Hero! by Dave Duncan

Author:Dave Duncan [Duncan, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780099992301
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: 1991-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

AFTER AN ABSENCE of years, Roker had returned to Valhal in triumph, accompanied by a verminous crew. The high admiral himself was a perfect turd, but some of his companions were worse. The shrewd advisers he had favored in the past, like Waggery and Malgrov, were long gone. Now he consorted with trash—Gargel, Legarf, Tawlet, Lepo—a collection of the most insufferable, incompetent sycophants in the Patrol, carefully selected for their ability to annoy Vaun, no doubt. And now they feasted and wassailed in the Great Hall like a victorious gang of Viscan raiders.

Vaun picked listlessly at his food as each masterpiece was laid before him. Obviously whoever had selected the menu had spared him no expense: strealer caviar, iced firebird from Gangador, jellied dilforms’ tongues, arctic truffles…And he noted glumly that the most jealously guarded corner of his wine cellar had been looted also.

Roker was enjoying himself hugely, booming out ribald stories that his cronies applauded with cannonades of fabricated mirth. In between times, the others splashed acidulous wit in Vaun’s direction and made poisonous asides that he was expected to hear.

He had been carefully placed between two women he detested, Admirals Gargel and Boorior. Gargel was a deadly bore, also a notorious flirt, and reputedly as dull in bed as she was at conversation. Making passes at Vaun would not be politic at the moment, so she chattered of nothing at great length, when she was not giggling and sniggering with her neighbor on the other side.

The awful Admiral Boorior was worse, needling Vaun like a embroidery pattern for everyone else’s amusement. Boorior had a bony, angular figure and a hatchet face. He disapproved of her appearance, her politics, and her recreations. Only once had he ever accepted an invitation from her, and then she had clawed him half to death, forcing him to use his strength in ways he preferred not to.

“All these crumbling antiques!” she proclaimed. “So dull and musty! I do think Valhal was much nicer in the old days.”

Roker picked up on that. “When Maeve was running it, you mean?”

“Well, it does take a girl’s touch to make a place a home.”

“One girl?” Roker said, and smirked around so that the audience would know to laugh.

“One girl at a time,” Boorior agreed. “Or at least for longer than a week.”

The dessert came at last.

“This is an excellent wine,” Boorior said poisonously. “A celebrated year. I had no idea that there was any of this left in existence.”

“I agree, my dear,” Roker said heartily. “Let’s have a few more bottles brought up, shall we?”

Vaun smiled thinly. “Why not? After all, we have only a few more weeks left to enjoy such trivia, haven’t we?”

Roker scowled darkly. “Perhaps less than that, for some of us.”

The audience laughed uneasily.

“But let us not be morbid!” The high admiral’s face was flushed with drink and triumph. “This should be a joyful occasion.” He did not explain why, but then a high admiral never needed to explain. “Tawlet? Give us a song.

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