the crowd and called to Lagdalen.
"Uncle Iapetor!" she cried.
Old Iapetor, a sea captain for many years, greeted the others warmly.
"A day for grief, a poor day to meet, perhaps, but I am honored. Any friend of Relkin of Quosh is a friend of Iapetor of Marneri."
"Very pleased to meet you, sir."
Swane was about to make their excuses when two more figures, these wearing the long military cloak, appeared, and he glimpsed gold stars on their collars. With a nudge to the ribs he hissed "Generals!" in Jak's ears.
Both dragonboys cut a salute as tight as any they had ever made before. General Kesepton returned the salutes, but not casually.
"At ease." Old Kesepton extended a hand toward his colleague.
"This is General Hanth. He's taking over supply operations here in Marneri. General, this is my grandson, Captain Kesepton, with his wife, Lagdalen."
"Delighted, Captain, Lady."
But General Kesepton had examined the two dragonboys now and noted the number in shining brass on the peaks of their caps.
"And, General, we have the honor of saluting two members of the fighting 109th Marneri."
Hanth looked up. "We do?"
"Yes, General Hanth, this is Dragoneer Swane and Dragoneer Jak. Jak tends Alsebra, the sword-skilled freemartin."
"Ah, yes, who hasn't heard of her? I am honored, boys, honored. The Broketail dragon was your friend. Be assured that all Marneri is suffering with you this day."
"Yessir!" said Swane and Jak, reacting to the presence of general officers with parade ground manners.
Kesepton smiled broadly, at a memory from thirty-five years before, and asked Hollein to dismiss them and send them on their way. He moved on to the old friend he'd seen standing beside Lagdalen.
"Ah, Iapetor, you old fox, how are you?"
Iapetor and Kesepton clasped hands firmly.
"The quacks are after me, General, but I keep 'em at arm's length."
"A sad day."
"And a bad one, old friend. The Aubinans will use this, you know they will."
Kesepton nodded heavily. The grain magnates of Aubinas sought independence from Marneri for their rich province. The struggle to sway public opinion was ongoing, but the forces of Aubinan independence were gaining the upper hand.
Both the older men also knew that Lagdalen was now in the front lines of this struggle, and she was but a girl in her twenties. Still, by virtue of her personality and the power of her position as the assistant to Lady Lessis, she had become the crown attorney for the prosecution of the case against Porteous Glaves. This case had become a cause celebre for the Aubinans, who claimed that Glaves was being persecuted by a vengeful Marneri government.
Kesepton saw the tightening in her face when Iapetor mentioned Aubinas. He thought to spare her on such a mournful occasion. She carried too much of a burden already.
"The Broketail dragon was a legend in his own times. We don't see that sort of thing very often."
But Iapetor could not be deflected. "The Aubinans will try to blame the queen, and the witches."
"Ah, well."
They both turned to Lagdalen, who kept her face purposely as blank as possible. The case could not be discussed casually and she was annoyed at Iapetor for bringing it up. She would not be drawn.
"We face difficult times, good sirs," she said. "And these losses make them harder to bear. But we will not give up. We will never give up."
On that note they parted, hunched against the rain and the wind, which was colder than before. Workmen began to dismantle the parade stand while a couple of stonemasons took measurements where the monument to the fallen was to be erected.
Chapter One
Two predators slipped silently through the ancient jungle, eyes and ears alert for the slightest signal of either prey or danger. Hunger gleamed in their eyes, while starvation showed in their shrunken bellies and haggard faces.
As usual at this time of the day, the jungle seemed to be holding its breath. A deep silence extended with the heat of the midday. All life except the
"Uncle Iapetor!" she cried.
Old Iapetor, a sea captain for many years, greeted the others warmly.
"A day for grief, a poor day to meet, perhaps, but I am honored. Any friend of Relkin of Quosh is a friend of Iapetor of Marneri."
"Very pleased to meet you, sir."
Swane was about to make their excuses when two more figures, these wearing the long military cloak, appeared, and he glimpsed gold stars on their collars. With a nudge to the ribs he hissed "Generals!" in Jak's ears.
Both dragonboys cut a salute as tight as any they had ever made before. General Kesepton returned the salutes, but not casually.
"At ease." Old Kesepton extended a hand toward his colleague.
"This is General Hanth. He's taking over supply operations here in Marneri. General, this is my grandson, Captain Kesepton, with his wife, Lagdalen."
"Delighted, Captain, Lady."
But General Kesepton had examined the two dragonboys now and noted the number in shining brass on the peaks of their caps.
"And, General, we have the honor of saluting two members of the fighting 109th Marneri."
Hanth looked up. "We do?"
"Yes, General Hanth, this is Dragoneer Swane and Dragoneer Jak. Jak tends Alsebra, the sword-skilled freemartin."
"Ah, yes, who hasn't heard of her? I am honored, boys, honored. The Broketail dragon was your friend. Be assured that all Marneri is suffering with you this day."
"Yessir!" said Swane and Jak, reacting to the presence of general officers with parade ground manners.
Kesepton smiled broadly, at a memory from thirty-five years before, and asked Hollein to dismiss them and send them on their way. He moved on to the old friend he'd seen standing beside Lagdalen.
"Ah, Iapetor, you old fox, how are you?"
Iapetor and Kesepton clasped hands firmly.
"The quacks are after me, General, but I keep 'em at arm's length."
"A sad day."
"And a bad one, old friend. The Aubinans will use this, you know they will."
Kesepton nodded heavily. The grain magnates of Aubinas sought independence from Marneri for their rich province. The struggle to sway public opinion was ongoing, but the forces of Aubinan independence were gaining the upper hand.
Both the older men also knew that Lagdalen was now in the front lines of this struggle, and she was but a girl in her twenties. Still, by virtue of her personality and the power of her position as the assistant to Lady Lessis, she had become the crown attorney for the prosecution of the case against Porteous Glaves. This case had become a cause celebre for the Aubinans, who claimed that Glaves was being persecuted by a vengeful Marneri government.
Kesepton saw the tightening in her face when Iapetor mentioned Aubinas. He thought to spare her on such a mournful occasion. She carried too much of a burden already.
"The Broketail dragon was a legend in his own times. We don't see that sort of thing very often."
But Iapetor could not be deflected. "The Aubinans will try to blame the queen, and the witches."
"Ah, well."
They both turned to Lagdalen, who kept her face purposely as blank as possible. The case could not be discussed casually and she was annoyed at Iapetor for bringing it up. She would not be drawn.
"We face difficult times, good sirs," she said. "And these losses make them harder to bear. But we will not give up. We will never give up."
On that note they parted, hunched against the rain and the wind, which was colder than before. Workmen began to dismantle the parade stand while a couple of stonemasons took measurements where the monument to the fallen was to be erected.
Chapter One
Two predators slipped silently through the ancient jungle, eyes and ears alert for the slightest signal of either prey or danger. Hunger gleamed in their eyes, while starvation showed in their shrunken bellies and haggard faces.
As usual at this time of the day, the jungle seemed to be holding its breath. A deep silence extended with the heat of the midday. All life except the
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