It took Tobo ten
days to teach himself everything he needed to become a master
shadowgate tinkerer. Those ten days seemed much longer for some of
us because the File of Nine, defying the express wishes of the
Elders of Khang Phi and the lords of the Court of All Seasons,
issued a bull declaring the Black Company to be the enemy of the
Children of the Dead. It encouraged all warlords to gather their
forces and march against us.
That trouble was slow developing. The warlords who were our
neighbors knew too much about us to try anything. Those who were
farther away were willing to wait until someone else moved first.
Most never bothered to call in their troops. And, characteristic of
Hsien’s politics, the stream of volunteers, of money and
materials helping us become an ever greater threat to the Children
of the Dead, never slackened.
Tobo finished work on the Hsien-end shadowgate fourteen days
after our return from Khang Phi. Despite the war clouds, Sleepy was
in no hurry. Sahra assured her that it would be months before
anyone got started our way—if they ever did at all. She claimed the
warlords could not possibly agree that quickly and move that fast.
No need to hurry. Haste causes mistakes. Mistakes come back to
haunt you every time.
“You do a good job, you’re guaranteed gonna have to
pay for it,” I told Suvrin. The young Shadowlander had just
been informed of his latest honor: He was going to cross the
glittering plain to scout and to repair our home shadowgate. Right
after Tobo trained him. Tobo would not go himself because he did
not want to be separated from his pets. Filled with low cunning, I
asked, “How are your writing skills?”
He stared at me for several seconds, eyes big and brown and
round in a big round, brown face. “No. I don’t think
so. I like it in the Company. But I don’t plan to spend my
life here. This is a learning experience. This is training. But I
won’t become a lord of mercenaries.”
He surprised me, in several ways. I never heard anyone describe
their Company time quite that way, though many do join up fully
intending to desert just as soon as they are safely away from the
trouble that had them on the run. Nor had I noticed, ever, anyone
grasp so quickly what it could mean, in the long run, to be
approached about becoming the apprentice Annalist.
A stint as Annalist could be a step toward becoming Captain
someday.
I was teasing, mostly, but Sleepy did think a lot of Suvrin. The
suggestion might not be a joke to her.
“Have fun on the other side. And be careful. You
can’t be careful enough where Soulcatcher is involved.”
I went on and on. His patient blank expression and glazed eyes told
me he had heard it all before. I stopped. “And you’ll
hear it all a hundred times more before you go. The Old
Woman’ll probably write it all down in a scroll you’ll
have to take along and read before breakfast every
morning.”
Suvrin put on a feeble, insincere smile. “The Old
Woman?”
“Thought I’d try it out. I have a feeling it
isn’t going to work.”
“I think you can count on that.”
I didn’t expect to cross paths with Suvrin again this side
of the plain. I was wrong. Only minutes after we parted it occurred
to me that it might be useful if I sat in on the shadowgate
training.
It occurred to me that I ought to ask the Captain’s
permission. I was able to resist the temptation.
Lady decided it might be good if she extended her own education,
too.
It took Tobo ten
days to teach himself everything he needed to become a master
shadowgate tinkerer. Those ten days seemed much longer for some of
us because the File of Nine, defying the express wishes of the
Elders of Khang Phi and the lords of the Court of All Seasons,
issued a bull declaring the Black Company to be the enemy of the
Children of the Dead. It encouraged all warlords to gather their
forces and march against us.
That trouble was slow developing. The warlords who were our
neighbors knew too much about us to try anything. Those who were
farther away were willing to wait until someone else moved first.
Most never bothered to call in their troops. And, characteristic of
Hsien’s politics, the stream of volunteers, of money and
materials helping us become an ever greater threat to the Children
of the Dead, never slackened.
Tobo finished work on the Hsien-end shadowgate fourteen days
after our return from Khang Phi. Despite the war clouds, Sleepy was
in no hurry. Sahra assured her that it would be months before
anyone got started our way—if they ever did at all. She claimed the
warlords could not possibly agree that quickly and move that fast.
No need to hurry. Haste causes mistakes. Mistakes come back to
haunt you every time.
“You do a good job, you’re guaranteed gonna have to
pay for it,” I told Suvrin. The young Shadowlander had just
been informed of his latest honor: He was going to cross the
glittering plain to scout and to repair our home shadowgate. Right
after Tobo trained him. Tobo would not go himself because he did
not want to be separated from his pets. Filled with low cunning, I
asked, “How are your writing skills?”
He stared at me for several seconds, eyes big and brown and
round in a big round, brown face. “No. I don’t think
so. I like it in the Company. But I don’t plan to spend my
life here. This is a learning experience. This is training. But I
won’t become a lord of mercenaries.”
He surprised me, in several ways. I never heard anyone describe
their Company time quite that way, though many do join up fully
intending to desert just as soon as they are safely away from the
trouble that had them on the run. Nor had I noticed, ever, anyone
grasp so quickly what it could mean, in the long run, to be
approached about becoming the apprentice Annalist.
A stint as Annalist could be a step toward becoming Captain
someday.
I was teasing, mostly, but Sleepy did think a lot of Suvrin. The
suggestion might not be a joke to her.
“Have fun on the other side. And be careful. You
can’t be careful enough where Soulcatcher is involved.”
I went on and on. His patient blank expression and glazed eyes told
me he had heard it all before. I stopped. “And you’ll
hear it all a hundred times more before you go. The Old
Woman’ll probably write it all down in a scroll you’ll
have to take along and read before breakfast every
morning.”
Suvrin put on a feeble, insincere smile. “The Old
Woman?”
“Thought I’d try it out. I have a feeling it
isn’t going to work.”
“I think you can count on that.”
I didn’t expect to cross paths with Suvrin again this side
of the plain. I was wrong. Only minutes after we parted it occurred
to me that it might be useful if I sat in on the shadowgate
training.
It occurred to me that I ought to ask the Captain’s
permission. I was able to resist the temptation.
Lady decided it might be good if she extended her own education,
too.