[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Damn it if the old bastard doesn't hold his hand a littlelower every time, just to watch me sweat.Sult poured himself into his tall chair in one smooth motion, elbows on thePage 210 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmltable top, fingers pressed together before him.Glokta could only stand andwait, his leg burning from the familiar climb through the House of Questions,sweat tickling his scalp, and wait for the invitation to sit.'Please be seated,' murmured the Arch Lector, then waited while Glokta wincedhis way into one of the lesser chairs at the round table.'Now tell me, hasyour investigation met with any success?''Some.There was a disturbance at our visitors' chambers the other night.Theyclaim that ''Plainly an attempt to add credence to this outrageous story.Magic!' Sultsnorted his disdain.'Have you discovered how the breach in the wall wasreally made?'Magic, perhaps? 'I am afraid not, Arch Lector.''That is unfortunate.Some proof of how this particular trick was managedmight be of use to us.Still,' and Sult sighed as though he had expected nobetter, 'one cannot have everything.Did you speak to these& people?''I did.Bayaz, if I may use the name, is a most slippery talker.Without theaid of anything more persuasive than the questions themselves, I could getnothing from him.His friend the Northman also bears some study.'One crease formed across Sult's smooth forehead.'You suspect some connectionwith this savage Bethod?''Possibly.''Possibly?' echoed the Arch Lector sourly, as though the very word was poison.'What else?''There has been a new addition to the merry band.''I know.The Navigator.'Why do I even bother? 'Yes, your Eminence, a Navigator.''Good luck to them.Those penny-pinching fortune-tellers are always moretrouble than they're worth.Blubbering on about God and what have you.Greedysavages.''Absolutely.More trouble than they're worth, Arch Lector, though it would beinteresting to know why they have employed one.''And why have they?'Glokta paused for a moment.'I don't know.''Huh,' snorted Sult.'What else?''Following their night-time visitation, our friends were relocated to a suiteof rooms beside the park.There was a most grisly death a few nights ago, nottwenty paces from their windows.''Superior Goyle mentioned this.He said it was nothing to concern myselfabout, that there was no connection with our visitors.I left the matter inhis hands.' He frowned at Glokta.'Did I make the wrong decision?'Oh dear me, I need not think too long over this one.'Absolutely not, ArchLector.' Glokta bowed his head in deep respect.'If the Superior is satisfied,then so am I.''Hmm.So what you are telling me is that, all in all, we have nothing.'Not quite nothing.'There is this.' Glokta fished the ancient scroll from hiscoat pocket and held it out.Sult had a look of mild curiosity on his face as he took it and unrolled it onthe table, stared down at the meaningless symbols.'What is it?'Hah.So you don't know everything.'I suppose you could say that it's a pieceof history.An account of how Bayaz defeated the Master Maker.''A piece of history.' Sult tapped his finger thoughtfully on the table top.'And how does it help us?' How does it help you, you mean?'According to this, it was our friend Bayaz who sealed up the House of theMaker.' Glokta nodded towards the looming shape beyond the window.'Sealed itup& and took the key.''Key? That tower has always been sealed.Always.As far as I am aware there isnot even a keyhole.''Those were precisely my thoughts, your Eminence.''Hmm.' Slowly, Sult began to smile.'Stories are all in how you tell them, eh?Our friend Bayaz knows that well enough, I dare say.He would use our ownPage 211 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlstories against us, but now we switch cups with him.I enjoy the irony.' Hepicked up the scroll again.'Is it authentic?''Does it matter?''Of course not.' Sult rose gracefully from his chair and paced slowly over tothe window, tapping the rolled-up scroll against his fingers.He stood therefor some time, staring out.When he turned, he had developed a look of thedeepest self-satisfaction.'It occurs to me that there will be a feast tomorrow evening, a celebrationfor our new champion swordsman, Captain Luthar.' That cheating little worm.'The great and the good will be in attendance: the Queen, both Princes, mostof the Closed Council, several leading noblemen.' Not forgetting the Kinghimself.It has come to something when his presence at dinner is not evenworth mentioning.'That would be the ideal audience for our little unmasking,don't you think?'Glokta cautiously bowed his head.'Of course, Arch Lector.The idealaudience.' Providing it works.It might be an embarrassing audience to fail infront of.But Sult was already anticipating his triumph.'The perfect gathering, andjust enough time to make the necessary arrangements.Send a messenger to ourfriend the First of the Magi, and let him know that he and his companions arecordially invited to a dinner tomorrow evening.I trust that you will attendyourself?'Me? Glokta bowed again.'I would not miss it for anything, your Eminence.''Good.Bring your Practicals with you.Our friends might become violent whenthey realise the game is up.Barbarians of this sort, who can tell what theymight be capable of?' A barely perceptible motion of the Arch Lector's glovedhand indicated that the interview was finished
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]