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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

All eyes turned to the sky, where a pair of the big ungainly birds were flapping over. The Khan threw back his curtains once more and released a bird from his arm, a huge, muscular-looking falcon. In Daidu, only the Khan was allowed to keep birds of prey, and this was a breed of falcon unique to Cathay. The falcon shot into the air and dived down on one of the cranes. There was an explosion of feathers, and the birds, locked together, tumbled from the sky. The watching nobles whooped and applauded, the nestspills utterly forgotten.

At the end of the day Avatak at last glimpsed the Khan’s lodge, in the middle of the great hunting ground. It was a band of brilliant colour along the southern horizon, tents and pavilions and yurts; it was as he had imagined Genghis’ yurt-capital of Karakorum to have been, before it was broken up. There was much activity, smoke rising from a hundred hearths, men on foot and horseback moving everywhere. Uzzia said there were traders in these districts who raised huge nations of dogs, to be ready to provide thousands of hounds at a time to the Khan on demand. The great hunts could span an area as wide as Northland itself, she said, though Avatak wasn’t sure he believed that.

But in the event he saw no more of the Khan’s hunt. No sooner had they reached the lodge than messengers came riding down from the north, from Daidu, demanding an audience with the Khan. The rumours spread quickly of trouble in the city. The bulk of the party turned around immediately, led by the Khan on his boulder-beast. Nobles hurried to change their horses, and attendants sparked torches.

As dusk gathered, Uzzia and Avatak joined the ride. Uzzia murmured, ‘So much for this foolish jaunt. Stay close to me.’

Behind them, Avatak heard thousands of dogs howl at the rising, ice-ringed moon.

54

Having ridden all day, now they rode through the night back to the capital. Avatak wondered how many plans were being curtailed and abandoned like this, around the world, because of the weather.

It was almost morning again when the van of the hunting party approached the gate in the southern wall. That great plume of smoke from the north loomed taller than ever, and flames leapt high in the dawn light. As they neared Daidu the Khan’s caravan had to battle through a thickening crowd of nestspills pouring south from the city, a flood compared to the trickle they’d overtaken yesterday. Some of the nestspills actually jeered at the Khan, and shook their fists. All of these were Cathay, Avatak saw. But the protestors melted into the crowd when the Khan’s guards drew their weapons.