[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.If Rask thought he was going to kill Gavin with a handful of drafters and a score of Mirrormen, he waswrong, but what else could it be? Maybe Satrap Garadul was simply as surprised to see Gavin as Gavinwas to see him, and he didn t know how to play this.If Gavin lied and Rask attacked, Gavin would have no choice but to kill him.If he killed Rask, he d haveto kill all of Rask s men.And what would the satrapies make of that? More men were coming down thepath behind the satrap even now.Gavin couldn t kill them all.No matter how strong he was, if a hundredmen fled in a hundred directions, some of them would get away.Word would get out that the Prismhimself had come to Tyrea and assassinated the satrap without provocation.It didn t matter that Satrap Garadul was massacring everyone in this town.It was his town; he could dowith it as he saw fit.At one time, a Prism could have destroyed or killed one of his satraps at will, butthat time was long past.Perhaps back when the Seven Satrapies had really been satrapies.No longer.His power was ceremonial, religious only.The Prism wasn t supposed to interfere in the internal affairs ofa nation and Gavin had already more than just interfered.If he killed everyone here, and skimmed backto the Chromeria so he got home within a few days of having left, the Chromeria could plausibly denythat he was responsible.It was too far away for him to have come and gone.He would kill a man he d never liked; he would stay out of trouble, and the only people to pay for itwould be a bunch of soldiers in the most backward of the Seven Satrapies.Well, the boy might have todie too.Otherwise he could blackmail Gavin.And what would Karris think? Well, what did it matterwhat she thought? She was an impossibility for him already.He d known he was going to lose what littlehe had with her today regardless.The man he d once been wouldn t have hesitated.What would you do, brother?It had been so long, Gavin wasn t even sure anymore. I am the High Lord Prism Gavin Guile, Gavin said, bowing slightly, putting one hand behind his backand trying to wave off Karris. So, Lord Prism, Satrap Garadul said loudly, is this how the Chromeria declares war? Strange that your thoughts should so quickly go to war, Satrap. Strange? No, it s strange you should call me a satrap.You expelled the rightful satrap, my father, fromGarriston, stole that city, our capital and only port, and have denied Tyrea s people access to theChromeria.Tyrea is a satrapy no more, and hasn t been since your war, Prism.I am King Rask Garadulof Tyrea.You have murdered my personal guards.And you call it strange that war should occur to us? Rask s voice rose. Perhaps you think Tyreans are bred to be slaughtered by the Chromeria s lackeys? There was a rumble among the Mirrormen that told Gavin this kind of talk was nothing new. But surely the Chromeria wouldn t send the Prism himself just to kill a few of my men. Rask pretendedto be thinking, but didn t wait long enough for Gavin to get a word in. No.The Prism would only comeif there was something much more important to accomplish.Something that would ensure theChromeria s stranglehold on the Seven Satrapies continued.Tell me,Lord Prism, have you come toPage 63 assassinate me? One doesn t send a lion to kill a rat.So help him, Gavin almost said it out loud.There was a rattle of armor and stomping of hooves as the Mirrormen and drafters pressed in closer toRask Garadul.Gavin only heard it; he was looking down the hill.He d avoided looking until now toavoid drawing attention to Karris.By now, she d probably decided whether she was going to stay or go.She was almost gone, already starting down the swift-flowing river on a little punt.If Gavin knew Karris,though, she would stop and try to see what happened to him.After all, she was a Blackguard, andthough their first responsibility was always to the White, his protection came in a close second.Hewondered if she d left because she trusted him, because she thought he could fend for himself, orbecause she had her own mission to accomplish and nothing could be allowed to interfere with that.The stout boy, on the other hand, was now almost directly behind Gavin.After Gavin had saved himonce from Mirrormen, apparently he thought Gavin was his best hope to survive. You misunderstand me, King Garadul, Gavin said, turning once more, committed, letting the title stand. I saw these men slaughtering the innocent citizens of your satrapy.I intervened to save your people.Ibelieved I was doing you a favor. Doing me a favor by murdering soldiers in my uniform? Renegades, surely.Bandits.What sort of madman would burn his own town to the ground? Many of the Mirrormen looked away or down and threw furtive glances at King Garadul.Clearly, not allof them had been happy to murder their countrymen.The king flushed. I am king, he declared. I willnot have my choices questioned.Especially not by the Chromeria.Tyrea is a sovereign nation.Ourinternal conflicts are no business of yours. The soldiers went back to being stony-faced. Of course not.It s simply& novel to find a king burning his own town and people.Murdering children.You can understand my confusion, I m sure.My apologies for this misunderstanding.The Chromeriaserves the Seven Satrapies.Tyrea included. It was, perhaps, as well played as Gavin could manage.If they d been standing before fifty noblesversed in the interplay of nations and respectful of diplomacy, it might have been enough [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl centka.pev.pl
.If Rask thought he was going to kill Gavin with a handful of drafters and a score of Mirrormen, he waswrong, but what else could it be? Maybe Satrap Garadul was simply as surprised to see Gavin as Gavinwas to see him, and he didn t know how to play this.If Gavin lied and Rask attacked, Gavin would have no choice but to kill him.If he killed Rask, he d haveto kill all of Rask s men.And what would the satrapies make of that? More men were coming down thepath behind the satrap even now.Gavin couldn t kill them all.No matter how strong he was, if a hundredmen fled in a hundred directions, some of them would get away.Word would get out that the Prismhimself had come to Tyrea and assassinated the satrap without provocation.It didn t matter that Satrap Garadul was massacring everyone in this town.It was his town; he could dowith it as he saw fit.At one time, a Prism could have destroyed or killed one of his satraps at will, butthat time was long past.Perhaps back when the Seven Satrapies had really been satrapies.No longer.His power was ceremonial, religious only.The Prism wasn t supposed to interfere in the internal affairs ofa nation and Gavin had already more than just interfered.If he killed everyone here, and skimmed backto the Chromeria so he got home within a few days of having left, the Chromeria could plausibly denythat he was responsible.It was too far away for him to have come and gone.He would kill a man he d never liked; he would stay out of trouble, and the only people to pay for itwould be a bunch of soldiers in the most backward of the Seven Satrapies.Well, the boy might have todie too.Otherwise he could blackmail Gavin.And what would Karris think? Well, what did it matterwhat she thought? She was an impossibility for him already.He d known he was going to lose what littlehe had with her today regardless.The man he d once been wouldn t have hesitated.What would you do, brother?It had been so long, Gavin wasn t even sure anymore. I am the High Lord Prism Gavin Guile, Gavin said, bowing slightly, putting one hand behind his backand trying to wave off Karris. So, Lord Prism, Satrap Garadul said loudly, is this how the Chromeria declares war? Strange that your thoughts should so quickly go to war, Satrap. Strange? No, it s strange you should call me a satrap.You expelled the rightful satrap, my father, fromGarriston, stole that city, our capital and only port, and have denied Tyrea s people access to theChromeria.Tyrea is a satrapy no more, and hasn t been since your war, Prism.I am King Rask Garadulof Tyrea.You have murdered my personal guards.And you call it strange that war should occur to us? Rask s voice rose. Perhaps you think Tyreans are bred to be slaughtered by the Chromeria s lackeys? There was a rumble among the Mirrormen that told Gavin this kind of talk was nothing new. But surely the Chromeria wouldn t send the Prism himself just to kill a few of my men. Rask pretendedto be thinking, but didn t wait long enough for Gavin to get a word in. No.The Prism would only comeif there was something much more important to accomplish.Something that would ensure theChromeria s stranglehold on the Seven Satrapies continued.Tell me,Lord Prism, have you come toPage 63 assassinate me? One doesn t send a lion to kill a rat.So help him, Gavin almost said it out loud.There was a rattle of armor and stomping of hooves as the Mirrormen and drafters pressed in closer toRask Garadul.Gavin only heard it; he was looking down the hill.He d avoided looking until now toavoid drawing attention to Karris.By now, she d probably decided whether she was going to stay or go.She was almost gone, already starting down the swift-flowing river on a little punt.If Gavin knew Karris,though, she would stop and try to see what happened to him.After all, she was a Blackguard, andthough their first responsibility was always to the White, his protection came in a close second.Hewondered if she d left because she trusted him, because she thought he could fend for himself, orbecause she had her own mission to accomplish and nothing could be allowed to interfere with that.The stout boy, on the other hand, was now almost directly behind Gavin.After Gavin had saved himonce from Mirrormen, apparently he thought Gavin was his best hope to survive. You misunderstand me, King Garadul, Gavin said, turning once more, committed, letting the title stand. I saw these men slaughtering the innocent citizens of your satrapy.I intervened to save your people.Ibelieved I was doing you a favor. Doing me a favor by murdering soldiers in my uniform? Renegades, surely.Bandits.What sort of madman would burn his own town to the ground? Many of the Mirrormen looked away or down and threw furtive glances at King Garadul.Clearly, not allof them had been happy to murder their countrymen.The king flushed. I am king, he declared. I willnot have my choices questioned.Especially not by the Chromeria.Tyrea is a sovereign nation.Ourinternal conflicts are no business of yours. The soldiers went back to being stony-faced. Of course not.It s simply& novel to find a king burning his own town and people.Murdering children.You can understand my confusion, I m sure.My apologies for this misunderstanding.The Chromeriaserves the Seven Satrapies.Tyrea included. It was, perhaps, as well played as Gavin could manage.If they d been standing before fifty noblesversed in the interplay of nations and respectful of diplomacy, it might have been enough [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]