She Is the Darkness: Book Two of Glittering Stone: A Novel of the Black Company by Glen Cook Read Free Book Online

Shadowlands still labored on the city walls and inside the city
     itself. Why seemed problematic. There were almost no Jaicuri left alive.
    “Interesting notion, planting the plain in grain,” I said, seeing what looked
     like winter wheat peeping through last year’s stubble.
    “One of Lady’s ideas,” Croaker replied. He still watched me as though he
     expected me to start foaming at the mouth any minute. “Anywhere there is a
     permanent garrison one of the responsibilities of the soldiers is to raise their
     own food.”
    When it came to the logistics of war Lady was more the expert than Croaker. Till
     we came to Taglios he was never part of anything bigger than the Company. Lady
     had managed the warmaking instruments of a vast empire for decades.
    The Old Man simply left most of that stuff to Lady. He would rather lie back
     scheming his schemes and piling up the tools Lady could use.
    The crop notion was not new. Lady had done the same around most of her permanent
     installations in the north.
    You got to go with what works.
    Helps keep the neighbors more tractable, too, if you are not stealing their
     daughters and seed grain.
    “You sure you’re all right?” Croaker demanded.
    We were nearly at the foot of the ramp to the north barbican. One-Eye was no
     more than a hundred feet ahead now, perfectly aware of our presence, but not
     slowing down a bit. I guess I was starting to push ahead.
    “I’ve got it under control, Captain. I don’t fall off into the past anymore and
     I hardly ever wake up screaming. I hold it down to a little shaking and
     sweating.”
    “Anything starts getting to you, I want to know. I expect to be here a while.
    You’re going to need to be able to take it.”
    “I won’t screw up,” I promised.

Black Company GS 7 - She is Darkness
    9
    I did not wait long after Thai Dei and I took up quarters in one of the same
     buildings we had occupied during the siege. Reconstruction had not reached that
     part of town yet. Some of the old litter still lay around. “At least they got
     rid of all the bones,” I told Thai Dei.
    He grunted, looked around like he expected to see ghosts.
    “You be all right here?” I asked. Nyueng Bao do believe in ghosts and spirits
     and ancestors who follow you around nagging if you have not gotten them buried
     properly. A lot of Nyueng Bao pilgrims passed over here without benefit of the
     appropriate ceremonies.
    “I must be. I must have everything ready when Doj comes.”
    That was a major speech for Thai Dei.
    Uncle Doj was a priest of some sort. Presumably he would take this opportunity
     to complete what he had not had time to do four years ago.
    “You go ahead. I have things to do.” Far places to see. Pain to be given the
     slip, though I did not admit that directly even to myself.
    Thai Dei started to put his few possessions aside.
    “No. It’s more of that secret Company stuff that I’m expected to do alone.”
    Thai Dei grunted, almost pleased to have his time be his own.
    It always was his but he would not listen when I insisted he did not owe me. If
     it were not for me he would not have lost his sister and son.
    Arguing with a Nyueng Bao is like arguing with water buffalo. You cannot get
     through and after a while the Nyueng Bao loses interest in listening. Might as
     well save your energy.
    “Wondered how long it would be,” One-Eye said when I tracked him down. He had
     brought the wagon into our old part of town but had not taken Smoke out. He had
     it backed into a tight alleyway where, I presumed, the wagon would vanish inside
     camouflaging spells as soon as he dealt with his team.
    “Unhitch them animals, Kid, and get them over to the transient stable while I
     straighten up here.”
    Arguing with One-Eye gets to be a little like arguing with Nyueng Bao. He goes
     completely deaf. He did so in this instance. He went about his business exactly
     as though I was not there. In the interest of efficiency I took care of