02 Empire 1 - Daughter of the Empire by Feist Raymond E

Author:Feist, Raymond E. [Feist, Raymond E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-09-02T05:33:27+00:00

'Mara!'

The shout reverberated through the house. The Lady of the Acoma rose with the aid of her maids. She was halfway to the door of her quarters when the door slid open and Buntokapi entered, his face red with temper.

Her bow was immediate. 'Yes, Bunto.'

He lifted a meaty hand and shook a sheaf of papers, each sheet covered with tiny rows of numbers. 'What are these? I found them piled on my desk when I awoke.' Stamping past, he looked the image of an enraged needra bull, a likeness heightened by his bloodshot eyes, the legacy of entertaining some friends the night before.

Several young soldiers, second and third sons of families loyal to the Anasati, had stopped to visit on their way to the City of the Plains. They had talked for long hours, for their houses mustered garrisons for a spring campaign against the barbarians on the world of Midkemia, on the other side of the magical rift. The war was entering its third year, and tales of riches lured a number of politically neutral houses to join the Alliance for War. Such shifts caused the War Party and the conservative Imperial Party to be in contention for dominance of the High Council. The Lord of the Minwanabi was a stalwart in the War Party, headed by the Warlord, and the Lord of the Anasati was the central figure in the Imperial Party, a position of high prestige because it was limited to blood relations of the Emperor.

With none of the propriety of his imperial cousins, Buntokapi tossed the papers in a shower over his wife. 'What am I supposed to do with all these things?'

'Husband, they are the monthly tallies of the house, the quarterly budget and reports from your factors and inventories of far holdings' - she lowered her eyes to see what else lay scattered about her ankles - 'and a projection of needra hide demand for the next year.'

'But what am I supposed to do with them?' Buntokapi threw up his hands in exasperation. As third son he had been expected to become a career warrior, much like Keyoke and Papewaio, or marry the daughter of some rich merchant seeking alliance with a powerful house. Now that he had exceeded his father's most extreme ambitions, his preparation for ruling a great house was non-existent.

Mara squatted, since pregnancy made bending impossible, and with perfect patience began to gather the scattered parchments. 'You are to read these reports. Approve, disapprove, or amend them, then send them back to the appropriate member of your household staff, Bunto.'

'What about Jican?'

'He'll advise you, husband.' Again she waited for the opportunity to take some responsibility off his shoulders, but he only said, 'Very well. After I've eaten, have the hadonra come to my study.' Without another word he snatched the papers from the hand of his wife and left.

Mara beckoned to her runner. 'Find Jican.'

The hadonra appeared breathless from his summons. He had ink-stains on his hands, and from that Mara knew her runner had found him in the scribes' wing, on the far side of the house.

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