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.He ran his fingers over itgingerly and was startled to feel a pleasurable exhilaration tingle throughhis body.At this he did snatch his fingers back, but the feeling lasted andhe found his head clear, the pain gone.Ciang was seated on the opposite side of the large room.Diamond-panedwindows, which stretched from ceiling to floor, admitted a flood of sunlight.Hugh walked across the bright bands of light spanning the ornate rugs to standbefore the high-backed wooden chair.The chair was said to have been carved by an admirer of Ciang's, given to heras a present.It was certainly grotesque.A skull leered at the top.Theblood-red cushions that supported Ciang's frail form were surrounded byvarious ghostly spirits twining their way upward.Her feet rested on afootstool formed of crouching, cringing naked bodies.She waved a hand in agracious gesture to a chair opposite hers, a chair which Hugh was relieved tosee was perfectly ordinary in appearance.Ciang dispensed with meaningless pleasantries and struck, arrow-like, at theheart of their business."I have spent the night in study." She rested her hand, gnarled and almostfleshless but elegant in its movement and grace, on the dusty leather cover ofa book in her lap."I am sorry to have disturbed your sleep," Hugh began to apologize.Ciang cut him off."To be honest, I could not have slept otherwise.You are adisturbing influence, Hugh the Hand," she added, looking at him with narrowedeyes."I will not be sorry to see you go.I have done what I could to speedyou on your way." The eyelids lashless, as the head was hairless blinked once."When you are gone, do not come back."Hugh understood.The next time there would be no hesitation.The archer wouldhave his orders.Hugh's face set hard and grim."I would not have come back inany case," he said softly, staring at the cringing bodies, bent to holdCiang's small and delicate-boned feet."If Haplo doesn't kill me then I mustfind ""What did you say?" Ciang demanded sharply.Hugh, startled, glanced up at her.He frowned."I said that if I don't killHaplo ""No!" Ciang's fist clenched."You said 'If Haplo doesn't kill me.!' Do yougo to this man seeking his death or your own?"Hugh put his hand to his head."I.was confused.That's all." His voice wasgruff."The wine."".speaks the truth, as the saying goes." Ciang shook her head."No, Hugh theHand.You will not come back to us.""Will you send the knife around on me?" he asked harshly.Page 38ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlCiang considered."Not until after you have fulfilled the contract.Our honoris at stake.And therefore, the Brotherhood will help you, if we can." Sheglanced at him and there was an odd glint in her eye."If you want."Carefully she closed the book and placed it on a table beside the chair.Fromthe table she lifted an iron key, which hung from a black ribbon.Extendingher hand to Hugh, she allowed him the privilege of helping her to stand.Sherefused his assistance in walking, making her way slowly and with dignity to adoor on a far wall."You will find what you seek in the Black Coffer," she told him.The Black Coffer was not a coffer at all but a vault, a repository forweapons magical or otherwise.Magical weapons are, of course, highly prized,and the Brotherhood's laws governing them are strict and rigorously enforced.A member who acquires or makes such a weapon may consider it his or her ownpersonal possession, but must apprise the Brotherhood of its existence and howit works.The information is kept in a file in the Brotherhood's library, afile which may be consulted by any member at any time.A member needing such a weapon as he finds described may apply to the ownerand request the weapon's loan.The owner is free to refuse, but this almostnever happens, since it is quite likely that the owner himself will need toborrow a weapon someday.If the weapon is not returned something else thatalmost never happens the thief is marked, the knife sent around.On the owner's death, the weapon becomes the property of the Brotherhood.Inthe case of elderly members, such as the Ancient, who come back to thefortress to spend their remaining years in comfort, the deliverance of anymagical weapons is easily facilitated.For those members who meet the suddenand violent end considered an occupational hazard, collecting the weapons ofthe deceased can present a problem.These have sometimes been irrevocably lost, as in cases where the body andeverything on it have been burned in a funeral pyre or tossed in rage off thefloating isles into the Maelstrom.But so prized are the weapons that once theword goes around that the owner has died (which it does with remarkableswiftness) the Brotherhood is quick to act.All is done quietly,circumspectly.Very often grieving family members are surprised by the suddenappearance of strangers at their door.The strangers enter the house(sometimes before the body is cold) and leave almost immediately.Usually anobject leaves with them the black coffer.To facilitate the passing on of valuable weapons, members of the Brotherhoodare urged to keep such weapons in a plain black box.This has become known asthe black coffer.It is thus natural that the repository for such weapons inthe Brotherhood's fortress should have become known in capital letters as theBlack Coffer.If a member requests the use of a weapon kept in the Black Coffer, he or shemust explain in detail the need and pay a fee proportionate to the weapon'spower.Ciang has the final say on who gets what weapons, as well as the priceto be paid.Standing before the door of the Black Coffer, Ciang inserted the iron key intothe lock and turned it.The lock clicked.Grasping the handle of the heavy iron door, she pulled.Hugh was ready toassist her if she asked, but the door, revolving on silent hinges, swungeasily at her light touch.All was dark inside."Bring a lamp," Ciang ordered.Hugh did so, catching up a glowlamp that stood on a table near the door,probably for this very purpose.Hugh lit the lamp, and the two entered thevault.It was the first time Hugh the Hand had ever been inside the Black Coffer.(HePage 39ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlhad always taken pride in the fact that he had never needed enhancedweaponry.) He wondered why he was being accorded this honor now.Few memberswere ever permitted inside.When a weapon was needed, Ciang either fetched itherself or sent the Ancient to do so.Hugh entered the enormous stone-lined vault with quiet step and subdued heart [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]