The Order War by L. E. Modesitt Jr. Read Free Book Online

Justen finished adjusting the lamp’s wick. “Doesn’t Ryltar live somewhere near Feyn? Why Turmin? From what I heard, Ryltar isn’t exactly fond of the Sarronnese, and Turmin’s mother was born in Sarronnyn.”
    “Ryltar lives on the ridge just outside the black wall. It’s toward Feyn, but not that far.” Gunnar shrugged. “You know as much as I do. I suppose Turmin will tell me sooner or later. Anyway, I’ll have to leave early tomorrow to meet him there, but it’s better than playing lap cat at Ryltar’s.” Gunnar took the mugs and filled them. “Let’s play Capture.”
    Justen grinned. “Why not?” He walked over to the small bookcase and took the board and the box containing the black and white tokens from the top. “What are you doing this time?”
    “Turmin thinks the weather’s still changing, but more slowly.” Gunnar handed a mug to his brother. “He thinks that there will be signs in the plants on the high hills to the west of Land’s End—something about places where the weather is right on the edge.” Gunnar pulled one of the two straight-backed chairs up to the desk.
    After setting down his mug, Justen put the board on the desk and the token box beside it. Then he pulled his chair up and sat down while Gunnar divided the white and black tokens.
    “White or black?” asked the older brother.
    “White this time.”
    Gunnar nodded, and Justen set a token in one of thedepressions in a rear lattice—the three-token one. Gunnar ignored the lattice and placed his first token in the center point of the main lattice on his side of the board.
    Justen dropped a token in the four-point lattice to the rear of Gunnar’s.
    “You’re doing it again.” Gunnar added a second token to his lattice.
    Justen put his second token in the three lattice and added the third to complete it.
    Gunnar added the third to his main lattice. “Shouldn’t have let me get this far. Now you can’t catch me.”
    Justen frowned, then set a white stone in the other three lattice behind Gunnar’s lattice.
    Gunnar added another token, and they continued until Justen had both three and four lattices, and Gunnar had six tokens in one twelve and five in the other.
    Gunnar smiled and dropped a black stone into place, followed by five to complete the first, and the bonus that allowed him to complete the second.
    Justen shrugged. “It’s yours.”
    “You don’t want to play it out?”
    “Why bother?”
    “I still don’t understand why you build three or four groupings rather than concentrate your efforts.”
    “It seems to make more sense. Nothing in life lets you concentrate on just one thing.” Justen laughed. “Besides, it’s only a game. Life’s serious enough.”
    Gunnar frowned momentarily, then lifted the pitcher. “Some more redberry?”
    “Certainly. Why not? Another game?”
    “Of course.” Gunnar finished pouring the redberry and took a sip from his mug.

XII
    “Tryessa D’Frewya, the envoy from Sarronnyn,” announced the young man in black who had opened the dark-oak door to the Council Chamber, once the study shared by Creslin and Megaera, the Founders, whose joint portraits framed the wide window behind the table.
    The Sarronnese envoy entered and bowed deeply, her emerald silksheen trousers and blouse rustling. “Honored Council members.” She straightened.
    Claris motioned to the table. “Please have a seat. Would you care for some of the green brandy?”
    “I would be delighted. Tradition or not, it is always a treat.” Tryessa slipped into the oak armchair. The young man in black carefully poured the pale green liquid into the crystal goblet beside her, then retreated to his position by the door.
    The youngest counselor brushed a strand of red hair off her forehead and took a sip from an identical goblet.
    “What brings you to meet with the Council?” asked Ryltar, his casual tone a contrast to the order of his dress and his precisely brushed, thin blond hair.
    “Surely you must