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.Once decline sets in, itis rare for death to hold off as long as a dozen years.Nine or ten istypical.With Sarkia it's been eighteen, thanks to Omara's powers and her ownstrong will.She still has not chosen a successor, though she'd like to, andmost of us feel serious concern over what might happen if she dies withoutnaming one."In that case Idri would probably be the new dynast.She no longer hides herdesire and intention, though she knows she's unpopular with the Sisterhood.She's spent most of her life making enemies.I'm one of the few she likes andtreats with respect, and one of still fewer who feel affinity for her.But Irecognize her unfitness to rule."Frowning, Macurdy broke in."Then who supports her? Even if Sarkia decreedher to be the new dynast& ""The Tigers.The Tigers support her."Macurdy frowned."The Tigers?"Liiset nodded."Sarkia gave Idri authority over the breeding and training ofTigers.That was back when you were still here, on campaign in theMarches ,actually.Before Sarkia began her decline.Idri had failed at every othercommand assignment she'd had.I suppose Sarkia hoped this might be one shecould manage.At first it was a secondary responsibility, but Idri turned itinto her principal one.She quickly began building their numbers as rapidly asPage 46ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlshe could, while seducing, politicking conquering so to speak key Tigercommanders.And saying the right things to make herself popular with theentire corps."Their numbers did not could not increase rapidly, of course.It takes thebetter part of twenty years to mature and train a Tiger, and fewer than one inthree of us are suitable mother stock for them.Fewer than one in ten areprime mother stock.So from the very start, Idri used her influence to shortenthe resting periods between litters by prime mothers.Which increased not onlythe number of Tiger births, but the number of potential prime mothers born.And of the other suitable mother stock, she convinced Sarkia to increase thenumber of Tiger breedings.Which wasn't popular with Sisters, of course, butvery popular with Tigers."Today there are hardly any more fully trained Tigers than when she tookcommand of them."But there are far more Tiger youth in training.And thisyear will produce the largest number of completions ever, fully trained andready.Next year, completions will be higher again.And so on."Macurdy interrupted."What does the King inSilverMountain think of all theseTiger companies within the boundaries of his kingdom?" The king was Sarkia'slandlord, the Cloister existing on land he'd leased to the Sisterhood.ToMacurdy it had always seemed an odd arrangement, considering the reputation ofthe dwarves in general, and certainly of the King inSilverMountain."Apparently it's not a problem," Liiset said."In fact he doubled the leaseholding about the time you went back to Farside."The increase in Tigers and Tiger young puts stress on the Sisterhood though.Our trade has to support them along with the rest of us.Fortunately Tigersare shorter lived.Which they resent of course.Not one has ever survived to anormal decline.Normally some vital organ, usually the heart, burns out afterforty or fifty years, and they die more or less quickly."Idri wants us to hire out Tigers as mercenary units.But Sarkia is smartenough to see the temptations and problems that would lead to, so three yearsago she drastically reduced the breeding intensity.Meanwhile we have tosupport the offspring of fifteen years of intensive breeding.And in eightyears we'll have double the present number fully trained and ready."Liiset looked knowingly at Macurdy."You see what Idri has in mind, ofcourse."Macurdy nodded.Sarkia could hardly survive much longer.Any day could seeher dead, naturally or otherwise.Then Idri would declare herself dynast, andintensify Tiger breeding again.She'd rent out Tiger companies, undertakealliances with ambitious kings, then try to take over the Rude Lands.And ifshe got away with that&He looked at Omara [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]