[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Crown.txt (89 of 261) [12/29/2004 12:57:39 AM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/Joel%20Rosenberg%20-%2003%2
0-%20The%20Silver%20Crown.txt think you might be able to do that for me
sometime today?"
"Immediately."
"No rush, Nehera. I have to visit the Engineer, and I'll hardly need a sword
here."
"May I speak?"
"Of course."
"I humbly crave your pardon, master, but you should always carry a sword." He
limped quickly to the wall and brought down a scabbarded saber, pulling it a
few inches from the scabbard, then offering it to
Karl. "If you would care to test the edge?" Nehera extended his arm.
"No. I'm sure that it's fine."
"But, master "
"
No
, Nehera," Karl said, cursing himself immediately for raising his voice as the
dwarf dropped to his knee again.
"I have offended you again, master. I am sorry."
Karl sighed. "Forgiven, Nehera. Rise."
The dwarf got back up with irritating speed. "You said that there were three
things, master?"
You make my teeth itch, Nehera
. "Yes. Number two: I know you'd rather work in steel, but I need a golden
collar made human size. You can melt down some Metreyll coin."
The dwarf bowed his head. "Yes, master. That will be done before the next time
I sleep."
"No, it won't take your time. But I do want it before the town meeting. There
is one other thing, Nehera.
I've been hearing stories about how you've been working yourself too hard.
That is to stop. When you are too tired to work, you must rest."
"As you command, master."
Damn. Enough of this; I'm going to go see Riccetti
.
Karl accepted the clay bottle and took a light swig, then washed down the
fiery liquor with a long drink of
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...rg%20-%2003%20-%20The%20Silver%20
Crown.txt (90 of 261) [12/29/2004 12:57:39 AM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/Joel%20Rosenberg%20-%2003%2
0-%20The%20Silver%20Crown.txt water. "Thanks, Lou. I needed that."
Still, the whiskey didn't wash the bad taste out of Karl's mouth. Which was
perhaps just as well. Life was full of bad tastes.
He sat back in his chair, enjoying the coolness of the cave.
Well, this section of the warrens wasn't a proper cave, but a relic of the
long-ago dwarven inhabitants, driven away, so legend had it, by Therranji
elves. But it looked like a cave, and that was what they called it.
Caves were supposed to be damp and musty places and most of the caverns
were- but Riccetti's quarters were different, almost homey.
Riccetti's apprentices had cleared out the dirt, all the way down to the bare
rock. Then they had installed four wooden walls and built a massive oak door
to block Riccetti's quarters off from the rest of the tunnel, chiseled the
Page 64
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
floor smooth, and then finally bored openings through the rock to the outside
to allow both for airflow and for the pipe venting Riccetti's Franklin stove.
Glowsteels hung from pulleys set into the arching ceiling above, fitted with
ropes and winches so that they could easily be lowered and removed for
Andy-Andy to recharm.
It was very much a Lou Riccetti type of place: rows of wooden worktables stood
along two of the four walls, well laden with bottles and vats of various and
sundry preparations, steel pens, bottles of ink, and stacks of notes awaiting
copying and filing by apprentices.
But it was Riccetti-type homey: the sleeping and socializing part of the room
consisted only of a pile of bedding in a corner and two armchairs, now
occupied by Karl and Lou.
"Try the beer," Riccetti said. "I think it's the best batch yet."
Karl set down the whiskey bottle, lifted his mug, and sipped at his beer,
forcing himself not to make a face. Ahira was right: While Riccetti's corn
whiskey was usually good, his beer was a crime.
"Drink up," Riccetti said, chuckling. "You're being awfully patient. It isn't
like you."
"I'm not like me. Not today." There were things that a human being just
couldn't get used to, not if he wanted to remain a human being.
Riccetti tsked
. "I should give you hell, for once. You're the one who's always saying that
instead of getting worked up over something you don't like, you should do
something about it." He snickered. "Not that I've always been a fan of how
you've handled things. But you usually do well enough."
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...rg%20-%2003%20-%20The%20Silver%20
Crown.txt (91 of 261) [12/29/2004 12:57:39 AM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/Joel%20Rosenberg%20-%2003%2
0-%20The%20Silver%20Crown.txt
Yeah, Lou? And how am I supposed to bring a murdered baby back to life?
But he didn't say that. "Any progress on the slavers' powder? I know you'll
need help from Andy and Thellaren, but "
"Guess again." Riccetti smiled. "Nope. It's all done. I stayed up part of the
night, doing a few simple experiments. I finally figured out how they were
doing it this morning. I'm going to have Andrea check my results, but "
"What? And we've been sitting here making idle chatter for "
"Take it easy, Karl. I'm sorry. It's just that..." Riccetti's voice trailed
off.
Karl nodded his understanding. It was lonely, constantly dealing with people
who were subordinate to you, even when some of those people were friends.
Riccetti rarely could make the time to visit Ahira or
Andy-Andy at the south end of the valley; last night had been an exception.
"Sorry. So, what is it? Some sort of explosive?"
"Nope." Riccetti set down his own beer mug and rose from his chair. "Just let
me show off for a minute."
He walked to the worktable and took down a small glass vial and a stone bowl.
"This is slaver powder."
He uncorked the vial and tipped about a quarter-teaspoon into the bottom of
the bowl. "And this," he said, taking down another vial, "is distilled
water about the only really pure substance I can make. Stand back a second."
Riccetti tilted the bowl to point against the naked wall, then dribbled a
careful drop of water onto the bowl's lip. "It'll take a moment for it to work
its way down to "
Whoosh!
The backblast of heat beat against Karl's face.
"Just plain water did that? What the hell kind of compound "
"No, idiot, it's not a compound, it's a mixture." Riccetti poured more powder
on a marble slab, then beckoned Karl to come closer. "Take a good look at
Page 65
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
this and don't breathe on it; it's already sucked up some water from the air."
Karl looked closely. Mixed among the white powder were tiny blue flecks.
"Copper sulfate?"
"Yup. Heat it up, and it becomes cupric sulfate plain white. Add water even
let it pick up some from the air; it deliquesces nicely and it sucks it right
up; turns blue. Which is what it's in there for."
"Now, wait a minute. Copper sulfate isn't an explosive. You use it for "
" blueing rifles. Right. But in this, it's a stabilizer. It's there to absorb
the water, and prevent the real stuff from being exposed to too much.
Visualize this," Riccetti said, cupping his hands together. "You've
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...rg%20-%2003%20-%20The%20Silver%20
Crown.txt (92 of 261) [12/29/2004 12:57:39 AM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/Joel%20Rosenberg%20-%2003%2
0-%20The%20Silver%20Crown.txt got a hollow iron sphere, filled with water. Got
that?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, now, heat it over a fire, a damn hot one. What happens?"
"The water starts to boil."
"Right. But since it can't escape?"
Karl shrugged. "If it gets too hot, it blows up, just like a pressure cooker
does if it isn't vented right."
"Right." Riccetti frowned. "But what if you're cheating? What do you get if
you're using some sort of spell to hold the iron sphere together?"
"Huh?"
Riccetti snorted. "Pretend that the sphere is absolutely, unconditionally
unbreakable doesn't break, doesn't bend, doesn't stretch, doesn't warp.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]