Read Last First Snow for Free Online

on Sim’s temple, and the small iron sphere that rolled from the man’s fallen body. A good throw, that was all.
    Sim tried to stand, but before he could the Major reached him, lifted him, struck him across the face with a mailed fist. Sim spun, gained balance, tried to tackle the Major—but that junk-metal armor didn’t seem to slow the man. Sim slipped on the iron ball and fell face-first. The Major pressed his knee between Sim’s shoulder blades and twisted the man’s left arm up behind him. Armored fingers probed Sim’s sleeve.
    Temoc advanced. “What are you doing?”
    â€œTemoc.” Again the dark, heavy voice. “I’m saving you trouble.”
    â€œI don’t understand.”
    â€œBring me meat,” the Major told Kapania Kemal.
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œMeat!”
    And she moved.
    â€œSim and I,” the Major said, “have a history, don’t we, Sim? If that’s your name.” Sim cursed, then screamed when the Major jerked his arm. The Major found what he sought in the sleeve: a small phial that shimmered before Elayne’s closed eyes. “Dockworker’s strike last year, at the solstice, when the bosses were about to cave, this man visited our food tent. Half the camp took sick two days after. We turned on each other, and the Wardens came. Hard to put a protest back together after that, isn’t it, Sim?” The fallen man groaned. “Didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to try the same trick twice. Where’s that meat?”
    Bill brought it from the tent: a handful of raw ground beef. The Major uncorked the phial and poured its shimmering contents onto the meat. Elayne watched the transformation with clinical interest: the accelerated putrescence, the maggots that took writhing shape within the flesh. Basic decay agent—not over-the-shelf, but hardly traceable. Some in the audience retched. Chel staggered, and Elayne steadied her.
    â€œThat,” the Major said, “is what happens when I pour so much onto so little. Spread through an entire stew this would sour the taste slowly—and tonight there’d be sickness all through camp. Just like last time.” The Major drew his weighted pipe from its makeshift scabbard. Sim whimpered. “Not again.” The Major raised the pipe.
    â€œStop,” Temoc said.
    The Major did. “Why?”
    Temoc pointed up. The dark eyes behind the mask glittered as they peered into the blue, where Wardens circled.
    â€œIf sneaks try to break us, shouldn’t we break them back?”
    â€œWe can’t beat Wardens in a fight,” Temoc said. “We are strong in peace.”
    â€œI’ve seen the strength of peace fail.”
    â€œIf you want to give them an excuse to come for us,” Temoc said, “you’re no better than the man beneath you. And I will stop you.”
    The moment wobbled like a spinning top, and Elayne could not tell which way it would fall.
    The Major let Sim go, and stood. Sim gasped and flopped on the stone like a landed fish. He rose slowly onto his hands and knees. Temoc and the Major stared at one another.
    â€œGo,” the Major said. “Before I change my mind.”
    Sim ran. The crowd parted for him, and followed him with their eyes as he hobbled to the edge of the Square. Elayne ignored Sim; she and Temoc watched the Major retreat toward the fountain.
    Temoc almost followed, but walked away instead.
    â€œNot a rival,” Elayne said when she caught up. “I see.”
    â€œWhat do you want from me, Elayne?”
    â€œThe same thing you want. Peace. These people need someone to bring them to the table.”
    â€œCome home with me,” he said.
    She looked at him with mild disbelief: they were not what they once were, but time had refined them both. Still, there were some lines one did not cross.
    â€œTemoc,” she replied, and pondered her next words.
    He almost succeeded at