Percheron Saga #01 - Odalisque by Fiona McIntosh

Author:Fiona McIntosh [McIntosh, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0060899050
Amazon: B004A14UAG
Publisher: Eos
Published: 2005-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

THE SIX MEN and the victim stepped out into the sharp afternoon sunlight. Jumo unhappily followed, slinking into the shadow cast by the minaret outside the walls. His presence here was permitted merely as a servant available to carry, if necessary, Lazar’s body from this place. Pez came behind Jumo, all but catapulting himself from the doorway into the Courtyard of Sorrows and tumbling into a series of manic somersaults aimed purely to irritate Herezah and her sycophants. He succeeded brilliantly by rolling to a halt atop a man’s foot. Only one he knew wore jeweled slippers during the day and outside—he couldn’t have planned it better.

“Curse you, Pez!” the Vizier exclaimed, kicking at the dwarf with his free foot.

Pez rolled away in mock agony, ensuring he made a loud to-do. Two of the Elim, one of whom was Horz, hurried up to help him.

“Vizier!” the senior Elim admonished. “Pez has the highest sanction in all of Percheron. You must—”

“I know, thank you, Horz,” Tariq interrupted testily. He was angry with himself for such a blatant error but how he detested the dwarf! He especially despised that Pez had such free rein throughout the palace and especially in the harem.

Given his anger, he half expected the demon to speak but Maliz had been strangely silent since the meeting this morning. Tariq watched Horz pick up the still-writhing dwarf, carrying him to the edge of the courtyard, and he noticed Pez grinning back, mocking him. Oh, how he hated that fool. Today had been trying and now the dwarf ’s antics, which never failed to embarrass the Vizier, had allowed the tension he was feeling to boil over.

He made his final decision. Yes! He would accept Maliz’s offer. He wanted power, he wanted riches, he wanted freedom from the shackles of people who were less than himself. He would no longer answer to any of these pitiful folk, least of all a deranged dwarf. Tariq grimaced with pleasure at the thought. It would only be a temporary arrangement after all, and what did it matter if the demon had use of his body for a short period? The rewards more than outweighed the brief inconvenience.

Tariq suddenly realized he was grinning fiercely, filled with joy at reaching a decision, but his elation was interrupted by a short fanfare heralding the arrival of the Zar, looking tall and suddenly proud.

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