Dawn of Empire by Sam Barone Read Free Book Online Page B

current. That demanded hard work, and after a few strokes he had to use all his strength to avoid being swept downriver.
    When Esk kar returned to the eddy pool, he rested in the chilled water.
    Finally he pulled himself out of the river, reclaimed his blanket, and used it to dry off before returning to the barracks.
    At least tonight he wouldn’t meet Nicar in a ragged garment with the smell of horses and wine on him. Putting on his one clean tunic, he considered wearing his short sword, then decided he wouldn’t need it. The men who might want him dead had left with Ariamus, and he doubted he had one enemy left in the village.
    He returned to Nicar’s house. A few paces before Esk kar reached the gate, five men came out of Nicar’s courtyard and headed toward him.
    Noble Drigo and his son, with three bodyguards, filled the narrow lane, and Esk kar had to stand aside to let them by. Noble Drigo glanced at him and smiled as he passed, the knowing smile of a man who already had all the answers.
    When Esk kar stepped through Nicar’s gate, he found the boy who’d fetched him that morning again waiting for him. Once inside, the boy closed and bolted the door, then knelt with a damp cloth to clean Esk kar’s feet and sandals, removing the dirt of the street.
    Nicar’s wife, Creta, had nearly as many years as her husband, and her hair had long since turned to silver. Everyone knew that Nicar preferred young slave girls as bed companions, but he treated his wife honorably and she managed his household efficiently.
    Creta greeted Esk kar warmly enough, after a quick inspection to see if he were reasonably clean and presentable. She’d walked past him in the street many a time without ever noticing him. She escorted him to the dining chamber at the rear of the house, where he found a large table spread for only two. Creta gave him the briefest of bows and left him alone. A matronly servant brought wine, but Esk kar asked for water. In a few moments she returned, handing him a cup of chilled water as Nicar entered the room.
    “Please sit down, Esk kar.” Nicar wore a different tunic tonight, one with red and blue stitching around the collar. “You had a long ride today, and we should eat first so that we have time to talk afterward. You’ll have something to drink, I trust?”
    The servants began bringing food, one course at a time, and Esk kar found that somewhat strange. When the soldiers ate, everything got dumped on the plank table at once, to be wolfed down as quickly as possible before it disappeared.
    Esk kar copied his host’s pace and ate slowly, taking small bites of the warm vegetables after dipping them in spiced oil imported from some distant land to the west. While they ate, Nicar did most of the talking, asking Esk kar about his early life and the many places he’d seen in his travels. He even asked about the steppes clans, what kind of people they were, why they lived the way they did. He talked of everything except the coming of the steppes people.
    Esk kar realized that Nicar continued to study him, wanting to know what kind of man Esk kar was. More important, Nicar wanted to learn whether Esk kar had the wits to make any plan succeed.
    The food was easily the best Esk kar had ever eaten. But the wine, like the portions, was served in small quantities. He decided that Nicar wanted him to have a clear head. When the servants finally cleared the table and refilled the wine cups, Nicar dismissed them, then closed the door.
    Esk kar caught a glimpse of Creta sitting outside the door, sewing a garment by the light of a lamp, to make sure the servants didn’t eavesdrop on their master’s conversation. Not that it would do any good. Household slaves always knew everything that went on.
    “So, tell me about your ride, Esk kar. What did you see?” Nicar returned to the table, eyes fixed on his guest.
    “You want to know if Orak can be defended against the barbarians? It can be done, but the cost will be