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confusion at the other end of the plaza and roaring with appreciative delight.
Garth moved straight toward them and for a moment they barely noticed that he
had crossed the line of paving stones and was now on the semicircle of purple
that arced out around their House.
Hey, a one-eyed Gray. Are you running away?
Garth turned toward the speaker, who stood laughing.
I want to join Ingkara, Garth said, his voice cool and even.
Several of the fighters started to laugh and taunt him.
A little too hot over there, isn t it? Might get hurt. And now you can t go
back since you ran.
Even as he turned and started to extend his hands a young Purple fighter, his
tunic blackened and singed, came racing up to the crowd. He slowed and,
turning, looked at Garth.
That s him. He s the one that started it! the new arrival shouted.
The fighter preparing to challenge Garth looked over at the scorched messenger
with surprise.
He started the whole thing. He took down Naru and then fought a dozen of
them to a standstill, the young Purple gasped.
Garth s challenger looked around in confusion and Garth made the defiant and
self-confident gesture of lowering his hands.
Naru? his challenger asked.
He needs a new set of teeth, the messenger announced excitedly as if he had
somehow performed the feat himself, and he ll have to fish somewhere up under
his ribs for what s left of his manhood the way this one-eye kicked him.
The Purple fighters looked first at the messenger and then back at Garth,
several of them slowly breaking into grins of delight. The crowd started to
part, the fighters lowering their heads in respect as a lean,
angular form moved toward Garth, his purple robe made of the richest velvet
and covered with heavy rope like coils of gold embroidery.
Garth lowered his head in a respectful manner.
Jimak, Master of Ingkara, Garth said.
Jimak slowly looked Garth up and down as if examining some minor work of art
that he might consider buying if the price was right.
You bested Naru like Balzark over there said?
It is as he said, Garth replied.
And fought a dozen Browns until help arrived.
I had some help from a Benalish woman but, in general, yes.
Jimak nodded as if pondering a deep thought.
Why come to us? I should send you back to Tulan for punishment for breaking
the peace of Festival.
Because if I beat Naru I can beat others and your House will profit.
Besides, I am not fully initiated into
Gray yet so technically I am free to leave when I please. Those are the rules
as you know and frankly
I d prefer to skip the punishment coming out of the little incident over
there. He nodded back across the Plaza, which was now wreathed in coiling
smoke illuminated by bright flashes of flame.
I daresay Ingkara now has a couple dozen less fighters to compete against
come Festival thanks to my effort and I wish to profit from that. Beyond that
you can profit as well, so this could be to our mutual benefit.
Jimak looked haughtily at Garth and then the thinnest of smiles broke his
skull-like features.
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CHAPTER 5
BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!
Tulan and Kirlen, Master of Bolk, looked over angrily at the Grand Master.
You might be Grand Master, Tulan said coolly, but you have no right to
address us as if we were your servants.
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I have the right to address you any way I might please, Zarel Ewine replied
haughtily. You are in my city, and both of you, in fact all four of you,
should remember that I do know certain things about you
that would best not be known by others.
Tulan shifted uneasily. Zarel smiled inwardly. Tulan was a coward who could
always be intimidated.
If you re referring to the massacre of Turquoise, you were the instigator of
that, Kirlen replied smoothly, the rings on her bony fingers flashing in the
lamplight.
She looked up at him with a cool disdain, leaning heavily on her staff for
support. Her face was always disturbing to Zarel, for it was the face of
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