Sword Empire Read Online Free

and especially on any change in the power balance in the Council of Twelve. The second is to keep Jayna alive. She is more valuable than either of you. Third you are to find the Princess Maryam, and if possible, bring her back to Alpha when you return.”
    Kananda nodded grim acceptance, although in his mind he knew that whatever happened, Maryam would always be his first priority.
    Antar locked eyes with Zela again. “If the Sword Lord named Raven gets in the way of any of these three objectives, then you may kill him. But you will not seek him out in preference to your prime duties.”
    Zela scowled a little, but then she too nodded in acceptance of his conditions.
    Laton looked as though he was ready to argue further, but he was forestalled when Allor rose to his feet and asked pointedly, “Antar, how can you be so sure that we can trust this Gheddan woman?”
    Antar looked startled, and then surprised, and then he laughed. “You think Jayna is Gheddan?”
    Allor looked confused. “She wears Gheddan clothes. She has blue skin.”
    â€œJayna is as Alphan as you and I,” Antar reassured him. “Leather clothes can be bought in many of our own more rural markets, and if we give her a few weeks the black hair dye and blue body dye will begin to fade. How do you think I can send Zela and Kananda into Ghedda if I cannot temporarily change the pigmentation of their skin?”
    Allor raised his hands in a gesture of defeat and sat down again. “I apologize,” he said graciously, addressing himself to Jayna.
    â€œThis whole thing is still madness,” Laton insisted. “What good can fresh intelligence do for us? Ghedda will strike when they are ready. The exact timing is only academic.”
    â€œGood intelligence is never academic,” Antar countered. “We must live in hope, not ignorance.”
    Laton appealed to his daughter. “Zela, you do not have to do this.”
    â€œBut I do, father,” she answered him gently. “Kananda has come all the way from his home planet to find his sister. I know that he would still accompany Jayna without me, and I cannot let him do that. I must go with them. Besides, Antar has said that they need someone who can pilot a rivercraft.”
    â€œWe must have hundreds of pilots who can handle a rivercraft,” Laton said in exasperation. He saw from the set of Zela’s jaw that he was getting nowhere and switched his efforts to Jayna. “You said that your husband was killed on your last mission to Ghedda. Surely you can see that it is madness to go back. Do you want to be killed also?”
    Jayna stood up slowly. She was taller than the old man by a few inches, and she had the lean, hungry look of someone who knew what it meant to be hunted. In her eyes there was suddenly a dark sadness. She moved out from the row of seats until she faced the full assembly. She spoke to them all.
    â€œI return to Ghedda for one reason only. It is right that you should understand this. I have a child, a small daughter. She is only five years old. I believe our planet does face destruction, but Antar has promised me that in return for my continued service my daughter will have a place on one of the escape ships.”
    There was silence. A few feet shuffled uncomfortably. Then Allor reassured her, “You have my word also, and I know I can speak for us all. Whatever happens, Antar’s promise will be honoured. Your child will be on the first ship to escape from Dooma.”
    The matter seemed settled. Even Laton nodded in support of his colleague’s word. Then the old man looked again to Antar.
    â€œYou hinted that my daughter must play two roles. What is the other?”
    Antar looked at Zela, and then said mysteriously, “Commander, can you dance?”
    Zela looked suddenly suspicious. “Yes,” she admitted cautiously. “I can dance.”
    At that point Jayna laughed, an unexpectedly merry