Life and Limb (The Ebon Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF

other."
    At night Freezy would ask me questions about the spider city I came from and the people there.  I told her about the large statues, the health and sanitation, the clothes, the socialite parties.  I never talked about the people in depth, or the fact that nearly everyone was owned by somebody.  Trying to explain it to a girl whose father didn't seem to accept the concept of a riding horse didn't seem like it would end well.
    "Mostly we spend our days much like you do," I said, "Trying to survive and get along as best we can."
    That was the only outright lie.
    The next morning after that, Jester and I sat at the table playing Metago.  Concern was drawn in a long formation across his face, his eyes passing uneasily between me and the pieces on the table.  Finally I asked,
    "What's wrong?"
    "We're leaving," he said, "We've run out of money from the horse run and meat to sell.  We'd better head back out there in search of the next thing.  It's been a week, though, and the hole in your leg is mostly healed I'm sure.  The bone will mend itself in a few months."
    "You're leaving me behind?"
    "We're heading a bit further south," he said, "There's got to be something else out there for us."
    After a couple of games he stood up, his hands idly picking up the pieces and placing them back in his bag.  He had a guilt ridden expression on his face, one which I hadn't seen before.  I knew there was no convincing him to stay.  He had fulfilled what he could justify as a contract in his mind, and now it was time for him to care for his family.
    "I'm sorry about your wife," I said finally as he spilled the rocks into his bag.  He nodded, setting the bag on the table and taking his satchel over his shoulder,
    "Thanks.  You take care of yourself.  There's work around town that'll not require use of a leg.  I talked to the town smith.  He says you can work with him sitting down and casting bullets.  I worked something out between him and Anna so you can stay here until you're right.  You had provisions.  Those I'm leaving with you to use or sell."
    "Jester," I said, plainly, leveling my eyes at him, "You've ruined my life."
    "I saved your life, boy.  Saved all our lives for a few days."
    And he left.
    With Jester gone I found myself in the windy hut alone, sitting and staring down at the Metago bag.
    Metago is much like a game I used to play back on the city.  You try to build living formations with light and dark stones, only each player is allotted a random number of "Metagos" which can collapse a formation and eliminate it from play.  The addition of Metagos changes gameplay dramatically.  Any single formation can be cut out and replaced.
    I stood uneasily, cursing at myself as I lumbered back to the cot and rested my head in the thread net, staring out from it into the room and thinking about Tyche and the city.  Three months.  Tyche didn't have that much time.  She might have two months.  Maybe.  I had wasted too much already, sitting and trying my best to heal.  I willed my body to speed up, to mend its bones more quickly.  I had been doing just that for three days.
    Was this feeling what I had dreamed Atus knew?  This sensation of feeling trapped inside yourself?  No.  That still wasn't it.
    Freezy walked in carrying a strip of dried meat wrapped in her apron.  She knocked at the side of the door, her hand timid and uncertain.  I was surprised to see her, sitting back up,
    "You're still here?"
    "We done you wrong," she said, "I'm staying behind until your leg heals.  They'll be back in a few months anyway."  And she handed me the strip of dried meat.  By now it was getting gamier with each passing day, but still perfectly edible.  I ate it hungrily, feeling the pit in my stomach fill.  With that I stood on my good leg and wrapped an arm around her,
    "Then help me get to work.  It's time I earned my keep."
    The blacksmith, a young man by the name of Cyril, looked up from the thick steam and