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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

It was Gisco who broke the spell. ‘Well, get a move on, lad, what are you waiting for? You heard the general. Pack up your kit and go after him. And don’t forget your crayons.’

53

In Daidu, it was not yet dawn when Uzzia came to Avatak’s room to wake him, with a not-so-gentle kick in the buttocks. ‘Get up.’

Avatak, lying on his blankets and furs on the floor of his room, rolled on his back. The room was cold – cold enough for Uzzia’s breath to mist in the grey early light, cold enough to leave a rime of frost on the window ledge. It was spring here in Daidu, he was assured, but you wouldn’t know it. Well, Avatak liked it this way.

But he smelled smoke. His nose wrinkled. ‘What’s that?’

‘None of your business.’

He rolled easily to his feet. ‘Why am I awake? I thought you Hatti liked to sleep until noon.’

Uzzia grinned. ‘You’re learning cheek. I should have kicked you harder. The Khan is going to his hunting grounds in the south.’

He frowned. ‘So late in the season?’ In the months they had stayed here in Daidu, he had learned that the Khan preferred to take out his mighty hunting parties in the depths of winter, when the land was open, bare, the game easy to spot. ‘What does that have to do with me?’

‘We’re invited – you and I. Pack a bag, have a piss, and meet me at the south gate.’

Daidu, that cold, clear spring morning, seemed more tense than usual to Avatak. There were fewer people in the wide streets, but more soldiers, watching nervously from doorways and gates. The gates of the palace compound were sealed shut. To the north a pall of brown, greasy smoke rose from beyond the city wall. In moments of stillness, Avatak thought he heard distant shouting.

He found Uzzia at the city’s south gate, in a milling crowd of Mongols and Cathay. Some were dressed in expensive breeches and tunics, cloaks and felt hats, the hunting gear of rich folk, slapping gloved hands, their breath steaming. The rest were servants and slaves, dressed drably but as warmly as they could manage. Uzzia wore her travelling clothes, including her precious quilted cloak. She carried a couple of throwing spears. She handed one to Avatak; it was a light, well-balanced javelin.

They made their way through the gate. Outside, on the wide, well-made road leading south from the city, more attendants had assembled horses – a whole herd of them, saddled, or harnessed to carriages. An attendant from Bolghai’s household brought Avatak and Uzzia a horse each. The man had more weapons strapped to his back, including stout stabbing spears.