He called for Baras’aghur to lead Temuge out of the dark city, back to the stifling air of treachery and suspicion that was so thick in the great camps.
Ogedai picked up his jug and cup, filling the goblet once again as he walked to a stone balcony and looked out at the moonlit streets. There was a breeze blowing, cooling his skin as he stood there with his eyes shut. His heart ached in his chest and he gripped his arm as the pain spread. He felt fresh sweat break out as his veins throbbed and pulsed at frightening speed, soaring for moments until he felt dizzy. He reached out blindly and held the stone sill, breathing slowly and deeply until the weakness left him and his heart beat slowly once again. A great pressure released in his head, and the flashing lights dwindled to mere points, shadows that only he could see. He looked up at the cold stars, his expression bitter. Below his feet, another chamber had been cut from the stones. At times, when the pains came with a force that left him trembling and weak, he had not expected even to finish it. Yet he had. His tomb was ready and he still lived. Cup by cup he emptied the jug, until his senses swam.
“How long do I have left?” he whispered drunkenly to himself. “Is it days now, or years?” He imagined he talked to the spirit of his father and waved the cup as he spoke, spilling some wine. “I was at peace, Father. At peace, when I thought my time was at an end. What did I care for your generals and their … petty struggles? Yet my city has risen and the nation has come, and I am still here. What do I do now?”
He listened for an answer in the darkness, but there was nothing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CONN IGGULDEN is the acclaimed author of four previous Emperor novels: Emperor: The Gates of Rome; Emperor: The Death of Kings; Emperor: The Field of Swords; and Emperor: The Gods of War. He lives with his wife and three children in Hertfordshire, England.
BY CONN IGGULDEN
Emperor: The Gates of Rome
Emperor: The Death of Kings
Emperor: The Field of Swords
Emperor: The Gods of War
Genghis: Birth of an Empire
BY CONN IGGULDEN AND HAL IGGULDEN
The Dangerous Book for Boys
GENGHIS
A Delacorte Press Book / May 2007
Published by
Bantam Dell
A Division of Random House, Inc.
New York, New York
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters, and incidents portrayed in it, while based on historical events, are the work of the author’s imagination.
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2007 by Conn Iggulden
Excerpt from Genghis: Lords of the Bow copyright 2008 by Conn Iggulden.
Excerpt from Khan: Empire of Silver copyright 2010 by Conn Iggulden.
Interior illustrations by Steve Stone
Delacorte Press is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Iggulden, Conn.
Genghis : birth of an empire / Conn Iggulden.
p. cm.
1. Genghis Khan, 1162–1227—Fiction. 2. Mongols—Kings and rulers—Fiction. 3. Mongols—History—Fiction. I. Title.
PR6109.G47G46 2007
823’.92—dc22
2006102932
www.bantamdell.com
This book contains an excerpt from the forthcoming book Khan: Empire of Silver. This excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the forthcoming edition.
eISBN: 978-0-440-33686-0
v3.0_r1
Conn Iggulden, Genghis: Birth of an Empire
(Series: # )
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