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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

Long before they reached the river and the Rus camp, a runner on a fast horse came dashing out from New Hattusa. Himuili was summoned back, urgently, to a council with the Tawananna. The mission to the Rus would have to be handled by his juniors.

The general picked men to accompany him back, and he glanced at Palla and Kassu. ‘You two. With me. Let’s go. Now.’

20

Back at the city they were met by palace guards and court functionaries, hurried through gates and guard stations to the Pergamos, and, to Kassu’s blank astonishment, brought straight to the House of the Kings.

This squat stone building was not the grandest of the great buildings here on old Troy’s famous peak, and it was exceptionally cold, even on a good day, for it rested permanently in the shadows of its greater cousins, the Church of the Holy Wisdom and the great modern palace. But the House of the Kings was the oldest, the very first of the keystone buildings to be erected here at the heart of Troy when Hattusili’s ancestors had moved their capital from Old Hattusa on its central Anatolian upland. Now more than a thousand years old, the House remained lodged in the heart of the dynasty and the minds of the people, for it was here that the bones of Hatti kings were interred, more than fifty of them so far.

And here, in a chilly pavilion just before the main entrance to the House, Kassu found himself in a scene that astonished him even more. The great of New Hattusa had gathered under a single canvas awning, heavy with snow: he recognised Uhhaziti the crown prince, and Arnuwanda his cousin, the mayor Tiwatapara, the high priest Angulli, all sitting on wooden chairs in a shallow arc. At their centre, on an elevated platform and seated on a chair slightly grander than the rest, was Hastayar the Tawananna, widow of the King.

This arc of seats faced another chair, solitary, heaped with burned bones. These, Kassu knew immediately, were the cremated remains of King Hattusili the Sixteenth. But according to Hatti belief the King, though dead, had not left the mortal world. On a small table before the King’s chair was set out his final meal, a selection of loaves, a cup of wine. Servants were discreetly circling with trays, bringing the King’s final guests food and drink at this, his last banquet.