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don't have. "We have a lot of work to do and not much time "
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"Painter." A ragged fellow in black-and-scarlet held up his hand and Painter
nodded. "Painter, I am Roos of the Anoki magicians."
"Yes?"
"There is still the matter of payment to be settled."
"Payment?" Great Juju, what am I doing here?"
"Of course. Our being here is of value to you, is it not?"
That is the question, isn't it? Painter shook his head. "This is different."
"Different? Different how?"
"We're here to learn how to defend your homes your planet!"
Roos half closed his eyes and held up his head. "Is our being here of value to
you?"
"Of course!"
Roos shrugged. "Then it is of value to us."
Shaking his head, Painter reached under his robe to find an empty purse, "it
seems that I am a little "short."
A woman in a white short robe held up her hand. "I am Fayda of the Sina
cashiers. If I might advance the instructor a small loan?"
Painter looked at his charges, then smacked his right fist into his left hand.
"You silly people are staring a bloodbath square in the face, and you're
standing here trying to turn coppers on it!" They are insane; absolutely yang-
yang! Painter let out his breath. "All right! How much?"
The recruits haggled among themselves for endless minutes, then a fellow in
clown's orange stepped forward. "Two movills each."
The cashier from Sina counted the house, then reached within her robe and
produced forty-four of the copper beads. As she handed them to Painter, she
grinned. "There is, of course, the small matter of interest."
Painter took the coppers and glared at Fayda. "Of course! And, how much would
that be?"
'Ten percent."
"Ten. ..that's robbery!"
Fayda shrugged and waved her hand at her companions. "You must admit the risk I
take is considerable."
Painter nodded, then passed out the coppers. She sees it, too. If an unlearned
copper counter sees it, what am I doing here? After dropping the last two
coppers into the last outstretched hand, Painter resumed his place in the center
of the half-circle, remembering exile to be the penalty for failing to pay debts
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within a reasonable length of time. He looked down, scratching the back of his
neck. A few more sessions like this and I'll be in hock up to my ears.
He nodded once, then looked up. "Before we begin, there is the small matter of
the payment for my services."
Roos looked at his companions, then back at Painter. "How much does the
instructor charge?"
Painter folded his arms. "Three coppers apiece."
"Thief!" cried a freak from the back. "We only charged two!"
Painter shrugged. "A war is about to leap square in the middle of your chests,
and you have no idea what to do about it. I do. Is this knowledge of value to
you?"
As the recruits grumbled, Painter heard footsteps coming up from behind. He
turned to see Allenby smiling and shaking his head.
"Lord Allenby."
"I see things are progressing well, Painter."
Painter snorted. "May I ask what brings you here?"
Allenby nodded. "I have come to congratulate you, Painter. By my appointment,
you are now the official military commander of the Moman Armed Forces." Painter
stared at the Great Statesman while several comments competed for expression.
Allenby turned and spoke over his shoulder as he left. "War is Hell, Painter.
War is Hell."
Painter turned back to face his charges. Roos, a black frown on his face, held
out Painter's coppers and dropped them into his outstretched palm. "Do you want
to count them?"
Painter nodded. "Of course." Painter counted out the forty-four coppers, plus
interest, handed them to the cashier and pocketed the balance. Fayda, the
cashier, bowed.
"The instructor may depend upon a lower rate of interest in the future from
Fayda. I see he is a man of means."
Painter nodded as an image of himself leading the Moman Armed Forces against
Arvanian mercenaries flashed through his mind. / must remember to ask Allenby
how much the job pays. I don't think it will be enough.
Koolis, Master of the Great Ring of Tarzak, stood in the center of the darkened
amphitheater, his gaze caressing the starlit cut-stone tiers. The circus, loaded
into lizard- and horse-drawn wagons, had departed hours before. They had begged
him to come, but Koolis remained behind. My place is here, with the Ring. My
obligations to the circus are met; the circus is safe.
"Father?"
Koolis turned toward the spectator's entrance and squinted as a figure
approached. "Lissa?"
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"Yes, father." The slender young woman crossed the sawdust, stopped and lowered
her pack. "You must leave. The invaders will be here soon."
Koolis turned his head away and crossed his arms. "We have nothing to discuss."
"You are angry with me still?"
Koolis snorted. "My daughter the soldier."
"I did not want to disobey you, Father."
"But you did all the same."
"We must fight "
"Bah! We are keepers of the Ring, Lissa, not killers. And, if Momus would field
an army, where is it? Why does it leave Tarzak to the enemy? Why does it not
stand and fight?"
"Father, if we did face the Arvanians as an army, it would be all over for us.
We must use different tactics."
"Skulking behind trees, slipping a knife into a back when no one is looking."
Koolis spat on the ground. "Why are you here in Tarzak instead of hiding in the
hills along with the rest of our brave soldiers?"
Lissa stooped over and lifted her pack, putting the strap over her shoulder. "I
was sent to pick up the fireballs." She reached into the pack and held out an [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
don't have. "We have a lot of work to do and not much time "
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"Painter." A ragged fellow in black-and-scarlet held up his hand and Painter
nodded. "Painter, I am Roos of the Anoki magicians."
"Yes?"
"There is still the matter of payment to be settled."
"Payment?" Great Juju, what am I doing here?"
"Of course. Our being here is of value to you, is it not?"
That is the question, isn't it? Painter shook his head. "This is different."
"Different? Different how?"
"We're here to learn how to defend your homes your planet!"
Roos half closed his eyes and held up his head. "Is our being here of value to
you?"
"Of course!"
Roos shrugged. "Then it is of value to us."
Shaking his head, Painter reached under his robe to find an empty purse, "it
seems that I am a little "short."
A woman in a white short robe held up her hand. "I am Fayda of the Sina
cashiers. If I might advance the instructor a small loan?"
Painter looked at his charges, then smacked his right fist into his left hand.
"You silly people are staring a bloodbath square in the face, and you're
standing here trying to turn coppers on it!" They are insane; absolutely yang-
yang! Painter let out his breath. "All right! How much?"
The recruits haggled among themselves for endless minutes, then a fellow in
clown's orange stepped forward. "Two movills each."
The cashier from Sina counted the house, then reached within her robe and
produced forty-four of the copper beads. As she handed them to Painter, she
grinned. "There is, of course, the small matter of interest."
Painter took the coppers and glared at Fayda. "Of course! And, how much would
that be?"
'Ten percent."
"Ten. ..that's robbery!"
Fayda shrugged and waved her hand at her companions. "You must admit the risk I
take is considerable."
Painter nodded, then passed out the coppers. She sees it, too. If an unlearned
copper counter sees it, what am I doing here? After dropping the last two
coppers into the last outstretched hand, Painter resumed his place in the center
of the half-circle, remembering exile to be the penalty for failing to pay debts
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Click here to buy
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within a reasonable length of time. He looked down, scratching the back of his
neck. A few more sessions like this and I'll be in hock up to my ears.
He nodded once, then looked up. "Before we begin, there is the small matter of
the payment for my services."
Roos looked at his companions, then back at Painter. "How much does the
instructor charge?"
Painter folded his arms. "Three coppers apiece."
"Thief!" cried a freak from the back. "We only charged two!"
Painter shrugged. "A war is about to leap square in the middle of your chests,
and you have no idea what to do about it. I do. Is this knowledge of value to
you?"
As the recruits grumbled, Painter heard footsteps coming up from behind. He
turned to see Allenby smiling and shaking his head.
"Lord Allenby."
"I see things are progressing well, Painter."
Painter snorted. "May I ask what brings you here?"
Allenby nodded. "I have come to congratulate you, Painter. By my appointment,
you are now the official military commander of the Moman Armed Forces." Painter
stared at the Great Statesman while several comments competed for expression.
Allenby turned and spoke over his shoulder as he left. "War is Hell, Painter.
War is Hell."
Painter turned back to face his charges. Roos, a black frown on his face, held
out Painter's coppers and dropped them into his outstretched palm. "Do you want
to count them?"
Painter nodded. "Of course." Painter counted out the forty-four coppers, plus
interest, handed them to the cashier and pocketed the balance. Fayda, the
cashier, bowed.
"The instructor may depend upon a lower rate of interest in the future from
Fayda. I see he is a man of means."
Painter nodded as an image of himself leading the Moman Armed Forces against
Arvanian mercenaries flashed through his mind. / must remember to ask Allenby
how much the job pays. I don't think it will be enough.
Koolis, Master of the Great Ring of Tarzak, stood in the center of the darkened
amphitheater, his gaze caressing the starlit cut-stone tiers. The circus, loaded
into lizard- and horse-drawn wagons, had departed hours before. They had begged
him to come, but Koolis remained behind. My place is here, with the Ring. My
obligations to the circus are met; the circus is safe.
"Father?"
Koolis turned toward the spectator's entrance and squinted as a figure
approached. "Lissa?"
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Click here to buy
Click here to buy
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"Yes, father." The slender young woman crossed the sawdust, stopped and lowered
her pack. "You must leave. The invaders will be here soon."
Koolis turned his head away and crossed his arms. "We have nothing to discuss."
"You are angry with me still?"
Koolis snorted. "My daughter the soldier."
"I did not want to disobey you, Father."
"But you did all the same."
"We must fight "
"Bah! We are keepers of the Ring, Lissa, not killers. And, if Momus would field
an army, where is it? Why does it leave Tarzak to the enemy? Why does it not
stand and fight?"
"Father, if we did face the Arvanians as an army, it would be all over for us.
We must use different tactics."
"Skulking behind trees, slipping a knife into a back when no one is looking."
Koolis spat on the ground. "Why are you here in Tarzak instead of hiding in the
hills along with the rest of our brave soldiers?"
Lissa stooped over and lifted her pack, putting the strap over her shoulder. "I
was sent to pick up the fireballs." She reached into the pack and held out an [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]