Sharp Ends: Stories from the World of The First Law Read Online Free

‘I would like nothing better than to join the charge, Colonel, but my leg—’
    Glokta snorted. ‘I understand entirely, carrying that body of yours around is a challenge for any leg. I wouldn’t want to inflict such a burden on some underserving horse.’ Widespread laughter. ‘Some men are made to do great things. Others to do … whatever it is you do. Of course you’re excused, Rews. How could you not be?’
    The crushing insult was altogether drowned in a giddy wave of relief. He who laughs last, after all, laughs loudest, and Rews doubted many of his tormentors would be laughing in an hour’s time.
    ‘Sir,’ West was saying as the colonel swung from the fence into his saddle with the agility of an acrobat. ‘Are you sure we have to do this?’
    ‘Who else do you suppose is going to?’ asked Glokta, jerking the reins and pulling his steed savagely about.
    ‘A lot of men will surely die. Men with families.’
    ‘Why, yes, I expect so. It is a war , Lieutenant.’ A scattering of obsequious laughter from the other officers. ‘That’s what we’re here for.’
    ‘Of course, sir.’ West swallowed. ‘Corporal Tunny, would you be good enough to saddle my horse—’
    ‘No, Lieutenant West,’ said Glokta, ‘I need you to stay here.’
    ‘Sir?’
    ‘When this is all over I’ll require an officer or two who can tell his arse from a pair of melons.’ He directed a withering glance at Rews, who hitched his wrinkled trousers up a little. ‘Besides, I suspect that sister of yours will grow up to be quite a handful. Couldn’t rob her of your sobering influence, could I?’
    ‘But, Colonel, I should—’
    ‘Won’t hear of it, West. You’ll stay and that’s an order.’
    West opened his mouth as if to speak, then smartly shut it, drew himself up and gave a rigid salute. Corporal Tunny did the same, the shimmering of a tear at the corner of his eye. Rews crept guiltily to follow suit, light-headed with horror and delight at the thought of a Glokta-less universe.
    The colonel grinned at them, his full complement of perfect, brilliantly white teeth almost painful to look upon in the sun’s bright glare.
    ‘Come now, gentlemen, don’t be maudlin. I’ll be back before you know it!’
    With a jerk on the reins he caused his horse to rear, frozen for an instant against the bright sky like one of those heroic statues, and Rews wondered if there could ever have been a more beautiful bastard.
    Then the dust showered in his face as Glokta thundered down the hillside.
    Down towards the bridge.



Westport, Autumn 573
    W hen Shev arrived to open up that morning, there were a pair of big, dirty, bare feet sticking out of the doorway of her Smoke House.
    That might once have caused her quite the shock, but over the last couple of years Shev had come to consider herself past shocking.
    ‘Oy!’ she shouted, striding up with her fists clenched.
    Whoever it was on their face in the doorway either chose not to move or was unable. She saw the long legs the feet were attached to, clad in trousers ripped and stained, then the ragged mess of a torn and filthy coat. Finally, wedged into the grubby corner against Shev’s door, a tangle of long red hair, matted with twigs and dirt.
    A big man, without a doubt. The one hand Shev could see was as long as her foot, netted with veins, filthy and scabbed across the knuckles. There was a strange shape to it, though. Slender.
    ‘Oy!’ She jabbed the toe of her boot into the coat around where she judged the man’s arse to be. Still nothing.
    She heard footsteps behind her. ‘Morning, boss.’ Severard turning up for the day. Never late, that boy. Not the most careful in his work but for punctuality you couldn’t knock him. ‘What’s this you’ve caught?’
    ‘A strange fish, all right, to wash up in my doorway.’ Shev scraped some of the red hair back, wrinkled her nose as she realised it was clotted with blood.
    ‘Is he drunk?’
    ‘She.’ It was a woman’s face