Read Online The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie - Free Book Online

accompanied now by
a clicking, scraping sound. West’s face had turned pale. A figure emerged from
the shadows, limping badly, cane tapping on the dirt. His broad-brimmed hat
obscured the upper part of his face, but his mouth was twisted into a strange
smile. Jezal noticed with a sudden wave of nausea that his four front teeth
were missing. He shuffled towards them, ignoring all the naked steel, and offered
his free hand to West.
    The Major slowly sheathed his sword, took the hand and
shook it limply. ‘Colonel Glokta?’ he asked in a husky voice.
    ‘Your humble servant, though I’m no longer an army
man. I’m with the King’s Inquisition now.’ He reached up slowly and removed his
hat. His face was deathly pale, deeply lined, close-cropped hair scattered with
grey. His eyes stared out feverish bright from deep, dark rings, the left one
noticeably narrower than the right, pink-rimmed and glistening wet. ‘And these
are my assistants, Practicals Severard,’ the lanky one gave a mockery of a bow,
‘and Frost.’
    The white monster jerked the prisoner to his feet with
one hand. ‘Hold on,’ said Jalenhorm, stepping forward, but the Inquisitor put a
gentle hand on his arm.
    ‘This man is a prisoner of His Majesty’s Inquisition,
Lieutenant Jalenhorm.’ The big man paused, surprised to be called by name. ‘I
realise your motives are of the best, but he is a criminal, a traitor. I have a
warrant for him, signed by Arch Lector Sult himself. He is most unworthy of
your assistance, believe me.’
    Jalenhorm frowned and stared balefully at Practical
Frost. The pale devil looked terrified. About as terrified as a stone. He
hauled the prisoner over his shoulder without apparent effort and turned up the
street. The one called Severard smiled with his eyes, sheathed his knife, bowed
again and followed his companion, whistling tunelessly as he sauntered off.
    The Inquisitor’s left eyelid began to flutter and
tears rolled down his pale cheek. He wiped it carefully on the back of his
hand. ‘Please forgive me. Honestly. It’s coming to something when a man can’t
control his own eyes, eh? Damn weeping jelly. Sometimes I think I should just
have it out, and make do with a patch.’ Jezal’s stomach roiled. ‘How long has
it been, West? Seven years? Eight?’
    A muscle was working on the side of the Major’s head.
‘Nine.’
    ‘Imagine that. Nine years. Can you believe it? It
seems like only yesterday. It was on the ridge, wasn’t it, where we parted?’
    ‘On the ridge, yes.’
    ‘Don’t worry, West, I don’t blame you in the least.’
Glokta slapped the Major warmly on the arm. ‘Not for that, anyway. You tried to
talk me out of it, I remember. I had time enough to think about it in Gurkhul,
after all. Lots of time to think. You were always a good friend to me. And now
young Collem West, a Major in the King’s Own, imagine that.’ Jezal had not the
slightest idea what they were talking about. He wanted only to be sick, then go
to bed.
    Inquisitor Glokta turned toward him with a smile,
displaying once again the hideous gap in his teeth. ‘And this must be Captain
Luthar, for whom everyone has such high hopes in the coming Contest. Marshal
Varuz is a hard master, is he not?’ He waved his cane weakly at Jezal. ‘Jab,
jab, eh, Captain? Jab, jab.’
    Jezal felt his bile rising. He coughed and looked down
at his feet, willing the world to remain motionless. The Inquisitor looked
around expectantly at each of them in turn. West looked pale. Jalenhorm
mud-stained and sulky. Kaspa was still sitting in the road. None of them had anything
to say.
    Glokta cleared his throat. ‘Well, duty calls,’ he
bowed stiffly, ‘but I hope to see you all again. Very soon.’ Jezal found
himself hoping he never saw the man again.
    ‘Perhaps we might fence again sometime?’ muttered
Major West.
    Glokta gave a good natured laugh. ‘Oh, I would enjoy
that, West, but I find that I’m ever so slightly crippled these days. If