Demons of Antares by Alan Burt Akers

Author:Alan Burt Akers [Akers, Alan Burt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781843197515
Publisher: Mushroom eBooks
Published: 1994-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter twelve

The stone-bow was small, light and well-made. It was no more than a forearm in length. Nevertheless, it had enough pulling force for a decent shot. The projectiles were not stones, but cleanly cast lead balls. I weighed it in my hand and looked into the little Och’s eyes. His shop was crammed with weapons and armor, everything was properly oiled and gave off that very special fragrance that belonged in any armory.

He wiped his middle left and upper right hand on his leather apron. Then he told me his price. I grimaced and offered half.

In the end we settled on three-quarters of the original price, and I paid for the little crossbow to our mutual satisfaction.

I wore a rust-brown shamlak with a narrow gap down the front and black embroidery, and trousers of the same color that reached to my ankles. These garments were brand new. The air smelled sweet, the slanting mingled rays of Zim and Genodras flooded the city, and I felt a new impetus. Events rushed on.

The cloak that Elten Naghan Vindo had lent me was long gone in the way of all things transitory. Its successor was a nondescript gray and had a deep hood with black trim. It hid my arms in a satisfactory manner.

The parting from Quensella was confoundedly difficult, more so than I could have dreamed. She sent her servants — Sinkie was no longer among them — from the small room, which was comfortably furnished with feminine taste. When the girls had gone, she rose. She wore a long, flowing robe of a mid-blue color. Silver slippers peeked from under the lace hem. Her black, tightly arranged hair had a blue shimmer in the light of the lamps. Her smooth, unadorned face was strikingly pale. She looked at me for a long time — at least it seemed so to me — silently. Her chest rose and fell with each breath.

“Why?” she whispered. “Why must you leave me, Drajak?”

“You now have a good bodyguard. Other — tasks — are waiting for me.”

“Are they more important than being close to me?”

That was unbearable. I moved the Pakzhan on my neck because I had nothing better to do. “It’s just... I cannot explain it, my lady. Believe me...”

“Not at all!” she roared. Her pale cheeks flushed. “There is a woman. But of course there is. Well, Drajak the ungrateful...?”

“That’s not true, my lady.”

She bit her lip. I had only one wish: to be able to get out of there as quickly as possible. An image of Makki Grodno haunted my thoughts briefly. She took a step toward me. We stood close together. I could feel her sweet breath on my cheek.

“If you have to leave me, then you must do so.” She raised her arms and let them fall helplessly. “All right. Go — I wish you all the best.” Then she shook me to my core. “One more thing before you go, Drajak — wherever that may be.”

“Yes, my lady?”

She took one final step.

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