The Dead God's Due (The Eye of the Lion Saga Book 1) by Matt Gilbert Read Free Book Online Page B

Tyler. Not
‘you’.”
    “Forgive me, I forget my
manners in my curiosity. I am Ahmed Justinius. I have come to Aviar
with my teacher to learn, but I am confused by much.”
    “Xanthians would have
solved this slavery problem a lot sooner,” Marcus grumbled.
“And better.”
    Ahmed’s eyebrow rose in
surprise. “You make slaves of your conquests, then? I am
surprised. I know little of barbarian ways. I thought it would be a
trial, until he began calling for bids.”
    Marcus tried to stifle a laugh,
and mostly failed. Tyler, however, seemed to grow even sadder.
“There is no war.”
    Ahmed’s stared at the
barbarians in confusion. “Then how are there prisoners?”
    Marcus grew somber. “No
need for a war to take prisoners, boy. Not if you’re in the
business of trading slaves. You just need to find people who can’t
do anything about it.”
    Ahmed answered with a grim nod,
understanding now. “How is it that this can even be done?”
    Tyler pointed to the ship.
“They take them from Prima, or islands nearby. The slip up on
them in the night. Even if they didn’t, it’s steel
against stone and wood. It’s all too easy.”
    Ahmed waved a hand in derision.
“I know well the arts of war, barbarian. I ask how this can be done to a man?”
    “Aye. I cannot understand
such cruelty either.”
    Ahmed rolled his eyes in
frustration. “Still, your uncivilized mind cannot grasp my
meaning.” He pointed at the brown man on the platform who was
even now the subject of much bidding. “What makes you certain
that he is a man, and not a beast to be subjugated as any other?”
    Marcus continued laughing
silently as Tyler struggled for words. “Gods, Xanthian, are
you so arrogant that you cannot see they are men just like
yourself?”
    Ahmed nodded and turned toward
the chained man, considering the point. “He looks like a man,
aye, but men are judged by their deeds, not their appearance.”
He turned back to Tyler. “A true man would die before allowing
himself to be a slave. These men live. I say they are not men at
all, but beasts.”
    Tyler was growing angry now,
his eyes blazing. “A cruel and ignorant judgment made by a
cruel and ignorant young man!”
    “Is it so?” Ahmed
gestured to Marcus. “Tell me, would you surrender to such men,
or fight to the death?”
    Marcus grinned. “I would
fight. And I would die. But all men do.”
    Ahmed turned back to Tyler,
beaming with triumph. “What say you now?”
    Tyler glared up at Ahmed with
distaste. “I say that you have much gall to call me a barbarian.”
    Ahmed waved Tyler’s
comment aside as if it were a gnat flying in his face. “I will
call you that again. Any man who will not fight and die if need be
for his freedom does not deserve it.”
    “ All men deserve freedom!”
    “A lie! It is like saying
all men deserve food, even the ones who do no work. How will they
have it? If they will not take it for themselves, who will? If
someone else does, are they not still beholden to him? No man is
free unless he makes himself so!”
    Marcus nodded in agreement as
Tyler glared back and forth at them. “It’s what I’ve
been telling you all along. It may need politicking too ,
but politicking alone won’t do it. At some point, it comes to
steel. It always does with these sorts.” He cast a murderous
glare at the man on the platform. “They’ll spread that
woman in chains up there for the money, and not feel a thing while
she cries. You’d better believe they’ll stick a knife in
you if you get close to shutting them down. Trust me, there will be blood. It’s just a matter of whose it turns out to be.”
    Tyler stared at the ground, his
shoulders sagging. “I swore I would never turn to violence
again after….”
    The large barbarian put a hand
on the smaller man’s shoulder. “So did I. But we were
young. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years,
Tyler, it’s that there is time and place for everything. Men
like us, if we want to make a