Shadow Games: The Fourth Chronicles of the Black Company: First Book of the South Read Online Free Page A

mistake.
    Otto laughed. Hagop started humming. To his tune Otto sang, “The worms crawl in,
    the worms crawl out, the ants play the bagpipes on your snout.” Goblin and
     One-Eye joined in. Murgen threatened to ride over and puke on somebody.
    We were distracting ourselves from the dark promise looming ahead.
    One-Eye stopped singing to say, “None of the Taken were the sort who could lie
     low all these years, Croaker. If any survived we would have seen the fireworks.
    Me and Goblin would have heard something, anyway.”
    “I guess you’re right.” But I did not feel reassured. Maybe some part of me just
     did not want the Taken to be all dead.
    We were approaching the incline that led up to the doorway into the Tower. For
     the first time the structure betrayed signs of life. Men clad as brightly as
     peacocks appeared on the high battlements. A handful came out of the gateway,
    hastily preparing a ceremonial in greeting to their mistress. One-Eye hooted
     derisively when he saw their apparel.
    He would not have dared last time he was there.
    I leaned over and whispered, “Be careful. She designed the uniforms on them
     guys.”
    I hoped they wanted to greet the Lady, hoped they had nothing more sinister in
     mind. That depended on what news they had had from the north. Sometimes evil
     rumors travel swifter than the wind.
    “Audacity, guys,” I said. “Always audacity. Be bold. Be arrogant. Keep them
     reeling.” I looked at that dark entrance and reflected aloud, “They know me
     here.”
    “That’s what scares me,” Goblin squeaked. Then he cackled.
    The Tower filled more and more of the world. Murgen, who’d never seen it before,
    surrendered to openmouthed awe. Otto and Hagop pretended that that stone pile
     did not impress them. Goblin and One-Eye became too busy to pay much attention.
    Lady could not be impressed. She had built the place when she was someone both
     greater and smaller than the person she was now.
    I became totally involved in creating the persona I wanted to project. I
     recognized the colonel in charge of the welcoming party. We had crossed paths
     when my fortunes had led me into the Tower before. Our feelings toward one
     another were ambiguous at best.
    He recognized me, too. And he was baffled. The Lady and I had left the Tower
     together, most of a year ago.
    “How you doing, Colonel?” I asked, putting on a big, friendly grin. “We finally
     made it back. Mission successful.”
    He glanced at Lady. I did the same, from the edge of my eye. Now was her chance.
    She had on her most arrogant face. I could have sworn she was the devil who
     haunted this Tower—Well, she was. Once. That person did not die when she lost
     her powers. Did she?
    It looked like she would play my game. I sighed, closed my eyes momentarily,
    while the Tower Guard welcomed their liege.
    I trusted her. But always there are reservations. You cannot predict other
     people. Especially not the hopeless.
    Always there was the chance she might reassume the empire, hiding in her secret
     part of the Tower, letting her minions believe she was unchanged. There was
     nothing to stop her trying.
    She could go that route even after keeping her promise to return the Annals.
    That, my companions believed, was what she would do. And they dreaded her first
     order as empress of shadow restored.

Black Company S 4 - Shadow Games

Chapter Five: CHAINS OF EMPIRE
    Lady kept her promise. I had the Annals in hand within hours of entering the
     Tower, while its denizens were still overawed by her return. But . . .
    “I want to go on with you, Croaker.” This while we watched the sun set from the
     Tower’s battlements the second evening after our arrival.
    I, of course, replied with the golden tongue of a horse seller. “Uh . . . Uh . .
    . But . . . ” Like that. Master of the glib and facile remark. Why the hell did
     she want to do that? She had it all, there in the Tower. A little careful faking
     and she could spend