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but found everything gushing out, without any control. She told every detail
she knew, up through her recent visit to Lioantung.
 Armies of dead men? Bragi murmured.  Really? He seemed unable to choose
between horror and amusement.  And he can take over anyone they kill, too?
 Exactly. He can even control the living if they re not protected, though
it s harder. Animals, too.
 The dead rising against the living. It s a Trolledyngjan draug tale come
true . . . Up where I was raised the old folks liked to scare us kids with
tales about the dead coming down from the mountains or out of the sea to carry
us off. Draugs, we called them. The walking dead. But those were just
wintertime stories. He closed his eyes and looked thoughtful for half a
minute.  Mist?
 Yes?
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 You haven t said why you came to me. You ve got the toughest army in the
world.
 It s all tied up. And because the Deliverer is going to come after you when
he s finished with Shinsan.
 Me? Me personally, or just the west in general?
 You. Very personally.
 Why? I ve put a lot of people in the ground, but none that would want to get
even so bad they d get back up again.
 A grudge, Bragi. Definitely a grudge. This dark Deliverer, this warlord of
the dead, is driven by hatred. Somethingtwisted and molded and reshaped him
till all he cares about is revenge. On Shinsan. On you. Because, Bragi, the
Deliverer is Ethrian. My nephew. Your godson. Nepanthe and Mocker s boy.
She expected the news to smack him like a blow from a club, and she was not
disappointed. He gulped air like a fish out of water.  But . . . but . . . 
He stared, unable to accept. The Queen stared at him, her face pallid, one
shaky hand held at her lips. Bragi tried to say something, apparently could
not.
 It s true, Bragi. I ll swear any oath you want. Something in the east saved
him from the Pracchia. He s been out there all this time. That something saved
him, made him an instrument of destruction and vessel of hatred, gave him
immense power, then lost control. I saw him at Lioantung, Bragi. Physically he
looks like you d expect after all this time. But inside he s not Ethrian
anymore. He s more like the embodiment of a natural force gone mad.
Inger croaked something. Bragi groaned.  I believe her. Look at her. She s
scared silly. Now we know why Varthlokkur was so damned cranky whenever
Ethrian s name came up. He knew.
Mist admitted her fear.  You re right. I m so frightened I can t think. I
just want to run . . . I keep wishing I d left it in Lord Kuo s lap. I didn t
bargain for this. You know what history will do to me if I can t stop Ethrian?
If thereis any history?
Bragi mused,  I really do understand Varthlokkur now.
 What?
 He knew. He s known for a long time. He s mentioned Ethrian several times
since he s been here. Hinting that he might still be alive. Acting like a man
wrestling his conscience. Now I know what he meant when he said he couldn t
tell Nepanthe because it would destroy her. He levered himself out of his
chair.  He even threatened me when I suggested she ought to know there was a
chance Ethrian was alive.
Mist looked up at him. He was pale as death. As frightened as she. He
believed. Somehow, that took a huge load off her shoulders. Shared fear is
softened fear, she thought, recalling one of the lessons taught young
soldiers.
 Let s go talk to him, Bragi suggested.
 I will need his help too, she admitted.  And almost certainly Nepanthe s.
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The King winced.  Don t expect him to cooperate. He s determined to keep it
from her.
 I ll sell him. I have to.
 Be careful what you say. I ve never seen him so touchy. He said he d pull
out on me if I even dropped a hint to Nepanthe.
Inger glanced up sharply, startled. A strange look entered her eyes. What the
devil? Mist wondered.  Uhm, she grunted. At another time she would have
incorporated that bit of intelligence into her plans. Not now, though. All she
wanted now was a way out of her dilemma.
The Queen s servant brought the meal Mist had requested. She snatched the
main platter and ate with her fingers as the King led her out into the
castle s drafty halls. A few queries about Varthlokkur led them to the small
castle library.
The wizard glanced up as they entered. He half stood, dismayed, when he saw
her face. He made a sign against the evil eye.
She launched into her tale before he could speak. His dismay became despair.
She could imagine the emotional storm inside him. Usually he was a man of
stone.
His face hardened.  Enough, woman. The answer is no. I won t touch it. Find
another way.
 But . . . 
 I m not going to let Nepanthe see what he s become. She s too delicately
balanced. She thinks he s dead. Leave him in his grave.
 What are you going to tell her when his dead men get to these parts? the
King demanded.
 Mist is exaggerating. His armies will fall apart.
 Youare sticking your head in the sand, Mist snapped.  They ve held up
against the finest we could put in their way. He made mistakes in the early [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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