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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] Dubell's attention had gone back to Kade; his expression was worried. As well it might be, Thomas thought. Had the golem been activated by a confederate of Grandier's or by Kade herself? "Did she tell you why she wanted an audience with Roland?" Thomas asked. "No." Dubell was silent a moment. "Her abilities here, in the mortal world, are not as great as when she is in Fayre, and it is difficult to fatally wound her with anything other than a weapon of iron, but... It appeared the creature was attacking her?" "Yes," Thomas admitted. "I hope so, for all our sakes." The door to the solarium opened and one of the stewards emerged, looking harried and somewhat the worse for wear. He hesitated, then approached Thomas and Renier. He said, "His Majesty will see the sorceress now." Thomas said, "Good. Go and tell her." The steward blanched visibly. "All right, all right." As Thomas approached she looked up, a strange creature not at all like the child he barely remembered, or the fifteen-year-old girl in the portrait. He said, "His Majesty will see you now." "Will he?" "Yes." "And I thought he'd be so glad to see me he'd have run out into my arms long before this." There was a bitterness underneath the light irony in her voice. "You were mistaken." "I suppose." She shrugged, abandoning repartee with a disconcerting abruptness. THE ELEMENT OF FIRE 103 Thomas turned and walked back toward the solarium's door without looking to see if she followed. After a moment she caught up with him. "This isn't turning out right at all," she muttered. "Oh? Who did you plan for the Arlequin to kill?" "You don't really believe that. And I don't know who sent tt so you won't find out from me. Oh, was I supposed to pale and let something slip at that point? I'm sorry, I was thinking of something else." Thomas didn't slam the door of the solar open with any more force than necessary, and bowed her in with elaborate courtesy. The old solar wasn't used much, and the three huge windows covering the farthest wall had already been shuttered by painted panels in preparation for winter. The scene on the panels was a lurid traditional hunting landscape, subtly at odds with the other paintings on the oak-sheathed walls, the hangings of brocaded satin and striped silk, and the delicately carved furniture. Thomas remembered that this room was one of those that had been redecorated after the death of Roland's father; the painted panels reflected the old" king's taste, and had probably been left unaltered by mistake. He thought Ravenna might have chosen the room for that rather than its convenience to the gallery. Roland was slumped in his chair in a sulk, Denzil seated beside him. Falaise's face was still a little reddened under the powder, as if she had been weeping from anger rather than hysteria. She had chestnut hair and blue eyes, and her natural prettiness had been transformed by her coiffure and costume into fashionable beauty. She wore a blue gown trimmed with gold ribbons and seed pearls, and against the somber colors of the rest of the room she looked like an orchid thrown into a dirty alley. Ravenna was the only one who appeared calm. Her hands were busy on her embroidery and she didn't look up at their arrival. There was a stiff silence in the room and the dregs of a bitter argument lay heavy in the air. 104 MARTHA WELLS Thomas realized it was his duty to announce Kade, the steward having apparently seized the opportunity to escape. Sensing that calling her "the evil fay sorceress" would probably please her no end, he said,"The Princess Katherine Fon-tainon," then moved to take his place at Ravenna's side. Kade's fair skin made her helpless against a sudden blush. Ravenna looked up and said, "How lovely to see you again, dear child." Kade curtsied in what had to be an intentionally graceless fashion. "I'm sure it's just as lovely for you as it is for me, stepmother." "I'm not your stepmother, dear. Your mother did not bother with the travesty of marriage with your father, and it would hardly have served the purpose if she had, because he was already my husband at the time. You know this, but it seems to please you to hear me repeat it." In a whisper plainly audible to the rest of the room, Denzil said to Roland, "Cousin, diis is all too dull." Ravenna snapped, "Roland, send him away. This is private." Roland glared. "I could ask you to send your paramour away too, mother." In the ensuing moment of silence, Kade snickered. Thomas glanced briefly heavenward. Denzil looked at Roland in irritation as the implication in the unfortunate phrasing of the King's retort sunk in. Realizing what he'd said and reddening faintly, Roland continued defiantly, "This is a family matter and he is the only one of my family who is truly fond of me." "What a sad thought," Kade added helpfully. "Sad, but true." Roland stared at her, meeting her eyes for the first time since she had entered the room. "What do you want here?" Kade ignored the question. She looked to Ravenna, who had gone back to her embroidery. After a moment the Dowager Queen said, "And how is your dear mother, child?" as if her prepared greeting had never been interrupted. THE ELEMENT Of FIRE 105 Ravenna's expression was as polite as a judge passing sentence; Kade looked ironic and amused. "She's in Hell," she said. "Wishful thinking, certainly." "Oh, no, she really is. We saw her go. She lost a wager." "My condolences," the Dowager said dryly, as the rest of the room digested that. Kade had just reminded them all of her strangeness, and Ravenna had taken the point. "Now tell us why you've come here in this unseemly fashion, as an actress of all things, bringing an enemy with you and disturbing our peace." "What are you more worried about, that I brought you a battle or that I was with an acting troupe? Never mind. I have quite a few enemies; I can't help it if they follow me about. As to why I'm here . . ." She paced a few steps, not looking at them, hands clasped behind her back and the dingy lace of her petticoats swirling around her feet. "I just wanted to see my family, and my dear younger brother." The slight emphasis on the word "younger" made Roland sit up and flush. Kade looked from Ravenna to Roland, her gray eyes passing over the quietly watching Falaise. This isn't turning out right at all, she had said outside, Thomas remembered. "I want to make an agreement with you," Kade said. "Was it agreement you wanted when you sent my court those cursed gifts?" Roland demanded. "How many of us have you tried to kill?" "Then there's the death of King Fulstan," Denzil added helpfully, before Kade could answer. "His illness was very sudden, was it not?" "I see no point in resurrecting either the dead, or the rumors of years past." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |