[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
what he s got.
Yang-chu s group had received the most attention. The slope below his
perimeter was littered with bodies. They took some of their fallen with
them, the Tervola told Shih-ka i. As many as they could carry.
Shih-ka i looked across the desert. Among the dust devils he could see a
cloud raised by the retreating enemy. Any wizardry used?
Neither by us nor them, Lord.
Good. He watched the dust. Where could they have come from? How could
people exist in this? He glanced at the bodies, quickly averted his gaze. He
was not accustomed to seeing the aftermath of battles.
The corpses were of men who had been well-fed, well-clad, and well-armed.
Yang-chu. He indicated the dead. Collect them. Strip them. Keep each man s
things separate. Send the bundles through to the fortress. He summoned his
will, looked into a few lifeless faces. They told him very little. All dead
men had the same message for the living. It was a message Lord Ssu-ma did not
want to hear. They were a curious breed. Both kinds. Shih-ka i had never seen
their like before. But how were they so different? He shrugged. The legion s
surgeons would dissect them and let him know.
He took a last look at the dust cloud. It was moving straight out the line he
had drawn on the map. He returned to the fortress.
Tasi-feng greeted him with, Lord, Hsu Shen says there were soldiers of the
empire in the band that attacked him.
Ours?
They wore our armor. Their badges were of the Seventeenth.
Your missing men?
Page 20
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Perhaps. I told him to keep it quiet till we can explain it.
Good. Shift those two intercept groups around. Tell them to double-time and
get into position to stop the party. Tell Hsu Shen to go after them and resume
contact. I ll want a portal open out there when our people are in position. I
want to see this myself.
As you will, Lord.
Shih-ka i observed while the legion s Candidates went through the clothing
and effects recovered from the enemy dead. Each man had borne much what a
soldier could be expected to carry: the tools of his trade and a few personal
items that set him off from a thousand more just like him. The things gave no
clues. Shih-ka i examined the lettering on an old coin. He had not seen its
like before. What would you say this head portrays? he asked one of the
Candidates.
Some sort of fabulous monster, Lord?
Perhaps. When he looked directly at it, Shih-ka i felt an increase in his
awareness of the existence of something in the east.
Tasi-feng appeared. Lord, there seems to have been a continuous, low-grade
emanation of the Power since some time before the first attack. The source
appears to be near the heart of your circle.
So. Shih-ka i reflected momentarily. Let s take no chances. Establish
portals connecting us with the other legions. One cohort each to be ready for
immediate transfer here.
Lord, we re already straining ourselves with the portals we . . . As you
will, Lord.
Yes. The remainder of each legion is to be placed on first alert. Begin
assembling a package that can be sent to Lord Kuo instantly should anything
dire happen.
Lord? You think there s that much danger?
No. But I don t believe in leaving anything to chance. Keep the package at a
portal. Update it continuously.
As you will, Lord.
Also, I want a battery of ballistae readied for long-range work. Let the
Candidates handle it. Start now. It ll take them several hours to prepare all
the spells.
Accuracy or destruction, Lord?
Destruction.
Shih-ka i went to the room where the legion s surgeons were at work. One
paused to say, There s something strange here, Lord. We can t be sure, what
with the desert heat and so on, but these men look like they ve been dead for
a long time.
Oh?
Page 21
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Look. Ostensibly, the bodies are less than an hour old. Some of the organs
should still show signs of life.
Shih-ka i looked away from the open cadaver. I thought you might find
something of the sort. Take a good look at the blood.
Lord?
See if the blood is dead or alive. Then make a guess at how long it s been
dead. He turned to leave. He had to get out before his gorge rose and
betrayed his dignity.
Tasi-feng stood in the doorway. You ve discovered something, Lord?
I think they were dead before they attacked. They have the look. It s been a
long time since I ve seen their like. I imagine it was before you were born.
The Demon Prince experimented with reanimated soldiers. He shelved the idea.
Control was too cumbersome.
Tasi-feng could not keep his horror hidden behind his mask. He took a moment
to control himself. The new portals are open, Lord Ssu-ma. Our support is
standing by. We re still trying to contact Lord Kuo s party. He s
reconnoitering the Matayangan border. The parties you sent to establish a
blocking position are ahead of the enemy and trying to locate a suitable
site.
Very well. I m returning to my quarters. Call me when they open their
portal.
He had to get away for a few minutes, to conquer the animal in him. He hadn t [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
what he s got.
Yang-chu s group had received the most attention. The slope below his
perimeter was littered with bodies. They took some of their fallen with
them, the Tervola told Shih-ka i. As many as they could carry.
Shih-ka i looked across the desert. Among the dust devils he could see a
cloud raised by the retreating enemy. Any wizardry used?
Neither by us nor them, Lord.
Good. He watched the dust. Where could they have come from? How could
people exist in this? He glanced at the bodies, quickly averted his gaze. He
was not accustomed to seeing the aftermath of battles.
The corpses were of men who had been well-fed, well-clad, and well-armed.
Yang-chu. He indicated the dead. Collect them. Strip them. Keep each man s
things separate. Send the bundles through to the fortress. He summoned his
will, looked into a few lifeless faces. They told him very little. All dead
men had the same message for the living. It was a message Lord Ssu-ma did not
want to hear. They were a curious breed. Both kinds. Shih-ka i had never seen
their like before. But how were they so different? He shrugged. The legion s
surgeons would dissect them and let him know.
He took a last look at the dust cloud. It was moving straight out the line he
had drawn on the map. He returned to the fortress.
Tasi-feng greeted him with, Lord, Hsu Shen says there were soldiers of the
empire in the band that attacked him.
Ours?
They wore our armor. Their badges were of the Seventeenth.
Your missing men?
Page 20
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Perhaps. I told him to keep it quiet till we can explain it.
Good. Shift those two intercept groups around. Tell them to double-time and
get into position to stop the party. Tell Hsu Shen to go after them and resume
contact. I ll want a portal open out there when our people are in position. I
want to see this myself.
As you will, Lord.
Shih-ka i observed while the legion s Candidates went through the clothing
and effects recovered from the enemy dead. Each man had borne much what a
soldier could be expected to carry: the tools of his trade and a few personal
items that set him off from a thousand more just like him. The things gave no
clues. Shih-ka i examined the lettering on an old coin. He had not seen its
like before. What would you say this head portrays? he asked one of the
Candidates.
Some sort of fabulous monster, Lord?
Perhaps. When he looked directly at it, Shih-ka i felt an increase in his
awareness of the existence of something in the east.
Tasi-feng appeared. Lord, there seems to have been a continuous, low-grade
emanation of the Power since some time before the first attack. The source
appears to be near the heart of your circle.
So. Shih-ka i reflected momentarily. Let s take no chances. Establish
portals connecting us with the other legions. One cohort each to be ready for
immediate transfer here.
Lord, we re already straining ourselves with the portals we . . . As you
will, Lord.
Yes. The remainder of each legion is to be placed on first alert. Begin
assembling a package that can be sent to Lord Kuo instantly should anything
dire happen.
Lord? You think there s that much danger?
No. But I don t believe in leaving anything to chance. Keep the package at a
portal. Update it continuously.
As you will, Lord.
Also, I want a battery of ballistae readied for long-range work. Let the
Candidates handle it. Start now. It ll take them several hours to prepare all
the spells.
Accuracy or destruction, Lord?
Destruction.
Shih-ka i went to the room where the legion s surgeons were at work. One
paused to say, There s something strange here, Lord. We can t be sure, what
with the desert heat and so on, but these men look like they ve been dead for
a long time.
Oh?
Page 21
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Look. Ostensibly, the bodies are less than an hour old. Some of the organs
should still show signs of life.
Shih-ka i looked away from the open cadaver. I thought you might find
something of the sort. Take a good look at the blood.
Lord?
See if the blood is dead or alive. Then make a guess at how long it s been
dead. He turned to leave. He had to get out before his gorge rose and
betrayed his dignity.
Tasi-feng stood in the doorway. You ve discovered something, Lord?
I think they were dead before they attacked. They have the look. It s been a
long time since I ve seen their like. I imagine it was before you were born.
The Demon Prince experimented with reanimated soldiers. He shelved the idea.
Control was too cumbersome.
Tasi-feng could not keep his horror hidden behind his mask. He took a moment
to control himself. The new portals are open, Lord Ssu-ma. Our support is
standing by. We re still trying to contact Lord Kuo s party. He s
reconnoitering the Matayangan border. The parties you sent to establish a
blocking position are ahead of the enemy and trying to locate a suitable
site.
Very well. I m returning to my quarters. Call me when they open their
portal.
He had to get away for a few minutes, to conquer the animal in him. He hadn t [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]