Mazes of Scorpio by Alan Burt Akers Read Free Book Online

of throwing knives, those little deadly weapons the girls of the great clans of Segesthes call the Deldar, a hunting knife, odds and ends of lethal nastiness. Weight had to figure into all this, of course, but a fellow can carry a tremendous load when his life depends on it, and we took nothing we felt we did not need or might not require.
    For helmets, which we took because Nedfar insisted, we chose plain, smoothly round, headpieces, rather like basinets, and the gallant red feathers flaunted from minuscule silver rosettes. Over all we each flung a scarlet cape. This was, perhaps, carrying effect to extremes; but I had taken some heed of Nedfar’s words.
    So dressed up in a curious mixture of men going off to war and men intending merely to impress, we set off.
    If I do not mention that snugly scabbarded down my back lay a Krozair longsword, it is merely because whenever the opportunity offers I take a specimen of that great brand as a matter of course. There was, I firmly believed, on Kregen only one pattern of sword superior to the Krozair longsword, and that was the marvelous Savanti sword.
    So, dressed and accoutred and with a good meal under our belts, we went down to the courtyard and mounted our zorcas.
    As we rode along through the crowded streets after the short haul across the river, our zorcas patient of this delay before we remounted, I reflected on how well I knew this once-hostile city, how great and magnificent a place it was, and yet how different in atmosphere from the other great cities I knew on Kregen.
    Everywhere people were busy about the task of rehabitation. The place hummed with activity. Our small bodyguard rode at our backs, a party of Nedfar’s personal guards, and a half-dozen files of my duty squadron, which happened to be this day from 1ESW. The First Regiment of the Emperor’s Sword Watch. I knew every man, and every man knew me. But, as we rode, we attracted little attention.
    For this I was glad, but it showed all too clearly that the people of Ruathytu might have misinterpreted the attitude of their new emperor.
    Nedfar rode between us, and presently he half-leaned sideways and said to me, “The Empress Thyllis would never have ridden through her capital city like this, Dray. There would have been processions, and regiments of guards, and chanting and singing everywhere she went.”
    I acknowledged the truth of this observation.
    “The people do not fawn on me, and that is good. It seems your brand of emperorship works here in Hamal as well as in your Vallia.”
    “That pleases me. I can’t stand the sight of rows of upturned bottoms.”
    Seg laughed.
    The sounds and scents of a busy city surrounded us. But as we neared the Jikhorkdun the clamor fell away. The aqueducts bulked black against the sky. The cobbles rang louder under the hooves of the zorcas. These splendid riding animals, proud, curveting, each with his single spiral horn jutting arrogantly from his forehead, were full of fire and mettle.
    And the Arena brooded like a dark blot upon the city.
    Hamdi the Yenakker waited for us inside the first of the shadows.
    He bowed most respectfully to Nedfar.
    “Lahal, Emperor!”
    Nedfar acknowledged with a Lahal and a gesture, and then we dismounted and, with the guards closed up around us, went through the first of the warren of courtyards and practice rings and bazaars. Everywhere they lay deserted and empty.
    Once, this place would have been frantic with the everyday carryings-on of the Jikhorkdun. The booths were shuttered, the stalls empty. The practice rings gaped blindly.
    Through the colossal arches supporting the seating of the amphitheater we went, and our booted feet rang hollow echoes.
    And so we stepped out from one of the ring of gateways, out onto the sands of the Arena, out onto the Silver Sand.
    One could fancy all those rows and rows of seats, towering up into the sky, filled with the insensate beast-roar of a blood-mad crowd. Thousands of people, screaming with