Read Online Legions of Antares by Alan Burt Akers - Free Book Online
Authors: Alan Burt Akers
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wild brown hair and blank eyes — leaped. The dagger in her fist flamed. She plunged the blade into Hardil’s throat, above his tunic and jerkin, dragged it out stained with blood, and so drove it in, again and again, screaming, until she was pulled away. She stood, blood-splashed, quivering, straining to get at Hardil.
He needed no further ministrations on Kregen.
“Lalli,” said Nulty in a reproving voice. He knelt at Hardil’s side, and I remembered he had adopted the black-haired boy as his son. Nulty bowed his head and we stood respectfully.
Presently, Nulty stood up. The sword strapped to his arm scraped on the floor.
“He was misguided, poor lad, and turned into a monster. But he promised well, at the beginning. I am sad it turned out like this.”
Lalli screeched.
“Yes, yes,” said Nulty. And, “Help Lalli to her bed, someone. She’ll be better when the child is born.”
Well, there is no guarantee of that, on Kregen as on Earth.
“It was no plan of mine that Hardil should die,” I told Nulty.
“I know you, master, and I know you speak the truth. Mayhap it was better that he did, after all.”
Everyone gathered in the main compound under the light of Kregen’s first moon, the Maiden with the Many Smiles, and the mercenaries were discharged. They would find employment very quickly and remain tazll for only a short time in Hamal where armies were being formed for projects unknown. I asked after the army of whose structure I remained ignorant, and the soldiers here, who had remained strictly aloof from the fighting, knew nothing beyond their orders, which required them to provide food and provender. An army demands enormous quantities of supplies and mad Empress Thyllis was not choosy about how she obtained the sinews of war.
The Hikdar in command of this supply detachment said to me, “So, notor, you are the real Amak. But it is all one to us. We collect supplies for the army, and you or the other Amak will provide them.”
He was a lean man with a tic in his left eye, and a shriveled left arm. I refused to allow myself to think that I was providing supplies for the enemy.
“You will take what your requisitions call for, Hikdar, and not a single sack more.”
“Oh, aye, notor. We’ll take what the law allows.”
And that was a lot, a voracious lot, by Krun.
To Nulty, privily, I said, “We must arrange to depress the figures next season, so that we appear poorer than we are.”
“Aye, master. I do not relish growing crops for these leeches to take away.”
“Well, every little helps...”
“And we can leave the cattle in the high pastures for a little longer.”
“You will risk the wild men—”
“Our young men not in the army can care for the cattle. You will see.”
Nulty had striven hard to rebuild the valley and had attracted fresh settlers. Paline Valley was resuming the importance it had once held in the surrounding valleys. Paline was the center one of the Three Valleys — Hammarat, Paline and Thyriodon — and they were all remote and isolated from the current of events in Hamal. Now that I was certain I might travel the empire using my name of Hamun ham Farthytu the urgency to be off obsessed me. Yet much had to be done here for humanity’s sake before I could leave.
When I saw Nulty after he had himself cleaned up I gaped. His shock of wild hair was trimmed, his bulbous nose looked respectable, and his walk was not the shambling progression of a hairy graint. Only his twisted hands struck an incongruous note. He wore a neat white tunic cinctured by a plain leather belt — plain but for two plaques of bronze showing, one a chavonth, the other a zorca. He looked spick and span.
“And you will be leaving us soon, master?”
“I must. But Paline Valley can now look forward to a period of prosperity again.” I frowned. “You had best show me the treasure young Hardil amassed.”
Nulty’s face expressed amazement only for two heartbeats; then he sighed and
He needed no further ministrations on Kregen.
“Lalli,” said Nulty in a reproving voice. He knelt at Hardil’s side, and I remembered he had adopted the black-haired boy as his son. Nulty bowed his head and we stood respectfully.
Presently, Nulty stood up. The sword strapped to his arm scraped on the floor.
“He was misguided, poor lad, and turned into a monster. But he promised well, at the beginning. I am sad it turned out like this.”
Lalli screeched.
“Yes, yes,” said Nulty. And, “Help Lalli to her bed, someone. She’ll be better when the child is born.”
Well, there is no guarantee of that, on Kregen as on Earth.
“It was no plan of mine that Hardil should die,” I told Nulty.
“I know you, master, and I know you speak the truth. Mayhap it was better that he did, after all.”
Everyone gathered in the main compound under the light of Kregen’s first moon, the Maiden with the Many Smiles, and the mercenaries were discharged. They would find employment very quickly and remain tazll for only a short time in Hamal where armies were being formed for projects unknown. I asked after the army of whose structure I remained ignorant, and the soldiers here, who had remained strictly aloof from the fighting, knew nothing beyond their orders, which required them to provide food and provender. An army demands enormous quantities of supplies and mad Empress Thyllis was not choosy about how she obtained the sinews of war.
The Hikdar in command of this supply detachment said to me, “So, notor, you are the real Amak. But it is all one to us. We collect supplies for the army, and you or the other Amak will provide them.”
He was a lean man with a tic in his left eye, and a shriveled left arm. I refused to allow myself to think that I was providing supplies for the enemy.
“You will take what your requisitions call for, Hikdar, and not a single sack more.”
“Oh, aye, notor. We’ll take what the law allows.”
And that was a lot, a voracious lot, by Krun.
To Nulty, privily, I said, “We must arrange to depress the figures next season, so that we appear poorer than we are.”
“Aye, master. I do not relish growing crops for these leeches to take away.”
“Well, every little helps...”
“And we can leave the cattle in the high pastures for a little longer.”
“You will risk the wild men—”
“Our young men not in the army can care for the cattle. You will see.”
Nulty had striven hard to rebuild the valley and had attracted fresh settlers. Paline Valley was resuming the importance it had once held in the surrounding valleys. Paline was the center one of the Three Valleys — Hammarat, Paline and Thyriodon — and they were all remote and isolated from the current of events in Hamal. Now that I was certain I might travel the empire using my name of Hamun ham Farthytu the urgency to be off obsessed me. Yet much had to be done here for humanity’s sake before I could leave.
When I saw Nulty after he had himself cleaned up I gaped. His shock of wild hair was trimmed, his bulbous nose looked respectable, and his walk was not the shambling progression of a hairy graint. Only his twisted hands struck an incongruous note. He wore a neat white tunic cinctured by a plain leather belt — plain but for two plaques of bronze showing, one a chavonth, the other a zorca. He looked spick and span.
“And you will be leaving us soon, master?”
“I must. But Paline Valley can now look forward to a period of prosperity again.” I frowned. “You had best show me the treasure young Hardil amassed.”
Nulty’s face expressed amazement only for two heartbeats; then he sighed and
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