The Waterless Sea Read Online Free Page A

had washed with water warmed over the fire, and changed his clothes, he sat at the long table in the cottage thatTrout and Tonno shared, a mug of sweet steaming potion before him.
    â€˜Honey brew.’ Tonno ladled it out. ‘My own recipe. Not much that this can’ t cure.’
    â€˜Now then,’ said Mica, settling herself. ‘Give us your tale.’
    Heben looked around at the five curious faces. At the Imperial Court, and, even on his father’ s estate, story-telling was a far more formal process. He would be standing in the centre of the double ring, an inner circle of men, and the women seated three paces back. He would hold the drum of stretched hegesu -hide, to mark the most dramatic moments. His listeners would judge him on the flourishes of his rhetoric, the cunning impersonations of well-known people, and the twists of poetry, that he could inject into the ancient framework of the tale he had chosen to repeat. But this was not one of the ancient stories. This was his own tale, and he was far from home.
    â€˜My name is Heben, of the Clan of the Cledsec,’ he began. ‘I was born the third son of Rethsec, son of Cheben, called the Quick –’
    â€˜You can leave out the family tree,’ growled Tonno.
    Please go on . That was Halasaa, his face encouraging.
    Unsettled by the interruption, Heben faltered. ‘I – my father – my family is one of the Seven.’
    â€˜The seven what?’ said Trout.
    â€˜The Seven. The First Clans.’
    Still they all looked blank.
    â€˜Forgive us,’ said Calwyn. ‘None of us has ever been to Merithuros. These First Clans – do they rule the Empire?’
    This was not the way story-telling was supposed to proceed. ‘No, no. The Emperor rules the Empire. But the Seven Provinces of the Empire each belong to one of the Clans. My father owes allegiance to the Emperor, but he is Lord of the lands of the Cledsec. Nomis is Lord of the Trentioch. Yben is Lord of the Darru –’
    â€˜All right, all right,’ said Trout hastily. ‘We understand.’
    â€˜Only members of the Seven Clans are allowed at the Imperial Court. The provincial officials and the ministers of state are always chosen from the Seven. And the generals of the Army, of course. I’ m going into the Army –’ He stopped. ‘At least, I was.’
    Trout said, ‘Merithuros is one of the chief customers of the weapon-makers of Mithates. Their army must be the best-equipped in all Tremaris.’
    Calwyn frowned. ‘The Empire is not at war, is it?’
    â€˜It’ s important to maintain a strong army, my lady,’ said Heben.
    â€˜But why?’ persisted Calwyn.
    â€˜There is much unrest among the outcasts in the coastal towns, and the workers in the mines. Bands of rebels stir up trouble. Without the Army, there would be no way to control the uprisings and revolts. The Army is the thread which stitches the Empire together.’ Heben shifted uncomfortably in his seat. In Merithuros, women did not discuss political matters. In the company of men, women rarely spoke at all. But Calwyn was still curious.
    â€˜ Why is there unrest? Are the miners unhappy?What do the rebels want?’
    Heben was lost for words. He’ d never wondered if the coast-dwellers had reasons to be discontented: it was simply their nature. He admitted, ‘I don’ t know, exactly. The work in the mines is – is not pleasant, I suppose. But if the miners didn’ t work there, they would starve, so they ought to be grateful . . . And the rebels say they want to overthrow the Emperor. But who would rule the Empire, if not the Emperor?’
    â€˜None of the other lands in Tremaris has an Emperor,’ Trout pointed out. ‘And they seem to manage all right.’
    â€˜P’ raps they want a different Emperor,’ suggested Mica.
    â€˜Now see here,’ said Tonno severely. ‘We won’ t get