Free Bleak Seasons by Glen Cook Page B

city and out, friend and foe, people of a dozen races and religions
     all focused upon that shadow web.
    Shadowspinner, of course, was totally involved in creating his deadly artifact.
    The Shadowlander assault lost impetus as the Shadowmaster’s soldiers decided to
     hunker down and let their boss make their jobs easier.

Black Company GS 6 - Black Seasons
    23
    The web of darkness would span all Dejagore soon. “One-Eye. Goblin. You guys
     have any new ideas?”
    “Get religion?” Goblin suggested. “Since you won’t let us go den up?”
    One-Eye mused, “You might amble over and see if Mogaba will change his mind
     about letting us operate his engines.” The Taglian crews were ineffective. “We
     might be able to distract Spinner.”
    “You did take shadows into account when you spelled the entrances to the
     underground?” I knew. They had. That was always our biggest concern. But I had
     to reassure myself. You keep checking on Goblin and One-Eye.
    Small groups were returning after long, dangerous journeys through the night,
    searching for rope that had survived.
    “Yeah. For what that’s worth. You ready to go down and start starving yet?”
    Bad signs followed ill omens. The situation was grim indeed if One-Eye and
     Goblin could spare no time to quarrel.
    A sudden susurrus swept the city and the plain beyond.
    A blazing diamond of light rose out of the Shadowlander camp. It spun slowly. A
     core of darkness centered it. From that, blackness pulsed out into the all
     spanning web it anchored.
    Nobody was looking at the hills when the pinkish light returned. No one noticed
     until it flared so brilliantly that it rivalled the brightness here at hand.
    It burned behind two bizarre mounted figures. It cast their hideous shadows upon
     the night itself. Crow shadows circled them. Two huge ravens perched upon the
     shoulders of the larger figure.
    Nobody breathed for a while. Not even Shadowspinner, I’d bet. And I was sure he
     had no more idea what was happening than I did.
    The pink flare faded. A cable of pink reached toward Dejagore, like a snake
     probing, stretching. As one end neared us the nether end broke loose. That
     whipped our way too fast for the eye to follow and in an instant screamed into
     Shadowspinner’s bright diamond. Sun brilliant flash splashed out of that
     sorcerous construct’s far side like suddenly flung barrels of burning oil.
    Immediately the dark web overhead began to shrink back into the remnants of the
     diamond.
    The air vibrated with the Shadowmaster’s anger. “Goblin! One-Eye! Talk to me,
    boys. Tell me what the hell just happened.”
    Goblin couldn’t talk. One-Eye burbled, “I ain’t got the faintest fucking idea,
    Kid. But we’re downwind of one seriously pissed-off Shadowmaster who’s probably
     going to blame you and me for his ulcers.”
    A tremor disturbed the night, more psychic than physical. I am magically deaf
     and dumb and blind, except for perceived effects, but I felt it.
    One-Eye was right.
    The pink light was gone. I saw no more sign of those bizarre riders. Who were
     they? What? How?
    I didn’t get a chance to ask.
    Little brown fellows carrying torches so they could see where they were running
     burst out of the Shadowlander camp. That could not bode well for me, my pals, or
     anyone else inside the wall.
    “Poor Spinner,” I cracked. “You got to feel for the man.”
    “Huh?” Sparkle was the only man close enough to hear.
    “Don’t you hate it when some no-brain vandalizes a work of art?”
    Sparkle didn’t get it. He shook his head, grabbed a javelin and threw it down at
     a short person with a torch.
    He missed.
    Around where those Shadowlanders had gained a foothold on the wall, and on the
     earthen approach ramps, a big racket began to develop. The Shadowmaster, piqued,
    had told his boys to get back to work. And don’t be so damned gentle anymore.
    “Hey, Bubba-do,” I shouted at a soldier, “who’s got tonight in the