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Back Bleak Seasons Save as PDF
Chapters (102)
  1. Title page
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With you guys in charge? It did not seem right, me going ashore before the last Black Company brother was out of the city.

Just get your stuff together and go, Goblin snapped again. Itll be dark in an hour.

It was still drizzling. Darkness would come early, though not early enough to complete two crossings and get the rafts back unseen. Damn it.

Sahra was burdened down with odds and ends and six pounds of rice and beans. I carried a pack containing a Nyueng Bao tent, blankets, various clutter useful in the field, plus I had To Tan perched on my hip. That kid was the least troublesome baby I ever saw.

Thai Dei had not drawn a black stone.

I meant to enjoy his absence.

We climbed out of the warren, descended steps, crossed to the wall, climbed up, walked the battlements, descended inside the middle tower. And that was about as much exercise as I wanted.

On my raft we were all Nyueng Bao except me and Red Rudy. The Nyueng Bao were patient about waiting their turns. The guys in the tower, operating by feeble lamplight, were patient too. Morale was good.

Careful, Clete said as I stepped aboard. I accepted children as he started handing them across. I picked you a good one, boss, but it will lean over if you dont keep the weight balanced. Maam. He helped Sahra. She acknowledged his courtesy with a dazzling smile.

Thanks, Clete. See you tomorrow night.

Right. Round up some cattle and dancing girls.

Ill check around.

Kneel down. You got to keep the center of gravity low so the damned thing dont tip.

I glanced around. We were ready to go.

Six Nyueng Bao men were aboard. They would paddle over. Five would bring the raft back. Other than them, Rudy and I and one gimp Nyueng Bao about fifty were the only adult males aboard. There were fifteen or sixteen kids and half as many women. We were crowded but Nyueng Bao make a light load. I volunteered to help paddle but the men on the job lost their capacity to understand Taglian.

Rudy said, If they want to be dicks and bust their nuts, no sweat off our asses.

Youre right. But keep it down. Were doing a sneak here.

It turned out the Nyueng Bao were skilled boatmen. Which should have been no surprise considering their origins.

They remained as quiet as falling feathers. And made rapid headway. The rafts immediately ahead had Taglian paddlers who not only made a lot of noise, they were slow. With just a whispered word my paddlers swung right and began passing.