Read Online Last Argument Of Kings by Joe Abercrombie - Free Book Online
Authors: Joe Abercrombie
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such as these
.
'You are certain of those three?'
Wetterlant turned his cold eyes on Glokta. 'I am no fool, Superior. I keep my dogs well chained. I am certain of them. As certain as we can be of anything, in these uncertain times.' He tossed more crumbs into the grass and the ducks quacked, and pecked, and beat at each other with their wings.
'Four votes in total, then.'
No mean share of the great pie
.
'Four votes in total.'
Glokta cleared his throat, checked quickly that there was no one within earshot. A girl with a tragic face stared listlessly into the water just down the path. Two dishevelled officers of the King's Own sat on a bench as far away on the other side, holding forth to each other loudly about who had been drunker the night before.
Might the tragic girl be listening for Lord Brock? Might the two officers report to High Justice Marovia? I see agents everywhere, and it is just as well. There are agents everywhere
. He lowered his voice to a whisper. 'His Eminence would be willing to offer fifteen thousand marks for each vote.'
'I see.' Wetterlant's hooded eyes did not so much as twitch. 'So little meat would scarcely satisfy my dogs. It would leave nothing for my own table. I should tell you that Lord Barezin, in a highly roundabout manner, already offered me eighteen thousand a vote, as well as an excellent stretch of land that borders my own estates. Deer hunting woods. Are you a hunting man, Superior?'
'I was.' Glokta tapped his ruined leg. 'But not for some time.'
'Ah. My commiserations. I have always loved the sport. But then Lord Brock came to visit me.'
How charming for you both
. 'He was good enough to make an offer of twenty thousand, and a very suitable match of his youngest daughter for my eldest son.'
'You accepted?'
'I told him it was too early to accept anything.'
'I am sure his Eminence could stretch to twenty-one, but that would have to be—'
'High Justice Marovia's man already offered me twenty-five.'
'Harlen Morrow?' hissed Glokta through his remaining teeth.
Lord Wetterlant raised an eyebrow. 'I believe that was the name.'
'I regret that I can only match that offer at present. I will inform his Eminence of your position.'
His delight, I am sure, will know no bounds
.
'I look forward to hearing from you, Superior.' Wetterlant turned back to his ducks and permitted them a few more crumbs, a vague smile hovering round his lips as he watched them tussle with each other.
Glokta hobbled painfully up to the ordinary house in the unexceptional street, something resembling a smile on his face.
A moment free of the suffocating company of the great and the good. A moment in which I do not have to lie, or cheat, or watch for a knife in my back. Perhaps I'll even find a room that doesn't still stink of Harlen Morrow. That would be a refreshing
—
The door opened sharply even as he raised his fist to knock, and he was left staring into the grinning face of a man wearing the uniform of an officer in the King's Own. It was so unexpected that Glokta did not recognise him at first. Then he felt a surge of dismay.
'Why, Captain Luthar. What a surprise.'
And a thoroughly unpleasant one
.
He was considerably changed. Where once he had been boyish and smooth, he had acquired a somewhat angular, even a weather-beaten look. Where once he had carried his chin with an arrogant lift, he now had an almost apologetic tilt to his face. He had grown a beard too, perhaps in an unsuccessful attempt to disguise a vicious-looking scar through his lip and down his jaw.
Though it has far from rendered him ugly, alas
.
'Inquisitor Glokta… er…'
'Superior.'
'Really?' Luthar blinked at him for a moment. 'Well… in that case…' The easy smile reappeared, and Glokta was surprised to find himself being shaken warmly by the hand. 'Congratulations. I would love to chat but duty calls. I haven't long in the city, you see. Off to the North, and so on.'
'Of course.' Glokta frowned after him as he stepped
.
'You are certain of those three?'
Wetterlant turned his cold eyes on Glokta. 'I am no fool, Superior. I keep my dogs well chained. I am certain of them. As certain as we can be of anything, in these uncertain times.' He tossed more crumbs into the grass and the ducks quacked, and pecked, and beat at each other with their wings.
'Four votes in total, then.'
No mean share of the great pie
.
'Four votes in total.'
Glokta cleared his throat, checked quickly that there was no one within earshot. A girl with a tragic face stared listlessly into the water just down the path. Two dishevelled officers of the King's Own sat on a bench as far away on the other side, holding forth to each other loudly about who had been drunker the night before.
Might the tragic girl be listening for Lord Brock? Might the two officers report to High Justice Marovia? I see agents everywhere, and it is just as well. There are agents everywhere
. He lowered his voice to a whisper. 'His Eminence would be willing to offer fifteen thousand marks for each vote.'
'I see.' Wetterlant's hooded eyes did not so much as twitch. 'So little meat would scarcely satisfy my dogs. It would leave nothing for my own table. I should tell you that Lord Barezin, in a highly roundabout manner, already offered me eighteen thousand a vote, as well as an excellent stretch of land that borders my own estates. Deer hunting woods. Are you a hunting man, Superior?'
'I was.' Glokta tapped his ruined leg. 'But not for some time.'
'Ah. My commiserations. I have always loved the sport. But then Lord Brock came to visit me.'
How charming for you both
. 'He was good enough to make an offer of twenty thousand, and a very suitable match of his youngest daughter for my eldest son.'
'You accepted?'
'I told him it was too early to accept anything.'
'I am sure his Eminence could stretch to twenty-one, but that would have to be—'
'High Justice Marovia's man already offered me twenty-five.'
'Harlen Morrow?' hissed Glokta through his remaining teeth.
Lord Wetterlant raised an eyebrow. 'I believe that was the name.'
'I regret that I can only match that offer at present. I will inform his Eminence of your position.'
His delight, I am sure, will know no bounds
.
'I look forward to hearing from you, Superior.' Wetterlant turned back to his ducks and permitted them a few more crumbs, a vague smile hovering round his lips as he watched them tussle with each other.
Glokta hobbled painfully up to the ordinary house in the unexceptional street, something resembling a smile on his face.
A moment free of the suffocating company of the great and the good. A moment in which I do not have to lie, or cheat, or watch for a knife in my back. Perhaps I'll even find a room that doesn't still stink of Harlen Morrow. That would be a refreshing
—
The door opened sharply even as he raised his fist to knock, and he was left staring into the grinning face of a man wearing the uniform of an officer in the King's Own. It was so unexpected that Glokta did not recognise him at first. Then he felt a surge of dismay.
'Why, Captain Luthar. What a surprise.'
And a thoroughly unpleasant one
.
He was considerably changed. Where once he had been boyish and smooth, he had acquired a somewhat angular, even a weather-beaten look. Where once he had carried his chin with an arrogant lift, he now had an almost apologetic tilt to his face. He had grown a beard too, perhaps in an unsuccessful attempt to disguise a vicious-looking scar through his lip and down his jaw.
Though it has far from rendered him ugly, alas
.
'Inquisitor Glokta… er…'
'Superior.'
'Really?' Luthar blinked at him for a moment. 'Well… in that case…' The easy smile reappeared, and Glokta was surprised to find himself being shaken warmly by the hand. 'Congratulations. I would love to chat but duty calls. I haven't long in the city, you see. Off to the North, and so on.'
'Of course.' Glokta frowned after him as he stepped
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