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Suddenly an avalanche of pebbles cascaded over him, accompanied by a frantic
scraping. Looking up, he saw a toehold under Ixpar's foot disintegrate. He
worked his toes deeper into a crack and clenched the wall with a vise grip
that, courtesy of his biomech, would take a powered wrench to release. Even
so, when Ixpar slid into him, he had to strain to keep from being knocked off
the wall.
She eased her weight away from him. "I'm all right."
Releasing his breath, Kelric resumed the climb. When he fet packed dirt under
his feet, he let go of he wall, then swayed,
50Catherine .1
spots dancing in his vision. As Ixpar slid down next to him, sagged against
the tower. She tried to bolt, but he caught W around the waist.
|
"Kelric, listen to me," she said. "You'll never make it to 1!T airfield. Give
it up before you rebreak your legs." More iii? she said, "We won't hurt you."
I'
You have no idea, he thought. His fight with the guards T.i unmasked a portion
of his hidden enhancements, but Deha iii' her people didn't know the extent of
his abilities. It left iff* room to bluff. But he had to get help. The longer
he went ff., out repair, the more it aggravated the damage to his 'mrTiiT';
systems.
Holding Ixpar's arm, he drew her to the gate. A plaza W outside the courtyard,
bordered by pale blue houses. In center of the plaza, opening to the sky like
a flower, a vifff fountain glazed with accents of color brought to mind H
forests, and sun. Water arched up from it, whipped by the mp into a mist of
rainbows
He set off in a limping jog across the plaza pulling n with him. On the other
side they entered a maze of ii cobbled lanes that wound among stone houses
three and Bfgb stories high, with windows full of plants. As they ran, the i,
mountain air cleared his head. Once the sound of TO|| reached their ears, and
an instant later a flock of tiWiR dashed into the lane, too intent on their
game of chase to inii| two people hiding in the shadows of a recessed doorway.
__»
A lawn separated the city outskirts from the wall Hgl called the Calanya
windbreak. The barrier stood as high three adults and was thick enough for two
people to wil abreast on its top edge. It curved off in both directions for
1R| meters. Holes sculpted in the stone provided glimpses of RTffSB scaped
parks beyond. ;
"It should be easy to climb this," Kelric said. "We can tin through the
parks." |
"No!" Ixpar said. 1
He blinked. That was the strongest emotion he had ever aMi her show. "Why
not?" ;'
"It is a violation of the Calanya," she said. "You will *!titB minate the
Quis." i
____                   The Last Hawk 51
Contaminate a dice game? He drew her over to the windbreak. "Climb."
Ixpar scowled. "May a giant hawk pluck you off the mountain and feed you to
her babies."
He couldn't help but smile. "I hope not."
The wind grew stronger as they scaled the wall, tearing at their clothes and
hair when they reached the top. It died away as they descended the inner side.
At the bottom, a lush carpet of grass sloped down from the windbreak. Groves
of trees heavy with gold fruit were scattered at the foot of the hill and far
across the parks the windows in a cluster of buildings sparkled like liquid
diamonds.
They set off across the lawn. He was limping more now, his still healing legs
growing more fatigued. He glanced at Ixpar. "You said dice payers live here?"
"The men in a Calanya are all expert Quis players," she said. "You could call
them advisers. To Deha. Quis advisers."
"And Quis is power." When Ixpar nodded, Kelric smiled. "This park isn't a bad
setup just for being good at dice."
They were crossing a carved wooden bridge that arched over a stream when they
saw the man. He was sitting on a stone bench on the other side of the stream,
relaxing in the sun.
Kelric halted with Ixpar on the bridge and drew his gun. "Who is that?"
"A Calani," she said. "A dice player who lives in a Calanya."
The man stood up, watching them. He was slender, having gray hair and the look
of a scholar. His clothes were simple, with an appearance of wealth about
them: suede trousers and knee boots, a darker suede belt tooled with Quis
designs, and a white shirt with embroidered cuffs. Guards made from what
looked like solid gold circled his wrists and two gold armbands showed on each
of his upper arms.
'Those bands make him look like a Jagemaut," Kelric said.
"You insult him," Ixpar said.
"Since when is that an insult?" With Ixpar at his side, Kelric walked down to
the Calani and spoke in Teotecan. "You are the only one out here?"
The Calani watched him in silence.
Kelric glanced at Ixpar. "Why won't he talk?"
52Catherine.
. " . "Calani never speak to Outsiders." She crossed her ni
"In the Old Age, the penalty for breaking into a Calanya m| .
death" '
Kelric frowned. He neither needed nor wanted iniiT hostage, but he coudn't
leave the man free to sound an .n'ilt: So he fired the stunner. Surprise
flashed across the *PTff|| face as he collapsed.
|1
"No!" Ixpar dropped on her knees and felt for the »iin| pulse.
_|| \
"I'm sorry." Kelric rubbed his temples. "But I can't '. chances."
| -j\
The look she gave him could have chilled ice. "We niirf' leave him like this."
-
"He'll be all right." Kelric drew her to her feet. "He'llji; 3 sleep for a few
hours." He headed for a single-story 'iil(lj||j| :
made from amberwood and blue stone. Potted plants iTO from its eaves and the
shutters were open, revealing n«(fflC!| . of gold glass bordered by copper
Inside, they walked down a hall painted in green t>i[i| } shadow-gray, dappled
like a forest glade with sun rtim through the foliage. It ended at a sunroom;
the walls aFfjl from amber at the floor into white-gold at the top. The
MtfflTI was blue, with clouds half covering a sun. In one comer, youth sat at
a table playing Quis solitaire. ;
"Get up" Kelric said. j
The youth looked up as if surfacing from a dive. When he : saw Kelric, he
blinked and stood up. |
Kelric glanced at the meter on the stunner. He couldn't keep knocking out
people; the gun's charge was almost exhausted So he motioned at a papery
screen painted with trees and birds that blocked a doorway across the room.
"Open it." | |
With Kelric and Ixpar following, the youth backed RST7| J the screen. He
pushed it aside to reveal a larger sunroom with 1 two huge doors in the
opposite wall. In one comer of the room a boy sat listening to the talk of a
man with a halo of vjW hair. In the center, seven men sat at a table playing
Quis. J [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]