She Is the Darkness: Book Two of Glittering Stone: A Novel of the Black Company Read Free

limberdick.”
    “I just know you’re going to enjoy life as a polecat, Kid.”
    We hoisted the litter. Smoke made a gurgling sound. Foamy spit dribbled from the
     corner of his mouth. “Hustle up. I need to get his mouth cleaned out before he
     drowns himself.”
    One-Eye saved his breath. We clumped down the stairs. Smoke began making
     strangling noises. I kicked the door open and went through without looking
     outside first. We got into the street.
    “Put him down,” I snapped. “Then cover us while I take care of him.” Who knew
     what might be watching? Taglian nights conceal countless curious eyes. Everyone
     wants to know what the Black Company is doing. We take it as a given that some
     of those are people we do not even know yet.
    Paranoia is a way of life.
    I knelt beside the litter, tipped it a little and turned Smoke’s head. It
     flopped like he had no bones in his neck. Smoke gurgled and hacked some more.
    “Hush,” One-Eye said.
    I looked up. A tall Shadar watchman was headed our way, carrying a lantern. One
     of the Old Man’s innovations, the night-time foot patrols have crippled enemy
     espionage efforts. Now our creativity was about to turn around on us.
    The turbaned soldier walked past so close his grey pants actually brushed me.
    But he sensed nothing.
    One-Eye is no master sorcerer but he does a hell of a job when he concentrates.
    Smoke made that noise again.
    The Shadar stopped, looked back. His eyes widened. They were about all that
     could be seen between his turban and his massive beard. I do not know what he
     saw but he touched his forehead and swept his fingers in a quick half circle
     ending over his heart. That was a ward against evil common to all the peoples of
     Taglios.
    He moved on hurriedly.
    “What did you do?” I asked.
    “Never mind,” One-Eye said. “Let’s get him loaded.” The wagon was waiting right
     where Sleepy was supposed to leave it. “He’s going to report something. He’ll
     have his whole family here in a few minutes.”
    The watchmen were equipped with whistles. Our man remembered his and started
     tooting as One-Eye lifted his end of the litter. In seconds another whistle
     answered. “He going to keep that shit up?” One-Eye asked.
    “I’ll lay him on his side. The phlegm should drain off. But you’re the guy who
     knows the medical stuff. If he’s coming down with pneumonia you better start
     working on him now.”
    “Go teach granny to suck eggs, Kid. Just shove the little bastard in the wagon,
    then get your ass back through that door.”
    “Shit. I think I forgot to wedge it open.”
    “I’d call you a dumb shit but you keep ragging me about stating the obvious.
    Unh!” He swung his end of the litter into the bed of the wagon. Good boy Sleepy
     had remembered to leave the tailgate down, exactly as he had been instructed. “I
     remembered for you.”
    “You were the last one out anyway.” Damn, would I be glad when Goblin came back
     and One-Eye could get back to feuding with him. I shoved my end of the litter.
    One-Eye was scrambling up to the driver’s seat already. “Don’t forget to get
     that gate up.”
    I twisted Smoke’s shoulders so his mouth would drain, raised the tailgate and
     dropped the oak pins into their slots. “You check on him as soon as you’re
     clear.”
    “Shut up and get out of here.”
    Whistles were shrieking all around us now. Sounded like every watchman on duty
     was closing in.
    Their interest was going to attract that of others. I ran for the postern door.
    Steel tires began to rattle on cobblestones behind me.
    One-Eye was going to get a chance to test our cover story.

Black Company GS 7 - She is Darkness
    3
    It is a long trail from that postern to the apartment I call home. On the way I
     stopped by Croaker’s cell to let him know what had happened while we were
     getting Smoke out of the house. He asked, “You see anything besides the Shadar?”
    “No. But the uproar is going to attract