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.The fight was over.The elves bound Hugh's arms and wrists and ankles with bowstrings.He lay onhis side, his knees hunched to his chest.He was groggy and helpless.Bloodran down the side of his head, dripped from a cut mouth.Two elves stoodwatchful guard over him, while the others went to fetch light and assistfallen comrades.Candles and flaring flambeaux illuminated a scene of destruction.Hugh had noPage 191ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlidea what sort of spell Iridal had cast before she'd been struck down, butblack scorch marks were burned into the walls, several ornate tapestries werestill smoldering, and two elves with severe burns were being carried from theroom.Iridal lay on the floor, eyes closed, her body limp.But she was breathing.She was alive.Hugh could see no sign of a wound, wondered what had felledher.His gaze shifted to Bane, who knelt beside his mother's unmoving form.Hugh recalled Haplo's words, and, though he didn't trust the Patryn, he didn'ttrust Bane either.Had the child betrayed them?Hugh stared at Bane hard.Bane stared back, his face impassive, revealingnothing, neither innocence nor guilt.But the longer the child looked at Hugh,the more nervous Bane grew.His gaze shifted from Hugh's face to a point justabove Hugh's shoulder.Suddenly Bane's eyes grew wide, he gave a strangledcry."Alfred!"Hugh almost glanced around behind him, then realized that the boy must betrying to trick him, draw his attention away from Iridal.But if Bane was putting on an act, he was giving a marvel-ous performance.Heshrank back, held up a warding small hand."Alfred! What are you doing here? Alfred, go away.I don't want you here.Idon't need you." The child was babbling, almost incoherent."Calm down, Your Highness," said the cold voice."There is no one there."Bane swelled in anger."Alfred's there! Standing right at Hugh's shoulder! Ican see him, I tell you "Suddenly, the boy blinked, stared, narrow-eyed, at Hugh.Bane gulped, manageda sickly, cunning smile."I was laying a trap, trying to find out if this man has an accomplice.Youspoiled it.You've gone and ruined it all, Count." Bane tried to lookindignant, but he kept his gaze fixed on Hugh, and there was a certainuneasiness in the child's eyes, Hugh had no idea what Bane was up to, caredless.Some sort of trick.The Hand remembered a time when Bane had claimed tosee a Kir monk, standing at Hugh's shoulder.* The assassin licked blood fromhis cut lip, glanced around the room, trying to get a look at the man incharge.*Drigon Wing, vol.i of The Death Gate Cycle.Bane, as a clairvoyant,possessed the ability to see images of anything or anyone currently exerting astrong influence on a person.In general, with most people, the images wouldbe symbolic and Bane would likely take them for granted, or use them toincrease his hold on people, and thus he would not mention them.This oneapparently startled the boy into speaking."Me no speak elf," Hugh grunted.A tall, well-formed elf came into view.Dressed in resplendent clothing, theelf had, by some miracle, emerged unscathed, undamaged from the whirlwind ofdestruction that had leveled much of the room.The count walked forward,studied Hugh with detached interest, as he might have studied some new form ofbug life."I am Count Tretar, lord of the Tretar elves.You, I believe, are known asHugh the Hand.""No?" Tretar smiled."But you wear our clothes quite well.Come, come, my dearsir." The count continued to speak elven."The game is ended.Accept your losswith grace.I know a great deal about you that you speak elven fluently; thatyou are responsible for the deaths of several of our people; that you stoleone of our dragonships.I have a warrant for your apprehension dead or alive."Hugh glanced again at Bane, who was now regarding the Hand with theunblinking, guileless innocence children practice as their best defenseagainst adults.Hugh grimaced, shifted his body, ostensibly to ease his discomfort, but inreality to test the strength of his bonds.The bowstrings were tied tight.IfPage 192ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlhe attempted to work them loose, he would only succeed in causing them to digdeeper into his flesh.This Tretar was no fool.Dissembling would no longer serve the assassin.Perhaps he could strike a bargain, "What's happened to the boy's mother?" Hughdemanded."What did you do to her?"The count glanced at Iridal, quirked an eyebrow."Poisoned.Oh, nothing fatal, I assure you.A mild form, delivered by a dart,that will render her unconscious and incapacitated for as long a period as wedeem necessary.It is the only way to deal with those humans known as'mysteriarchs.' Other than killing them outright, of "The count stopped talking.His gaze had shifted to a dog that had comewandering into the room.Haplo's dog.Hugh wondered where the Patryn was, what his role was in allthis.But the Hand couldn't guess and he certainly wasn't going to ask, incase the elves had, by some chance, left the Patryn out of their calculations.Tretar frowned, glanced round at his soldiers."That's the dog that belongs toHis Highness's manservant.What's it doing here? Take the beast out.""No!" Bane cried."He's mine!" The child leapt up and threw his arms aroundthe dog's neck.The dog responded by licking Bane's cheek, giving every evidence that it hadjust discovered a long-lost friend."He likes me better than Haplo," Bane announced."I'm going to keep him."The count regarded the pair thoughtfully."Very well, the animal can stay.Gofind out how it got loose," he said, in an undertone to a subordinate."Andwhat's happened to its owner."Bane pulled the dog down beside him on the floor.The animal lay therepanting, looking around with bright eyes.The count returned to his perusal of Hugh."You've captured me," said the Hand."I'm your prisoner.Lock me up, kill me.What happens to me doesn't matter.Let the lady and the boy go."Tretar appeared highly amused."Really, my dear sir, do you think we are thatstupid? A renowned assassin and a powerful wizardess fall into our hands andyou expect us to literally throw both of you away.What waste! What folly.""What do you want, then?" Hugh growled."To hire you," said Tretar coolly."I'm not for sale.""Every man has his price."Hugh grunted, shifted his position again."There's not enough barls in thisslimy kingdom of yours to buy me.""Not money," said Tretar, carefully dusting the soot off the seat of a chairwith a silken handkerchief.He sat down, crossed shapely legs, covered bysilken hose, leaned back."A life.Her life.""So that's it."Rolling over to lie on his back, Hugh bunched his muscles, tried to burst hisbindings.Blood warm and sticky ran down his hands."My dear sir, relax.You're only damaging yourself." Tretar heaved an affectedsigh."I admit that my men are not particularly impressive fighters, but theydo know how to tie knots.Escape is impossible, and we would not be foolishenough to kill you in the attempt, as perhaps you hope.After all, we are notasking you to do anything you haven't done countless times before.We want tohire you to kill.As simple as that.""Who's the mark?" Hugh asked, thinking he knew."King Stephen and Queen Anne."Hugh glanced up at Tretar, surprised.The count nodded in understanding."You expected me to say Prince Rees'ahn,didn't you? We considered it, when we knew you were coming.But the prince hassurvived several such attempts.It is said that he has supernatural powersguarding him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]