." I said, bowing slightly. I could not resist the taunt, reminding
them both that by attempting to betray us they had ended up failing to fulfill
their duty to their subjects.
"Liberator." The Radisha returned a tiny bow. I swear, the woman gets homelier
by the month. "You appear to be healing well."
"I've got a knack for coming back. But my bounce sure ain't as fast or as high
as it used to be. Guess it's old age creeping up." I lied and told her,
"You're looking well yourself. You both are. What have you been doing? I
haven't seen you for a while."
The Prahbrindrah Drah said nothing. He remained inscrutable. He had been quiet
and unexpressive since our resurrection. We had gotten along well, once. But
times change. Neither of us were the men we had been during the Shadowmaster
wars.
"You're lying like a snake's belly," the Radisha told me. "I'm old and I'm
ugly and I'm still ashamed of myself... But you're telling the lie my soul
Page 30
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
wants to hear. Forget rajadharma, though. That accusation has no power to hurt
me anymore. From outside. I still crucify myself. I know what I did. At the
time I thought it was the right thing. The Protector manipulated me using my
sense of rajadharma. Once we get back there you'll see us in a different
light."
Rajadharma means the ruler's obligation to serve the ruled. When the word is
thrown into a ruler's face, or is used as an epithet, it is a savage
accusation of failure.
The Radisha is a hard, stubborn little woman. Unfortunately, she will have to
get the better of a hard, stubborn, crazy, almost supremely powerful sorceress
if she wants to fulfill her expectations for herself.
I glanced at her brother. The Prince's expression had not changed but I sensed
that he thought he appreciated the difficulties more fully than his sister
did.
Uncle Doj whacked something with a practice sword. The loud crack ended our
chatter. "Your canes, please. On the count, commence the Crane Kada." He did
not bother to explain what that was to the new guy.
Maybe two decades ago I had observed and briefly joined the Nyueng Bao
exercises. Murgen was Annalist then. He had had Gota, Doj and his wife Sahra's
brother, Thai Dei, living with him. Doj expected me to remember.
About all I recalled of the Crane Kada was that it constituted the first and
simplest of a dozen slow-motion dances incorporating all the formal steps and
strokes of Doj's school of fencing. The old priest led from up front, his back
to his pupils. Although he was the eldest of us all, he moved with a precision
and grace that verged on beauty. But when Thai Dei and Tobo joined us briefly,
later, both outshone the old man. It was hard not to stop just to appreciate
Tobo's mastery.
The boy made me feel clumsy and inept just standing still.
Everything came so easily for him.
He had all the talents and skills he could possibly need. If any question
remained, it concerned his character. A lot of good people had worked hard to
make sure that he became a virtuous and upright man. Which he did appear to
be. But he was a blade not yet tested. True temptation had not yet whispered
in his ear.
I missed a step badly, stumbled. Uncle Doj laid his cane across the seat of my
trousers as vigorously as if I had been an adolescent. His face remained bland
but I suspected that he had wanted to do that for a long time.
I tried to concentrate.
Chapter 12
Glittering Stone: Steadfast Guardian
The being on the huge wooden throne in the heart of the fortress at the center
of the stone plain is a construct. Possibly he was created by the gods, who
fought their wars upon that plain. Or perhaps his creators were the builders
who constructed the plain--if they were not gods themselves. Opinions vary. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
home. Sleepy took no trouble to keep them posted. She did not have much of a
diplomatic streak. I had best remind her that she will need their amity once
we are back across the plain.
They were not handsome, those two. And the Radisha looked more like the
Prince's mother than his sister. But he had been under the ground with me
while she rode the Taglian tiger and tried not to lose its reins to
Soulcatcher. They strove to remain unobtrusive here, the Prince because he had
been our active enemy in the field, the Princess because she had turned on us
at the very last moment of our victory over the last Shadowmasters.
Sleepy fixed her for that.
Technically, the Radisha was our prisoner. Sleepy had abducted her. She and
her brother will become tools of the Company once Sleepy stages our return.
Everyone agrees. But I suspect that the royals have reservations.
"Rajadharma." I said, bowing slightly. I could not resist the taunt, reminding
them both that by attempting to betray us they had ended up failing to fulfill
their duty to their subjects.
"Liberator." The Radisha returned a tiny bow. I swear, the woman gets homelier
by the month. "You appear to be healing well."
"I've got a knack for coming back. But my bounce sure ain't as fast or as high
as it used to be. Guess it's old age creeping up." I lied and told her,
"You're looking well yourself. You both are. What have you been doing? I
haven't seen you for a while."
The Prahbrindrah Drah said nothing. He remained inscrutable. He had been quiet
and unexpressive since our resurrection. We had gotten along well, once. But
times change. Neither of us were the men we had been during the Shadowmaster
wars.
"You're lying like a snake's belly," the Radisha told me. "I'm old and I'm
ugly and I'm still ashamed of myself... But you're telling the lie my soul
Page 30
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
wants to hear. Forget rajadharma, though. That accusation has no power to hurt
me anymore. From outside. I still crucify myself. I know what I did. At the
time I thought it was the right thing. The Protector manipulated me using my
sense of rajadharma. Once we get back there you'll see us in a different
light."
Rajadharma means the ruler's obligation to serve the ruled. When the word is
thrown into a ruler's face, or is used as an epithet, it is a savage
accusation of failure.
The Radisha is a hard, stubborn little woman. Unfortunately, she will have to
get the better of a hard, stubborn, crazy, almost supremely powerful sorceress
if she wants to fulfill her expectations for herself.
I glanced at her brother. The Prince's expression had not changed but I sensed
that he thought he appreciated the difficulties more fully than his sister
did.
Uncle Doj whacked something with a practice sword. The loud crack ended our
chatter. "Your canes, please. On the count, commence the Crane Kada." He did
not bother to explain what that was to the new guy.
Maybe two decades ago I had observed and briefly joined the Nyueng Bao
exercises. Murgen was Annalist then. He had had Gota, Doj and his wife Sahra's
brother, Thai Dei, living with him. Doj expected me to remember.
About all I recalled of the Crane Kada was that it constituted the first and
simplest of a dozen slow-motion dances incorporating all the formal steps and
strokes of Doj's school of fencing. The old priest led from up front, his back
to his pupils. Although he was the eldest of us all, he moved with a precision
and grace that verged on beauty. But when Thai Dei and Tobo joined us briefly,
later, both outshone the old man. It was hard not to stop just to appreciate
Tobo's mastery.
The boy made me feel clumsy and inept just standing still.
Everything came so easily for him.
He had all the talents and skills he could possibly need. If any question
remained, it concerned his character. A lot of good people had worked hard to
make sure that he became a virtuous and upright man. Which he did appear to
be. But he was a blade not yet tested. True temptation had not yet whispered
in his ear.
I missed a step badly, stumbled. Uncle Doj laid his cane across the seat of my
trousers as vigorously as if I had been an adolescent. His face remained bland
but I suspected that he had wanted to do that for a long time.
I tried to concentrate.
Chapter 12
Glittering Stone: Steadfast Guardian
The being on the huge wooden throne in the heart of the fortress at the center
of the stone plain is a construct. Possibly he was created by the gods, who
fought their wars upon that plain. Or perhaps his creators were the builders
who constructed the plain--if they were not gods themselves. Opinions vary. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]