Book 1 - Shadow Games by Glen Cook Read Free Book Online

up.”
    “Yeah.” Swan chuckled. “That’s right. We
can talk. Tell us.”
    “We want help, Mr. Swan.”
    Willow mused, “Let’s see, the way I hear, around
seventy-five, a hundred years ago people finally started playing
games. Archery shoots, whatnot. But never anything man to man. Then
here come the Shadowmasters to take over Tragevec and Kiaulune and
change the names to Shadowlight and Shadowcatch.”
    “Kiaulune means Shadow Gate,” Smoke said. His voice
was like his skin, splotched with oddities. Squeaks, sort of. They
made Willow bristle. “Not much change. Yes. They came. And
like Kina in the legend they set free the wicked knowledge. In this
case, how to make war.”
    “And right away they started carving them an empire and if
they hadn’t had that trouble at Shadowcatch and hadn’t
got so busy fighting each other they would’ve been here
fifteen years ago. I know. I been asking around ever since you guys
started hustling us.”
    “And?”
    “So for fifteen years you knew they was coming someday.
And for fifteen years you ain’t done squat about it. Now when
you all of a sudden know the day, you want to grab three guys off
the street and con them into thinking they can work some kind of
miracle. Sorry, sister. Willow Swan ain’t buying.
There’s your conjure man. Get old Smoke to pull pigeons out
of his hat.”
    “We aren’t looking for miracles, Mr. Swan. The
miracle has happened. Smoke dreamed it. We’re looking for
time for the miracle to take effect.”
    Willow snorted.
    “We have a realistic appreciation of how desperate our
situation is, Mr. Swan. We have had since the Shadowmasters
appeared. We have not been playing ostrich. We have been doing what
seems most practical, given the cultural context. We have
encouraged the masses to accept the notion that it would be a great
and glorious thing to repel the onslaught when it comes.”
    “You sold them that much,” Blade said. “They
ready to go die.”
    “And that’s all they would do,” Swan said.
“Die.”
    “Why?” the Woman asked.
    “No organization,” said Cordy. The thoughtful one.
“But organization wouldn’t be possible. No one from any
of the major cult families would take orders from somebody from
another one.”
    “Exactly. Religious conflicts make it impossible to raise
an army. Three armies, maybe. But then the high priests might be
tempted to use them to settle scores here at home.”
    Blade snorted. “They ought to burn the temples and
strangle the priests.”
    “Sentiments my brother often expresses,” the Woman
said. “Smoke and I feel they might follow outsiders of proven
skill who aren’t beholden to any faction.”
    “What?
You going to make me a general?”
    Cordy laughed.
“Willow, if the gods thought half as much of you as you think
of yourself, you’d be king of the world. You figure
you’re the miracle Smoke saw in his dream? They’re not
going to make you a general. Not really. Unless maybe for show,
while they stall.”
    “What?”
    “Who’s the guy keeps saying he only spent two months
in the army and never even learned to keep step?”
    “Oh.” Willow thought for a minute. “I think I
see.”
    “Actually, you will be generals,” the Woman said.
“And we’ll have to rely heavily on Mr. Mather’s
practical experience. But Smoke will have the final say.”
    “We have to buy time,” the wizard echoed. “A
lot of time. Someday soon Moonshadow will send a combined force of
five thousand to invade Taglios. We have to keep from being beaten.
If there’s any way possible, we have to beat the force sent
against us.”
    “Nothing like wishing.”
    “Are you willing to pay the price?” Cordy asked.
Like he thought it could be done.
    “The price will be paid,” the Woman said.
“Whatever it may be.”
    Willow looked at her till he could no longer keep his teeth
clamped on the big question. “Just who the hell are you,
lady? Making your promises and plans.”
    “I am the Radisha