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. Rinta House, Gashturmteh, Aldohza, Yeshamm, all sol-itaire reps, theydon t look like they re expecting much.um, BlackHouse is here,that s why.Not a good idea to bid too often againstBlackHouse, bad things happen to you. Jastouk shuddered, his body rubbingagainst Maksim s.The Caller came onstage and stood behind his Lectern, holding his hardwood roda handspan above the sounder.He looked out across the milling crowd, then hehammered twice for attention, the harsh clacks breaking through the buzz ofconversation, pulling those still drifting among the cages onto the auctionfloor.Maksim stepped away from the wall and onto the floor though he stayedat the back of the bidders.His size was an embarrassment sometimes, anadvantage here.He couldn t be overlooked.He folded his arms across his broadchest and waited.The first offerings were brought out to warm up the crowd and get thembidding, two half-grown males and a middle-aged woman; they went to clerkslooking for muscle and a reasonable degree of health. We have several items fresh in from the South; the first is a healthy boysaid to be Summerborn and in his sixth year. The Caller tapped lightly withhis sounding rod.A Hina girl led a small M darjin boy from behind thecurtains, walked him up the ramp and whispered commands to him from behindthe pillar, making him turn and posture, open his mouth and show his teeth, gothrough the ritual of offering himself for sale.He was frightened andawkward, but already he d learned to keep silence and obey his handlers.Blind unreasoning rage shook Maksim, rattled in his throat.Without warning hewas that boy on theBlock; all the intervening years were wiped away, his control was wiped away;another instant and he might have destroyed half of Kukurul in his fury beforehe was himself destroyed by the forces that guarded the city.A short sharp pain stabbed through the haze, came again and again;Jastouk had read him and reacted without thought or hesitation.He had acome-along hold on Maksim s hand, he was squeezing and pressing on it,generating such agony that it brought Maksim out of his fit, sweating andcursing under his breath. Bid, Jastouk whispered urgently.There was a faint film of sweat on hisskin, a frantic, half-mad glare in his eyes. If you want him, bid. He beganmassaging the hand he d mistreated, still disturbed, his eyes half-closed, hisbreathing a rapid shallow pant. Could ve been me, Maksim muttered. No.Stupid ordinary little git.Not you.Maksim managed an unsteady chuckle. I was a stupid ordinary little git,Jasti.Jastouk shook his head in stubborn disagreement, but he said nothing.The caller had already taken a few bids, starting low, six coppers;he worked that up to thirty coppers, coaxing small increments out of themotley group on the floor.All the boy offered was his youth; he wasn tespecially charming or quick and the Caller continued noncommittal about histalents.The BlackHouse Rep held up five fingers.Fifty coppers.That jolted Maksim out of his brooding.He lifted both hands, showedsix fingers.Though he d recovered from that first shock of identification,he could not possibly let that boy go to BlackHouse;there was only one use they had for a child that age; it made him sickthinking about it.The Rep looked around, scowling.Once they declared interest in an item, theyweren t used to being challenged.He thought a moment, showed six fingersPage 27ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlstraight and a seventh bent.Sixty-five coppers.Maksim showed eight.The Rep looked at him a long moment, looked at the boy, shrugged and let thebid stand.Small coltish boys with no special charm or talent were no rarityand he wouldn t be reprimanded for letting this one go elsewhere.There being no other bids, the Caller hammered the boy to Maksim and the Hinagirl led him off.He d be held in the back until Maksim brought the coin to pay the bid and thetag-fee.Another boy was brought out, older this time, a stocky freckled youth with along torso and short legs. Journey-man gardener, the Caller announced andthe bidding started again.Maksim was annoyed at his loss of control, annoyed at circumstances, Fate,whatever, forcing his hand.What do I do with him? Send him home? Chances areit was his own family sold him to some traveling slaver.Complicating my life.I certainly don t need complications, it s bad enough now, what with Jastoukand his needs and Bramble with those devilkids she dotes on and Karicoming out of school; I ve got to leave for Silili soon if I want to be intime to catch her before she starts home.And now there s old Todich, godsknow how much he s going to cost me.Signs.All these signs.A closure coming.An era pinched off.Turn of the Wheel.I damn well better get myself in orderor that Wheel will roll right over me.Offering to the Juggernaut, smashedmeat.As the bidding continued around him and Jastouk grew restless andunhappy at being ignored, Maksim brooded over the Signs.Sad, sad, sad.Melancholy like the dead leaves eddying around their feet when they came downfrom the Inn.The boy, what did he mean? Was he setting free his baby self sohe could move to true maturity? What was maturity to someone like him whocould extend his life as long as he was interested in living? Was it thewillingness to let go, to die? He thought about death with a curious lack ofemotion.To this point he d fought death with everything he had in him, foughtdeath and won with Brann s help.Brann was gone.He thought about that.Oddfeeling.Like an arm hacked off.Todich.A thread dangling from his past.Tie it off.Send him home.I oweTodich passage home or I m no better than BlackHouse or old king Noshios Ikicked out of Silagamatys.It was a debt he had to pay, a payment he d put offfar too long.It was going to cost.No more BinYAHtii to carry the load.Costdoesn t matter.Ah well.Todichi Yahzi was brought on at the tail of the lot. Here we have an exotic item, looks like a cross between a macaque and somesort of giant bug.It can talk a little and understand what you tell it.Ourreaders have checked it over and it s no demon, so you don t have to worryabout waking up turned into a toad. The Caller chattered on, trying tostir up some interest as the handlers prodded the kwitur up the ramp and gothim to crouch on the Block facing the audience.They poked at him, cursed himin angry hisses, but gave over their efforts at a sign from the Caller whodidn t want his lack of spirit to become too apparent.Maksim waited a moment.No other bids, bless Tungjii Luck.He thought it over,then he lifted a fist, opened up four fingers.Forty coppers.There was somestir in the others on the floor, but no more offers, no matter how cleverlythe Caller wheedled them.Finally he gave up and hammered thekwitur toMaksim.Maksim smoothed his fingers along the nape of Jastouk s neck. Let s go, hesaid. That s it? It s that thing you came for? Are you coming? No.I think not. I ll see you tonight, then. Perhaps.Page 28ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlMaksim thought about coaxing him into a better humor.After a minute hedecided better not.If it was ending, let it end.3Jastouk was gone when Maksim got back from provision-ing the boat [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]