[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
. What? Six gold pieces? Over several months, my lord. And you have the notes to prove that? The innkeeper grabbed a bundle of pieces ofparchment out of his pouch and laid them on thetable in front of Anaxantis, who picked one out of thecrumpled heap. That's his handwriting, all right. He sat down and took a piece of parchment.Hastily he wrote, Tomar, pay this man what he is owed out ofmy personal account.Discreetly.Tell nobody,the concerned party included.A. He sprinkled fine sand out of a box on theparchment, let it absorb the excess of ink, and blewon it. Page, he shouted.Sterff came running. Sterff, accompany this man to master Tomar'soffices and give him this. He handed the page the parchment. You'll be paid immediately, he said. Thank you, my lord.My little girl also thanks you. That's all right.No need to tell anybody of this.Ifthe situation should repeat itself, just come to me.Discreetly. Of course, my lord. A fine young man, the lord governor, theinnkeeper of The Cranky Goat thought, followingSterff. In fact I should pay master Lethoras.Everytime he gives a round of drinks, others start tofollow his example.They give him drinks, just for him to sing one of his ribald songs.The girls likehim.Very much so.The evenings he is there,people stay far longer than usual.But I need themoney, and, after all, he signed for it. Lethoras knocked and without waiting entered. You asked for me? he said, sitting down on thefirst available chair.Anaxantis looked up from his documents. Yes.You know that tomorrow I'm leaving for theRenuvian Plains and that I am going by Mirkadesh.Guess what? You're going too. Oh good, I'll go pack immediately. Yes, pack four hundred infantrymen and ahundred cavalry men from the Amirathan Militia.They're coming with us as far as Mirkadesh, wherethey probably will be staying.You're leading them. Have them ready to march by tomorrow?Anaxantis, how long were you planning this? About a week, I think. And you tell me now? I thought it would be a good exercise. Anaxantissmiled. Shouldn't we be able to march on the spurof the moment? Or do you suggest we write theMukthars a note when they attack: Please, give us afew days to prepare as for the moment we will beunable to resist you, and hope for the best? Lethoras grinned. No, you're right. I'll give you further instructions on the way andagain once I have been able to see with my own eyes what's what.I have a feeling there is somethingvery strange going on in that place. You'll want me to stay there then? In any case, you're not coming with me to thePlains.I want to be able to travel fast.Reconnoiter asection, give the map makers some time to makesketches that they can work out later, and move on.Ican't be slowed down by infantry. I see.We are an occupying force, I gather? Will amere five hundred men be enough for the wholecounty? The population is concentrated in a few villages,and they said they are not able to defendthemselves.So yes, that should be enough.To makecertain, have a contingent of double that size on theready.If you should run into major trouble, which Ihighly doubt, they can be there in less than two days.Give clear instructions that the cavalry units are toproceed as fast as they can to come to your aidwhenever you ask for them.They're not to wait for theinfantry.Take trained courier pigeons with you. Seems like a plan.This begins to feel more andmore like preparation for war. It's a beginning, anyway, Anaxantis sighed. There are still a lot of pieces missing from the chessboard, though. Mother, I need your help.Now. You'll find them. Lethoras yawned. You alwaysdo.We have the fullest confidence in you. That's nice to know, Anaxantis said doubtfully. If there is nothing else, I would like to get started.Ihave my work cut out for me. No, that was it.Unless you have something youwanted to tell me? Anaxantis looked at him expectantly.Lethorasseemed to be thinking. No.Not really.I'm off then. Rullio of Brenx descended the long slope that ledto the town of Nira.The presence of the fort, and thefact that the high king was in residence, lent theprovincial backwater whatever importance it had.Rullio hoped it was big enough to have a silversmith.When Portonas's men had caught him he had beenon a nightly mission, and he had left his money in histent.Luckily he had been wearing his silvernecklace.He hoped he could sell it and thatwhatever he got for it would be enough to see himhome.But first he longed for a decent meal and abath to wash off almost a year of grime.The slope gave out on a road that led to the town'smain gate.He had barely crossed it when out of theshadows a man wearing a long black mantleappeared.A hood covered most of his face. Rullio? he asked. Rullio of Brenx? I must be more famous than I thought, Rullioanswered suspiciously. Who is asking? A friend.I will try to answer all your questionslater.You must be hungry.Follow me.I know anexcellent establishment. I have no money and I have.Don't worry.Follow me.You've got nothingto lose. Rullio thought for a moment.He didn't agree withthe man.He had his life to lose.Or his newly foundfreedom.On the other hand, he had his sword.Laying his left hand casually on the hilt, he nodded. Lead the way, sir. Without another word the man turned and hastilybegan walking in the direction of the town center,until suddenly, he turned into an alley.Rullio almosthad to run to keep up.The excellent establishmentturned out to be a rather shabby looking tavern.TheTooth and Nail, a dilapidated board declared.Forthe second time today, his eyes had to adjust, thistime to the dark he had been used to for so long.From inside the grubby place it was impossible tojudge if it was day or night.The man walked to the back, where in a cornerstood a little table with two chairs.He took the onewith its back to the wall, from where he couldoversee the tavern and its few patrons.Meanwhilethe landlord, who seemed to know his guest, hadwhispered something to a boy of about fourteenyears, who immediately began taking the chairsaway from two tables that stood close by.While Rullio sat down, the man blew out the candlethat stood on the table. Yes, get rid of that blinding light, Rullio said.The man didn't respond.The landlord silently put a jug of wine and two cups on the table. This young man is hungry.Bring him whatever isfreshest [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl milosnikstop.keep.pl
. What? Six gold pieces? Over several months, my lord. And you have the notes to prove that? The innkeeper grabbed a bundle of pieces ofparchment out of his pouch and laid them on thetable in front of Anaxantis, who picked one out of thecrumpled heap. That's his handwriting, all right. He sat down and took a piece of parchment.Hastily he wrote, Tomar, pay this man what he is owed out ofmy personal account.Discreetly.Tell nobody,the concerned party included.A. He sprinkled fine sand out of a box on theparchment, let it absorb the excess of ink, and blewon it. Page, he shouted.Sterff came running. Sterff, accompany this man to master Tomar'soffices and give him this. He handed the page the parchment. You'll be paid immediately, he said. Thank you, my lord.My little girl also thanks you. That's all right.No need to tell anybody of this.Ifthe situation should repeat itself, just come to me.Discreetly. Of course, my lord. A fine young man, the lord governor, theinnkeeper of The Cranky Goat thought, followingSterff. In fact I should pay master Lethoras.Everytime he gives a round of drinks, others start tofollow his example.They give him drinks, just for him to sing one of his ribald songs.The girls likehim.Very much so.The evenings he is there,people stay far longer than usual.But I need themoney, and, after all, he signed for it. Lethoras knocked and without waiting entered. You asked for me? he said, sitting down on thefirst available chair.Anaxantis looked up from his documents. Yes.You know that tomorrow I'm leaving for theRenuvian Plains and that I am going by Mirkadesh.Guess what? You're going too. Oh good, I'll go pack immediately. Yes, pack four hundred infantrymen and ahundred cavalry men from the Amirathan Militia.They're coming with us as far as Mirkadesh, wherethey probably will be staying.You're leading them. Have them ready to march by tomorrow?Anaxantis, how long were you planning this? About a week, I think. And you tell me now? I thought it would be a good exercise. Anaxantissmiled. Shouldn't we be able to march on the spurof the moment? Or do you suggest we write theMukthars a note when they attack: Please, give us afew days to prepare as for the moment we will beunable to resist you, and hope for the best? Lethoras grinned. No, you're right. I'll give you further instructions on the way andagain once I have been able to see with my own eyes what's what.I have a feeling there is somethingvery strange going on in that place. You'll want me to stay there then? In any case, you're not coming with me to thePlains.I want to be able to travel fast.Reconnoiter asection, give the map makers some time to makesketches that they can work out later, and move on.Ican't be slowed down by infantry. I see.We are an occupying force, I gather? Will amere five hundred men be enough for the wholecounty? The population is concentrated in a few villages,and they said they are not able to defendthemselves.So yes, that should be enough.To makecertain, have a contingent of double that size on theready.If you should run into major trouble, which Ihighly doubt, they can be there in less than two days.Give clear instructions that the cavalry units are toproceed as fast as they can to come to your aidwhenever you ask for them.They're not to wait for theinfantry.Take trained courier pigeons with you. Seems like a plan.This begins to feel more andmore like preparation for war. It's a beginning, anyway, Anaxantis sighed. There are still a lot of pieces missing from the chessboard, though. Mother, I need your help.Now. You'll find them. Lethoras yawned. You alwaysdo.We have the fullest confidence in you. That's nice to know, Anaxantis said doubtfully. If there is nothing else, I would like to get started.Ihave my work cut out for me. No, that was it.Unless you have something youwanted to tell me? Anaxantis looked at him expectantly.Lethorasseemed to be thinking. No.Not really.I'm off then. Rullio of Brenx descended the long slope that ledto the town of Nira.The presence of the fort, and thefact that the high king was in residence, lent theprovincial backwater whatever importance it had.Rullio hoped it was big enough to have a silversmith.When Portonas's men had caught him he had beenon a nightly mission, and he had left his money in histent.Luckily he had been wearing his silvernecklace.He hoped he could sell it and thatwhatever he got for it would be enough to see himhome.But first he longed for a decent meal and abath to wash off almost a year of grime.The slope gave out on a road that led to the town'smain gate.He had barely crossed it when out of theshadows a man wearing a long black mantleappeared.A hood covered most of his face. Rullio? he asked. Rullio of Brenx? I must be more famous than I thought, Rullioanswered suspiciously. Who is asking? A friend.I will try to answer all your questionslater.You must be hungry.Follow me.I know anexcellent establishment. I have no money and I have.Don't worry.Follow me.You've got nothingto lose. Rullio thought for a moment.He didn't agree withthe man.He had his life to lose.Or his newly foundfreedom.On the other hand, he had his sword.Laying his left hand casually on the hilt, he nodded. Lead the way, sir. Without another word the man turned and hastilybegan walking in the direction of the town center,until suddenly, he turned into an alley.Rullio almosthad to run to keep up.The excellent establishmentturned out to be a rather shabby looking tavern.TheTooth and Nail, a dilapidated board declared.Forthe second time today, his eyes had to adjust, thistime to the dark he had been used to for so long.From inside the grubby place it was impossible tojudge if it was day or night.The man walked to the back, where in a cornerstood a little table with two chairs.He took the onewith its back to the wall, from where he couldoversee the tavern and its few patrons.Meanwhilethe landlord, who seemed to know his guest, hadwhispered something to a boy of about fourteenyears, who immediately began taking the chairsaway from two tables that stood close by.While Rullio sat down, the man blew out the candlethat stood on the table. Yes, get rid of that blinding light, Rullio said.The man didn't respond.The landlord silently put a jug of wine and two cups on the table. This young man is hungry.Bring him whatever isfreshest [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]