[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
never forget it: the face of Vortius!
Chapter Eight
"So he is also an Adept," said Zanos when Astra told him what she and Javik
had Read. "Of course when you told me he was Serafons son, I should have
guessed. No wonder he has amassed such power and nowonder he's been planning
to get out of the empire. He was afraid someone would discover his powers just
as I was."
"Someone did," said Astra.
"Who?"
"Portia," she replied. "It all fits now, Zanos. I saw Vortius outside Portias
office the day before you and I met but it wasn't the first time he was there.
I know I Read him at least once before, but thought nothing of it. Portia
thought I knew more, though such as that Vortius was keeping her alive and
healthy with his powers!"
"He's a destroyer, Astra, not a healer."
"You use your powers both ways why shouldn't he? Portia knew his secret each
had a hold on the other. And by the gods, they plotted to kill me! Remember
how sick I was, when you dared to heal me? Zanos, I've never been so ill from
a sore throat but Portia sought to rid herself of me and my wild Reading,
because I had accidentally Read too many of her secrets. And Vortius certainly
had no scruples about killing someone who might reveal him."
"Mm-hram," said Zanos, nodding. "Ard saw you go into Morella's the day you
got sick. He reported it to me, but he must also have reported it to
Vortius he might even have conjured up that rainstorm!"
"Blessed gods everything fits! When Portia attacked me the day of the games,
Page 110
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
I fought for my life, and I hurt her badly. She must have sent for Vortius to
heal her! I've never believed that out of the kindness of his heart he let you
have a night to celebrate before he claimed you. He'd have been right there
after the games if he hadn't been called to heal Portia. He probably needed
her help to distract some of the Readers so he could make his escape I'm sure
he simply would have let her die if he thought he no longer needed her."
"Yes," Zanos agreed. "And now he's plotting even more deaths. First he will
take Lilith's castle, then he will find a way to get other people into his
power I've got to stop him!"
"Revenge?"Astra demanded.
"No! Well, yes, that too but my wife, surely you can see that Vortius has to
be stopped before he gains a strong base of operations such as Lilith's
lands!"
"And at least one Master Reader to aid him," she said thoughtfully. "From
what I saw of Amicus, he'll go over to Vortius' side the moment he finds it
expedient. It's a good thing Vortius can't Read for if he found that out and
added a powerful Reader to his band of minor Adepts, we'd have no chance
against him at all."
"We?" asked Zanos.
"You don't think I'd let you go without me, do you? After all the lessons in
swordsmanship you've put me through?"
Trel, Javik, and Kimma also insisted on going along, as did every able-bodied
person left alive in the Settlement. To avoid having the watchers report them
as mysterious and potentially dangerous strangers,
theydisguised themselves as traveling entertainers. Most of the villagers
could sing and do folk dances well enough to get by, for Zanos and Astra's
music was to be the star attraction.
Kimma demonstrated a wild and sultry dance guaranteed to mesmerize the
country lads, while Javik came up with a spectacular juggling act with knives
and swords the rationale for traveling players to carry warriors' weapons.
When the Dark Moon Reader demonstrated, sending three razor-sharp knives
spinning in an arc adding a fourth and a fifth Astra realized that while he
concentrated, he became unReadable.
With a flick of his wrist, Javik sent all five knives thunking into the tree
stump in a perfect pattern. Then he picked up two swords, tossed one into the
air and caught it on the other, balancing tip to tip!
As he stood balancing the swords, Astra asked, "Aren't you afraid the
audience will guess that you're using Adept power?"
Without missing a beat, Javik grinned at her. "Intheselands, it doesn't
matter. Everybody's used to minor Adepts. I'm copying a circus act I saw as a
boy, inside the empire." He tossed the swords into the air and caught one in
each hand. "When you do it as a performance, everyone assumes it's faked." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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never forget it: the face of Vortius!
Chapter Eight
"So he is also an Adept," said Zanos when Astra told him what she and Javik
had Read. "Of course when you told me he was Serafons son, I should have
guessed. No wonder he has amassed such power and nowonder he's been planning
to get out of the empire. He was afraid someone would discover his powers just
as I was."
"Someone did," said Astra.
"Who?"
"Portia," she replied. "It all fits now, Zanos. I saw Vortius outside Portias
office the day before you and I met but it wasn't the first time he was there.
I know I Read him at least once before, but thought nothing of it. Portia
thought I knew more, though such as that Vortius was keeping her alive and
healthy with his powers!"
"He's a destroyer, Astra, not a healer."
"You use your powers both ways why shouldn't he? Portia knew his secret each
had a hold on the other. And by the gods, they plotted to kill me! Remember
how sick I was, when you dared to heal me? Zanos, I've never been so ill from
a sore throat but Portia sought to rid herself of me and my wild Reading,
because I had accidentally Read too many of her secrets. And Vortius certainly
had no scruples about killing someone who might reveal him."
"Mm-hram," said Zanos, nodding. "Ard saw you go into Morella's the day you
got sick. He reported it to me, but he must also have reported it to
Vortius he might even have conjured up that rainstorm!"
"Blessed gods everything fits! When Portia attacked me the day of the games,
Page 110
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
I fought for my life, and I hurt her badly. She must have sent for Vortius to
heal her! I've never believed that out of the kindness of his heart he let you
have a night to celebrate before he claimed you. He'd have been right there
after the games if he hadn't been called to heal Portia. He probably needed
her help to distract some of the Readers so he could make his escape I'm sure
he simply would have let her die if he thought he no longer needed her."
"Yes," Zanos agreed. "And now he's plotting even more deaths. First he will
take Lilith's castle, then he will find a way to get other people into his
power I've got to stop him!"
"Revenge?"Astra demanded.
"No! Well, yes, that too but my wife, surely you can see that Vortius has to
be stopped before he gains a strong base of operations such as Lilith's
lands!"
"And at least one Master Reader to aid him," she said thoughtfully. "From
what I saw of Amicus, he'll go over to Vortius' side the moment he finds it
expedient. It's a good thing Vortius can't Read for if he found that out and
added a powerful Reader to his band of minor Adepts, we'd have no chance
against him at all."
"We?" asked Zanos.
"You don't think I'd let you go without me, do you? After all the lessons in
swordsmanship you've put me through?"
Trel, Javik, and Kimma also insisted on going along, as did every able-bodied
person left alive in the Settlement. To avoid having the watchers report them
as mysterious and potentially dangerous strangers,
theydisguised themselves as traveling entertainers. Most of the villagers
could sing and do folk dances well enough to get by, for Zanos and Astra's
music was to be the star attraction.
Kimma demonstrated a wild and sultry dance guaranteed to mesmerize the
country lads, while Javik came up with a spectacular juggling act with knives
and swords the rationale for traveling players to carry warriors' weapons.
When the Dark Moon Reader demonstrated, sending three razor-sharp knives
spinning in an arc adding a fourth and a fifth Astra realized that while he
concentrated, he became unReadable.
With a flick of his wrist, Javik sent all five knives thunking into the tree
stump in a perfect pattern. Then he picked up two swords, tossed one into the
air and caught it on the other, balancing tip to tip!
As he stood balancing the swords, Astra asked, "Aren't you afraid the
audience will guess that you're using Adept power?"
Without missing a beat, Javik grinned at her. "Intheselands, it doesn't
matter. Everybody's used to minor Adepts. I'm copying a circus act I saw as a
boy, inside the empire." He tossed the swords into the air and caught one in
each hand. "When you do it as a performance, everyone assumes it's faked." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]