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Approaching whistling forced them to halt, trapped with little more than the shadow of the building for
cover. If they were discovered here, inside the main wall but outside the keep, they would have no
choice but to retreat back the way they had come, knowing that the castle s defenders would
subsequently be alert to any further encroachment and thereby making a renewed intrusion far more
difficult. The whistling intensified and grew nearer. Simna silently removed his knife from his belt, only to
have Ehomba put one hand on the swordsman s wrist and a long finger to his lips.
Around the corner sauntered a member of the household staff. Enjoying the windless, invigorating night
air and oblivious to his immediate surroundings, he was on his way to work in the castle scullery when he
blundered into the travelers. Stepping forward in a single stride, Ehomba put his right forearm around the
man s neck and pulled, lifting and squeezing at the same time. In utter silence, the startled kitchen aide
reached up with both hands to claw at his assailant s forearm. His eyes bulged and his lips worked, but,
devoid of air from his lungs, no sound emerged.
Slowly, as if he were falling into a deep and gentle sleep, his eyes closed and his flailing hands and
twitching body went limp. Without ever removing his forearm from the man s neck, Ehomba gently
lowered him to the ground. Simna stepped forward to whisper admiringly.
 That s a fine move for a peaceful herdsman to know.
 Sometimes it is necessary to restrain a frolicsome calf from hurting itself. Almost invisible in the
shadows, Ehomba moved forward, his sandals barely whispering across the courtyard flagstones.  There
was no reason to kill him. He will sleep until morning and wake with nothing worse than a sore throat.
A grinning Simna silently sheathed his knife.  It s a kindly invader you are, long bruther. If all my
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adversaries were as considerate as you, I d have fewer scars in embarrassing places.
 So you would if you had led a more restrained life. Finding a wooden door, the herdsman tried the
iron latch. It opened at a touch, with an agreeable absence of noise.
They were in.
It was a storeroom of some kind, piled high with crates and containers of household goods. Though
virtually pitch-black inside, there was among their company one for whom poor light and even the near
absence thereof posed no obstacle. Following close behind Ahlitah, they made their way through the
storeroom and into a hall beyond.
 Unless the interior layout of this pile is utterly different from every palace I ve ever been in, there should
be some kind of central chamber or meeting place. Simna gestured forward. Beyond the storeroom,
feeble but adequate light filtered in through distant windows and ports, allowing them to advance with
greater confidence. Once again Ehomba took the lead.
Sounds drifted down to them from the upper reaches of the fortress, but they were isolated and few.
This late at night and this early in the morning, few denizens of the castle were stirring. Guards patrolled
the main gates and outer wall, not the interior living quarters. Ehomba was concerned about the
possibility of encountering free-roaming dogs but, oddly, none were about. Despite his interminable
curiosity it was, however, a problem to which he could at the moment devote but little thought.
 Here, this way. Advancing, the herdsman gestured for the others to follow him to the left. Proceeding
silently through a travertine-trimmed archway, they found themselves in the high-ceilinged, central
chamber whose existence Simna had earlier propounded.
It was utterly silent. Moonlight entered through stained-glass windows of unsettling motif high above the
floor. The swordsman was excited to discover that the floor was paved not with slabs of granite or even
marble, but with semiprecious stone such as rhodochrosite and lapis, agate and onyx. Therewas treasure
here; ample treasure. He could smell it.
 Now all we have to do is find the room where the Visioness is held, Ehomba whispered.  We will take
a servant prisoner and seek the information from him. His voice was low and tight with expectancy.
 Simna and I have dealt with guards before. With luck, we will be able to spirit her out of the castle and
back along the route we used to enter. By daybreak we will be away from the city and safely in among
the mountains.
 Hoy, that sounds grand, bruther. But what about the treasure? Deeply concerned with other matters, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]