Free Ironcrown Moon by Julian May Page B

sound of that!”
    I’m more interested in the possibility that the tablet might confirm what we’ve only assumed must be true
    —
    that the Unknown’s power may enable me to utilize liberated sigils with impunity
    !
    “And so you shall. I thought you were already convinced of it. If the Lights lose their ability to feed on the pain of sigil-wielders, if
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    -%20Ironcrown%20Moon.html (28 of 228)2-2-2007 18:46:18
    May, Julian - Boreal Moon 2 - Ironcrown Moon they’re compelled to deliver sorcery without demanding a price, there is no way they can harm you. Their curse is effectively annulled.”
    I must make certain. What good will my half of Darasilo’s Trove do me if the curse still holds good? I’ll tell you one thing: if I can’t have mine, I won’t help you get yours. And neither will I free you of your iron gammadion
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    !
    “Calm yourself.”
    Once I leave Dawntide Citadel, I’ll never have access to these Salka archives again.
    “Then take the tablet in question along with you when you go. Puzzle out its contents later, on the voyage to Didion.”
    I
    can’t take the bloody thing away. I can hardly lift it. It’s a stone slab the size of a cart wheel, jam-packed with inscriptions, and if the monsters knew I’d stolen it they’d probably slaughter me out of hand… or do worse
    .
    “Copy the wording.”
    I
    haven’t the proper materials to make a rubbing, and there’s too much on the tablet to simply write it down. The only sort of parchment available in this benighted place are the fragile sheets I make myself from baby sealskin. I have only a few of those left
    .
    “Don’t forget that Darasilo’s Trove includes two arcane books written in the Salka tongue, in addition to the large collection of inactive stones. The books’ subject matter deals with sigils, beyond a doubt. I could tell that from the illustrations, even though I’m unable to read the Salka language. One of those books may very well contain the information you seek.”
    Why should I take a chance? I’m going to postpone leaving here until I translate the tablet. That’s final. You do as you please and be damned.
    “Beynor, you’ve forgotten the other important reason why we dare not delay. The King of Didion and his family will begin their progress upriver from Holt Mallburn on the day after the Solstice, as they do every year. There’s only one suitable spot for our ambush—just below Boarsden Castle at Boar Creek, where there are fierce rapids and an exceptionally deep eddy. It will take the royal party no more than six days to reach that point in their voyage, making the traditional stops along the way. Six days, Beynor! Barely enough time for you and the Salka assassins to get there and organize yourselves, since they won’t be able to swim at full speed once they’re in the river.
    If our amphibian friends aren’t in place, ready to attack, we’ll be forced to revise the Didion part of our scheme drastically—or abandon it altogether.”
    Getting the Salka to kill King Honigalus and his family is a needless complication, Kilian. I’ve said that from the beginning.
    “And I’ve told you why it’s an absolutely essential step in the destruction of the Sovereignty.”
    Well—
    “Pull yourself together and keep your mind concentrated on the great goal that’s finally within our grasp! I’ve done what I promised to do, putting my agents into Gala Palace without getting caught. Your task dealing with the Salka has been more difficult, I’ll grant you, but you’re the bravest, most audacious young man I’ve ever known. This is why I’ve been willing to place my own life and hopes in your hands. Listen to me, Beynor! We may never love one another as father and son, yet we are bound together by our mutual ambition more closely than by any tie of blood. Only together can we exploit Darasilo’s Trove. Only together can we dupe the