Compleat Traveller in Black by Brunner John;

Author:Brunner, John; [Brunner, John;]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Published: 1986-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

VI

Furious, Achoreus turned to superintend the final clearance of the captives from the gallery, and thought the task was done, but when he glanced around there was one stranger remaining, who certainly was neither a household officer nor a slave: a man in a black cloak leaning on a staff.

“Achoreus!” Fellian rasped. “Why have you not taken that fellow with the rest?”

Staring, Achoreus confessed, “I have not seen him before! He was not with the villagers when we assembled them – Ah, but I have seen him, not at Wantwich. Now I recall that when we were on the outward leg from Teq he stood beneath a tree to watch our army pass, having that same staff in his hand.”

“And he’s come to join the captives of his own accord?” Fellian suggested with a laugh. An answering ripple of amusement at what passed for his brilliant wit echoed from his sycophants. “Well, then, we shall not deny him the privilege he craves!”

Faces brightened everywhere. Fellian was a capricious master, but when he spoke in this jovial fashion it was probable that he was about to distribute favors and gifts at random, saying it was to impress on his retinue the supreme authority of luck.

“So, old man!” he continued. “What brings you hither, if not the long chain linking those who have been here a moment back?”

“A need to know,” said the traveller in black, advancing across the multicolored floor.

“To know what? When the gaming-wheel of life will spin to a halt for you against the dire dark pointer of death? Why, you may ask that face to face of Lady Luck, and she will tell you instanter!”

At that, certain of his attendants blanched. It was not good taste – or wise – to joke about the Lady.

“To know,” the traveller responded unperturbed, “why you sent armed raiders to the village Wantwich.”

“Ah, yes,” Fellian said ironically. “I can see how a stranger might put a question of that order, lacking proper comprehension of the priorities in life. Many think that all they need ever do is act reasonably, meet obligations, pay their debts … and then some random power intrudes on their silly calm existence, perhaps with a lash, perhaps with a sword, and all their reasoning is set at naught. That then is their opportunity to learn the truth. Not sense but luck is what rules the cosmos, do you hear me? Luck!”

He leaned forward, uttering the last word with such intensity that a spray of spittle danced down to the floor.

“See you that idiot who turns a gaming-wheel for me? Ho, you! Bring the creature here!”

Retainers rushed to obey. Fellian peeled rings from his fingers, decorated with stones that might bring the price of a small farm or vineyard, and flung them on the soiled hem of the idiot’s robe.

“Turn her free! Luck has smiled her way today!”

“Not so,” contradicted the traveller.

“What? You gainsay me – you gainsay Fellian?” The lord was popeyed with horror.

“Say rather I see two sides of this good fortune,” the other murmured.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.