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was gathering a host against Vondium. Then arm, friends! Gather yourselves for the final struggle once
the capital is Vallian once more then the rest of the country must follow.
I did not miss, also, the interesting if ironical fact that this had been made possible by those very people
who had once sought so violently to free themselves from Vondium, to become independent within the
empire. There were strong forces of Hawkwas who persisted with the old and, in my view, fallacious
dream. But the hosts of the North East marched with Jak the Drang for a strong and comradely and
united Vallia.
Mind you, I did not share the view that with the repossession of Vondium our problems would be
solved. The vaster reaches of the island empire would remain in non-Vallian hands. But, I did admit, if
not the end of the affair, then the capture of Vondium would signal the end of the beginning.
Delia had proved herself her usual self in her packing of the flier for the return journey. Among the
contents of the many wicker hampers, beside food and weapons, were lengths of scarlet cloth...
Farris, the Lord of Vomansoir, piloted for some of the time. We had much to say, one to the other, yet
the words were hard to come by... He welcomed my news of the recent events in his province. He had
fought most valiantly in Valka and I in Vomansoir, so we were well quitted.
Once we march into Vondium, majister, he said. Once the people can look with renewed hope to a
strong central power
Not majister, Farris. Jak the Drang. And a strong central power as you put it may be a mischief in
itself.
You do not believe that!
Sometimes I do not. But, sometimes, I wonder. All I want to do is let Vallia alone. To let the people
lead their own lives as they wish, happily. Then I was forced to add, to make absolutely sure Farris
understood: And we shall free all the slaves. It will take time and it will be a messy business; but I am
resolved.
There will be much opposition vigorous and violent opposition. But you know that.
Aye. I know that.
During his sojourn with my people in Valka Farris had seen much of our ways, and understood much
more clearly the way we thought Vallia should go. That we were right was a guiding principle; and we
recognized the pitfalls in this kind of blind arrogance and arrogation of superiority. But the sights and
smells and sounds of the slave bagnios reinforced our determination to go on, in humility, believing that
what we did, in very truth, was the right course.
The men who were once slaves fight right stoutly in the new forces of Vallia, I told Farris. They fight
because they have been promised their freedom. However despicable a device that may be, I tried to
think that in this case it was genuine, that the stalwart brumbytes, those ferocious Hakkodins, the
prowling fighters of the bands closing now on Vondium, would not be betrayed. Then I would brighten.
Anyway, I would say, who was there who would force them back under the yoke of slavery when they
had formed an army, had seen what free men might do, had found themselves as men? There would be
farms and workshops and goodly livings for them in the imperial provinces alone.
Taking Farris north to Vomansoir I dropped him off near his own provincial capital, that was, so the
rascally leader of the bands of Freedom Fighters outside the city informed us, due to the fall on the
morrow. I stayed to watch and in the event to fight. The men surged forward to the attack yelling:
Vallia! and Jak the Drang! and we burst in. The people rose. The Hamalese fought and, not always
but more often than not, defeated the vicious bands of Freedom Fighters who sought to oppose them
directly. But we chivvied and harassed them, and drove them into the fortress, and mewed them up. It
would only be a matter of time, and the Lord Farris expressed himself as highly pleased.
As to the men and women who had resisted so stoutly, only to have their erstwhile lord return at the
penultimate hour, they welcomed Farris, as I believed, because he was known as a just and enlightened
lord, to whom any man might turn in distress in the sure knowledge of sympathy and ready assistance. So
I said.
It was left to a one-eared, dog-toothed rogue to say to me, bold with the camaraderie of the Freedom
Fighters: That may be true, Jen Jak. But, also, the Lord Farris is befriended by you and returns with
your blessings.
And another, a stout woman carrying a butcher s cleaver, her bare forearms red and shining, said: We
know who has given us back our homes and our shops. No one stands over us but Jak the Drang, who
is our lord. And we welcome the Lord Farris because of that. Because he is set back in his place by Jak
the Drang.
And the cry went up: Jak the Drang, Emperor of Vallia. Hai, Jikai! Jak the Drang.
That, as I told the multitudes assembled on the next day, was the rehearsal for Vondium. They cheered.
The broad kyro swarmed with people, packing in; the noise reverberated to the skies. Once the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szamanka888.keep.pl
was gathering a host against Vondium. Then arm, friends! Gather yourselves for the final struggle once
the capital is Vallian once more then the rest of the country must follow.
I did not miss, also, the interesting if ironical fact that this had been made possible by those very people
who had once sought so violently to free themselves from Vondium, to become independent within the
empire. There were strong forces of Hawkwas who persisted with the old and, in my view, fallacious
dream. But the hosts of the North East marched with Jak the Drang for a strong and comradely and
united Vallia.
Mind you, I did not share the view that with the repossession of Vondium our problems would be
solved. The vaster reaches of the island empire would remain in non-Vallian hands. But, I did admit, if
not the end of the affair, then the capture of Vondium would signal the end of the beginning.
Delia had proved herself her usual self in her packing of the flier for the return journey. Among the
contents of the many wicker hampers, beside food and weapons, were lengths of scarlet cloth...
Farris, the Lord of Vomansoir, piloted for some of the time. We had much to say, one to the other, yet
the words were hard to come by... He welcomed my news of the recent events in his province. He had
fought most valiantly in Valka and I in Vomansoir, so we were well quitted.
Once we march into Vondium, majister, he said. Once the people can look with renewed hope to a
strong central power
Not majister, Farris. Jak the Drang. And a strong central power as you put it may be a mischief in
itself.
You do not believe that!
Sometimes I do not. But, sometimes, I wonder. All I want to do is let Vallia alone. To let the people
lead their own lives as they wish, happily. Then I was forced to add, to make absolutely sure Farris
understood: And we shall free all the slaves. It will take time and it will be a messy business; but I am
resolved.
There will be much opposition vigorous and violent opposition. But you know that.
Aye. I know that.
During his sojourn with my people in Valka Farris had seen much of our ways, and understood much
more clearly the way we thought Vallia should go. That we were right was a guiding principle; and we
recognized the pitfalls in this kind of blind arrogance and arrogation of superiority. But the sights and
smells and sounds of the slave bagnios reinforced our determination to go on, in humility, believing that
what we did, in very truth, was the right course.
The men who were once slaves fight right stoutly in the new forces of Vallia, I told Farris. They fight
because they have been promised their freedom. However despicable a device that may be, I tried to
think that in this case it was genuine, that the stalwart brumbytes, those ferocious Hakkodins, the
prowling fighters of the bands closing now on Vondium, would not be betrayed. Then I would brighten.
Anyway, I would say, who was there who would force them back under the yoke of slavery when they
had formed an army, had seen what free men might do, had found themselves as men? There would be
farms and workshops and goodly livings for them in the imperial provinces alone.
Taking Farris north to Vomansoir I dropped him off near his own provincial capital, that was, so the
rascally leader of the bands of Freedom Fighters outside the city informed us, due to the fall on the
morrow. I stayed to watch and in the event to fight. The men surged forward to the attack yelling:
Vallia! and Jak the Drang! and we burst in. The people rose. The Hamalese fought and, not always
but more often than not, defeated the vicious bands of Freedom Fighters who sought to oppose them
directly. But we chivvied and harassed them, and drove them into the fortress, and mewed them up. It
would only be a matter of time, and the Lord Farris expressed himself as highly pleased.
As to the men and women who had resisted so stoutly, only to have their erstwhile lord return at the
penultimate hour, they welcomed Farris, as I believed, because he was known as a just and enlightened
lord, to whom any man might turn in distress in the sure knowledge of sympathy and ready assistance. So
I said.
It was left to a one-eared, dog-toothed rogue to say to me, bold with the camaraderie of the Freedom
Fighters: That may be true, Jen Jak. But, also, the Lord Farris is befriended by you and returns with
your blessings.
And another, a stout woman carrying a butcher s cleaver, her bare forearms red and shining, said: We
know who has given us back our homes and our shops. No one stands over us but Jak the Drang, who
is our lord. And we welcome the Lord Farris because of that. Because he is set back in his place by Jak
the Drang.
And the cry went up: Jak the Drang, Emperor of Vallia. Hai, Jikai! Jak the Drang.
That, as I told the multitudes assembled on the next day, was the rehearsal for Vondium. They cheered.
The broad kyro swarmed with people, packing in; the noise reverberated to the skies. Once the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]