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Back Bleak Seasons Save as PDF
Chapters (102)
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Hagop coughed, clearing his throat. He did not say much ordinarily so everybody paused to listen. I been doing watches in the lookouts. Sometimes you can hear talk. I dont think we done our reputation any good. Also, I dont think we fooled anybody. They dont talk about us much but nobody figures we just cut out. They think we found some way to dig a hole and fill it up with wine, women and food and pulled it in after us and we aint coming back out again till the rest of them are good and dead.

Guys, I tried to get the wine, women and banquets but all I could come up with was the hole.

Out of nowhere, Otto said, The waters going down.

What?

It is, Murgen. Its down five feet already.

Would flooding the city make that much difference? No? Whys that?

Goblin and One-Eye exchanged significant looks.

What? I demanded.

After we do our experiment.

All right. The rest of you guys. You know the problems. Go see if theres anything we can do about them.

75

75

Talk to me, I told the runt wizards.

Goblin said, We think something was done to you when you were out there. He jerked his head shoreward.

What? Get serious! I...

We are. You were gone a long time. And you changed. How many disappearing spells have you had since you got back?

I gave it an honest think. Only one. Maybe. When I was kidnapped. I dont remember anything about it. Im sure they drugged me. I was drinking tea with the Speaker, then I was in that street where you found me. I have no idea how I got there. I have vague recollections of smelling smoke and going out a door which put me somewhere that I did not expect to be when I got to the other side. I vaguely remember thinking something about being in the house of pain.

They tortured you.

They did. I still had the nicks and bruises to prove it. I had no idea what I might have been asked, if anything. I did suspect that Sindhus pals were behind my abduction and the attempt on Mogaba.

If so, their life sure took an unpleasant turn when the Black Company found them.

Weve been watching you, Goblin said. And you have been behaving pretty strange sometimes. What we want to do is put you to sleep and see if we cant reach the part of you that was there when things happened.

I dont get you.

You dont have to. You just have to cooperate.

Youre sure?

Were sure.

He did not sound sure.

I awakened on my own pallet. Not refreshed. Someone was wiping my hot face with a cold, wet cloth. I opened my eyes. In the light of one tiny candle Sahra looked more lovely than ever. She looked better than imagination. She continued to wipe my face.