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[ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ] highest pass. King Merwick sent gold to ransom them all, but though the gold disappeared, none of the princes has ever been released. The royal treasury, is, shall we say, destitute." "Don't give us that rot," Gerta said. "There are no dragons." She raised her chin proudly. "My valiant foremothers across the channel killed them all!" "On the contrary," he said, "the vile beast is often seen frolicking up in the mountains after dark flames shooting everywhere. Word of it is keeping trade out, exports in. No one pays us visits of state anymore. The situation is becoming quite desperate." He gave us an appraising look. "Despite your shocking propensity for vulgarity, you two do look as though you might be competent with those swords. I don't suppose " "Forget it," I said, waving a fist in negation. "Even if there were any left, we don't do dragons. Send your own men up there." "That is out of the question," he said haughtily. "Every member of our guard is of noble birth. If they went after the princes, they could very well be killed!" "I'll just bet." I slid down Corpsemaker's bay side. "Now, about our fee " "You will have to wait," he said. "What little is left in the treasury is reserved for essentials such as wrapping paper and ribbon, not to mention satin and taffeta, silver wedding goblets, and those cunning little bundles of rice to throw at the reception. In fact, the royal wedding shower takes place in just a few hours. You cannot imagine how expensive wedding frippery is these days, and of course each time the wedding falls through, we have to resupply. Princess Merrydot, being of a sensitive nature, cannot endure Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html the sight of implements intended for canceled nuptials." He flicked a bit of dust off his red sleeve. "It will be necessary for you to apply for your fee next year, after the princess is wed, unless " he waggled his eyebrows invitingly " you would care to waive it altogether as a sign of good will?" I drew Esmeralda from her scabbard with a singing hiss. Gerta moved to my side, her sword also drawn. He paled. "This is a civilized country. Hooliganism will get you nowhere." He snapped his fingers and a hundred more sissies tricked out in gold braid flooded into the courtyard. Gerta bounded forward, sword raised. "Death to you all!" she shouted, her blue eyes joyously savage. "Hallah, stand back! I wish to kill the first fifty myself!" I shook my head. Glorious death in combat is still all the rage across the channel where Gerta was born, but my mother, Marulla Big-Fist, raised her ten daughters to be nobody's fool. "Now wait just a blamed feint-and-parry minute," I said. My partner's eyes blazed with anger. "Where is your pride? No one cheats Gerta Dershnitzel and gets away with it!" "Hold!" A tiny figure, covered from head to toe in layers of pink lace, drifted toward us across the courtyard. Her skin possessed that classic upper-class pallor and she smelled fiercely of violets. "We would speak with these Unseemly creatures." "Your Majesty, no!" The head guard fell to his knees, clearly horrified at the prospect. The princess, for that was who she had to be, stamped her dainty slipper-clad foot. "And why not, Major Duero?" "J-just look at them!" he sputtered. "They are coarse, vulgar, rude, tall, completely immodest, nay, even " he lowered his voice " bold!Altogether Unseemly in every way! You must not sully your royal ears by discoursing with such!" "Really?" She tapped a manicured finger against her lovely chin. "Perhaps even bold enough to rescue our fiancé?" "Which one?" Gerta asked loudly, then snorted. "The lack of a royal bridegroom is a great national tragedy," Major Duero said. "I will thank you not to make light of it." "Why, all of them, of course," Princess Merrydot said. Gerta slapped her knee and doubled over with the effort not to laugh. "Won't that make it a bit hard to honor your obligations, there being three of them?" "Besides that," I said, giving Gerta a hard look, "what makes you think any of them are still alive? I mean, dragons not that I'm admitting there is such a thing are not known for the quality of their mercy." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html "Well . . ." The princess stared at her demurely folded hands. "We know poor Prince Tristin is alive, as well as Prince Adelbert, because " Her face went pink as the finest Findlebrotian dust. "We recognize their voices every night when the flames appear and the screaming starts." "You did a bit of screaming together before they disappeared then?" I asked conversationally. "Auditioning the little rascals, perhaps?" She stiffened. "They shouted a little. We only listened." She picked an imaginary bit of lint off her lace overdress. "Obviously, We cannot discuss such a sensitive matter of state here. Meet Us down the road at the Inn of the Five Unseemly Sorrows in a hour." I frowned. "I smell a ploy to get us out of the castle without collecting our lawful fee." She shook her head. "We swear upon our sacred honor, this is nothing of the sort." She glanced around. "The Inn in one hour." Then she walked back across the courtyard, head up, chin set, hardly more than an inch of exposed skin showing. Major Duero gave us a withering glare. "Now you've gone and upset her, and just before her bridal shower! We'll have to play hours of those odious bridal shower games to cheer her up." [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ] |