BooksBarbecue
Back Dreams of Steel Save as PDF
Chapters (76)
  1. Title page
  2. Chapter One
  3. Chapter Two
  4. Chapter Three
  5. Chapter Four
  6. Chapter Five
  7. Chapter Six
  8. Chapter Seven
  9. Chapter Eight
  10. Chapter Nine
  11. Chapter Ten
  12. Chapter Eleven
  13. Chapter Twelve
  14. Chapter Thirteen
  15. Chapter Fourteen
  16. Chapter Fifteen
  17. Chapter Sixteen
  18. Chapter Seventeen
  19. Chapter Eighteen
  20. Chapter Nineteen
  21. Chapter Twenty
  22. Chapter Twenty-One
  23. Chapter Twenty-Two
  24. Chapter Twenty-Three
  25. Chapter Twenty-Four
  26. Chapter Twenty-Five
  27. Chapter Twenty-Six
  28. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  29. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  30. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  31. Chapter Thirty
  32. Chapter Thirty-One
  33. Chapter Thirty-Two
  34. Chapter Thirty-Three
  35. Chapter Thirty-Four
  36. Chapter Thirty-Five
  37. Chapter Thirty-Six
  38. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  39. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  40. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  41. Chapter Forty
  42. Chapter Forty-One
  43. Chapter Forty-Two
  44. Chapter Forty-Three
  45. Chapter Forty-Four
  46. Chapter Forty-Five
  47. Chapter Forty-Six
  48. Chapter Forty-Seven
  49. Chapter Forty-Eight
  50. Chapter Forty-Nine
  51. Chapter Fifty
  52. Chapter Fifty-One
  53. Chapter Fifty-Two
  54. Chapter Fifty-Three
  55. Chapter Fifty-Four
  56. Chapter Fifty-Five
  57. Chapter Fifty-Six
  58. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  59. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  60. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  61. Chapter Sixty
  62. Chapter Sixty-One
  63. Chapter Sixty-Two
  64. Chapter Sixty-Three
  65. Chapter Sixty-Four
  66. Chapter Sixty-Five
  67. Chapter Sixty-Six
  68. Chapter Sixty-Seven
  69. Chapter Sixty-Eight
  70. Chapter Sixty-Nine
  71. Chapter Seventy
  72. Chapter Seventy-One
  73. Chapter Seventy-Two
  74. Chapter Seventy-Three
  75. Chapter Seventy-Four
  76. Chapter Seventy-Five

Longshadow grunted. Yes. There is that. Shes in my territories. Afoot. He paced. Shell hide from my shadow eyes. But shell want to watch the rest of the world. I wont look for her, then. Ill look for her spies. The crows will lead me to her. And then I shall test us both.

Howler caught the timbre of daring in Longshadows voice. He was going to try something dangerous.

Disasters had knocked the daring out of Howler. His inclinations were toward the quiet and safe. That was why he had chosen to build his own empire in the swamps. They had been enough. And nothing anyone wanted to take away. But he had succumbed to seduction when Longshadows emissaries had come to him. So here he was easing back from the brink of death, alive only because Longshadow still thought him useful. He was not interested in more risks. He would return to his sloughs and mangroves happily. But till he fashioned some means of flight he would have to pretend interest in Longshadows plans. Nothing dangerous, he whispered.

Not at all, Longshadow lied. Once I find out where she is the rest is easy.

Chapter Seventy-One

Chapter Seventy-One

Volunteers willing to cross the lake with Croaker were few. He accepted Swan and Sindhu, rejected Blade and Mather. You two have plenty to do here.

Three of them in a boat. Croaker rowed. The others did not know how. Sindhu sat in the stern, Swan in the bow. Croaker did not want the wide man behind him. That might not be wise. The man had a sinister air and did not act friendly. He was biding his time while he made up his mind about something. Croaker did not want to be looking the wrong way when that happened.

Halfway across Swan asked, It serious between you and Lady? He chose Rosean, the language of his youth. Croaker spoke the tongue, though he had not used it for years.

It is on my side. I cant say for her. Why?

I dont want to stick my hand in where Im going to get it bit off.

I dont bite. And I dont tell her what to do.

Yeah. It was nice to dream about. I figure shell forget Im alive as soon as she hears you still are.

Croaker smiled, pleased. Can you tell me anything about this human stump back here? I dont like his looks.

Swan talked for the rest of their passage, evolving complex circumlocutions to get around non-Rosean words Sindhu would recognize.