Free Dark Warrior Rising by Ed Greenwood Page B

gains grace and holy power—that Her reach extend to more Niflghar, so that they know salvation, and Olone knows greater dominion. Praise be to Olone!
    â€” The Book of Olone

    S o will the slaves rise up when we strike, and make our victory easier?” Aloun was struggling to regain confidence with an eagerness Luelldar could almost smell.
    Ouvahlor might need Aloun’s confidence in time soon to come, wherefore the older Ouvahlan hid his sigh and replied calmly, “Some may, perhaps, though the daring to lash out has been flogged right out of many—even most. Yet I very much doubt such risings will make our conquest any the easier. Rage-driven slaves will see all Nifl as foes, and hamper our warblades more than anything else.”
    â€œWith all the magic they command, and the Forgerift and all, why do they need so many slaves? Surely a minimum to guard them against blemishing tasks would be easier to feed and house—why, there must be more than a score of slaves for every Talonar Nifl!”
    â€œThere are. Yet consider: the work of that feeding and housing is
done by slaves. Slaves of some races they cook and eat, as delicacies, and so must be replenished. And then there is status.”
    â€œ Slaves have social standing?”
    Luelldar did sigh, this time. Was Ouvahlor so weak that such a one as this was only one dying mind away from overseeing its swords?
    The dying mind would, of course, be his. Well, perhaps it was best that Aloun was too dull-witted and craven, for all his tantrums, to have ambition enough to kill a bitter old Nifl hight Luelldar.
    Yet to serve Ouvahlor, it was his task to forge the blade that might one day slay him.
    Aloun of Ouvahlor, shrewd and swift to see consequences and wise about the world. Hah.
    His snort was loud and emphatic, but he kept the words, “Ever-Ice, scourge us all!” unsaid. Ouvahlor did not need the young fool’s anger just now.
    â€œSlaves do not have social standing,” he said patiently, “in and of themselves.” Luelldar lifted his hand to point at a speaking-sphere, and slowly turned in his seat, arm outstretched, to point at each in turn, feeling the linkage, feeling its readiness. “Yet they do enhance the rankings of families in Talonnorn—except for the Evendooms, of course. Their standing is due to their size and long dominance and what that dominance is rooted in: control of the Forgerift. They could have no slaves at all, and yet be the first House in that city.”
    Satisfied as to the state of the spheres, he turned to lock gazes with Aloun. He hoped the youngling might just pay attention enough, if he made these oh-so-obvious matters sound grave and important enough, to remember them.
    â€œConsider now all Nifl cities of Olone, and dismiss local rifts, past history, and this or oriad or stone-witted dupe among Niflghar. Well, then: The prestige of Nifl families is linked to the size of their pureblood ranks; the beauty—that is, physical perfection, the very long limbs and sleek curves you were so admiring earlier, when you gazed upon Taerune Evendoom—of those purebloods; the efficacy of their magic; and the wealth (in gems and metals) their slaves bring them. So, now: More slaves can do more work, and so reap more—and so, having more slaves creates greater status.”
    Aloun nodded. “So whenever I see a House with the most slaves—”
    â€œNo. Even if magic and rifts were distributed evenly from House to House, across all of Niflheim, a mere body count will never tell you
anything. All powerful Nifl Houses share at least this one habit: They keep some slaves hidden away, in various distant caverns and castle dungeons, for experimentations and in endeavors they’d rather rival Houses not know about.”
    The younger Watcher of Ouvahlor frowned. “So how will we know, after Talonnorn lies awash in blood and our warblades stand triumphant, that we’ve got