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.txt"The problem was that the two men who were now carrying the Sword began to improvise.Their next step ought to have been simply to carry Stonecutter into the city and deliver it toNatalia and her people, who were waiting for it.They would have been able to start digging the tunnel at once, with a good margin of spare time before the morning when the execution was scheduled.That would have avoided the need for last-moment heroics, and an escape completed barely minutes before dawn on Festival morning.Page 148ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"But instead-sudden improvisation.For some reason the two decided to detour to the stone quarry, and release another comrade imprisoned there.There would have been certain advantages in being able to enter the city three strong instead of only two.And perhaps the prisoner at the quarry was a special friend of one or the other of those who were carrying the Sword."But those two had not reckoned with Foreman Kovil.That red-haired man was of a very different stamp from the easygoing boss of the road gang.Kovil was not only greedy and ruthless, but treacherous, bold, and resolute as well.When the Sword was shown to him he saw in it a chance to trade the life of a petty prison tyrant for that of a wealthy and successful adventurer; and to seize that chance he did not scruple to commit a double murder."He had no real chance, of course, of being able to keep his crime a secret from the other men at the quarry, guards and prisoners alike.But those who knew the secret had no reason to reveal it, and every reason to cooperate with the man who still held their lives in his hands.Mere silence was not enough; Kovil needed a couple of more active accomplices, both in the killing and afterward, when he took the Sword into the city to convert it into more useful wealth."He thought his second-in-command, Umar, would do to mind the quarry until the sale of theSword should have been somehow completed.But he needed and wanted one more man.Someone to stand with him and protect his back while he negotiated the secret sale of a tremendous stolen treasure.And then Kovil made his own fatal mistake.Though probably from the start there was no doubt in his mind as to which man he would choose for a job like that.""The Juggler," said Kasimir, and shuddered faintly."Indeed.Kovil went into the city with Stonecutter in hand, and the Juggler at his back, and tried to sell the Sword.Whatever might have been the details of that first bloody skirmish on the waterfront, when it was over only one man was left alive-the Juggler, with the Sword of Siege now in his own hands.In one way or another Kovil had fallen victim to the same treachery he had dealt out to others.""Meanwhile," Kasimir put in, "Natalia and her people had been expecting the Sword to be brought to them.And when it failed to arrive-""They became alarmed.Then they heard about the killings on the waterfront, probably from someone who had actually seen the Sword in the Juggler's hands.And they knew that he had it and would almost certainly be trying to sell it quickly.""And when did you come to an understanding of all this, Magistrate?""Alas, with painful slowness! At the start of course I came into the situation by accident, and through your efforts to be helpful.Al-Farabi could scarcely refuse my help, but he sent his most trusted subordinate into the city with us to keep an eye on us."As soon as I learned that the prisoner freed from the road gang was political, and that a connection was implied between him and Benjamin of the Steppe, I thought I understood the beginning of the story.After seeing al-Farabi at that conference in the palace, where he seemed more genuinely worried than before, I was sure of it.Since I sympathized with Benjamin, and withPrinces Mark and al-Farabi, my task then became not simply to find the Sword, Page 149ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlbut to cause it to be used according to the original scenario, before being returned to its rightful owner.""The original plan being of course to free Benjamin." "Of course.""And when did you tell the Prince that you had discovered his deception?""That came a little later.In beggar's guise I also managed to establish contact withfile:///F|/rah/Fred%20Saberhagen/Saberhagen,%2.t%20Swords%203%20-%20Stonecut ter's%20Story.txt (110 of 111) [2/4/03 9:51:24 PM]file:///F|/rah/Fred%20Saberhagen/Saberhagen,%20Fred%20-%20Lost%20Swords%203%20-%20Stonecutter's%20Story.txtNatalia and her group.I persuaded her to loan me the Sword for a few hours to get rid of Valamo, who had learned of the tunnel into the prison and was threatening to reveal it to the authorities-unless he was paid off very handsomely."I dared not try to trick him unless I could have the real Sword in hand to do so-but Icould not explain its presence to you ahead of time.Hence my sleight of hand substitution.""You might have taken me into your confidence completely.""It is natural that you should be bitter.But I could not be sure of your reaction.at any rate, my task became much easier, once we had got Valamo out of the way.There was nothing to do with such a man in such a situation, except to kill him."Wen Chang looked grim for a long moment, then his features relaxed."Once the Juggler had been removed from the game board, and the Sword was back in the tunnel-diggers' hands, it was not hard to distract everyone for a few necessary hours with fears of a Blue Temple robbery.In return for my help, Natalia agreed to finally return the Sword to me in the rather impressively dramatic manner that you all witnessed.""She is a remarkable young woman.""She is indeed."And now both men fell silent.The little cavalcade they led was now closely approaching one of the great land gates of the city.It was in fact the same gate by which they had enteredEylau only a few days ago [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]