Traitors' Gate Read Online Free PDF Page B

away from the bodies being rolled up, from the slaves awaiting their fate. He studied the Qin chief, but the man’s gaze made him nervous, like staring down a wolf who might be hungry and thinking of you as his next meal or might recently have fed and finds you merely a curiosity. It was not that the Qin were merciful, but rather that they valued their loyalty to their kinsmen above all. For that, Kesh admired them.
    But he was in the Sirniakan Empire now, and the Qin were, presumably, mere mercenaries. He turned to Captain Jushahosh.
    â€œYes, certainly, Captain. I hadn’t finished my story, had I?”
    They walked back through camp to the fire where they had first sat. Here, the slaves had already set out folding table, tray, cups, a fortifying wine warmed with spices. The white-robed Beltak priest who accompanied their troop was being helped by a pair of underlings toward the road, his priest’s bowl hanging by a strap from his right wrist.
    â€œThe skirmish did not last long,” remarked Kesh as he settled onto a folding stool opened for him. The stool marked, he thought, new status in their eyes.
    â€œThey were desperate, but few in number. Still, there are dead, and the priest must oversee the proper rites. Those who fought must be cleansed at the next temple.”
    â€œYou’re wounded? I saw you were limping.”
    â€œNo, not a scratch.” His grin was lopsided, a little embarrassed. “Turned my ankle jumping out of the way of a man trying to stab me.” He sipped at the wine, and made a face. “Eh. It tastes of blood.”
    It tasted perfectly fine to Kesh, and when the captain had not the stomach to eat, Kesh finished off the spiced meat andfreshly cooked flat bread. Slaves never knew when they would next eat. Not even the smell of blood and the memory of the little boy’s headless corpse could put him off a good meal like this one. Anyway, ten days from now, or tomorrow, he might be dead, and it seemed a cursed waste not to enjoy such pleasures when offered.
    The captain sighed. “I wish I had your stomach, eh? I admit, that’s the first battle I’ve been in. We missed all the action before.”
    â€œYou’ve never killed a man before?”
    He waved a hand. “I’ve had to kill disobedient slaves on my estate. But that’s more like killing animals.”
    â€œAh.” Kesh swallowed bile. A man in a position as precarious as his must not risk offending his jailkeeper. “How is it you come to this duty? Your house was an ally of the new emperor?”
    â€œThat’s right. My grandfather went to the palace school with the younger brother of Farutanihosh for two seasons. They never cut that bond, the two men, even through all the years that followed. And of course the Emperor Farutanihosh never had his younger brother killed, as he ought to have done. It’s always a disruption of God’s order to raise the flags of war, but everyone knows that a woman who has birthed a son born of the emperor’s seed will rouse her relatives to war on that son’s behalf even though war is evil. That Farutanihosh did not foresee and prevent this by killing his younger brother was a sign of moral weakness, one that would be passed into his sons. Therefore, his sons must be corrupted by his failure and unworthy for the throne.”
    â€œYet now Farutanihosh’s son Farazadihosh is dead, and it is his nephew, the son of the brother he left alive, who will become emperor.”
    â€œThat’s right. Ujarihosh will be seated on the gold throne in the eight-gated palace, and the priests of Beltak will anoint him as Farujarihosh, he who has gained the favor of the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Shining One who rules alone.”
    â€œHow far are we riding?” Kesh asked, wanting to lick his fingers but taking a fine linen cloth from a slave to wipe his hands instead.
    â€œI’m not sure.” Jushahosh