[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
shakes his head. "Even I would not stoop so low as that, Bassil. Not even for
an
Empire of Music."
"Do you have designs on Defalk, sire? Now?"
"Not realistic designs."
"Then you have no designs. It is not treachery to state the truth." Bassil
swallows, waiting.
"You are suggesting that I encourage the sorceress to support Hadrenn in Ebra,
after all the golds we have sent to Bertmynn?"
"You yourself said last year, sire, that you did not want Sturinn in Liedwahr.
You also said that Mansuur could not send armsmen into other parts of
Liedwahr, except for Neserea. Who, then, do you propose will be the one to
defeat the
Sturinnese?"
"But... if she goes to Ebra, Rabyn, in his anger, may well attack Defalk. With
our lancers, no less."
"If Nubara does not restrain him."
Konsstin fingers his well-trimmed and mostly silver beard. "If Nubara does
away with Rabyn, would the sorceress oppose my taking Neserea?"
Page 43
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"She would not like it, but... you could always propose splitting the land.
You could take the Great Western Forest and the Westfels and the mines, and
leave
Defalk the lands of the east and south."
"Rabyn may well remove Nubara. Then the sorceress would have to defend
Defalk...
and she may or may not triumph, but as matters now stand she would destroy
Rabyn and the arms-men and lancers of Neserea-and our good lancers."
Bassil nods. "That is true. The worst that could happen, would be that
Liedwahr would be dominated by three lands. And the sorceress would be
hard-pressed to unify what she held for the heir for years." He shrugs. "And
if she fails, then who could blame Mansuur for stepping in to unify the
remains of Neserea and
Defalk? Bertmynn need not know that you have also supported the sorceress."
"So that if she does fail, he will owe me fealty-and if he does not provide
such, who will stand behind him?"
"Certainly not Ranuak or Nordwei." Bassil inclines his head slightly. "In one
case, Mansuur will hold all of Liedwahr, except Wei and Ranuak. and in the
other, there will be three powers, instead of having seven squabbling ragtag
states."
"Bassil... you do know how I dislike having my own words used against me?"
"Yes, ser."
"There is Nordwei. Let us not forget the cautious traders. Cold silver flows
in their veins." Konsstin frowns, then leaves the balcony and the view of the
two rivers that form the Toksul, the great river of Mansuur that flows
westward to
Wahrsus and the ocean. Back in his study, he closes the windowed door. "So I
should send a large gift to the Regent of Defalk and explain that the
additional fiftyscore lancers going to Neserea are there to restrain my
grandson?"
"Would that not be true? One way or another? And it is far less costly than
another war of unification. Even if you lose all one hundred-score lancers."
Konsstin takes a deep breath. "Draft the scrolls... and propose a way to
inform the sorceress about the freewomen, without our quill strokes upon it. I
will think upon this, but draft them for me by tomorrow."
Bassil bows. "As the Liedfubr commands."
"I will be riding with Aerlya in the morning. That is something I promised
her, and to deny a daughter who is both sweet and stubborn.. ." Konsstin
shakes his head. "That is almost as bad as provoking a sorceress." He pauses
again. "And to think that before long I will have to find her a consort-a
suitable one, no less."
"I will have them in the early afternoon," Bassil promises.
16
Some ten deks west of Borteland, another village in Defalk Anna had never
heard of until traveling through it, the dusty road wound out from between two
hills to reveal both a dekstone and a valley containing a much larger town.
The dekstone read: "Fussen: 1 d."
"That must be Fussen," announced Skent from where he rode behind Anna.
Anna smiled, thinking of how often her son Mario had announced the obvious,
even when he'd been well over sixteen-like Skent.
As with most of the other mountain or hill towns in Defalk Anna had visited,
the keep of Fussen sat on a hill, just to the west of the town itself, a dark
mass outlined by the late-afternoon sun. Beyond the shadowed structure rose
another line of hills, and beyond those, the true peaks of the Mittfels.
Anna squinted, but could only make out the general outline of walls rising
above a clear grassy slope that separated the keep from the town below. To the
left of the road, a stream burbled generally southward, apparently coming from
the hills to the north of Fussen.
Page 44
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Break out the Regent's banner!" announced Himar.
The armsman riding behind Blaz unfurled the purple banner with the golden
crossed spears and the crown, with the R beneath. The banner billowed for a
moment in a sudden light breeze as the lancer rode to the head of the column,
then drooped limply around the staff as the armsman set the base in his
lanceholder.
"Tell me again why I'm doing this," Anna said to Jecks.
"You will show that you care about the lands to the west"
"You want me to support Ustal?"
"I would hope that you could, my lady, but I know as little about the man as
you. Less perhaps, for I do not see all that you do."
"Flattery-that's another danger of being Regent."
"Only if you heed it, my lady." Jecks smiled.
Anna enjoyed the smile. "How do you think Ustal will feel?"
"From the words he used in his scrolls, he will believe you have to come to
confirm his claim. He will be angry if you do not."
"I've been afraid of that," Anna admitted. "If I don't, what will he do?"
"That is why you have armsmen and players, is it not, though he will not go
that far, I think."
You think? Ah, yes... once more into the breach, dear friends, with flame and
fire and sorcery-the sorceress' universal answer to each problem. Anna's lips [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
shakes his head. "Even I would not stoop so low as that, Bassil. Not even for
an
Empire of Music."
"Do you have designs on Defalk, sire? Now?"
"Not realistic designs."
"Then you have no designs. It is not treachery to state the truth." Bassil
swallows, waiting.
"You are suggesting that I encourage the sorceress to support Hadrenn in Ebra,
after all the golds we have sent to Bertmynn?"
"You yourself said last year, sire, that you did not want Sturinn in Liedwahr.
You also said that Mansuur could not send armsmen into other parts of
Liedwahr, except for Neserea. Who, then, do you propose will be the one to
defeat the
Sturinnese?"
"But... if she goes to Ebra, Rabyn, in his anger, may well attack Defalk. With
our lancers, no less."
"If Nubara does not restrain him."
Konsstin fingers his well-trimmed and mostly silver beard. "If Nubara does
away with Rabyn, would the sorceress oppose my taking Neserea?"
Page 43
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"She would not like it, but... you could always propose splitting the land.
You could take the Great Western Forest and the Westfels and the mines, and
leave
Defalk the lands of the east and south."
"Rabyn may well remove Nubara. Then the sorceress would have to defend
Defalk...
and she may or may not triumph, but as matters now stand she would destroy
Rabyn and the arms-men and lancers of Neserea-and our good lancers."
Bassil nods. "That is true. The worst that could happen, would be that
Liedwahr would be dominated by three lands. And the sorceress would be
hard-pressed to unify what she held for the heir for years." He shrugs. "And
if she fails, then who could blame Mansuur for stepping in to unify the
remains of Neserea and
Defalk? Bertmynn need not know that you have also supported the sorceress."
"So that if she does fail, he will owe me fealty-and if he does not provide
such, who will stand behind him?"
"Certainly not Ranuak or Nordwei." Bassil inclines his head slightly. "In one
case, Mansuur will hold all of Liedwahr, except Wei and Ranuak. and in the
other, there will be three powers, instead of having seven squabbling ragtag
states."
"Bassil... you do know how I dislike having my own words used against me?"
"Yes, ser."
"There is Nordwei. Let us not forget the cautious traders. Cold silver flows
in their veins." Konsstin frowns, then leaves the balcony and the view of the
two rivers that form the Toksul, the great river of Mansuur that flows
westward to
Wahrsus and the ocean. Back in his study, he closes the windowed door. "So I
should send a large gift to the Regent of Defalk and explain that the
additional fiftyscore lancers going to Neserea are there to restrain my
grandson?"
"Would that not be true? One way or another? And it is far less costly than
another war of unification. Even if you lose all one hundred-score lancers."
Konsstin takes a deep breath. "Draft the scrolls... and propose a way to
inform the sorceress about the freewomen, without our quill strokes upon it. I
will think upon this, but draft them for me by tomorrow."
Bassil bows. "As the Liedfubr commands."
"I will be riding with Aerlya in the morning. That is something I promised
her, and to deny a daughter who is both sweet and stubborn.. ." Konsstin
shakes his head. "That is almost as bad as provoking a sorceress." He pauses
again. "And to think that before long I will have to find her a consort-a
suitable one, no less."
"I will have them in the early afternoon," Bassil promises.
16
Some ten deks west of Borteland, another village in Defalk Anna had never
heard of until traveling through it, the dusty road wound out from between two
hills to reveal both a dekstone and a valley containing a much larger town.
The dekstone read: "Fussen: 1 d."
"That must be Fussen," announced Skent from where he rode behind Anna.
Anna smiled, thinking of how often her son Mario had announced the obvious,
even when he'd been well over sixteen-like Skent.
As with most of the other mountain or hill towns in Defalk Anna had visited,
the keep of Fussen sat on a hill, just to the west of the town itself, a dark
mass outlined by the late-afternoon sun. Beyond the shadowed structure rose
another line of hills, and beyond those, the true peaks of the Mittfels.
Anna squinted, but could only make out the general outline of walls rising
above a clear grassy slope that separated the keep from the town below. To the
left of the road, a stream burbled generally southward, apparently coming from
the hills to the north of Fussen.
Page 44
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Break out the Regent's banner!" announced Himar.
The armsman riding behind Blaz unfurled the purple banner with the golden
crossed spears and the crown, with the R beneath. The banner billowed for a
moment in a sudden light breeze as the lancer rode to the head of the column,
then drooped limply around the staff as the armsman set the base in his
lanceholder.
"Tell me again why I'm doing this," Anna said to Jecks.
"You will show that you care about the lands to the west"
"You want me to support Ustal?"
"I would hope that you could, my lady, but I know as little about the man as
you. Less perhaps, for I do not see all that you do."
"Flattery-that's another danger of being Regent."
"Only if you heed it, my lady." Jecks smiled.
Anna enjoyed the smile. "How do you think Ustal will feel?"
"From the words he used in his scrolls, he will believe you have to come to
confirm his claim. He will be angry if you do not."
"I've been afraid of that," Anna admitted. "If I don't, what will he do?"
"That is why you have armsmen and players, is it not, though he will not go
that far, I think."
You think? Ah, yes... once more into the breach, dear friends, with flame and
fire and sorcery-the sorceress' universal answer to each problem. Anna's lips [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]