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.In the mean time, he and hiscompanions are making themselves at home in an excellent suite of rooms in theTower of Chains, and there is nothing we can do to prevent them wandering theAgriont, causing whatever mischief they please!' There is something we coulddo&'The Tower of Chains is very high.If somebody were to fall ''No.Not yet.We have already pushed our luck as far as it will go in certaincircles.For the time being at least, we must tread carefully.''There is always the possibility of an interrogation.If we were to arrestthem, I could soon find out who they are working for ''Tread carefully, I said! I want you to look into this Magus, Glokta, and hiscompanions.Find out who they are, where they come from, what they are after.Above all, find out who is behind them, and why.We must discredit thiswould-be Bayaz before he can do any damage.After that you can use whatevermeans you please.' Sult turned and moved away to the window.Glokta got up awkwardly, painfully from his chair.'How shall I begin?''Follow them!' shouted the Arch Lector impatiently.'Watch them! See who theyspeak to, what they are about.You're the Inquisitor, Glokta!' he snapped,without even looking round.'Ask some questions!'Better than Death« ^ »'We're looking for a woman,' said the officer, staring at them suspiciously.'An escaped slave, a killer.Very dangerous.''A woman, master?' asked Yulwei, his brow wrinkled with confusion.'Dangerous,master?''Yes, a woman!' The officer waved his hand impatiently.'Tall, with a scar,hair cropped short.Well-armed, most likely, with a bow.' Ferro stood there,tall and scarred, hair cropped short, bow over her shoulder, and looked downat the dusty ground.'She is wanted, by the highest of authorities! A thiefand a murderer, many times over!'Yulwei gave a humble smile and spread his hands.'We have seen no such personmaster.I and my son are unarmed, as you can see.' Ferro looked downuncomfortably at the curved blade of the sword stuck through her belt, shiningin the bright sun.The officer didn't seem to notice though.He swatted at afly as Yulwei blathered on.'Neither one of us would know what to do with sucha thing as a bow, I can assure you.We trust in God to protect us, master, andin the Emperors matchless soldiers.'The officer snorted.'Very wise, old man.What's your business here?''I am a merchant, on my way to Dagoska, to purchase spices,' and he gave agrovelling bow, 'with your kind permission.''Trading with the pinks are you? Damn Union!' The officer spat in the dust.'Still, a man has to make a living, I suppose, if a shameful one.Trade whileyou can, the pinks will be gone soon, swept back into the ocean!' He puffedout his chest with pride.'The Emperor, Uthman-ul-Dosht, has sworn it! What doyou think of that, old man?''Oh, it will be a great day, a great day,' said Yulwei, bowing low again, 'mayGod bring it to us soon, master!'The officer looked Ferro up and down.'Your son looks a strong lad.Perhapshe'd make a soldier.' He took a step towards her and grabbed hold of her barearm.'That's a strong arm.That arm could draw a bow, I'd say, if it weretaught.What do you say, boy? A man's work, fighting for the glory of God, andyour Emperor! Better than grubbing for a pittance!' Ferro's flesh crawledwhere his fingers touched her skin.Her other hand crept towards her knife.Page 144ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html'Alas,' said Yulwei quickly, 'my son was born& simple.He scarcely speaks.''Ah.A shame.The time may come when we need every man.Savages they may be,but these pinks can fight.' The officer turned away and Ferro scowled afterhim.'Very well, you may go!' He waved them on.The eyes of his soldiers,lounging in the shade of the palms around the road, followed them as theywalked past, but without much interest.Ferro held her tongue until the encampment had dwindled into the distancebehind them, then she rounded on Yulwei.'Dagoska?''To begin with,' said the old man, staring off across the scrubby plain.'Andthen north.''North?''Across the Circle Sea to Adua.'Across the sea? She stopped in the road.'I'm not fucking going there!''Must you make everything so difficult, Ferro? Are you that happy here inGurkhul?''These northerners are mad, everyone knows it! Pinks, Union, or whatever.Mad!Godless!'Yulwei raised an eyebrow at her.'I didn't know you were so interested in God,Ferro.''At least I know there is one!' she shouted, pointing at the sky.'Thesepinks, they don't think like us, like real people! We've no business withtheir kind! I'd rather stay among the Gurkish! Besides, I've scores to settlehere.''What scores? Going to kill Uthman?'She frowned.'Perhaps I will.''Huh.' Yulwei turned and headed off up the road.'They're looking for you,Ferro, in case you hadn't noticed.You wouldn't get ten strides without myhelp.They've still got that cage waiting, remember? The one in front of thepalace? They are anxious to fill it.' Ferro ground her teeth.'Uthman is theEmperor now.Ul-Dosht, they call him.The mighty! The merciless! GreatestEmperor for a hundred years, they are saying already.Kill the Emperor!'Yulwei chuckled to himself.'You're quite a character alright.Quite acharacter.'Ferro scowled as she followed the old man up the hill.She wasn't looking tobe anyone's character.Yulwei could make these soldiers see whatever hepleased, and that was a smart trick, but she'd be damned if she was goingnorth [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]