Jo Clayton Drinker 01 Drinker Of Souls

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

comforting. One of em s going to get away, heesh murmured. That tricky
little nit that came nosing about you. You better watch out for her. Heesh
stroked some more, hisser hand feeling like her mother s, steadying, calming,
understand-ing. You want to know why all this?
Brann sighed, straightened her back and her cramping legs, looked round at
himmer. Yes.
Glemma, child. The Consort that was. She s the rea-son. Ambitious. Got to be
head oompah of the Kadda meld. Wanted more. Tried to tap the Fireheart of
Cynama-camal. Ran into Slya who brushed her off like a pesky fly. Which
embarrassed her and made her madder n a cat in a sack. Made her think too. She
teased old Krajink into marrying her and when she had him fast, she made him
Kadda like her. Happy enough to do it, old fool, thought he was going to live
forever and be young and handsome while he was doing it. Brought the meld
here. They tried again, all of them. Stung Slya, woke her up some. And
Cynamacamal rumbled and shook and spouted some hot rock. Scared them. They
wanted hostages to make red Slya behave. So she whispered into Krajink s ear
and teased him into sending his armies to take Croaldhu and then round up the
Arth Slyans and bring them here. She thought she could hide behind them when
she tried again to drive Slya from Cynamacamal, then all the fire moun-tains.
Thought she could make herself a god. Lot of lies told. People had to be
convinced it was a good idea to bring the Slyans here. You heard most of those
lies.
And me? Brann looked at the worn smiling face of the little god. And the
children? She touched Yaril s pale blond head, then Jaril s. Look at Slya,
they can t do a thing against her, all the Kadda can do is die. Why all that
happened?
The Kadda meld s a lot stronger n it looks, little Bram-ble. Falling apart
now because red Slya sneaked up on it, trapped it before it could get going.
Glemma and her crew threw up barriers that blocked our friend when she tried
to get into the palace and stomp them. They were more than she could handle
without getting a jump on them, though if you ask Slya Fireheart, she d deny
any limit to her powers, claim she didn t act because she d have to harm the
silly little mortals clustered about the roots of Camal. Tungjii chuckled.
We all have our pride, Bramlet. Anyway, she used you and my gifted friend
here, he nodded at Taguiloa who listened angrily, but with inter-est, to
sneak her in past the barrier. Used you to spin the sticky web that caught the
Page 151
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Kadda and kept them from uniting against her. Clever when she wants to be, our
fiery dame.
Slya straightened, wiped her four hands down her na-ked sides, burning the
ooze off them. Four hot red fists on her smooth hips, she looked around,
smiled, and started to fade.
No! Brann leaped to her feet, enraged. Not yet you don t. She caught hold
of the god s leg, cried out as it seared her palm, but didn t let go. No,
she screamed. You owe me. You can t run out like that. You owe me.
Slya looked down at her, made to brush her away. Again Tungjii caught Slya s
hand. Heesh patted it, an affec-tionate scolding look on hisser round face.
Listen to her, sweeting. She s right, you know. You owe her a hearing.
The fiery fearsome god bridled like a girl the first time she came into mixed
company after her passage rite. It was such a startling sight Brann almost
forgot what she wanted to say. Almost forgot.
The children, she cried as her anger came back. Send them home. You re done
with them. Why leave them away from kin and kind? They don t belong here. Send
them home. And there s Taga and his troupe. Why ruin them? Why leave them to
face the mess you made? You owe your triumph to us, Slya Fireheart. You used
us. Make things right for us, or the world will know you are worse than the
worst of the Kadda.
Slya spat a gout of fire that took out a section of wall. WORLD? WHAT IS THE
WORLD TO ME! NOTHING!
Am I nothing?
Slya turned that fearsome red gaze on her, impersonal, indifferent, mildly
angry. YES.
Brann shuddered, drew a breath, closed her eyes a moment, searching for
argument without much hope. Then I m your nothing, she shouted at the god.
She waved a hand at the Temuengs beginning to stir about the fringes of the
room. Will you let them crush me? Will you let them laugh and say Slya lost
half her chosen folk and let another dribble through her fingers?
Slya looked thoughtful, then her red eyes brightened with a sly malice that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Odnośniki