[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
He nodded, studying me. I could almost read his thoughts: Perhaps I wasn't
quite the naive and trusting young soldier I appeared. I had the impression he
had unexpectedly raised his estimation of me.
"You'll kill her after all?" he asked. "For feeding on you?"
"I never said that."
"No, but& "
I went on, "You're too bloodthirsty for your own good. Let me worry about
Rèalla. I'll take care of her in my own way, and in my own time."
He gave a half groan. "You're going to end up marrying her, I know it!"
"Forget about her. She doesn't matter. We have important things to talk
Page 96
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
about."
"All right. Where do we start?"
"With Lord Ulyanash. Tell me everything you know about him."
My brother took a deep breath. "If I recall correctly, his full name is
Demaro il Dara von Sartre Ulyanash, Baron of the House of Tanatar and Lord of
the Far Reaches. I'm sure there ought to be a couple dozen more titles in that
list, too, but I can't remember them."
"Sounds impressive," I said. "Lord of the Far Reaches& " I imagined a
sprawling castle with vast estates stretching farther than the eye could see.
Aber half sneered. "The Far Reaches are a distant swamp-land, and the House
of Tanatar is about as far as you can get from King Uthor and still qualify as
a blood relation. Like I said, it's a minor house."
"Then& why attack us?" I asked. "What have we done to him?"
"Nothing, that I know of."
"From what you and Locke told me, we're no threat to him& or to anyone else
here. So why bother with us? We were all off in Shadow, minding our own
business. How can killing us possibly advance Ulyanash's standing or
anyone's?"
"He has always had ambitions beyond his station," Aber said. "His rise in
court has been for lack of a better word surprising."
"How so?"
"The first time I saw him, he reminded me of a bear strolling through a
crystal shop. He didn't know how to act, or who to flatter. He made mistake
after mistake, and everyone laughed at him. Finally Lord Dyor decided to make
an example of him for other distant relatives to learn from. Dyor arranged a
duel by custom methods, and they fought."
"Did you see it?"
"Yes. The whole court did."
"What happened?"
He swallowed hard. "Ulyanash killed him slowly and brutally. He would not
accept satisfaction after first or second blood. If anything, he turned the
fight into a brutal, bloody circus. Women were crying. Men begged them to
stop. But Ulyanash would not yield his right, and he made an example of Lord
Dyor that no one who saw it will ever forget."
"Was Dyor a good fighter?" I asked.
"One of the best in the Courts."
"What happened next?"
"Everyone said Ulyanash was finished. Rumor said King Uthor planned to strip
him of his titles and throw him into the Pit of Ghomar for what he'd done. And
yet, despite that, nothing happened. Instead of being punished for his
effrontery, Ulyanash began attending the best parties and social gatherings,
Page 97
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
from the Blood Festival to the Feast of the Seven Dials. You couldn't escape
him. He moved into the center of everything, and the best men and women stood
cheerfully beside him as equals." He shook his head. "They shouldn't have paid
any attention to him, considering his family and what he did to Lord Dyor, and
yet& there he was. Still is, I suppose."
Slowly I nodded. It made sense to me now. Someone powerful had seen what
Ulyanash could do and decided to use him. And part of that use had been
against our family.
I asked, "Who is his patron?"
"I don't know. He must have one, or he wouldn't have gotten as far as he has.
But I never heard anyone speak of it."
"Perhaps they were frightened."
"That's possible. I know he frightens me!"
"Can you guess who might be supporting Ulyanash?"
"No." He shook his head. "I never heard before, and I've been away too long
now to make discreet inquiries. My few friends in court have all drifted away
and aligned themselves elsewhere. I haven't heard any gossip in years. None of
us has, not Freda nor Blaise nor even Locke, though he would have been the
best bet. He probably could have found out through his mother's side of the
family& they have strong connections."
"Death is never convenient," I said. "Forget about Locke. Any other ideas?"
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]