The Invisible Hands - Part 1: Gambit Read Online Free PDF Page A

friends into his own inner circle. He had organized little dinners so they could get to know each other. They hadn’t been a big 3
success, and he had gradually phased them out. Everybody did his best
    to be civil, amiable even. He knew immediately that it was for his sake.
    Without planning to, the attendees tended to flock together in two little groups. Ehandar, Gorth and Rullio sat together at one end of the table, and he ended up talking mainly to Tomar, Lethoras and Hemarchidas or who else of his own friends happened to be present.
    Eventually he had stopped trying to mix oil and water, but he saw in his brother’s eyes that Ehandar was grateful for his efforts. In the end, he concluded, both groups hadn’t enough in common. Maybe, he hoped, they would grow closer with time and shared experiences.
    “I’m sorry,” Hemarchidas said, “I didn’t mean it that way.”
    “I know, but you still see in him only the brute, the haughty prince.
    Most of the time he just plays him, you know? For my sake.”
    “That may be, but you told me yourself what he did to you. Maybe you have forgiven him. I find that a lot more difficult,” Hemarchidas thought.
    “I do my best, Anaxantis, and I will keep on doing my best,” he said out loud.
    “Also for your sake,” he added silently.
    “I know, and I love you for it.”
    “Should you be sitting this close to me? Leaning on me? I don’t mind, of course, but won’t he be jealous?”
    “Nah. He knows you’re my best friend. He knows he has nothing to be jealous about.”
    “No, he hasn’t, has he?” Hemarchidas thought, somewhat depressed. “I hope he’s worth it.”
    In the beginning it had been very awkward. Anaxantis had told him that he had confessed everything to Ehandar. Including that he, Hemarchidas, knew the truth. He understood that his friend needed to 3
clear the air, but was it really necessary to be so completely, embarrassingly honest?
    “I think so,” was all Anaxantis had replied when he had asked.
    “Surely, you haven’t told him about that night with Timishi? That was not your fault.”
    Anaxantis had looked him in the eyes.
    “What could I do? He asked. He asked if there had been anybody else. I couldn’t lie. I didn’t want to.”
    “And?”
    “I could see he was hurt, but he didn’t ask who it had been. I told him anyway. Then he just asked if Timishi had been nice to me. I said he had. He nodded. ‘That’s good,’ he said and never brought it up again.”
    So, Ehandar knew that Hemarchidas knew what had happened between him and Anaxantis. All of it. Every demeaning, shameful little detail. And Hemarchidas knew Ehandar knew he knew. It had taken all of Anaxantis’s charm and silent pleading to have them keep meeting. They themselves would probably have preferred to never set eyes on each other ever again. Once more, for his sake they kept up appearances. Anaxantis hoped that eventually they would grow to appreciate one another. He knew it wasn’t going to happen soon.
    Ehandar was slowly being driven backwards under the fierce and able attacks of Lethoras. But the Cheridonian needed all his power and agility, and he was sweating. The prince, on the other hand, was retreating, light on his feet, while adroitly fending off the heavy blows, meeting force with equal force, and smiling all the way.
    Tomar arrived at the training grounds with a preoccupied look on his face.
    3
“Damn. More work for me, I bet,” Anaxantis said, righting himself
    from his relaxed position.
    “No, just a bit of news,” Tomar, who had heard him, said.
    He sat down beside them.
    “You know I had quite a few sources in the Royal Administration.
    There aren’t many of them left by now. A few found other employ, some got promoted and were warned they should cease all communic— ations with me. One died. However, I’ve still got a few left, but not very high up the hierarchy. In fact, one is so low on the ladder that they use him as a glorified messenger