The Death of Nnanji

Read Online The Death of Nnanji by Dave Duncan - Free Book Online Page A

Book: The Death of Nnanji by Dave Duncan Read Free Book Online
Authors: Dave Duncan
Ads: Link
remembered leaving Casr two years ago as a Third. His name was Endrasti, and Nnanji had praised him in dispatches. He saluted, grim-faced.
    Wallie returned his salute. “Is he awake?”
    “On and off. He insisted he must speak with you when you arrived.”
    Ignoring the hundreds of watching eyes, Wallie walked over to the litter, which looked as if it had been assembled in a hurry by a gang of shipwrights using the most solid timber in their yards. Endrasti pulled back a drape and stepped aside.
    The patient lay on at least a double layer of feather mattresses and was well covered in quilts. The face just barely visible in this foam was an image of Nnanji carved from white wax. His hair had lost none of its startling redness, so rare among the People. Unbound, it framed his head in a scarlet halo and emphasized his corpse pallor, as did the fresh blood around his mouth, for he had chewed his lip until it bled.
    Wallie thought of vampires and horror movies. Encumbered by the extra sword he was holding, he did not attempt a formal salute. Just thumping his heart with a fist, he said, “Shonsu, brother, reporting for duty.”
    Eyes opened, rolled vaguely, and steadied. His oath brother grimaced and managed a gargoyle smile. “Stay away from them, brother. They’ll get you in the end.” His voice was a painful gasp, forced through a throat raw with screaming.
    “Who will?”
    “Girls… course!” he groaned at another spasm of pain.
    “I’ve been telling you that for years, you human goat. We’ll have you home very soon. Thana’ll be here in a moment. Don’t worry about anything. Any special instructions?”
    The whisper was almost inaudible: “Take care of… kids?”
    “Like my own, brother.” Clearly Nnanji was in no shape to provide any useful information. Before Wallie could say more, he was jostled aside by Thana, so he backed away.
    He was in charge. Boariyi and Endrasti, blue kilt and red, were waiting for his orders. Four hundred men were watching.
    For the benefit of the audience, he smiled and nodded as if he had just exchanged jokes with the patient. He spoke softly. “We’ll go on war footing as of now. Adept, you come with me. My lord, bring the liege home, to his palace. I’ll have it searched before you get there and post extra guards. Today’s password is Know your enemies and the rejoinder Only cats fight in the dark . We’ll hold a meeting of the council when you get to the lodge. I expect you’ll want a meal first, and the rest of us would be happier if you bathed, too.”
    Both men laughed to continue the pretense of lightheartedness.
    The council? There were more than two hundred Sevenths in the Tryst now, officially all members of the council, but they were scattered over half the World. Even with Boariyi, the meeting was going to be a pathetically small gathering.
    Filurz had gone, racing back to Casr to take care of Addis. Wallie paused at Thana’s carriage, to leave the seventh sword in it for safekeeping. When he opened the door, he found Swordsman Tilber cuddling Tomisolaan. She looked guilty and blushed, yet this was the woman who had once challenged a Fourth for making a joke about female swordsmen. Keeping his face straight with an effort, Wallie assured Nnadaro that her mommy would be back soon and she would see Daddy when they got home.
    Then he rallied what was left of his personal guard and headed back to Casr to deal with this disaster.
     
     

 
     
    Chapter 7
     
     
    The horses were already tired, so Wallie set a brisk, but not breakneck, pace. Endrasti rode at his side, waiting for the questions.
    “First, then, master. Tell me how you fit into Nnanji’s company?” The Tryst had no fixed military structure. Each leader in the field, always a Seventh, made up his own rules as he went along, working with whatever men he had, to deal with whatever conditions he encountered.
    “I was his senior aide, my lord. With respect, I believe he relied on me mostly for help

Similar Books

The Blacker the Berry

Wallace Thurman

Spellstorm

Ed Greenwood

Weekend

Jane Eaton Hamilton

On a Knife's Edge

Lynda Bailey

The Replaced

Derting Kimberly