Song of Homana by Jennifer Roberson

Author:Jennifer Roberson [Roberson, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780886774349
Publisher: DAW
Published: 1970-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

saw the comprehension in her eyes.

"Lachlan." My voice was oddly cramped. I swallowed.

clearing my throat, then tried again to speak. "Lachlan, no man will reprove you for what you have done. Perhaps the method was—unexpected, but the reasons are clear enough."

"I have no dispute with that," he said. "It is only that I thought myself above such petty vengeance." He sighed and stroked two fingers along his Lady, touching the green stone gently. "Such power as Lodhi bestows can be used for harm as well as good. And now you have seen them both."

I cast an assessive glance around at the staring throng.

There was still a thing to be said. "Is there yet a man who would slay me? Another man willing to serve the woman's power?" I gestured toward Zared's body on the ground. "1

THE SONG OF HOMANA 181

'charge you to consider it carefully when you think to strike me down."

I thought there was need for nothing more, though something within me longed to cry out at them all, to claim myself inviolate. It was not true. Kings and princes

„ are subject to assassination more often than death from old

^ age. And yet I thought it unlikely more would strike now, rafter what had just occurred.

|f 1 looked at the body. It resembled that of a child within

^ the womb, for I had seen a stillbirth once; the arms were

! wrapped around the double-up knees, fingers clawed. The feet were rigid in their boots.

Zared's head was twisted on his neck and his eyes were open. Staring. I thought I might get myself the reputation of a man surrounding

, himself with shapechangers and Ellasian sorcerers, and I fought it just as well. Let any man who thought to slay

|llis king think twice upon the subject.

^ "Go," I said, more quietly. "There are yet battles to be I'fought, and winejugs to be emptied."

| I saw the smiles. I heard the low-voiced comments.

'What they had seen would not be forgotten, used instead

| to strengthen existing stories. They would drink them-

: selves to sleep discussing the subject of death, but at least

.they would sleep. I thought it unlikely I would.

g, I touched Lachlan on the shoulder. "It was best."

P But he did not look at me. He looked only at my sister iwhile she stared at Zared's corpse.

, "Does it please you," asked Finn, "to know how much

;the woman desires your death?"

I spun around. He was pale and sweating, white around

I the mouth, and his lips were pressed tightly closed. I saw

| immense tension in the line of his shoulders. The stitches I-stood out like a brand upon his face. He stood with such frigidity I dared not touch him, even to help, for fear he

I-might fall down.

| "It does not please me," I answered simply. "But it

|does not surprise me, either. Did you really think it

||would?" I shook my head. "Still ... I had not known she

^neld such power."

f- "She is Tynstar's meijha," Finn said clearly. "A whore, l.to keep from dirtying the Old Tongue with her name.

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