good behavior would tilt the scale. And if it did
not, well, she was the kind of planner who always had a secondary scheme in
motion. In fact, she was that wonderful kind of villain for whom the public and
obvious scheme might well be only a tertiary effort meant primarily as a smoke
screen. Our Sleepy was one wicked little girl.
There are no great sorcerers in the Land of Unknown Shadows. “All Evil Dies
There an Endless Death” means that they have persecuted the talented since the
flight of the Shadowmasters. But Hsien does not lack or disdain knowledge. There
are several huge monasteries—of which Khang Phi is the greatest—dedicated to the
preservation of knowledge. The monks do not sort it into good and evil
knowledge, nor do they make moral judgments. They take the position that no
knowledge is evil until someone chooses to do evil with it.
Even though it has been engineered to wreak havoc upon the human body, a sword
is strictly inert metal until someone chooses to pick it up and strike. Or
chooses not to do so.
There are, of course, a thousand sophistries spewed by those who wish to deny
individuals the opportunity to choose. Which is an arrogant presumption of a
divine scale.
This is what happens when you get old. You start thinking. Worse, you start
telling everybody what you think.
Sleepy was nervous lest I express an unfortunate opinion to one of the Nine,
whereupon, in high dudgeon, the offended party would abandon all sensibility and
self-interest and deny to us forever the knowledge we need to repair the
shadowgate opening on our native world. She misapprehends my ability to evoke
the unfriendly response.
Before the werepanther came I might have stumbled. I might have expressed an
actual opinion to a member of the File, some of whom are amongst the most
reprehensible generals I have ever encountered. I doubt that, given the
opportunity to rule unchallenged, many of them would be more enlightened than
the hated Shadowmasters.
People are strange. The Children of the Dead are among the strangest.
I will not upset anyone. I will be diligently supportive of any policy Sleepy
sets. I want to leave this Land of Unknown Shadows. I have things to accomplish
before I hand these Annals over for the last time. Settling up with Lisa Daele
Bowalk is just one. There is the Great General, Mogaba, the darkest traitor ever
to stain the Company’s history. There is Narayan Singh. For Lady, there is
Narayan and Soulcatcher. For both of us there is our child. Our wicked, wicked
child.
I asked, “Is there anything besides Longshadow we could offer the File of Nine?
Sweeten it just enough to make them move over beside Khang Phi and the Court of
All Seasons?”
My sweetie shrugged. “I can’t imagine what.” She smiled enigmatically. “But it
may not matter.”
I did not pay sufficient attention. Sometimes I overlook the new truths. These
days my Company is managed by sly children and devious old women, not
straightforward stalwarts like myself and the men of my time.
Black Company GS 9 - Soldiers Live
11
An Abode of Ravens:
Exercise Session
As soon as I healed enough I asked Uncle Doj to let me resume the martial arts
exercises I had given up many years ago. “Why are you interested now?” he asked.
Sometimes I think he is more suspicious of me than I am of him.
“Because I have time. And the need. I’m as weak as a puppy. I want to get my
strength back.”
“You chased me away when I offered.”
“I didn’t have time then. And you were so much more abrasive.”
“Ha.” He smiled. “You’re too kind.”
“You’re right. But I’m a prince.”
“A Prince of Darkness, Stone Soldier.” He knew that would get my goat. “But a
lucky prince.” The old fart indulged in a smirk. “Several of your contemporaries
have approached me recently, also motivated by anticipation of those hardships
that can no longer be that
not, well, she was the kind of planner who always had a secondary scheme in
motion. In fact, she was that wonderful kind of villain for whom the public and
obvious scheme might well be only a tertiary effort meant primarily as a smoke
screen. Our Sleepy was one wicked little girl.
There are no great sorcerers in the Land of Unknown Shadows. “All Evil Dies
There an Endless Death” means that they have persecuted the talented since the
flight of the Shadowmasters. But Hsien does not lack or disdain knowledge. There
are several huge monasteries—of which Khang Phi is the greatest—dedicated to the
preservation of knowledge. The monks do not sort it into good and evil
knowledge, nor do they make moral judgments. They take the position that no
knowledge is evil until someone chooses to do evil with it.
Even though it has been engineered to wreak havoc upon the human body, a sword
is strictly inert metal until someone chooses to pick it up and strike. Or
chooses not to do so.
There are, of course, a thousand sophistries spewed by those who wish to deny
individuals the opportunity to choose. Which is an arrogant presumption of a
divine scale.
This is what happens when you get old. You start thinking. Worse, you start
telling everybody what you think.
Sleepy was nervous lest I express an unfortunate opinion to one of the Nine,
whereupon, in high dudgeon, the offended party would abandon all sensibility and
self-interest and deny to us forever the knowledge we need to repair the
shadowgate opening on our native world. She misapprehends my ability to evoke
the unfriendly response.
Before the werepanther came I might have stumbled. I might have expressed an
actual opinion to a member of the File, some of whom are amongst the most
reprehensible generals I have ever encountered. I doubt that, given the
opportunity to rule unchallenged, many of them would be more enlightened than
the hated Shadowmasters.
People are strange. The Children of the Dead are among the strangest.
I will not upset anyone. I will be diligently supportive of any policy Sleepy
sets. I want to leave this Land of Unknown Shadows. I have things to accomplish
before I hand these Annals over for the last time. Settling up with Lisa Daele
Bowalk is just one. There is the Great General, Mogaba, the darkest traitor ever
to stain the Company’s history. There is Narayan Singh. For Lady, there is
Narayan and Soulcatcher. For both of us there is our child. Our wicked, wicked
child.
I asked, “Is there anything besides Longshadow we could offer the File of Nine?
Sweeten it just enough to make them move over beside Khang Phi and the Court of
All Seasons?”
My sweetie shrugged. “I can’t imagine what.” She smiled enigmatically. “But it
may not matter.”
I did not pay sufficient attention. Sometimes I overlook the new truths. These
days my Company is managed by sly children and devious old women, not
straightforward stalwarts like myself and the men of my time.
Black Company GS 9 - Soldiers Live
11
An Abode of Ravens:
Exercise Session
As soon as I healed enough I asked Uncle Doj to let me resume the martial arts
exercises I had given up many years ago. “Why are you interested now?” he asked.
Sometimes I think he is more suspicious of me than I am of him.
“Because I have time. And the need. I’m as weak as a puppy. I want to get my
strength back.”
“You chased me away when I offered.”
“I didn’t have time then. And you were so much more abrasive.”
“Ha.” He smiled. “You’re too kind.”
“You’re right. But I’m a prince.”
“A Prince of Darkness, Stone Soldier.” He knew that would get my goat. “But a
lucky prince.” The old fart indulged in a smirk. “Several of your contemporaries
have approached me recently, also motivated by anticipation of those hardships
that can no longer be that
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