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Back Iron Winter Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. Title page
  2. Contents
  3. Map
  4. ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. TWO
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. THREE
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. FOUR
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. Afterword
  88. By Stephen Baxter
  89. Copyright

‘As family, then.’ She forced herself to say it. After all, she had begged before Barmocar. Was this any worse? ‘I’m desperate. For my children. Please. I have no other recourse.’

He sighed again. ‘I always was too soft for my own good. Seven days. And then you’re gone. Now if you’ll excuse me . . .’ He bent over his desk. ‘Send in my clerks on your way out. And shut the door.’

A little later Alxa and Nelo, fetched from the city by Jexami’s servants, showed up at the estate.

Alxa was wide-eyed. ‘By the mothers’ eyes, this is grand. It’s almost as good as the Wall. Does that tap work?’

‘Leave it alone,’ Rina snapped. ‘Touch as little as possible. Use as little as possible.’

Nelo frowned. ‘Are we staying here?’

‘Yes. For now. Not for long. But we mustn’t impose . . .’ Nelo’s face was bloodied, she saw, a smear from a cut over his eye, and a bruise was rising on his cheek. ‘Oh, my, what happened to you?’ She ran to get a bowl of water and a cloth.

Alxa sat on a chair, testing its softness. ‘We got into a fight.’

‘You did what?’

‘We went for a walk. The city is teeming, Mother, full of people. We found a tavern. We thought we’d have some wine. But the landlord wouldn’t accept our Northlander scrip. And some men had heard us talking, I mean in our own tongue. They came over to give us a hard time. One of them said something—’

Nelo said, ‘He called Alxa a whore. I know enough Carthaginian for that. He said Northlander women make the best whores, because they’re big and healthy. Like wild deer. I punched him.’

‘You did what?’

Alxa said, ‘It was all I could do to get us out of there in one piece. Those narrow streets, we had to throw them off, we ran and ran!’ She laughed at the memory of it, swinging her legs. ‘Where’s our luggage? Is there any hot water? Can I ask for tea?’

Rina held her son’s bruised forehead, peering into his eyes, looking for his spirit, seeing only blankness.

35

Rina spent six of Jexami’s seven days fruitlessly searching for work.

Then, on the day before Jexami was to throw them out of his house, she swallowed more pride, took Jexami’s advice, and approached the only man of position she knew in the city: Barmocar. She used a veiled threat about exposing his possession of the Virgin’s relics to secure an appointment.