[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
." She moved to a chair opposite him and sat, arranging her gown precisely."So who was this 'Captain Breldurn'?" Caledan asked casually, emphasizing the past tense.The meaning was not lost on Ravendas."How did he compare with Maderon?" Caledan allowed himself a vicious smile.Maderon was the nobleman who had intended to murder Cormik years ago.He had also been Ravendas's lover."You know, I never would have taken Maderon for a screamer.You should nave heard the way he begged for mercy on the end of my sword before he died.Shameful."Caledan saw the briefest ripple of annoyance flicker across Ravendas's placid visage.He had struck home with that one."Ah, yes.Maderon," Ravendas said frostily, recovering her perfect composure."He was an entertaining toy.Pretty but stupid.I was growing weary of him, however.I should thank you for disposing of him.""My pleasure.""Did you enjoy your little journey to the Fields of the Dead?" Ravendas asked, quickly changing the subject."I trust you weren't disappointed when you arrived at the valley near Asher.There must be ten thousand barrows there.You're a clever man.I'm sure you realized that finding Talembar's tomb is an impossibility.""Did you journey there yourself?""Of course," she replied calmly."I've been far ahead of you from the beginning, Caledan.Don't you see? It is pointless to struggle against me." Her expression darkened."You know," she went on, "stealing my jewels from the countinghouse made me very.angry.""I hope you're not expecting me to apologize," Caledan said, refilling his wine glass.Ravendas regarded him for a long moment, absently fidgeting with the strand of pearls about her throat."All right, Caledan, what is it you want ?" she demanded flatly."I've come to warn you, Ravendas," Caledan said simply."Your lord steward is planning to betray you.While I don't know who he is, I do know that Snake serves another master, a powerful one." He went on in a dire tone."What Snake and his master are planning, I can't really say, but I think it involves the Nightstone.At any rate, he's gone to great lengths to kill everyone who possesses the shadow magic.You're in grave danger, Ravendas.We all are.What are you going to do about it?"She laughed, a sound utterly devoid of mirth."I would not have expected so feeble an attempt at deception from you, Caledan," she purred."Have the years been so hard that your wits have left you?"Caledan felt anger flare inside him."It's the truth, Ravendas.You're foolish if you don't listen to me."She rose and paced smoothly before the fireplace, the crimson silk of her dress rustling against the marble floor."Snake is my servant.I fear him no more than I would a lap-dog.Of course, he is not without cunning.That was why I elevated him to his present position.He has proven quite useful a number of times.But when I first met him he was little more than a common cutpurse.He is hardly capable of defeating me." Her blue eyes flashed."You're wrong," Caledan said, standing."Dead wrong.Do you know what a shadevar is?""A shadevar?" Ravendas repeated, a frown creasing her brow."What, pray tell, is that?""An abomination," Caledan growled."A sightless monster that follows by scent, not by sight, and that can kill in a heartbeat.The shadevari were ancient creatures, maybe older than the world itself.Once they served the god Bhaal, but in the end even he was powerless to control the shadevari, and Azuth himself banished them.It would have taken a sorcerer of incredible power to summon a shadevar into the world again.And that's exactly what Snake did.""If this shadevar was so powerful, why is it you're not dead, Caledan?" Ravendas demanded."I managed to kill it with the help of a few others in the Fields of the Dead.But it was more by luck than anything else.Believe me, this thing was powerful enough to lay waste to an army."Ravendas sighed."I'm growing weary of this talk, Caledan.There's nothing you can say that could make me fear Snake
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]