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."And to me.I find it close to inconceivable that one of them could be the traitor." And then Chenko hurried in with the strangest look on his face."What?" snapped Aeswiren."We have found him, we have found Hesh."Aeswiren's heart leaped."Good.Give thanks to the Gods for that.Where?""In the gardens of Lakank House.He was found by a bed of zajola flowers, just standing there.""Is he sane?""I don't know.""Let us see him.""It makes me uneasy, my lord.""Yes, but you have searched him thoroughly by now.He is only a man.I fear no man, not with Klek here and my own sword on my hip.""This is magic, my lord.The First Finger says he remembers nothing.He feels well, he commends himself and his health to you, my lord.There are no visible marks on his body.""What did he say, exactly?""What did he say, oh, many, many things, my lord.I could not remember them all.He babbled like a madman at times, but then he calmed and became perfectly normal."Aeswiren's eyes tightened momentarily.He hated this evil magic and knew its source.He itched to bury his sword in the Old One before another day was gone."Bring him to me." Aeswiren looked around at the room."Not here.Take him to the Library of Euphasian.""Yes, my lord."Chenko left them."What do you make of that?" Aeswiren asked Grimes."Magic, my lord.You mentioned the Old One.That must be the source.""Aye, it must be.It is time to rid Shasht of this malign presence.""Yes, my lord."Aeswiren looked at Grimes for a moment.The response had been lacking ever so slightly in enthusiasm.A tiny thing, but in this situation Aeswiren knew he could afford no mistakes.He moved to the Library of Euphasian, a long gallery of shelves and windows on a high floor of the east wing.It was one of the better libraries, established by Norgeeben's personal secretary, the learned Euphasian.Hesh was brought in.As Chenko had said, Hesh appeared quite normal, from his flat-top, iron-grey hair through the flinty eyes and level mouth."My lord, forgive me." Hesh dropped to his knees and lowered his head."Hesh, please get up."Hesh got to his feet, stood before Aeswiren.Aeswiren searched in the man's eyes."What the hell happened to you, Hesh?""I do not know, my lord.I was in my bed, asleep, and then I awoke in the gardens, under a linden tree.""I do not like such mysteries.""No, my lord.Nor do I.""You were in bed and you remember nothing, not a single thing?""Nothing, my lord.""This must have been magic of a most fell and powerful kind.""Yes, my lord, my conclusion, too.""Both of your guards were killed.""Yes, my lord, I heard that.I grieve for them, they were good men."Aeswiren paced up and down.He wished he could kick off his boots and walk barefoot on a nice Nisjani rug.It always soothed him to walk on a fine rug."This is the work of the Old One."At the mention of the name, Hesh nodded, but his eyes widened momentarily.Grimes and Chenko, too, rose up on the balls of their feet.All three were aware that this was the gravest of the Secrets of the State."Hesh, you remember my plan?"Hesh's eyes widened further."Yes, my lord.""It will be put into operation at once.Do you understand?"Hesh's face had changed color, flushing a wild red.His eyes bulged in his face, his mouth worked.Suddenly, with no further warning, he leaped at Aeswiren with arms outstretched.Aeswiren was taken by surprise by Hesh's speed.Hesh's hands closed on the Emperor's throat.The fingers dug in like talons.Aeswiren thrust up with his knee, hit Hesh across the side of the head with either hand.The fingers still closed on his throat, still tore at the skin.Aeswiren heard a voice bellow; hands gripped Hesh by the shoulders and tried to pull him away.Someone screamed.The door to the library burst open, and the guards came in.Klek was already there.Aeswiren drove his knee into Hesh's belly again and finally broke the man's grip.Aeswiren's right hand came over and smashed Hesh on the side of the face, spinning him around.Aeswiren's left hand came in at the solar plexus as Hesh spun, and the man was driven back a step.By then many more details of the scene were horrifyingly obvious.Chenko was down, Grimes stood with a sword dripping blood.The Hand had been thoroughly penetrated.But before Grimes could finish the job and kill him, Klek was there.He engaged Grimes, sword to sword.The pair of guards surged toward Hesh.Unfortunately Hesh came back up onto his feet with insectal rapidity and met the guards head on.His high kick knocked one guard down, and then Hesh tore the other guard's sword from his hand.That guard fell a moment later as the sword ripped out his throat.Then Hesh turned back to Aeswiren.It had taken but a few seconds, but that had been enough for Aeswiren to ready himself [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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."And to me.I find it close to inconceivable that one of them could be the traitor." And then Chenko hurried in with the strangest look on his face."What?" snapped Aeswiren."We have found him, we have found Hesh."Aeswiren's heart leaped."Good.Give thanks to the Gods for that.Where?""In the gardens of Lakank House.He was found by a bed of zajola flowers, just standing there.""Is he sane?""I don't know.""Let us see him.""It makes me uneasy, my lord.""Yes, but you have searched him thoroughly by now.He is only a man.I fear no man, not with Klek here and my own sword on my hip.""This is magic, my lord.The First Finger says he remembers nothing.He feels well, he commends himself and his health to you, my lord.There are no visible marks on his body.""What did he say, exactly?""What did he say, oh, many, many things, my lord.I could not remember them all.He babbled like a madman at times, but then he calmed and became perfectly normal."Aeswiren's eyes tightened momentarily.He hated this evil magic and knew its source.He itched to bury his sword in the Old One before another day was gone."Bring him to me." Aeswiren looked around at the room."Not here.Take him to the Library of Euphasian.""Yes, my lord."Chenko left them."What do you make of that?" Aeswiren asked Grimes."Magic, my lord.You mentioned the Old One.That must be the source.""Aye, it must be.It is time to rid Shasht of this malign presence.""Yes, my lord."Aeswiren looked at Grimes for a moment.The response had been lacking ever so slightly in enthusiasm.A tiny thing, but in this situation Aeswiren knew he could afford no mistakes.He moved to the Library of Euphasian, a long gallery of shelves and windows on a high floor of the east wing.It was one of the better libraries, established by Norgeeben's personal secretary, the learned Euphasian.Hesh was brought in.As Chenko had said, Hesh appeared quite normal, from his flat-top, iron-grey hair through the flinty eyes and level mouth."My lord, forgive me." Hesh dropped to his knees and lowered his head."Hesh, please get up."Hesh got to his feet, stood before Aeswiren.Aeswiren searched in the man's eyes."What the hell happened to you, Hesh?""I do not know, my lord.I was in my bed, asleep, and then I awoke in the gardens, under a linden tree.""I do not like such mysteries.""No, my lord.Nor do I.""You were in bed and you remember nothing, not a single thing?""Nothing, my lord.""This must have been magic of a most fell and powerful kind.""Yes, my lord, my conclusion, too.""Both of your guards were killed.""Yes, my lord, I heard that.I grieve for them, they were good men."Aeswiren paced up and down.He wished he could kick off his boots and walk barefoot on a nice Nisjani rug.It always soothed him to walk on a fine rug."This is the work of the Old One."At the mention of the name, Hesh nodded, but his eyes widened momentarily.Grimes and Chenko, too, rose up on the balls of their feet.All three were aware that this was the gravest of the Secrets of the State."Hesh, you remember my plan?"Hesh's eyes widened further."Yes, my lord.""It will be put into operation at once.Do you understand?"Hesh's face had changed color, flushing a wild red.His eyes bulged in his face, his mouth worked.Suddenly, with no further warning, he leaped at Aeswiren with arms outstretched.Aeswiren was taken by surprise by Hesh's speed.Hesh's hands closed on the Emperor's throat.The fingers dug in like talons.Aeswiren thrust up with his knee, hit Hesh across the side of the head with either hand.The fingers still closed on his throat, still tore at the skin.Aeswiren heard a voice bellow; hands gripped Hesh by the shoulders and tried to pull him away.Someone screamed.The door to the library burst open, and the guards came in.Klek was already there.Aeswiren drove his knee into Hesh's belly again and finally broke the man's grip.Aeswiren's right hand came over and smashed Hesh on the side of the face, spinning him around.Aeswiren's left hand came in at the solar plexus as Hesh spun, and the man was driven back a step.By then many more details of the scene were horrifyingly obvious.Chenko was down, Grimes stood with a sword dripping blood.The Hand had been thoroughly penetrated.But before Grimes could finish the job and kill him, Klek was there.He engaged Grimes, sword to sword.The pair of guards surged toward Hesh.Unfortunately Hesh came back up onto his feet with insectal rapidity and met the guards head on.His high kick knocked one guard down, and then Hesh tore the other guard's sword from his hand.That guard fell a moment later as the sword ripped out his throat.Then Hesh turned back to Aeswiren.It had taken but a few seconds, but that had been enough for Aeswiren to ready himself [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]