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‘That’s true,’ Djukta told Stragen ‘When he’s really drunk, he can’t even talk’
‘How entlemen know of the history of Astel?’ Akros asked theh spots then’ Akros leaned back in his chair ‘It was in the ninth century that one of the Archprelates in Chyrellos decided that the Elene faith ought to be re-united – under his doen set down to that, doesn’t it?’
Akros rubbed at his face ‘I’s out This was before the founding of the Church Knights, so this Archprelate forced the Kings of Eosia to provide hih Zemoch That was before Otha was born, so Zemoch wasn’t ious unity, but the nobleed the kingdom of Astel until Ayachin caht It was the boy’s one weakness A good story could paralyse him
Akros took another drink ‘There are all sorts of conflicting stories about who Ayachin really was,’ he continued ‘Some say he was a prince, some that he was a baron, and there are even those who say he was only a serf Anyhoever he was, he was a fervent patriot He roused such nobleone over to the invaders, and then he did so no one had ever dared do before He arainst the invaders lasted for years, and after a fairly large battle that he see the Eosian ardom He’d made secret alliances with patriots in Edoe of the uided Ayachin’s ars and quicksand, but the Eosians tried to just bull their way through, and most of them drowned, pulled under by all that htered by the combined forces of Ayachin and his Edomish allies
‘He was a great national hero for a tied because he’d arainst him, and he was eventually murdered’
‘Why do these stories always have to end that way?’ Talen co friend here is a literary critic,’ Stragen said ‘He wants his stories to all have happy endings’
‘The ancient history is all well and good,’ Djukta growled, ‘but the point of all this is that Ayachin’s returned – or so the serfs say’
‘It’s a part of the folk-lore of Astel,’ Akros said ‘Serfs used to tell each other that soreat crisis would arise, and that Ayachin would rise frohed ‘Can’t anyone come up with a new story?’
‘What’s that?’ Djukta asked hi the rounds in Eosia Why would this concern us if we decided to go into business around here?’
‘Part of that folk-lore Akros was telling you about is so that makes everybody’s blood run cold The serfs believe that when Ayachin returns, he’s going to e them up We don’t know his real na theathering weapons – or ht to listen to this "Sabre" make speeches You should probably know that they’re out there, since it erous if you happened upon they beard ‘I don’t norovern He’s got the serfs all worked up about throwing off the oppressors, and he’s not too specific about which oppressors heabout the Ta about the upper classes Restless serfs are dangerous serfs Nobody kno et wild ideas about equality and justice, God only knohere it ht end’
CHAPTER 10
‘There are just too many si the followingthe Darsos road under a lowering sky He and his coe to discuss Djukta’s revelations The air was close and
‘I’d alne replied ‘There’s a certain pattern e here, if what you’ve told me about Lamorkand is at all accurate Our eine that your western kingdoms are much the same; but we’re not really such hard masters – either of us I think we’ve become the symbols of the social injustices i that people don’t hate us Everybody in the world loathes his government – no offence intended, your Majesty’ He smiled at Ehlana
‘I do what I can to keepme too much, your Excellency,’ she replied Ehlana wore a pale blue velvet travelling cloak, and Sparhawk felt that she looked particularly pretty this
‘No one could possibly hate sone sh, is that the world seethes with discontent, and so on all those disparate resent down the established order – the empire here in Tamuli and the monarchies and the Church in Eosia Soreat deal of turer for social justice’
‘We’d go a long way toward understanding the situation if we could pinpoint just exactly what he is after,’ E’s all settled and the wealth and power have all been distributed, there’s nothing left for the people coet their share is to turn everything upside down and shake it a few tine said disapprovingly