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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
at times nowadays. He spoke to them as across a wide reach of years or miles.
His face worked for long seconds, but what emotions interplayed there they
couldn t tell. Without turning to them, he resumed.
Sordo, son of my son, what will you do? How fares the household? Is your
mother well? She always held my heart, a fair little maid forced before it was
her tune to answer the obligations and duties of housemistress to this pile of
masonry.
Sordo swallowed once before lying. She s well, Grandfather, quite well and
safe. He glanced nervously to the Prince, then said, I m going to posture
the castle against renewed siege, and I think it s best you go back to
Freegate along with Mother.
Hightower s control threatened to break. His body shook, yet he didn t allow
it to enter his voice. Now you are Lord of the Hightower. I shall do as you
say, but I would rather . . . nay, if things were different I, too, should
want an old blind man out from underfoot.
The two decades I spent here haven t been idle. I have thought much and
meditated on the things I have learned. Occasionally, visitors have brought me
news of interest. Yet, it won t be difficult to leave, I suppose; darkness is
the same everywhere and I carry my imprisonment with me wheresoever I go.
He sniffed the air again. There is a storm approaching. It will not break
this afternoon or tonight, nor even tomorrow. Yet soon, I think, there will be
torrents and thunder crashes.
* * * *
Few in the Hightower knew sleep during the next twelve hours save as a
memory.
Chains of men ferried weapons to the walls, bushels of arrows, racks of
javelins and spears and other missiles for the repulsion of assaults. Volatile
caldrons of vile-smelling, oily fluid were set over channels leading to spouts
set in the walls.
The main donjon was readied, its storerooms filled to overflowing with food
and its cistern checked against an emergency withdrawal, should the outerworks
be taken.
Sordo fitted himself naturally to the task of bracing his garrison; it was
the labor he d been groomed for since boyhood. The third generation was
preparing to stiffen the Hightower against one more assault on its dangerous
walls.
Chapter Twenty-Six
All warfare is based on deception.
Sun Tzu Wu, Art of War
Page 165
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
It was decided that the garrison would be augmented with infantry brought
from Freegate. Springbuck also detached two troops of dragoons to stay behind
with those organizing irregular action against the approaching army.
The Prince wanted to stay and command the defense, but had met opposition
from his companions, including Reacher. He maintained his stand until,
unforeseen, Lady Hightower came to him. I m informed that my Lord
theKu-Mor-Mai offered to lend his good arm to the protection of our home.
Though we thank him, surely he sees that he must remain at liberty and not be
detained here? My son will bring us and the Hightower through this trial, as
his sire and grandsire have in the past.
Without waiting for a reply she went, ending her confinement to the sickbed
she d occupied since receiving the ministrations of Andre deCourteney, and
commenced to help in the affairs of the castle. She d settled the matter
completely. Springbuck couldn t go against the wishes of that great and
gallant Lady.
Still, they were left with the quandary of a retreat in a perilous situation.
An immense force had been mustered and sent out from Earthfast with the double
mission of suppressing outlaw activity and breaking the Hightower.
Now that Yardiff Bey knew of the presence of the allied expedition, it was
logical to assume that his commander in the field, Novanwyn, would dispatch a
strong element to block and hold the Western Tangent where it entered the Keel
of Heaven, to preclude their escape back to Freegate. He could eliminate them
and the castle at leisure, since further relief would thus be cut off. The
poser was that, though the allies felt that they could cut their way back to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
