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.The silence stretched again.Finally, he tried, "You know the secrets of the greats and near-greats of a hundred ages, Theis.""You've looked into more souls than either of us can count, lad.I've seen them only from the outside.""There must be something in all that," the youth agreed.Rogala was trying.Every path led to the same destination.A death.More blood on this hill that had seen too much already.The limits seemed inflexible, the end assured.The sun had declined almost to the horizon, growing bloated and red as it touched the distant earth.The night would be here soon, and with it, perhaps, a longer night.Rogala would sense the gathering darkness.He would move when the sight advantage had disappeared.Gathrid thought, I should kill him now.Quick as he is, he can't outdance this sword.He could not cut the man down.Had the victim been anyone else.He just did not have Rogala's murder in him.Was Suchara staying his hand?He let his senses range.Was that a calling, way over there, hovering on the edge of perception?"Don't do it, Theis.You're dead if it clears its scabbard.""I've taught too well.""Maybe.I see two choices, Theis.We can join forces.We can find your Suchara and waken her.Or one of us can die here.Maybe both.You don't seem capable of letting it go.""You know I can't.""What happens if she returns?""The others perish.""I know that.I mean, what would happen to you and me? And my world?""I don't know.I don't care about the world.It's not mine anymore.She's what interests me.""Theis, turn to your right thirty degrees.Good.Out there about a half mile are some cookfires.Feel them? Around them are all the people left in this part of Gud-ermuth.Winter will be here soon.""So?""Those people have survived the Mindak, Nieroda, and a winter of famine already.And they did nothing to earn any of that.How much more must they endure?"Rogala shrugged, his face a mask of indifference."Once you said they'd endured too much already.I've heard you say this thing has gone too far."The youth nodded toward the mausoleum where his sister and Loida lay."She's a jealous woman, Gathrid.And insane by your way of looking at things.Don't forget.She dreams.Are we responsible for her nightmares? Her power is godlike.She doesn't realize that she shapes reality.A moment of pique gives us pain, but she doesn't know she's hurt anyone real."Thoughtfully, he added, "She may have lost track of the line between reality and fantasy even before the trap took her.""I owe her, Theis.For my sister.For Loida.For Count Cuneo and the Mindak.She's taken a lot from me, Theis.""But you want to waken her?""Maybe so I don't have to kill anymore.I really don't want to.Especially not tonight.""What the dream has raped away the dreamer might restore.""What?" Gathrid spoke so sharply, so suddenly, that Rogala exploded like a startled quail.He came to a halt ten feet away.His knife was in his hand."Calm down, Theis.I was startled.What did you mean? She could bring back the dead?""I think so.No guarantees.I can't pretend to speak for her.But she has the souls of all those Daubendiek has slain.They went into you, but also into the blade.You lost them, but they're not lost.If you see what I mean.""Theis, I don't really trust you.But I'll try to make you a deal.I'll give you your life and Suchara's awakening.If.If you can get her to give me back what I've lost."Rogala shifted tack."No one can turn back the sands.""I want my dead.You want your dreamer.Help me and I'll help you.Could it be simpler?"Rogala continued facing him from a fighting crouch, his head turning slowly back and forth as he listened for movement.He waited.And waited.Finally, "All right." He sheathed his dagger."Unless she changes my mind."Gathrid laughed nervously."Let's go get supper." He approached the dwarf carefully, rested a gentle hand on the man's shoulder."Partner."Halfway down the hill, Rogala said, "You ever hear the tale of Lundt Kharmine?""No.""It's old.Probably lost now.Lundt Kharmine went down into Hell to rescue his lost love.""Sounds like the story of Why las Rus.So?""You may wish you'd killed me after all.""Theis, I've been to Hell already.Nothing terrifies me anymore."The distant campfires all flared at once.For a moment they illuminated Rogala's face.He wore his wicked, knowing smile.Gathrid shuddered, forced it out of mind.FB2 document infoDocument ID: c5cf0153-6c1a-1014-b435-e0d7994b65a4Document version: 1Document creation date: 07.06.2008Created using: Text2FB2 softwareDocument authors :traumAboutThis book was generated by Lord KiRon's FB2EPUB converter version 1.35
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