mortal; don’t try the favour of the gods by seeking an enemy who is not.’
‘Then the rumours about Tempus are true?’ Razkuli asked, his eyes narrowing
again.
‘I don’t know, there are things about him which are difficult to explain by any
other logic. Did you see how rapidly his leg healed? We both know men whose
soldiering career was ended after they were caught under a horse – yet he was
standing duty again within the week.’
‘Such a man is an affront against Nature.’
‘Then let Nature take vengeance on him,’ Zalbar laughed, clapping a friendly
hand on his comrade’s shoulder, ‘and free us for more worthwhile pastimes.
Come, I’ll buy you lunch. It will be a pleasant change from barracks food.’
Haakon, the sweetmeats vendor, brightened as the two soldiers approached him and
waited patiently while they made their selections from his spiced-meat
turnovers.
‘That will be three coppers,’ he smiled through yellowed teeth. ‘Three coppers?’
Razkuli exclaimed angrily, but Zalbar silenced him with a nudge in the ribs.
‘Here, fellow…’ the Hell-Hound commander dropped some coins into Haakon’s
outstretched hand, ‘take four. Those of us from the Capitol are used to paying
full value for quality goods -though I suppose that this far from civilization
you have to adjust the prices to accommodate the poorer folk.’
The barb went home and Zalbar was rewarded by a glare of pure hatred before he
turned away, drawing Razkuli with him. ‘Four coppers! You were being overcharged
at three!’
‘I know.’ Zalbar winked. ‘But I refuse to give them the satisfaction of