Emperor and Clown Read Online Free PDF Page A

upon a monarch is political sorcery, so they
should be willing to remove it. And heal my face, I hope.”
    Kade
took a few deep breaths, but her brain was dead as flagstones. “Well, I have
always enjoyed sailing, and a visit to Hub at last-”
    “No.”
    “No?”
    “You
are not coming. He will not allow it. I have come to say farewell, Aunt. And
Gods bless.” The usually musical voice was flat and cold as a winter pond. “And
... and thank you for everything.”
    “But
when?”
    Somewhere
a door creaked, and boots clacked slowly on the tiles in the corridor. Kade
struggled to rise and failed.
    Inosolan
came and bent to kiss her cheek. “It will be days before the court realizes he
is gone,” she whispered quickly. “Officially we shall be touring the
countryside. That will hold for a week or two. After that ... well, the Gods
will provide. And Prince Kar, of course, will be in charge here.”
    Hub?
“You can’t go veiled in Hub!”
    “I
can’t not!”
    Oh,
Holy Balance! May the Good preserve us--Inosolan had lost everything now, even
her beauty. The boots were almost at the door. Only one man had unimpeded
access to any room in the palace. “Remember Rap,” Inosolan breathed. “Do what
you can. He’ll be safe with Azak gone, I’m sure. There is a fast ship,” she
added, a little louder, “headed west, and a carriage waits. He thinks we can
just reach Qoble before the passes close. Wish me luck, Aunt. Wish us luck?”
    “But
the war?” Kadolan cried. “Isn’t the Impire massing troops in Ullacarn?” Zark
was about to be invaded. A djinn sultan journeying to the enemy’s capital ...
    “Just
one more risk to take,” Inosolan said brightly. “It will be a most interesting
journey. Gods be with you, Aunt. We’ll be all right. We’ll be back by spring-my
husband and I ... look after yourself.”
    The
door swung open, and a tall shadow stood there, its jewels faintly shining.
    “Gods
be with you both,” Kade said, and watched Inosolan glide silently away, like a
wraith, following Azak into the darkness.
     

5
    However
much Andor might be enjoying himself out in the sheik’s pleasance, back in the
dingy kitchen quarters of the rambling mansion, the chairs were hard and the
hot air rancid with scents of long-dead cooking. Gnats and moths twirled around
the smelly lamps and held races on the low ceiling. Gathmor crossed his ankles
the other way and eased his back. The bulky djinn on the other side of the
table scowled at him briefly and went back to scratching his armpits. He had
not spoken a word to Gathmor all evening, which was fine by Gathmor; from the
smell of him the oaf was a camel driver by trade, now being used as watchdog to
make sure the jotunn behaved himself. Gathmor would like very much to see him
try. He’d observed many others wander through the scullery during his long
wait; he’d take on any two of them cheerfully.
    The
women, on the other hand ... Even wrapped like corpses, they moved like elves,
and there was something challenging in all that concealment and the swirl of
cloth as they hurried past on their master’s business. It really caught a man’s
imagination; made him watch the folds shift for a hint of how much lay beneath,
and where. The flame-red eyes ... After all, Wanmie must have died in Kalkor’s
massacre, and in some ways that was beginning to feel like a long time ago. In
some ways. Not that she’d have grudged him a nibble or two at another table,
once in a while, had he ever wanted that. He was very tempted to try speaking
to the next shrouded maiden who came through-and not just to rouse the camel
driver, either.
    He’d
had as much boredom as he could stand. He’d been in this squalid pesthole for
four or five hours, capping two days of useless talk and argument and mostly
waiting around. Waiting for Thinal, or Darad. And now Andor. Or being a common
porter-sometimes a man would do for a shipmate what he wouldn’t dream of doing
for himself.
    A
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