Brust, Steven Vlad Taltos 04 Taltos

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line, the Athyra having just passed. What a thrill it must be to be here
when it actually changed, signaling the passing of another phase of
Dragaeran history. At that point, either the Empress would step
down, or she would have recently done so, or would soon do so, or
perhaps she would refuse and blood would run in the Empire until
the political and the mystical were once more in agreement. When
would it happen? Tomorrow? In a thousand years?
Everyone I ve asked insists that this thing is the Cycle in every
meaningful way, not merely its physical manifestation. I can t make
sense of that, but if you can, more power to you, so to speak.
I glanced at Morrolan and Aliera, who also stared at the Cycle, awe on
their faces.
Boss, the kelsch won t last forever.
Right, Loiosh. Thanks.
I said, All right, folks. Whatever we re going to do, we d best be about
it.
They looked at me, at each other, at the ground, then back at the
Cycle. None of us knew what to do. I turned my back on them and
walked back to look out over the sea again.
I won t say that I m haunted by the look in Raiet s eyes in that last
moment when the Morganti dagger struck him or his scream as his
soul was destroyed. He deserved what happened to him, and that s
that.
But I never got used to touching that weapon. It s the ultimate
predator, hating everything, and it would have been as happy to
destroy me as Raiet. Morganti weapons scare me right down to my
toes, and I m never going to be happy dealing with them. But I guess
it s all part of the job.
The whole thing gave me a couple of days of uneasy conscience in any
case, though. Not, as I say, for Raiet; but somehow this brought home
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to me a thought that I d been ignoring for over a year: I was being paid
money to kill people.
No, I was being paid money to kill Dragaerans; Dragaerans who had
made my life miserable for more than seventeen years. Why shouldn t
I let them make my life pleasant instead? Loiosh, I have to say, was no
help at all in this. He had the instincts of an eater of carrion and
sometime hunter.
I really didn t know if I was creating justifications that would
eventually break down or not. But a couple of days of wondering was
all I could take. I managed to put it out of my mind, and, to be frank, it
hasn t bothered me since.
I don t know, maybe someday it will, and if so I ll deal with it then.
I don t know how long I stood there, perhaps an hour, before
Morrolan and Aliera came up behind me. Then the three of us
watched the waves break for a few minutes. Behind us, the way we d
come, were the Paths of the Dead and the Halls of Judgment. To our
right, beyond the Cycle, was a dark forest, through which lay the way
out, for some of us.
After a time Aliera said, I won t leave without Morrolan.
Morrolan said, You are a fool.
And you re another for coming here when you knew you couldn t get
out alive.
I can think of another fool, Loiosh.
Another two, boss.
That s as may be, said Morrolan. But there is no need to make the
venture useless.
Yes there is. I choose to do so.
It is absurd to kill yourself merely because
It is what I will do. No one, no one will sacrifice his life for me. I
won t have it. We both leave, or we both remain.
There was a cool breeze on the right side of my face. That way was
home. I shook my head. Morrolan should have known better than to
expect rationality from a Dragaeran, much less a Dragonlord. But
then, he was one himself.
Aliera said, Go back, Vlad. I thank you for your help, but your task is
finished.
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Yes, Morrolan was a Dragonlord and a Dragaeran. He was also
pompous and abrasive as hell. So why did I feel such a resistance to
just leaving him? But what else could I do? There was no way to leave
with him, and I, at least, saw no value in pointless gestures.
Morrolan and Aliera were looking at me. I looked away.
Leave, Vlad, said Morrolan. I didn t move.
You heard him, boss. Let s get out of here.
I stood there yet another minute. I wanted to be home, but the notion
of just saying good-bye to Morrolan and walking away, well, I don t
know. It didn t feel right.
I ve spent many fruitless minutes since then wondering what would
have happened if the breeze hadn t shifted just then, bringing with it
the tang of salt and the smell of seaweed.
Dead bodies and seaweed. I chuckled. Yeah, this was a place where
that phrase was appropriate. Where had I first heard it? Oh, yeah, the
bar. Ferenk s. Drinking with Kiera.
Kiera. Right. That. It just might do it. If there was only a way ...
Witchcraft?
I looked at Morrolan and Aliera.
It s crazy, boss.
I know. But still
We don t even know if we re on the same world as
Maybe it doesn t matter.
What if it does?
Boss, do you have any idea how much that will take out of you?
They ll have to carry me back.
If it doesn t work, they won t be able to.
I know.
Loiosh shut up, as he realized I wasn t really listening to him. I dug in
my pack and found my last kelsch leaf.
Aliera said, What is it, Vlad?
An idea for getting Morrolan out of here. Will you two be willing to
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carry me if I can t walk on my own?
Morrolan said, What is it?
Witchcraft, I said.
How
I m going to have to invent a spell. I m not certain it can be done.
I am a witch. Can I help?
I hesitated, then shook my head. I have one more kelsch leaf left. I m
going to chew on it myself in order to get the energy to do the spell. If
you help, who will carry us both out?
Oh. What is the spell intended to do?
I licked my lips, realizing that I didn t want to tell him.
Why not, boss?
He ll just say it can t be done.
Well, can it?
We ll find out.
Why?
I ve always wanted to test myself as a witch. Here s my big chance.
Boss, I m serious. If you put that much into it and it doesn t work it
will
Kill me. I know. Shut up.
And with the amount of energy you ll have to pour into it you won t
be able to stay awake. And
Drop it, Loiosh.
To Morrolan I said, Never mind. Wait here. I m going to find a place
to set this up. I ll probably be near the Cycle, so stay away from there;
I don t want anyone around to distract me. When I m done, if it
works, I ll find you.
What if it doesn t work?
Then you ll find me.
Bribing Treffa had cost quite a bit, as had the soundproofing spells
and the escape, since I dealt directly with a sorceress who worked for
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the Left Hand, rather than going through Feet. Why? I don t know. I
mean, after hiring me, he wouldn t turn around and shine me after I
did the job. If word of that got around, no one would work for him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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