[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.But Tobo scouted the country north of Gharhawnes in ever greater detail, sometimes even going out in person, when he went flying with Shukrat.The two of them were getting very chummy.In private I observed, “This is getting distinctly weird.We’re allies with Soulcatcher against our daughter and Kina.We’re allies with the traitor Mogaba against your sister.We’re allies with a demigod whose price for supporting us is that we murder him.”Lady chuckled weakly.“You did say it has a mythic ring.”“You know something? It’s got me scared.”She stared at nothing, waiting for me to explain.“Scared in a generalized way, not scared like when we’re in a fight.Scared of the shape the future might take.” I had a bad, bad feeling.Because on the surface everything looked just too marvelous for the Black Company.* * ** * *59With the Middle Army:When Guests ArrivedThe Goblin creature proved difficult to catch.What should have taken just a few days took two weeks and, in the end, necessitated Soulcatcher’s personal intervention—with, to her chagrin, considerable coaching from the shadowy cat thing she could never quite see and never quite ambush and bind to her own service.In the meantime she amused herself with the girl.The Daughter of Night was imprisoned in a cage inside Soulcatcher’s tent.That was the largest and most ostentatious tent in the midway camp.The girl had been stripped naked, then had been decorated with a variety of chains and charms.She would not be guarded by or even approached by anyone male.Soulcatcher knew only too well how men could be manipulated by the women of her blood.Though the girl did not seem interested in listening, Soulcatcher said, “To this day I’m not quite sure how you and that old man managed to get away from me.But I have some suspicions.And it won’t happen again.You’re far too important to your mother to be running around loose.” The voice Soulcatcher selected was annoyingly pedantic.The girl did not respond.She was alone in her own reality.This was not her first time as a prisoner of someone who planned to use her.She could be patient.Her moment would come.Someone would slip up.An impressionable guard would be assigned.Something.Somewhere, sometime, she would have an opportunity to deceive someone into loving her long enough to want to set her free.The girl’s continued indifference pricked Soulcatcher into trying to hurt her with news she had wanted to reserve.“He’s dead, you know.Your old man.Narayan Singh.He was strangled.They threw his body in a cesspit.”That blow did strike home.But after an initial flinch and a brief, black look the Daughter of Night lowered her eyes and settled back into her pose of patient indifference.Soulcatcher laughed.“Your freak Goddess has abandoned you.”To which the girl offered her only spoken response since her capture.“All their days are numbered.” Which was like a slap in Soulcatcher’s face.It was one of those slogans Black Company-inspired graffitists had used to taunt her for years.Soulcatcher snatched a whip, flailed away without doing the girl much harm.The cage itself prevented that.Someone shouted for Soulcatcher’s attention from outside the entrance to her tent.In that respect her soldiers were well-trained.They did not bother her with trivia.Responding, Soulcatcher found a gaggle of soldiers with a dead man on a crude litter.The corpse was twisted.Its features were severely distorted.Raindrops slid off the ruined face like tears.“You,” she said, picking a man.“Tell it.” A cavalryman covered with mud, he must have been on picket duty.“This man came up from the south.He gave the proper recognition signs.He told us that he was bringing you important news about traitors but wouldn’t say anything else.”“He arrived healthy? How did he get this way?”“Just before we got to camp he stood up in his stirrups and screamed.His horse reared and threw him.After he hit the ground he shuddered and twitched and made gurgling noises trying to scream.And then he died.”“Traitors?” No doubt there would be many of those to pay off before this played out.These situations brought them out from under every rock and bush.“That’s all he said, ma’am.”“Bring him inside.It’s possible I can still get a little something out of him.Be careful where you track your mud.” She stepped aside, even held the flap for the soldiers.Reluctantly, a few found courage enough to bring the body forward.Soulcatcher’s soldiers shared a common opinion that it was not good to catch the Protector’s eye.These stepped carefully, leaving as little mud and moisture as possible.In a merry young voice Soulcatcher observed, “You must all have mothers [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]