Book 1 - Shadowline by Glen Cook Read Free Book Online Page A

height of
this party.
    The humans were working with someone on Prefactlas.
    Their commander need only take the Norbon station to seize
control of the planet. Having eliminated the decision-makers and
gotten their ships inside the defensive umbrella, they could deal
with the other holdings piecemeal. They could conquer an entire
world with an inferior force.
    The whole thing smacked of raider daring. Nurtured by treachery,
of course.
    Some laughing human commander, smarter than most animals, was
about to make himself a fortune.
    Over the years since their discovery of the Sangaree, and the
fact that they were considered animals, the humans had created
scores of laws designed to encourage one another to respond
savagely. Billions in bounties and prize moneys would go to the
conquerors of a world. Even the meanest shipboard rating would be
able to retire and live on his interest. A developed world was a
prize with a value almost beyond calculation.
    The fighting would be grim. Human hatred would be reinforced by
greed.
    Deeth’s father was as quick as his son. Defeat and
destruction, he saw, were inevitable. He told his wife, “Take
the boy and dress him in slave garb. Rhafu, go with her. See that
he’s turned loose in the training area. They don’t know
each other. He’ll pass.”
    Deeth’s mother and the old breeding master understood. The
Head was grasping at his only chance to save his line.
    “Deeth,” his father said, kneeling, “you
understand what’s happening, don’t you?”
    Deeth nodded. He did not trust himself to speak. Once he had
examined and thought out the possibilities he had become afraid. He
did not want to shame himself.
    “You know what to do? Hide with the animals. It
shouldn’t be hard. You’re a smart boy. They won’t
be expecting you. Stay out of trouble. When you get the chance, go
back to Homeworld. Reclaim the Family and undertake a vendetta
against those who betrayed us. For your mother and me. And all our
people who will die here. Understand? You’ll do
that?”
    Again Deeth dared only nod. His gaze flicked around the hall.
Who were the guilty? Which few would see the sun rise?
    “All right.” His father enfolded him in a hug that
hurt. He had never done that before. The Norbon was not a
demonstrative man. “Before you go.”
    The Norbon took a small knife from his pocket. He opened a blade
and scraped the skin on Deeth’s left wrist till a mist of
blood droplets oozed up. Then he used a pen to ink a long series of
numbers. “That’s where you’ll find your Wholar,
Deeth. That’s Osiris. The only place those numbers exist is
in my head and on your wrist. Take care. You’ll need that
wealth to make your return.”
    Deeth forced a weak smile. His father was brilliant, disguising
the most valuable secret of the day as a field hand’s
serial.
    The Norbon hugged him again. “You’d better go. And
hurry. They’ll come down fast once they’re into their
run.”
    A raggedy string of roars sounded out front. Deeth smiled.
Someone had activated the station defenses. Missiles were
launching.
    Answering explosions killed his pleasure. He hurried after his
mother and Rhafu. White glare poured through the windows. The
atmosphere above the station protested its torment. Guests kept
shrieking.
    The preparatory barrages had begun. The station’s
defenders were trying to fend them off.
    The slave pens were utter chaos. Deeth heard the fighting and
screaming long before he and Rhafu arrived on the observation
balcony.
    Household troops were helping the slave handlers, and still the
animals were not under control. Corpses littered the breeding dome.
Most were field hands, but a sickening number wore Norbon blue. The
troops and handlers were handicapped. They had to avoid damaging
valuable property.
    “I don’t see any wild ones, Rhafu.”
    “That is curious. Why provide weapons without
support?”
    “Tell them not to worry about saving the stock. They
won’t matter if the human ships