Book 2 - Epiphany of the Long Sun by Wolfe Gene

Author:Wolfe, Gene [Wolfe, Gene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-09-03T21:20:16+00:00

"I heard you had a pet bird," Saba said, eyeing Oreb; she was a massive woman with a marked resemblance to an angry sow.

Silk smiled. "I'm not sure pet's the correct word. I've been trying to set him free for days. The result has been that he comes and goes as he pleases, says anything he wants, and seems to enjoy himself far more than I do. Today we went back to my manteion, mostly to enlist Maytera Marble's help in airing this place out. I got some important news there, by the way, which I'll give you in a moment."

"That's right." Saba snapped her fingers. "You holy men are supposed to be able to find out the gods' will by looking at sheep guts, aren't you?"

"Yes. Some of us are better at it than others, of course, and no one's ever suggested that I'm much better than average. Don't you have augurs in Trivigaunte?"

"No cut!" Oreb required reassurance.

"Not you, silly bird. Positively not." Silk smiled again. "I got him as a victim, you see; and though I've ruled that out, he's afraid I'll change my mind. What I wanted to tell you is that I went into the manse to see if I'd left my beads there Phaesday night. I should have said earlier that he'd flown off when I got out of my litter.

"Well, I went into the kitchen because I empty my pockets on the kitchen table sometimes, and there he was on the larder. 'Bird home,' he told me, and seemed quite content; but he rode out on my shoulder when I left."

"He sounds like a good trooper," Saba leaned back in her ivory-inlaid armchair. "You have so many male troopers here. I'm still getting used to them, though most fight well enough. I have news for you, too, Caldé, when you've given me yours."

"In a moment. To tell the truth, I'm afraid you'll rush off the minute you hear it and I want to ask about augury in Trivigaunte. Besides, Chenille's making coffee, and she'll be disappointed if we don't drink it. She wants to meet you, too-you helped save her; she was one of the hostages at Blood's." Seeing that Saba did not understand him, Silk added, "The villa in the country."

"Oh, there. You were the one we came after, Caldé."

"But you saved Chenille too, and Patera Incus and Master Xiphias-you and Generalissimo Oosik, and several thousand of General Mint's people, I ought to say."

Saba nodded. "We were a little part, but we did what we could. Where's Mint, anyhow?"

"Trying to turn courageous but untrained and undisciplined volunteers into a smoothly running horde, I assume. I've tried to do that sort of thing myself on a much smaller scale-with the mothers of the children at our palaestra, for example. I don't envy her the task."

"You've got to get rough with them, sometimes," Saba told him, looking as if that were the aspect she enjoyed. "There's times to be pals, all troopers together. And there's times when you need the karbaj.

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