The Emperor Series Books 1-4. Conn Iggulden

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ sad.

      ‘It is as you said. There is no feeling at all. The muscles are cut and beginning to waste. Was it a fight?’

      Involuntarily, Marcus glanced up at Renius. The eyes above the bared teeth were manic and he looked away. ‘A training accident,’ he said softly, his voice muffled by the leather strap.

      Primus nodded and pressed the blade to the skin. Renius tensed and Marcus gripped the arm.

      With deft, sure strokes, Primus cut deep, stopping only to dab at the wound with a piece of cloth to remove obscuring gouts of blood. Marcus felt his stomach heave, but Renius' brother seemed completely relaxed, blowing air between his teeth in something close to a little tune. White bone sheathed in a pink curtain appeared and Primus grunted in satisfaction. After only a few seconds, he had reached the bone all the way around and begun the second cut.

      Renius looked down at the gory hands of his brother and his lip curled into a bitter grimace. After that, he stared at the wall, his jaw clenched. A slight tremble of his breathing was the only sign of his fear.

      Blood spilled over Marcus' hands, the chair, the floor, everything. There were lakes of it inside Renius and it was all coming out, shining and wet. The second ring was gouged out leaving great flaps of hanging skin. Primus notched and sliced, removing the dark lumps of meat and dropping them carelessly on the floor.

      ‘Don't worry about the mess. I have two dogs that will love this when I let them in.’

      Marcus turned his head away and vomited helplessly. Primus tutted and rearranged the hands that held the arm. A white spike of bone was visible a hand's breadth up from the elbow.

      Renius had begun to breathe in hard blasts from his nose and Primus pressed a hand against his brother's neck, feeling for the pulse.

      ‘I'll be as quick as I can,’ he muttered.

      Renius nodded, unblinking.

      Primus stood up and wiped his hands on a cloth. He looked his brother in the eyes and grimaced at what he found there.

      ‘This is the hard part. You will feel the pain when I cut the bone and the vibration is very unpleasant. I will be as fast as I can. Hold him very still. For two minutes, you must be like a rock. No more of this puking, understand?’

      Marcus took deep breaths, miserably, and Primus brought out a thin-bladed saw, set in a wooden handle like a kitchen knife.

      ‘Ready?’

      They both muttered assent and Primus set the blade and began to cut, his elbow moving back and forth almost in a blur.

      Renius went rigid and his whole body rose against the ropes holding him. Marcus gripped as if his life depended on it, and winced whenever the blood made his fingers slip and the saw snagged.

      Without warning, the arm came free, leaning sideways and away from Renius. Renius looked down at it and grunted in anger. Primus wiped his hands and pressed a wad of cloth into the wound. He gestured to Marcus to hold it in place and fetched the iron bar that had been heating in the fire. The tip glowed and Marcus winced in anticipation.

      When the cloth was removed, Primus worked quickly, stabbing the tip into every spot of welling blood. Each contact sizzled and the stench was horrible. Marcus dry-heaved onto the floor, a line of sticky yellow bile connecting him with it.

      ‘Put this back in the fire, quickly. I will hold the cloth while it heats again.’

      Marcus staggered upright and took the bar, jamming it back into the flames. Renius' head lolled on his shoulders and the leather strip fell from his slack mouth.

      Primus kept holding the cloth, then removing it to watch the blood come. He swore viciously.

      ‘I've missed half the pipes at least. Used to be, I could hit each one with one go, but I haven't done this in a few years. It has to be done right, or the wound will poison itself. Is the iron ready yet?’

      Marcus withdrew it, but the point was still black. ‘No. Will he be all right?’

      ‘Not if I can't seal the wound, no. Get outside and fetch some wood to build up the fire.’

      Marcus was thankful for the excuse and left quickly, taking great gulps of sweet air as he stood outside. It was almost dark – gods, how long had they been in there? He noticed a couple of large hounds tied to a wall around the side, asleep. He shuddered and gathered heavy chunks of wood from the pile near them. They woke at his approach and growled softly, but didn't get up. Without looking at them, he went back inside, dumping two billets onto the flames.

      ‘Bring me the iron as soon as the tip is red,’ Primus muttered, pressing the wad of cloth hard against the stump.

      Marcus avoided looking at the detached arm. It seemed wrong, away from a body, and his stomach heaved in a series of quick spasms before he had the sense to gaze back at the flames.

      Once more the bar had to be reheated before Primus was finally satisfied. Marcus knew he would never be able to forget the fsss sound of the burning and repressed a shudder as he helped bind the stump in clean cloth bandages. Together, they lifted Renius onto a pallet bed in another room and Marcus sat on the edge, wiping the sweat out of his eyes and thankful it was over.

      ‘What happens to … that?’ He gestured towards the arm that was still tied to the chair.

      Primus shrugged. ‘Doesn't seem right to give the whole thing to my dogs. I'll probably bury it somewhere in the woods. It would only rot and smell if I didn't, but a lot of men ask for them. There are so many memories wrapped up in a hand. I mean, those fingers have held women and patted children. It is a lot to lose; but my brother is strong. I hope strong enough even for this.’

      ‘Our ship leaves in four days, on the best tide,’ Marcus said, weakly.

      Primus scratched his chin. ‘He can sit a horse. He will be weak for a few days, but he's as strong as a bull. The problems will be with balance. He will have to retrain, almost from scratch. How long is the sea trip?’

      ‘A month, with good winds,’ Marcus replied.

      ‘Use the time. Practise with him every day. Of all men, my brother will not enjoy being less than capable.’

       CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

      Marius paused at the inner doors of the Senate chamber.

      ‘You are not allowed to enter until you are officially accepted as a citizen, and then only as my guest for the day. I will propose you and make a short speech on your behalf. It is a formality. Wait until I return and show you where you may sit.’

      Gaius nodded calmly and stood back as Marius rapped on the doors and walked through them as they opened. He was left alone in the outer chamber and paced up and down it for a while.

      After twenty minutes, he began to fret at the delay and wandered over to the open outer doors, looking down onto the massed soldiers in the forum. They were an impressive sight, standing rigidly to attention despite the heat of the day. From the height of the Senate doors and with the open plaza ahead of him, Gaius СКАЧАТЬ