5) Empire 2 - Servant of the Empire by Servant Of The Empire

Author:Servant Of The Empire [Empire, Servant Of The]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-08-05T23:00:00+00:00

Mara watched the filth and old blood that came away on the cloth. 'That's more than a scratch. The bone shows.' She added the question that burned to be asked. 'What of the city?'

Arakasi ducked the maid's hand. In a movement quick as a predator's, he caught up a clean rag and held it pressed to his injury. 'My Lady should not bother herself with a servant's aches and pains.'

In the softening gloom of twilight, Mara's eyebrows rose. 'And servants should not bother to aid their mistresses by risking imperial charges for handing a blade to a slave? No' - she raised her hand as Arakasi drew breath - 'don't answer. Lujan swears he didn't see. There was a knife that turned up bloody in the pantry, but the cooks insist it was used to slaughter jigabirds.'

Arakasi loosed a sharp chuckle. 'Jigabirds! How apt.'

'Very. Now answer my question,' Mara demanded.

Still delighted, Arakasi obeyed. 'All is in chaos. There are fires everywhere, and many wounded. Kentosani looks as if it has been overrun by an invading army in the quarters around the arena. The Warlord has retired in shame, humiliated by the Great One, Milamber. The spectacle was too public and caused too many innocent deaths. I wager Almecho will end his sorry life within the day.'

'The Emperor?' Through her excitement at this momentous news, Mara kept track of the prosaic. She dismissed the maid with orders to fetch a tray of supper.

Arakasi said, 'The Light of Heaven is safe. But the Imperial Whites are withdrawn from all parts of the palace save the family suite, where they protect the Emperor and his children. The Council Guards remain on duty, but with no orders from the Warlord to direct them, they will not act.

By nightfall, it should be presumed that house loyalty will prevail, and each company will return to its own master. What rules we know are temporarily suspended, with the council weakened and the Warlord shamed.' Arakasi shrugged. 'There is no law, except as strength demands.'

Mara felt chilled in a room that seemed suddenly darker. She clapped for servants to light lamps, then said, 'Lujan should hear this. Do you think we could be attacked?'

Arakasi sighed. 'Who can know? All is madness out there. Yet if I were to hazard a guess, we are probably safe for the night. If the Lord of the Minwanabi survived the destruction of the games, then he is most likely hiding in his quarters, as we are, taking stock of personal losses and awaiting word that sanity has returned in the streets.'

The tray arrived, brought in by a servant with Lujan striding hard on his heels. Mara motioned for her Force Commander to be seated, then had a round of chocha poured. She sat back and sipped the hot, reassuring liquid, while Lujan bullied Arakasi into treating his wound with salve. The warrior's graphic descriptions of suppurating sword cuts were enough to intimidate the bravest, and Arakasi's courage mostly stemmed from stubbornness. Roused

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