Free The Way of Things: Upper Kingdom Boxed Set: Books 1, 2 and 3 in the Tails of the Upper Kingdom by H. Leighton Dickson Page B

sidi.”
    “Right. There you go then.”
    As he handed off the reins, Kerris noticed
the Scholar, dismounting on wobbly legs. He swung around to grab her arms and
steady her.
    “You alright, sidalady tigress?’
    “Oh, never been better.”
    “Well, you won’t be saying that
tomorrow. Come on, Rodreigo, these beasts are tired. We can all use a soft,
sweet bed right about now.”
    And without so much as a backward
glance, he followed the youth deep into the ravine, leading the weary horses
into the night.
    The gate swung open.
    “Welcome,” growled the tall figure,
as he turned his back to them and disappeared into the shadows. “To Sha’Hadin .”

Sha’Hadin

 
    The corridors of Sha’Hadin were carved stone.
    They were remarkable in fact, a
tapestry of etchings that rivaled Pol’Lhasa for its detail. Almost every
inch of wall space was carved with scenes and symbols, seeming to date from the
time of the Ancestors or beyond. Fallon Waterford ran her fingers along the
walls as she walked, as eager to stop and study as she was eager to see more
but far too weary to do either. Oil lamps burned at regular intervals,
providing welcome light and bathing everything in warm gold. The low minor
tones of chanting echoed through the halls, underscoring the mood with sobriety
and strength.
    The tall figure led them in
silence. He had kept his back to them the entire time, his brown robes and
tufted tail swaying behind him with each long stride. Kirin had grown
accustomed to the futility of engaging him in conversation. Instead, he had
focused his attention on the gloves. It seemed everyone in Sha’Hadin wore them in one form or another. Some wore only palm gloves, leaving fingers
exposed. Workers, he assumed. Others, acolytes perhaps, wore gloves of fine
linen, others of silky satin, and others of coarse dark wool. Their ‘host’,
however, wore gloves of thickest leather, tanned and dyed and stitched with
elaborate detail. He carried them behind his back like a headmaster.
    A pair of un -gloved hands
had caught his attention. Silver ones, curling into fists as she walked. The
Major seemed to be taking her failure rather personally. Or, perhaps, there was
something else. He would have to speak with her some time soon.
    Acolytes and robed attendants
scurried around them, not rushing but moving with an efficient grace. One
attendant, an elder man with the silver hair and great wide hands of a lynx, had
fallen in beside their host and was now speaking softly in his right ear.
    The
tall man paused and with back still turned, he spoke.
    “This
is Tiberius. He is arranging for several mugs of hot tea for any who wish. Your
journey has been long and even in the worst of times, our home is open to all.”
He paused. “You have with you both Alchemist and Scholar?”
    Kirin
nodded. “Both.”
    “They shall accompany Tiberius to
the Chamber of the Dead. There they can begin whatever preparations they may need
make for tomorrow night.”
    “Tomorrow
night?”
    “When benAramis dies.”
    Sherah al Shiva moved forward, her
heavy, painted eyes boring holes between the man’s shoulder blades.
    “Do we have leave to open the body, sidi?”
    For the first time, he turned his head
just enough for his bearded chin to be seen from the shadows of the hood. Kirin
was surprised. He’d assumed he’d been dealing with a lion. He shook his head.
This was no lion.
    “Why?”
    “To
determine the cause of death, of course.”
    “I know the cause of death.”
    Now,
it was Fallon Waterford who stepped forward, brows drawn, hands wringing like
damp dishcloths.
    “Please, sidi, we - we mean
no disrespect, but sometimes there are signs in the tissues and humors, signs
which can help us confirm the truth.”
    “Or
prove the lie,” Sherah purred.
    “Whatever
their reasons, sidi,” said Kirin. “They have been sent by the Empress,
in Her service and on Her order. Do you deny them their duty?”
    There was a heavy pause. The man
sighed, took