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Back Bleak Seasons Save as PDF
Chapters (102)
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Thats me all over. Tell Wheezer to hike over to the citadel and tell Sindawe the southerners are up to something. Sindawe might be all right. I could talk to him without having to conquer an urge to squeeze his throat. And this would cover me on keeping Mogaba informed.

What would happen if the Shadowmaster just up and walked away, leaving us to sort ourselves out?

Sounded like the smart thing for him to do.

45

45

Wheezer barely made it to the top. Then he spent five minutes hacking and wheezing before he could talk. That old man had no business soldiering at his age. He ought to be off living off his grandchildren. But like the rest of us he had nothing outside the Company. He would die under the deathshead standard. Under what passed for a standard today.

It was sad. Pathetic, even.

Wheezer was an anomaly. Usually the mercenary life is brutal and short, pain and fear and misery only occasionally interrupted by a fleeting moment of pleasure. What keeps you sane is the unfailing comradeship of your brethren. In this company.

In lesser bands...But they are not the Black Company.

Croaker and I both put a lot of effort into sustaining that brotherhood. In fact, it looked like time to resurrect Croakers habit of readings from the Annals so the men would remember that they were part of something more enduring than most kingdoms.

I told Wheezer, You better take a couple hours off.

He shook his head. He would go on the best he could until he could go on no more. The Nar lieutenant. Sindawe. Sends greetings. He said we better look out tonight.

He mention why?

He sort of hinted...that Mogaba might try...some big stunt after...dark.

Mogaba was always trying some big stunt. Shadowspinner ought to let him set himself up. One raid too many, at the wrong time, and Mogaba would find out personally why Spinner was called a Shadowmaster.

Wheezer said something in his native tongue. Only One-Eye understood him. Sounded like a question. One-Eye muttered a few clicky syllables in reply. I figured the old man wanted to know if it was all right to talk in front of the Nyueng Bao. One-Eye gave him the go ahead.

Wheezer said, Sindawe said tell you guys the rumors about a big battle are probably true.

We owe Sindawe, guys, I said. That sounds to me like him telling us he wont back Mogaba a hundred percent anymore.

Thai Dei and Uncle Doj sucked up our conversation like Nyueng Bao sponges.

Tension built for hours. With no real evidence we began to feel this night would be critical. Mostly the guys worried about new nastinesses from Mogaba. We didnt expect trouble from the Shadowmaster any time soon.

I kept an eye on the hills.

One-Eye snapped, There it is! He shared my anticipations. Pinkish light flared. Lightning crackled around a bizarre rider.