Tower of Zanid Read Online Free PDF Page A

clever in choosing Krishna as the scene of his extraterrestrial activities. Why didn’t he walk out on her? She could not stop him. But she cooked well; he was fond of her in a way…
    Fallon held up the goblet that he had poured for her. She took it, saying: “ ’Tis grateful, but I’ve seen you’ve spent the last of our housekeeping money on it.”
    Fallon dug out the wallet that hung from his belt, and displayed the fistful of gold pieces that he had extracted from Qais. Gazi’s eyes widened; her hand shot out to snatch. Fallon jerked the money back, laughing, then handed her two tenkard coins. The rest he put back in the wallet.
    “That should keep the ménage running for a few ten-nights,” he said. “When you need more, ask.”
    “ Bakhan, ” she muttered, sinking into the other chair and sipping. “If I know you, ‘twill do no good to ask where you got these.”
    “None whatever,” he replied cheerfully. “Some day you’ll learn that I never discuss business. That’s one reason I’m alive.”
    “A vile, indign business, I’ll warrant.”
    “It feeds us. What’s dinner?”
    “Cutlets of unha with badr, and a tunest for dessert. Is your mysterious business over for the day?”
    “I think so,” he responded cautiously.
    “Then what hinders you from taking me to the Festival this eve? There’ll be fireworks and a mock battle.”
    “Sorry, dear, but you forget I’ve got the guard tonight.”
    “Always something!” She stared gloomily at her glass. “What have I done to the gods that they should hold me in such despite?”
    “Have another drink and you’ll feel better. Some day, when I get my throne back…”
    “How long have I heard that same song?”
    “…when I get my throne back, there’ll be fun and games enough. Meanwhile, business before pleasure.”
     
    The third section of the Juru Company of the Civic Guard, or Municipal Watch, of Zanid was already falling in when Fallon arrived at the armory. He snatched his bill from the rack and stepped into his place.
    As Fallon had explained to Mjipa at the Festival, it was impractical to exhibit the Juru Company on parade. The Juru district was largely inhabited by poor non-Krishnans, and its representation in the Watch resembled a sampling of all the Earth-type planets having intelligent inhabitants. Besides the Krishnans, there were several other Earthmen: Weems, Kisari, Nunez, Ramanand, and so on. There were twelve Osirians and thirteen Thothians. There was a Thorian (not to be confused with the Thothians)—something like an ostrich with arms instead of wings. There was an Isidian—an eight-legged nightmare combination of elephant and dachshund. And others of still different form and origin.
    In front of the line of guards stood the well-made Captain Kordaq er-Gilan, of the regular army of Balhib, frowning from under the towering crest of his helmet. Fallon knew why Kordaq glowered. The captain was a conscientious spit-and-polish soldier, who would have loved to beat a company of civic guards into machine-like precision and uniformity. But what sort of uniformity could one expect from such a heterogeneous crew? It was useless even to try to make them buy uniforms; the Thothians claimed that clothes over their fur would stifle them, and no tailor in Balhib would have undertaken to cut a suit for the Isidian.
    “ Zuho’i! ” cried Captain Kordaq, and the jagged line came to some sort of attention.
    The captain announced: “There shall be combat drill for all my heroes upon the western plain next Fiveday, during the hour after Roqir’s red rays first shed their carmine beams upon it. We shall bring…”
    Captain Kordaq exhibited to an extreme degree the Krishnan tendency to wrap his speech, even the simplest sentences, in fustian magniloquence. At this point, however, he was interrupted by a long loud chorus of groans from the section.
    “Wherefore in Hishkak do you resty knaves waul like the creak of an aged tree in a gale?”