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village s historic mutual hostility with Asermos. Kalindos had never been foolish enough to wage outright
war against the larger village, but skirmishes had occurred, causing bad blood to simmer down through
the generations.
Basha s expression grew guarded. Nothing Leukos can t handle.
He turned to her, which made her face light up in surprise.
You say my people fascinate you, he said. Is that why you wanted Nilik? To have a piece of that
culture?
You re half right. Nilik s a baby. He has no culture. He ll be raised as an Ilion citizen, as a Leukon, and
he ll have my dead husband s name. As far as anyone, including him, is concerned, he s my son.
Marek tried to keep his voice steady. Then he ll never know who he really is?
You see, that s the mystery. She rolled over to face him and whispered conspiratorially, We want to
see if your people will gain magic when they come of age, if any Spirits will take them on, and if so, which
ones. We have our theories.
What theories?
That the Spirits real power lies in the wilderness. People like you, whose animals need lots of space
and have no tolerance for human interference, your powers fade in the city. But others, we ve noticed,
do not.
Which others?
Those with animals that can live alongside humans, who survive in the city, even if it s in the park.
Horses, Goats, Spiders. Bats and Foxes, to a lesser extent.
He shuddered at the last Animal was that why it felt as if Fox had taken over his soul in the absence of
Wolf? Was She even now helping him find a way to escape? If anyone was a survivor, it was Fox.
Basha counted off on her fingers. What else? Rats, of course. Several birds Swans, Sparrows,
Mockingbirds.
Crows? he wondered. Of course. They were everywhere.
You see, Marek, that s why you re half correct. I wanted Nilik because he was Asermon, but not to
add him to my collection of quaint, rustic works of art. It s to find out if I m right.
Right about what?
That your people can be conquered without force. To do that we need to know everything about your
powers. These children, especially the newborns, are a perfect experiment. She smoothed his hair back
from his face and curled her finger around the ends. You will all fall before us, be assured. Everyone
does in time. But I d prefer to do it later and overwhelmingly, rather than sooner and sloppily. It s much
more humane that way, don t you agree?
Marek felt as if his head were caught in a vise.
Perhaps you don t agree, she said. So I ll tell you there was a third reason for wanting Nilik. Her
gaze dropped to the space between their bodies. I was lonely. I had lost so much.
And gained only a Senate seat, he thought.
I know you mourn your wife, she said. I understand, because I think of my husband every night and
every morning. That s why I ask others to share my bed.
Ask? She must be joking.
Her eyes turned pensive. I wonder sometimes when I look at Nilik, if my son would have done the same
things he does. Like the way he stretches out the fingers of his right hand when he yawns, as though he s
drawing in breath through them. She imitated the motion. Do other babies do that?
They each have their own gestures, like older people.
She smiled sheepishly. Obviously I haven t much experience with infants. I was the youngest child in my
family. I preferred playing with anything other than dolls toy animals, even my older brothers little
soldiers, when I could steal them. Until I was pregnant, the idea of being a mother never appealed to
me. Her smile faded. But when the baby died, it was all I could think about. She brushed his cheek
with the back of her fingertips. You lost one, too. You understand me.
Marek did not answer. He hoped he d never understand her, never understand how she could treat him
this way and pretend it was nothing remarkable, how she could plot to use Nilik s powers against his
own people. Even if she released them both tomorrow and put them on a ship to Asermos, he d never
forgive her.
I should go. He sat up. With your permission, that is, Your Honor. It s getting late.
Stay. She put a hand on his chest. I want you again.
He froze. I don t think I can.
It s a challenge I d like to accept. She drew him down beside her. Kiss me.
He withheld a sigh of disgust, seized her shoulders and pulled her into a hard, brutal kiss. After a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
