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then bent and held it while she drank. ji
After drinking, she lay on her side, looking at him. J  Do& you poison all
your& prisoners, Captain? Each word was labored.
 No. Someone poisoned everyone who ate breakfast. There are bodies all over
the compound.
 You& look& fine.
 We left before breakfast this morning.
Her lips curved into a parody of a smile.  & fortune of cursed one& dagger of
the ancients& 
That made little sense to Mykel, but he didn t pursue it.  How are you
feeling? I mean& I know you feel terrible& but better or worse lately?
 Better& worse fortune& no sense& dying twice.
 You won t die here. Mykel spoke without thinking.
 Your& promise?
Mykel had been caught off guard by her condition, but he wasn t that green or
stupid.  I can t promise anything. You know that.
 You& said& 
 That s a prediction, not a promise. He held the cup.  You need to drink
more.
Her face twisted, the way Dohark s had, but she said nothing. Several moments
later, she drank. Mykel finally took back the cup, nearly empty.
 What is& happening?
 A third of the Cadmians are dead. Eight companies of bluecoats are here in
the east. The Myrmidons haven t returned, and neither has the majer in charge
of the compound.
 Majer Herryf. None of the seltyrs& care for him. He will not be back.
 How do you know that?
 I know& people. Her eyes flickered, as if she were having trouble keeping
them open.
 Are you& is something the matter?
 I am tired. Good night, Captain. She closed her eyes.
Mykel watched for a time, but her breathing seemed stronger. Finally, he
rapped on the cell door. She did not stir as he left.
81
From Dainyl s point of view, Quattri had been both productive in getting
caught up with the piles of paper and unhelpful in discovering what he really
wanted to know. He d gotten to headquarters before the morning muster, but the
marshal had already left to meet the High Alector of Justice at the Duarch s
Palace. Since Dainyl had been able to work uninterrupted all day, he d
finished reviewing the reports from all eight Myrmidon companies on Acorus.
The marshal had returned to headquarters late in the afternoon and immediately
summoned Dainyl to make sure he would be at headquarters on Quinti to welcome
and brief Colonel Dhenyr. Then the marshal had departed for a formal dinner at
the Duarch s Palace.
Dainyl had gone home to Lystrana most gratefully for a more than pleasant
evening.
Although the spring snow had all melted, the streets had still been damp and
the air raw. The rawness had persisted into Quinti, when Dainyl had arrived
early at headquarters to prepare to meet Colonel Dhenyr, although it was
likely that the new colonel would not be flying in until midday. The marshal
was not in, and, perhaps would not be. Before he began his own projects for
Quinti, Dainyl stopped to talk to Undercaptain Ghanyr at the duty desk.
 Submarshal, sir, what can we do for you?
 Is first squad up to strength?
 Yes, sir. Weather s clear, and we ve got a dispatch run to Ludar. Nothing
else, yet.
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
 How did things go in Iron Stem?
Ghanvr shook his head  Wouldn t have been a oroble 1
if anyone talked to anyone. The local trade director claimed he d sent three
messages about cutting the timber, because he d been turned down on his
requisition for stone and bricks. The regional alector never saw any of the
messages or the requisitions, and the trade director produced a dispatch that
gave him authority to cut. It was forged, but not by him. Cadmian majer
claimed he d been ordered to do what was necessary. Some hothead blew the
shaft because he was tired of living in a tent with all the wind. They were
all trading dispatches, and half of them were false 
 How did that happen? Do you know?
 Marshal didn t say. Ghanyr looked down the corridor toward the submarshal s
study.
 That s interesting, mused Dainyl.  I didn t even know about Iron Stem until
after the miners blew the shaft.
 No, sir. Most didn t. Just the marshal and the submar-shal, that s what I
heard Marshal Shastylt was telling the regional alector. Ghanyr was telling
the truth, and still doing his best to convey that the blame would fall on the
dead Tyanylt. It was also a warning.
 I m glad everyone s back safe. Dainyl smiled warmly.
 Yes, sir. Yuasylt didn t have it so easy out in Hyalt.
 I heard. That s why it s important to watch for wild Talents before they get
established.
Ghanyr nodded.  Heard you found one of those places of the ancients down in
Dramur.
 We did. We circled and watched, but neither Falyna nor Quelyt ever saw
anything there. Some indigen rebels took a shot at us, though.
 Strange times, sir.
 The strange happenings come in groups. They always have, and now is no
different. Then they settle down. Dainyl paused, but briefly.  Anything else
I should know about?
 No, sir. There s nothing new, no special dispatches.
Ghanyr did not quite look at Dainyl as he asked,  Are there going to be any
more deployment orders, sir?
 Quelyt and Falyna will be heading back to Dramur with me tomorrow, as things
stand now. That s the only deployment, if you can call it that.
 Lucky them. It s warm there.
 It s getting wanner here. Dainyl offered a parting smile before heading for
his study, thinking about the false dispatches. Why had Shastylt fomented the
problems at Iron Stem& and in Dramur? What possible reason could the marshal
have had? Yet, when Shastylt had talked to Dainyl on Tridi, the marshal had
been most clear on wanting Dainyl to resolve the problems in Dramur. That had
not been the case before. What had changed? And why?
Dainyl settled behind his desk, thinking.
After a quarter glass, he shook his head. There was doubtless some simple
reason, but he couldn t figure it out. Shastylt was loyal to the High Alector
of Justice, and to the Duarchy. Dainyl had been able to sense that, and so
far, he d never been mistaken. Could he be now? Was Shastylt that much
stronger with his shields, strong enough not only to hide lies but to actively
project untruths? Dainyl didn t think so, but he no longer knew, not for
certain.
He lined up all the reports, and all the background files, that Dhenyr would
need to read and review and carried them to the study that had once been his, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]