Conflict of Empires by Sam Barone
Author:Sam Barone [Barone, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9780099536765
Publisher: Arrow
Published: 2009-12-31T13:00:00+00:00
Chapter 16
Five more days went by without event, and already a fortnight had passed since Ishtar’s feast. The late afternoon sun drifted toward the western horizon, and En-hedu considered packing up her wares for the day a good hour earlier than usual. This day, like all the other days and weeks before it, had brought little out of the ordinary. Business always slowed down in the late afternoon, when people, tired after a long day’s work, worried more about eating their dinner than buying trinkets.
She’d only sold one belt all day, and that before the noon hour, to a trader whose own had split.
She’d arrived in the lane at first light, just in time to watch Korthac head toward the river, a little earlier than he normally did. But he returned at noon, his regular hour, to take his midday meal in private. Korthac had moved into his new quarters two weeks ago, a few days after Ishtar’s festival. His new residence consisted of three small houses in a row, all attached together, with the central one slightly larger than the other two.
En-hedu had started selling her wares in Korthac’s lane two days before he took possession of his new house. By the time the Egyptian moved in, she’d become just another woman selling goods, her wares displayed only a few paces away from a farmer’s wife selling vegetables. At least half a dozen pushcarts lined the lane every day, sometimes blocking traffic as the vendors moved and shifted their carts and goods about, or their owners took time to gossip.
After so many days at her post, En-hedu knew the name of every one of the seventeen Egyptians, and spoke to all of them whenever they passed. But only if their master were absent. She’d soon learned not to call attention to herself, not with Korthac nearby. None would dare venture into the lane or even acknowledge her greeting.
The only small exception to that rule was Hathor. A serious-looking man who seldom smiled, he functioned as senior steward to Korthac. Or acted as occasional bodyguard, depending on the need. When Korthac left the house, Hathor took charge, and he spent his time moving between the three houses, checking on the men and maintaining order. That brought him out into the lane, and occasionally he would smile or nod a greeting to En-hedu as he passed. Twice he actually bought something from her cart.
A belt one time, and a wrist guard the other. He made other purchases for the household as well, sometimes in the lane, but more often in the marketplace, which held a better selection of goods.
To her surprise, he’d picked up the local language very well, and even ventured to ask about her other wares. En-hedu tried to draw him into conversation, but he never stayed long, or spoke much. He never acknowledged her presence if Korthac accompanied him.
The Egyptian leader remained as elusive as ever. After taking his midday meal, Korthac usually returned to the docks. Boats
Download
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.
In Control (The City Series) by Crystal Serowka(35789)
The Wolf Sea (The Oathsworn Series, Book 2) by Low Robert(34703)
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry(34004)
Crowbone (The Oathsworn Series, Book 5) by Low Robert(33056)
The Book of Dreams (Saxon Series) by Severin Tim(32914)
The Daughters of Foxcote Manor by Eve Chase(23056)
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh(21029)
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman(19904)
Shot Through The Heart (Supernature Book 1) by Edwin James(18432)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt(18166)
The Girl from the Opera House by Nancy Carson(15383)
American King (New Camelot #3) by Sierra Simone(14872)
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda(14745)
Sad Girls by Lang Leav(13912)
Pimp by Iceberg Slim(13780)
The Betrayed by Graham Heather(12306)
The Betrayed by David Hosp(12205)
4 3 2 1: A Novel by Paul Auster(11794)
Still Me by Jojo Moyes(10789)
