Memory (76 page)

Authors: K. J. Parker

BOOK: Memory

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Wait for it. Here it comes.

Imagine the fly that buzzes round your head, or the moth that flutters aggravatingly in your study at night as you crouch over the flame of your lamp. You reach out, your huge fist dwarfs the insect as your fingers close to crush it. Either it gets out of the way in time, or it doesn't. If it does, the disturbance in the air as your enormous hand goes past flings the insect aside, and it wobbles helplessly for a moment, out of control. Alexius could feel the enormous hand sweeping down on him from behind, though he couldn't see it; he could feel the displacement of air, buffeting him like a big wave at sea. There was nothing he could do; either the hand would catch him, or it wouldn't.

It didn't; but the slipstream slammed him down, like a door slamming in his face. He tried to make a noise but there was no air left in him. He opened his mouth, and fell off the bed.

âAre you all right?'

âNo,' Alexius replied. âHelp me up.'

The girl grabbed his sleeve; she was very strong. âWhat happened?' she asked. âDid it work?'

âI haven't the faintest idea,' the Patriarch grumbled, rubbing the back of his head with rather more vigour than the slight bump warranted. âIn my mind's eye, or our minds' eyes, I killed him. Or you did, rather. Whether or not it'll actuallyâ'

The girl let go of him abruptly. âBut that's wrong,' she said. âThat's not the curse I wanted.'

Alexius glowered at her; the whole thing had stopped being a pain and was getting ludicrous. âBut you must have,' he said. âIt's revenge you're after, isn't it?'

âI told you I don't believe in killing,' she replied, coldly furious. âWhat good's killing him going to do? If only you'd let me tell youâ'

Alexius let his head fall back onto his one hard pillow. âThen what did you want, if you didn't want him killed?' he asked wearily. âBe fair. The two of you, in open courtâ'

âI wanted to cut off his hand,' she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. âI was going to cut his hand off and then walk away, leaving him standing there, in front of everybody.' She turned away, her hair falling across her face. âGetting killed isn't a punishment for him, it's part of his job. I wanted him to
hurt
.'

âWell, tough,' Alexius snapped. âYou'll just have to make do, that's all. Assuming that it works, of course. As I told you, there's a good chance that it won't.'

The girl stood up. âI don't think so,' she said. She walked towards the door.

Why is it, Alexius asked himself, that young people are simply incapable of saying thank you? She was just about to vanish into the sharp blade of light she'd come in through when he remembered.

âWhat's your name?' he called out.

âIseutz.' Her voice, in the dark. âIseutz Hedin.'

âSee you in class,' he called out as the door closed. He knew he wouldn't. One down, four hundred and ninety-nine to go.

When the hall steward came to lower the chandelier, Alexius threw a book at him.

Meet the Author

K.J. Parker is a pseudonym. Find more about the author at
www.kjparker.com
.

Also by K.J. Parker
T
HE
F
ENCER
T
RILOGY

Colours in the Steel

The Belly of the Bow

The Proof House

T
HE
S
CAVENGER
T
RILOGY

Shadow

Pattern

Memory

T
HE
E
NGINEER
T
RILOGY

Devices and Desires

Evil for Evil

The Escapement

The Company

The Folding Knife

The Hammer

Sharps

Contents

A Preview of
Colours in the Steel

Meet the Author

Also by K.J. Parker

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author's intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author's rights.

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Published by Hachette Digital 2008

First ebook edition: May 2013

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ISBN 978-0-316-23305-7