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aching muscles and empty belly.
Jeka finally crawled out of her cubby, yawning.  Need to sleep when you can.
Sleep more, and you don t need to eat so much.
 Could be.
 Least it s oneday, she offered.  Lower market s good on oneday.  Specially
by afternoon.
Before too long, she left, and after a few moments, Kharl followed, carrying
his small wooden begging bowl. He had to be careful climbing the wall, because
he felt a bit light-headed, but the walking, even at his affected hobble,
cleared away some of the faintness.
The rain had washed away much of the stench from the rendering yard and from
the tannery, and the cold breeze from the west brought a cleaner smell to
Brysta. It wouldn t last that long, Kharl knew, but it helped as he hobbled
down Copper Road, trailing Jeka by a good half block, when he could even see
her elusive form.
He continued to plead,  A copper, just a copper for a poor man&  As usual,
most of those on the street ignored Kharl the beggar either by walking past
quickly or by avoiding him. He did get one copper in the battered wooden bowl.
The sun was a good quarter of the way up the eastern sky when Kharl paused on
the rubble-strewn corner on the northeast side of the harbor, short of the
slateyard. From there, he looked at the lower market with its tents, carts,
and portable stalls. He didn t see Jeka. He could see, except it was a
feeling, more than a seeing, a patchy area of whiteness on the southern side
of the open space that held the market.
Abruptly, and from nowhere, Jeka dashed from a cart and crossed the soggy
ground between them. She stopped and extended a half loaf of bread.  Mamata
gave it to me. She said she d eaten some, and couldn t eat any more and
couldn t sell it.
Kharl took a bite of the heavy rye, and his mouth watered. He forced himself
to hand the bread back to Jeka after another bite.
 I had more than that, she said, refusing the bread.
Kharl didn t argue. He took several more large mouthfuls, and within moments,
he started to feel less light-headed. He handed the remaining bread to Jeka.
This time, she took the quarter loaf remaining and finished half of it, then
gave the remainder back. He ate it, even licking the crumbs off his fingers.
 I need to see what else I can scrounge or get cheap, she said.
 Stay away from the southern end, he said.
Jeka looked at him.
 Just a feeling, he said, not wanting to explain.
 I ll be careful. Always am.
 Be more careful, he suggested.  Don t know where that wizard might show up.
 Here? Not likely. Jeka laughed, then made her way back toward the carts and
stalls.
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Kharl followed. Even after the bread, his mouth watered as the scent of
roasting fowl wafted around him. How long had it been since he d sat at his
own table and eaten fowl? And ale? And as much bread as he wanted?
He kept moving. Instead of staking out a space and sitting down, he hobbled
around the harborside end of the market, occasionally pleading, extending the
bowl.  A copper& just a copper for a poor man& 
Over the eightdays he d been in hiding, he doubted that he d collected more
than nine or ten coppers, but his efforts made it easier to conceal the source
of the coins he d given to Jeka, not so much for her-she knew better-but from
those with whom she dealt. He stopped and slumped, as if tired, but the slump
was not all pose, not with the little he had eaten over the end-days.
Then he returned to walking and whining,  & copper& just a copper& 
As he neared the southwestern corner of the market, Kharl could see the patchy
whitish fog more clearly, centered around a maroon-painted stall. He blinked,
and the fog vanished. Was he seeing things because he was hungry? But the fog
had become clearer after he d eaten.
He limped and hobbled farther south, easing himself closer to the maroon
stall, finally squatting near the rotten bollard section where he d often
placed himself.
 Copper& just a copper&  he mumbled, watching the stall where several youths,
three girls, two women, and a tall man were gathered.
 Ooos and  aahhs came from the group.
 A few coins here, any coin, came a voice,  and you ll see what you ve never
seen.
After a moment, a flare of bluish flame erupted from somewhere in front of the
group, then vanished. It wasn t flame, Kharl could tell, although he didn t
really know how he knew, but it looked like it, and everyone stepped back.
For a moment, Kharl caught a glimpse of the wizard, wearing a red cape. Behind
and to the left of the wizard stood another man, almost identical to the
bodyguard Kharl had killed-or had he killed the man outside the White Pony?
Kharl swallowed. The wizard was the same man who had ensorceled Jeka. But what
was he doing in the lower market? Looking for her? Kharl s fingers tightened
around his stick, a poor weapon against a wizard, but the only one he had. He
kept watching/ more aware of the whiteness that was not fog.
The small crowd once more drew nearer to the wizard.
 You see? The wizard laughed.  All of you draw near, and you will see
something truly special. Closer now& and who might have a coin? For miracles
do not come without a price. He laughed again, heartily.
Kharl shivered at the laughter, feeling something more behind it.
 A copper? Cannot someone add to it? asked the wizard.  If not, you must step
closer, for what marvels you will see will be smaller.
The cooper frowned. The wizard seemed more to want the crowd closer than to
get another copper. Kharl glanced past the stall. Jeka was moving past a cart
with scarfs tied around a polished wooden rod, slowly toward the wizard and
his booth. Kharl hobbled in toward the crowd, then left, toward Jeka. She
slipped right, as if to avoid Kharl.
 Got a copper, brat? he asked in a louder voice that was half growl, half
whine.
Jeka stiffened at the tone.
 Get back, Kharl whispered.  Same wizard. Looking for you& 
Jeka darted off to the north.
Kharl hobbled quickly, as if Jeka had taken something.  Stop! Brat!
Behind him, there was a flash of light, bright enough that he had to blink,
even though his back was to the wizard. Screams filled the air, and Kharl
looked back.
A column of smoke filled the space around where the wizard s booth had been.
More had happened than just a flash of light. Those around the smoke had their
hands to their eyes. Some staggered. Two women had collapsed, as had a man.
As Kharl watched, the wizard s guard emerged from the smoke, carrying a bundle
of some sort-a very long bundle. To the right of the guard was the wizard, but
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his figure was blurred, and Kharl had trouble looking at the mage, as the
wizard and his guard slipped away from the smoke and the booth it had
shrouded.
For a moment, Kharl stood frozen, his eyes flicking from the guard to the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]