[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
on the streets.
Twenty yards from the hut, Blade put Cheeky down. The feather-monkey fell back
while Crystal came forward to stand on Blade's left. For a moment Blade again
savored the unusual sensation of not having to go into battle alone. Then he
charged straight at the door of the hut.
Blade's two hundred and ten fast-moving pounds hit the hut door like a
battering ram. The door's hinges were leather thongs and they snapped like
thread. The door not only flew off its hinges, it flew clear across the hut
and smashed itself to kindling wood against the far wall.
There were two people in the middle of the hut, the Wise One and River Over
Stones. The Wise One wore nothing but her scars and a head band, and was
riding astride River, who wore about the same.
Lost in lust for the moment, neither of them even looked up until the flying
door hit the far wall.
Moyla wasn't so pleasantly busy and was more alert. Out of the corner of his
eye Blade saw her snatch up something, then dart toward him. As she moved, he
also heard a wordless screech in his mind.
("Master! Moyla dangerous!")
Blade couldn't see how a creature even smaller and weaker than Cheeky could
possibly be dangerous, but he was too well trained to ignore any warning. He
remembered what one of his combat instructors said: React first, evaluate
afterward, and you just may live to die in bed.
Blade leaped high and to one side as Moyla came at him. She could turn
practically on a dust mote, though, and changed course to match Blade's
movements. He had time to see she was holding something in her hand, long and
thin with a glistening black tip.
Then Cheeky darted between Blade's legs and ran against Moyla so hard that she
bounced off him like a billiard ball. The black-tipped object flew out of her
paw and landed on the floor. Cheeky jumped on top of it, arms outstretched to
fend Moyla off without hurting her. His crest was laid back, though, and his
mouth was open to show all his teeth.
Moyla ignored Cheeky's obvious distaste for a fight to the death. She came at
him again and grappled, trying to get him away from her weapon. Cheeky refused
to be budged. The feather-monkey and his ex-girlfriend rolled over and over,
screeching and clawing at each other until fur and feathers flew.
By this time the two humans were also alert. The Wise One's techniques of
mental control got her ready
to fight faster. Blade saw her leap to her feet, a knife in her hand. She
would be fast and probably dangerous with it, even more dangerous if she had
time to use her telepathic weapons.
The blunders of her ally and lover kept her from using either. River Over
Stones lurched to his feet, holding a spear and shouting obscene curses at Eye
of Crystal. Any fool could have seen that he was in no shape to fight, and Eye
of Crystal was the first to take action. She brushed past Blade, closed with
River, and kicked him smartly between the legs.
River's scream froze everyone in the hut except Blade and Cheeky. Blade
snatched up River's spear as the young man doubled up. He was tempted to
return it at once to its owner, point first, but he remembered in time that
River Over Stones owed his people an explanation and ought to be kept alive
long enough to give it. So he reversed the spear and slammed the butt down on
River's skull. The man crumpled and flopped to the floor almost at Blade's
feet, twitching and writhing as the agony in his groin penetrated even his
half-numb brain.
Meanwhile, Cheeky got on top of Moyla and pounded her head against the hard
earth of the hut floor until she went limp. For a moment he knelt beside her,
making little noises that might have meant anything.
He wasn't sending any telepathic messages, and Blade certainly wasn't going to
Page 72
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
intrude on his mind at this time anyway. If he'd had any doubts about the
sincerity of Cheeky's return and loyalty, they were now forever laid to rest.
After a moment he bent down, patted Cheeky gently on the head, and picked up
Moyla's weapon. It was a long thin dagger, almost a needle, with its point
covered for several inches with something black and glistening like tar. Blade
didn't try to examine it closely or wipe it off; he merely wedged the dagger
into a chink in the logs where it couldn't be stepped on or grabbed by an
enemy.
Two of the three enemies were in no shape to grab anything. A sudden wail from
Cheeky told Blade that
Moyla was dead, while River Over Stones had passed out from pain. While Blade
kept an eye on the
Wise One, Eye of Crystal dragged River to the door, tore up her loinguard, and
tied him hand and foot with the strips. Blade stopped worrying about the
girl's handling herself in action.
While all this was happening, the Wise One was standing by the tangled furs
and skins on the floor.
Except for the rise and fall of her breasts and the sweat on her thighs, she
might have been a statue.
Blade was careful to avoid meeting her eyes. He wasn't sure what telepathic
weapons she might have, but he wasn't going to give any of them a chance.
Then the footsteps of what sounded like half the village thudded outside, and
the doorway was suddenly filled with people. Blade wasn't surprised, since
River Over Stones had made enough noise to be heard for miles. Eye of Crystal
was nearly knocked down, and Cheeky had to jump onto Blade's shoulder to keep
from being trampled.
"This is no true hiba-gan, " said Blade. "This is the Wise One of the Rutari.
She came here disguised as a hiba-gan to kill me for fleeing from the unlawful
ways of the Rutari. Not far from here her friend Ellspa waits to help her."
"She could still have taken a hiba-gan's vows," said someone outside.
"She has not," said Crystal. "When we entered, she and River Over Stones were
as man and woman.
Hiba-gans are celibate."
A long sigh issued from the crowd. Then Winter Owl's voice rose above it.
"Make way for the
Guardian!"
The warrior and the shaman marched into the hut side by side, and Blade
stepped clear to give them room to face the Wise One. For the first time, the
woman seemed uneasy. She'd been prepared for death or torture, but to see her
one equal among all the telepaths of Latan facing her was another matter,
particularly without Moyla. She licked her lips.
"I have heard everything," said the Guardian, "and your life is mine to take
as I will. You know this is true. You came here to do murder, without an oath
protecting you, and disguised as a Holy Wanderer.
Three times over, your life is mine to take."
"That is so," said the Wise One. It was the first sound she made.
"But I will not give you to Winter Owl or to Blade of England to kill slowly,"
the Guardian went on.
"Instead, I give Challenge. Meet my Challenge, here and now, without calling
your friend Ellspa, and if you win, you may go free. "
The Wise One's eyes widened in surprise. "You swear this by the Wisdom?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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on the streets.
Twenty yards from the hut, Blade put Cheeky down. The feather-monkey fell back
while Crystal came forward to stand on Blade's left. For a moment Blade again
savored the unusual sensation of not having to go into battle alone. Then he
charged straight at the door of the hut.
Blade's two hundred and ten fast-moving pounds hit the hut door like a
battering ram. The door's hinges were leather thongs and they snapped like
thread. The door not only flew off its hinges, it flew clear across the hut
and smashed itself to kindling wood against the far wall.
There were two people in the middle of the hut, the Wise One and River Over
Stones. The Wise One wore nothing but her scars and a head band, and was
riding astride River, who wore about the same.
Lost in lust for the moment, neither of them even looked up until the flying
door hit the far wall.
Moyla wasn't so pleasantly busy and was more alert. Out of the corner of his
eye Blade saw her snatch up something, then dart toward him. As she moved, he
also heard a wordless screech in his mind.
("Master! Moyla dangerous!")
Blade couldn't see how a creature even smaller and weaker than Cheeky could
possibly be dangerous, but he was too well trained to ignore any warning. He
remembered what one of his combat instructors said: React first, evaluate
afterward, and you just may live to die in bed.
Blade leaped high and to one side as Moyla came at him. She could turn
practically on a dust mote, though, and changed course to match Blade's
movements. He had time to see she was holding something in her hand, long and
thin with a glistening black tip.
Then Cheeky darted between Blade's legs and ran against Moyla so hard that she
bounced off him like a billiard ball. The black-tipped object flew out of her
paw and landed on the floor. Cheeky jumped on top of it, arms outstretched to
fend Moyla off without hurting her. His crest was laid back, though, and his
mouth was open to show all his teeth.
Moyla ignored Cheeky's obvious distaste for a fight to the death. She came at
him again and grappled, trying to get him away from her weapon. Cheeky refused
to be budged. The feather-monkey and his ex-girlfriend rolled over and over,
screeching and clawing at each other until fur and feathers flew.
By this time the two humans were also alert. The Wise One's techniques of
mental control got her ready
to fight faster. Blade saw her leap to her feet, a knife in her hand. She
would be fast and probably dangerous with it, even more dangerous if she had
time to use her telepathic weapons.
The blunders of her ally and lover kept her from using either. River Over
Stones lurched to his feet, holding a spear and shouting obscene curses at Eye
of Crystal. Any fool could have seen that he was in no shape to fight, and Eye
of Crystal was the first to take action. She brushed past Blade, closed with
River, and kicked him smartly between the legs.
River's scream froze everyone in the hut except Blade and Cheeky. Blade
snatched up River's spear as the young man doubled up. He was tempted to
return it at once to its owner, point first, but he remembered in time that
River Over Stones owed his people an explanation and ought to be kept alive
long enough to give it. So he reversed the spear and slammed the butt down on
River's skull. The man crumpled and flopped to the floor almost at Blade's
feet, twitching and writhing as the agony in his groin penetrated even his
half-numb brain.
Meanwhile, Cheeky got on top of Moyla and pounded her head against the hard
earth of the hut floor until she went limp. For a moment he knelt beside her,
making little noises that might have meant anything.
He wasn't sending any telepathic messages, and Blade certainly wasn't going to
Page 72
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
intrude on his mind at this time anyway. If he'd had any doubts about the
sincerity of Cheeky's return and loyalty, they were now forever laid to rest.
After a moment he bent down, patted Cheeky gently on the head, and picked up
Moyla's weapon. It was a long thin dagger, almost a needle, with its point
covered for several inches with something black and glistening like tar. Blade
didn't try to examine it closely or wipe it off; he merely wedged the dagger
into a chink in the logs where it couldn't be stepped on or grabbed by an
enemy.
Two of the three enemies were in no shape to grab anything. A sudden wail from
Cheeky told Blade that
Moyla was dead, while River Over Stones had passed out from pain. While Blade
kept an eye on the
Wise One, Eye of Crystal dragged River to the door, tore up her loinguard, and
tied him hand and foot with the strips. Blade stopped worrying about the
girl's handling herself in action.
While all this was happening, the Wise One was standing by the tangled furs
and skins on the floor.
Except for the rise and fall of her breasts and the sweat on her thighs, she
might have been a statue.
Blade was careful to avoid meeting her eyes. He wasn't sure what telepathic
weapons she might have, but he wasn't going to give any of them a chance.
Then the footsteps of what sounded like half the village thudded outside, and
the doorway was suddenly filled with people. Blade wasn't surprised, since
River Over Stones had made enough noise to be heard for miles. Eye of Crystal
was nearly knocked down, and Cheeky had to jump onto Blade's shoulder to keep
from being trampled.
"This is no true hiba-gan, " said Blade. "This is the Wise One of the Rutari.
She came here disguised as a hiba-gan to kill me for fleeing from the unlawful
ways of the Rutari. Not far from here her friend Ellspa waits to help her."
"She could still have taken a hiba-gan's vows," said someone outside.
"She has not," said Crystal. "When we entered, she and River Over Stones were
as man and woman.
Hiba-gans are celibate."
A long sigh issued from the crowd. Then Winter Owl's voice rose above it.
"Make way for the
Guardian!"
The warrior and the shaman marched into the hut side by side, and Blade
stepped clear to give them room to face the Wise One. For the first time, the
woman seemed uneasy. She'd been prepared for death or torture, but to see her
one equal among all the telepaths of Latan facing her was another matter,
particularly without Moyla. She licked her lips.
"I have heard everything," said the Guardian, "and your life is mine to take
as I will. You know this is true. You came here to do murder, without an oath
protecting you, and disguised as a Holy Wanderer.
Three times over, your life is mine to take."
"That is so," said the Wise One. It was the first sound she made.
"But I will not give you to Winter Owl or to Blade of England to kill slowly,"
the Guardian went on.
"Instead, I give Challenge. Meet my Challenge, here and now, without calling
your friend Ellspa, and if you win, you may go free. "
The Wise One's eyes widened in surprise. "You swear this by the Wisdom?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]