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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] ,Old man?" He lunged. She squealed as he threw her over his shoulder. After supper Ragnarson joined Varthlokkur in his sitting room. ,You have a classic gait to your pacing." ,Should I be in there?" ,Does she want you?" ,I don't know. Wachtel doesn't." ,I see his point. How's she doing?" ,All right, they say." On cue, Wachtel and Inger came from the bedroom. ,Well?" Varthlokkur demanded. ,She has a long way to go. It'll come around midnight, I'd guess." Inger slipped her arms around Bragi. ,It's not as bad as I expected. She's braver than I was." ,You did all right." ,I acted like a spoiled kid. I'm ashamed whenever I remember the things I said." Bragi shrugged. ,Women do that. They don't really mean it. If they did, the race would die out. No woman would have more than one baby." ,It's changed her. She's out of her shell. She's interest- ing." ,All my friends are interesting. Maybe not very nice, or couth, but interesting. I've got to go. It's Ainjar's birthday. I promised I'd go to his party." ,Tell him happy birthday from me." ,Sure. Look at that." Varthlokkur was furiously busy. ,I forgot to cast horo- scopes for the child." He flung books and charts, pens and inkwells onto a table. ,Midnight. Damn." Ragnarson grinned. ,That'll keep him out of the way. Bye, Love." She squeezed his hand. ,Be good." Ragnarson went to the stables wondering what was hap- pening to them. A refreshing warmth had crept into their relationship. Page 87 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html He could not count the children at the house in Lieneke Lane. They would not hold still. When he arrived they seemed to be playing Captures with the ground floor serving as field. Gundar made a lordly referee. Ainjar and his sister yelled, ,Hi, Dad," as they hurtled past. From a seat on the stair Kristen looked at him in mute appeal. ,The barbarians are here," she said. ,And they're our children, eh? Sounds like Prataxis. Don't you have any help?" ,Mist, of all people. She's showing the cook how to make some kind of punch. Julie was supposed to come, but her little boy took sick." ,That's all?" She flashed a knowing smile. ,You were expecting some- one else?" ,No. Why?" ,I hear you took personal delivery of the message I sent the other day." ,Oh." More to himself than to Kristen, he mumbled, ,Women are worse at kiss and tell than men." ,Kiss? Oh, my. I didn't hear about that. Tell me all about it." ,In a manner of speaking. Kristen, don't pull a stunt like that again. Next time it might be somebody nasty. And you might get caught." ,Fooey. I'm grown up." ,And we live in a world filled with bear-traps. Don't go sticking your fingers in them." ,I'll be careful." ,Promise?" ,Promise. What did you get Ainjar?" The package rested on the stair beside him. ,I don't know. I had Dahl get it. I was running all day. Nepanthe went into labor. That threw everything out of kilter." ,Then you'll both be surprised. I shouldn't tease you, but.... Well, Sherilee didn't come because she isn't ready." ,What?" ,She's thinking about what you said." His heartbeat quickened. He had a sinking feeling. He was surprised at how disappointed he felt. He stared into nothing and asked, ,Honestly, Kristen, what would you think if something did happen? I mean, I'm a married man. She's your friend. And half my age." ,I wouldn't think less of either of you. I think I'd be happy for her. The only thing is.... Well, you are married. And she isn't. Both of you could get hurt. I wouldn't want that." Page 88 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html ,That's why I said what I said the other day. Guess I'm mellowing. Fifteen years ago I would've said damn the consequences." ,And I think it's that caring that attracts her. She's been through it with the `damn-the-consequences' type. They're also the `the-hell-with-you' type when the consequences close in." ,Sometimes you scare me, Kristen. You give me the feeling there's a wise old woman behind those good looks." ,Don't stop now. I take my compliments where I can get them." Mist entered the room. Ragnarson was amazed. She wore an apron. She looked matronly as she settled the thundering herd. She also looked more radiant than she had since Valther's demise. Bragi observed, ,I guess Aral had the cure for what ails her." ,The way he comes and goes, you'd think they were kids having their first affair." ,You never get too old for that magic. Especially if it's a long time between loves." Kristen looked bleak. She asked, ,Are you solving any of your problems?" ,I know who tried to kill Liakopulos and Abaca. Magden Norath. A sorcerer. I don't know why. Varthlokkur thinks he did it for hire. He doesn't have any emotional connection with anybody here." ,How do you hire a wizard?" ,Everybody has some kind of price. Somebody offered him something he wanted." Kristen's doorman approached the stair. ,Sire, there's an officer here who wants to speak with you. Captain Haas." ,Send him in." ,He didn't want to intrude, Sire." ,He wouldn't be. He's like part of the family." Haas's mother had been Kristen's housekeeper till her death last year. ,Get him." Dahl stopped at the foot of the stairs. ,Report from Throyes, Sire. Through Captain Trebilcock's people. By pigeon, I understand. Supposedly a final message from Trebilcock's agent there. He says Lord Hsung received a message from somebody inside Castle Krief. He says he couldn't obtain access to the text, but that Lord Hsung was pleased. Trebilcock's contact says he thought the news that there's an eastern agent here would itself be of inestimable value." ,As indeed it is," Ragnarson replied, aping the younger man's style. ,I'd be amazed if my enemies didn't have people here. But I am surprised Hsung got his hooks into someone. I don't want to loose the Unborn.... Bad for morale. But it's time I winnowed out the dangerous ones. Maybe Michael can turn them around. Any word on the wizard's wife?" ,Still in labor, Sire. Still guessing midnight." ,Get some punch and join the party, Dahl." Page 89 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html ,I have work at the palace, Sire." Haas's gaze became shifty. He kept sneaking shy glances at Kristen. ,So do I. The hell with it. Take a night off. It won't go anywhere. I'll make it an order if you'll feel more comfort- able." Haas hazarded a half-smile. ,That won't be necessary, Sire." Ragnarson eyed his adjutant's back. ,Shy? Dahl? That never occurred to me." 11 Year 1016 AFE; Interlude The monthly courierhad come in from the south. The Duke's advisers were all in the castle. He gathered them for a progress report. ,... in Kavelin our hand remains unsuspected. They do know something is going on. Norath delivered per agree- ment. Our people used the merchandise twice, causing considerable excitement. We've made valuable friends there, especially in the Thing. We're doing pretty well." ,It's going too damned slow." The Duke glanced at the speaker. Old Carmin. He wanted results before he died. ,It'll pick up." Another offered, ,From the look of this report, we ought to get the Colonel a tutor. His penmanship and spelling are atrocious." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |