The Golden Apple of Shangri-La Read Online Free PDF Page A

just being played off against each other, like pawns at Walsingham’s hand.” He finished his drink and stood unsteadily. “But there are no heroes and villains. There is no black and white on Walsingham’s board. There is only grey. Watch my bag while I visit the bathroom, please?”
    She watched him weave through the busy bar and glanced down beneath his stool at his duffel bag, the thin rope fastener coming apart around the neck. Did something gleam within? Without even thinking, Rowena reached down and loosened the fasteners. And there it was, wrapped within a dirty linen shirt.
    The Golden Apple of Shangri-La.
    She stared at it for a long time, until she became aware of John Reed standing above her, suddenly sober. She looked up at him and recalled Kella waving at them until she became nothing in the sudden flurry of snow.
    â€œThe valley … Kella … they’ll all be dead, now.”
    â€œYes,” he said, his eyes glowing in the reflected gas-light bouncing off the Apple’s golden hide.
    Rowena searched his eyes, but saw only the apple in their dark depths. “But why?”
    Finally he met her gaze. “Cui bono.”
    â€œTo whose benefit?”
    â€œI’ve been played for a fool, a pawn, once too often. It’s time I took something back.”
    She thought back to Reed emerging from the stone temple at the heart of Shangri-La, the sunlight playing on him, the bird darting about his head. When she thought he had returned the Golden Apple to its rightful place. She stood and began to walk away. Sooner or later, men lie. They always lie.
    Even heroes.
    â€œYou hate me, don’t you?” he called as she threaded her way through Union Hall.
    She didn’t stop, or look back. For all her drinking and fighting and flying, Rowena Fanshawe wasn’t just trying to be a man. She was better than that. She was a woman. He called after her again, the same thing, but she didn’t reply, because she didn’t know yet what her answer would be.
    All that she knew was that she wasn’t going to lie.

 

    Copyright © 2014 by David Barnett
    Art copyright © 2014 by Nekro