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the
Matrial, and somewhere else in the city. Without moving his head, he tried to
locate the source of that power. While he could not be certain, it felt to him
that it came from the west, from the park that held the Matrial's dwelling or
mansion, probably from the dwelling itself.
Again, the silver torque did not tighten, but the man's protests were cut off,
and his face turned red, then blue, before he slumped and fell forward in the
T-
shaped brace.
'Justice has been done. The Matrial eternal and ageless be praised."
Justice? Power had been exerted. The woman had been guilty of all with which
she had been charged, but the man had been innocent. Of that, Alucius was
convinced. Yet he had died because a woman claimed she had been forced.
Had the man used force, and had he not thought it was force? Alucius had known
some like that. He had no doubts that Gortal would have felt that way, but the
dead man had not seemed like a Gortal. Yet one never knew.
'Column reform!" ordered Jesorak.
While Alucius was far from absolutely certain, he was fairly sure that the
power that had executed the two, and the power behind the collars, lay in the
Matrial's compound. Not that he could do anything about it but he clung to his
grandsire's advice, and the hope that when he knew enough, he could act.
He also hoped he wasn't deceiving himself into accepting matters so much that
he would never act.
Although spring had come before the calendar end
of winter, the weather in Hieron did not remain cool and springlike, but
continued to warm, so that by the time six more weeks had passed, spring was
at least as warm in Hieron as full summer in Iron Stem. At the end of those
six weeks, on Novdi, the ten experienced troopers were gathered before their
morning "class" schedule in the teaching area. Two weeks earlier, the young
Squawt Johens had been moved to another class of trainee troopers who had just
begun.
There were no instructors, and Jesorak stood there. He was smiling.
"Congratulations. Starting now, you're all troopers."
'Sir?" blurted Sazium.
'We don't make a big ceremony about it." He stepped forward and handed each
man a silver collar pin an "M" within a circle, covered with a sabre crossed
with a rifle. When each had fastened the pin in place, he went on. "You're
troopers. Your pay is standard, like every other base trooper, five coppers a
silver a week. If you make junior squad leader, it will be doubled to two
silvers.
You also get two silvers for completing training." He lifted a leather pouch.
"We'll take care of that, now. Everyone seems to think it's more real when
it's backed with silver."
Alucius was the fourth to get the pair of silvers, which he slipped into his
pocket, wishing he had the troopers' belt wallet on. He could not help but
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note that the Matrite pay was more than twice that of a militia trooper.
'You're going either to the Fortieth Company or to the Thirty-second,"
Jesorak said. "Both are stationed at Senob Post at Zalt. Alucius, Beral,
Kymbes, Murat, and Sazium you five have been assigned to the Fortieth. The
rest of you are going to the Thirty-second.
'You'll be issued your full uniforms, and your sabres and standard belt
knives, when we finish here. You'll get your rifles when you get to your
company. I'll remind you one last time that sabres are worn only on duty, or
when traveling, unless otherwise ordered, and never in a town or city, except
when you're riding through or on duty.
'On your off-glasses you can leave the post, but it's strongly recommended
that you at least go in pairs& especially until you're more accustomed to
Madrien. After we finish, you'll have the rest of today and Decdi free, except
for whatever preparations you need. I wouldn't try to travel too far from
post. You'll be riding out right after breakfast on Londi, and for the first
time in over a
month, you won't have a weapons class." Jesorak grinned. "You'll be part of a
resupply convoy cartridges, travel rations, medicines mainly that sort of
thing.
For the trip, you'll report to Squad Leader Gorak. Captain Sennel will be in
command, with Undercaptain Porlel as number two.
'You should spend some time on your gear, but that's up to you.
The shops south of the post are also open to you& In fact, any street where
you can walk is open to you, but you're expected to stay close to Hieron."
Doing anything else would have been difficult, Alucius reflected, when they
were effectively limited by how far they could walk.
'That's all& and congratulations!"
In a way, Alucius reflected as he returned to the barracks, it was a let-down,
but it was probably more honest. He was one of the few who took his time
checking his uniforms, as well as polishing his gear, and then going to the
armory and waiting to be able to sharpen the sabre in the way he wanted it
done.
Only then did he fasten on his belt wallet and decide to explore the shops
south of the post.
Sazium appeared, clearly having waited for Alucius. "You don't mind?"
'Soarers, no." Alucius smiled. "This was so sudden, and I just had to think
things over."
'I didn't expect& " Sazium shook his head.
'They have a way of keeping us off-balance." Alucius began to walk toward the
doors, amazed in a sense that after months of effective captivity, he could
just walk out, even if he were merely on a longer and unseen chain.
'I guess it's better than being in the stone quarries, and the Southern Guard
isn't exactly a friend of the Iron Valleys, either." Sazium fell in beside
Alucius.
The two walked out through the gate and turned south on the red-stone
sidewalk. The slight haze high overhead kept the day from being too hot, but
Alucius could still feel a trace of sweat around his neck.
'You hungry?" asked Sazium. "I could stand to eat if it doesn't cost too
much."
'What else are we going to spend it on?"
Sazium had a point, Alucius had to admit.
They crossed the narrow street just beyond the south wall of the post. The
first shop was what Alucius would have called a miniature chandlery one where
numerous small items were on sale, including dried meats and triangular
sections of cheeses in wax.
'Might not be a bad idea to pick up a few things," murmured Sazium. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]