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He was, she realized, terrifically handsome, and young, andpowerfully built.
But he didn t seem completely at home in hisown body.
Interesting.
He smiled  again, that oily, lying smile.
 I ve come into some money. And I intend to make agreat deal more. But I m
especially interested in the booksand artifacts you mentioned. Things from the
. . . theAncients. And I have a number of wealthy friends who would also
beinterested in hearing what you ve found. We ve decidedto, ah, specialize in
that area of investing.
She smiled and waited.
 Have you located a hoard? Or even a city? You have a city,don t you? One that
hasn t been found by anyoneelse?
She kept smiling.
 Which one?
She waited.
He looked at her, then nodded and chuckled, and looked at hisfeet.  If I were
sitting on an undiscovered city, Iwouldn t say anything about it, either. Well
enough. Hereturned his attention to her.  Will you arrange to meet withus?
Let us make you a fair offer for your services, and a promiseto pay excellent
prices for your trade goods. I assure you wewon t waste your time.
He fit the Dragon profile Dùghall had given her. Hershields were up, which
prevented him from sensing her magic  but the same shields also prevented her
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from telling whether he hadmagic.
That would be the final identifying factor, but shedidn t dare use it. She
would have to content herself with thefact that he was a strong, handsome
young man who showed signs ofhaving suddenly and recently come up in the
world, and who had adangerous interest in artifacts of the
Ancients.
She gave him an appropriate Imumbarran bow, head ducked andhands palm down at
hip level, parallel to the ground.  Oursenior traders meet with you. Give me
place where I can reach you.You talk with your people, and I talk with mine.
And when everyoneagree, we set time for meeting.
 Your name? he asked.
 Chait-eveni. It was the Imumbarran equivalent of thediminutive for Kait. A
name she d heard often enough toremember and respond to, thanks to visits by a
multitude ofImumbarra-raised cousins, but one different enough from her
realname to prevent uncomfortable connections.
 Andyours?
 Domagar. Domagar Addo.
It was a field hand s name. A name with not even theslightest connection to
Family, to the upper classes, to wealth orpower. She said,  I will tell my
partners. She got himto give her an address where she could contact him, then
left asquickly as she could.
* * *
Yanth and Valard sauntered into the inn just aheadof Jaim and Trev. All four
of them were grim.
Ry, alone at thetable, beckoned them over.
 Trouble?
Valard waved one of the serving girls over and ordered plantainbeer for all of
them. When the girl left, he said,  I dsay yes. And I d say it was trouble we
could get out of ifyou d take your woman and get the hell out of this city
withus.
Ry looked from face to face.  What sort oftrouble?
The four of them were quiet for a moment. Then Jaim said, We can t be sure.
You re barzanne
 wefound notices posted on the doors of the Great Parnissery today,and in the
slave markets.
There s no mention of any ofus. . . .
 But I m not soothed by that, Yanth said. We made cautious inquiries after
our families, hoping to atleast get news of them. But none of them are in the
city anymore,and no one knows where they ve gone or why they left. Ourfamily
homes are empty, the belongings stillinside  
 You went ? Ry couldn t believe what hewas hearing.  Believing that your
families were gone in andknowing that if they fled Calimekka to save their
lives, theirhomes would surely be watched, you went ? You reinsane, the lot
of you. How fast would Imogene have hersoldiers on them?
in
He stared at the inn s front door. Men inSabir green and silver probably
already had the place surrounded;he and his friends would have to fight their
way out, and they weresure to die in the process 
Yanth rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh.  Ofcourse we didn t go in.
We didn t go anywhere near ourold homes  we aren t madmen. But people were
only toohappy to tell us what they knew.
 That your families have fled Calimekka.
Jaim said,  As best anyone can tell, yes.
The darker possibility  that their families were dead Ry left unspoken. His
friends would have already consideredit, and they would deal with it in their
own ways. While hoperemained, however, he and they would act as if the
happiest outcomewere also the only outcome.
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Valard said,  You could take Kait with you and we couldleave. Follow our
families wherever they went, start a new lifethere. There s nothing for you
here anymore  you reforsaken and cursed now, and this city is dead to you.
The shock of being barzanne for certain, instead of justconsidering the
possibility of it, burrowed into Ry s gut likea knife. Taking Kait with him
and leaving Calimekka would be botheasiest and safest. The city could never be
his home again.Nevertheless, he shook his head.  I stay. If you want to
goafter your families, I release you from your promises to me, and Iwish you
good speed and good health. But I won t take Kaitfrom Calimekka against her
wishes, and as long as she is here, Iwon t leave.
His friends glanced at each other and nodded, as if he only saidwhat they
expected.  I told you,
Jaim said. He ll stay here until they catch him and skin him andmarch him
through the streets.
 Then I stay, too, Yanth said.
 And I. Trev nodded. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]