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Realm is far too busy to waste his time with idle dalliance.
 But 
 And as you said, Lady Pheresa, this is a matter of state, not of love. Hmm?
The scorn and mockery in his voice as he turned her own words back against her
was too much for her to bear. She raged with embarrassment and mortification.
If this had all been Gavril s idea, then he was cruder than she d imagined.
Perhaps he was hiding behind the draperies right now, laughing at her
discomfiture.
Tears sprang to her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.  This this was
beastly! she said in a muffled voice.
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 On the contrary, dear child. It was practical. Don t worry. His highness will
have my full report by eventide. Go now and change your gown. There s no need
to soil such lovely magnificence when the prince isn t at court today to see
it.
The servant opened the door.
Blinded by rage and tears, Pheresa swept through it. Noncire chuckled behind
her until the closing door cut off the sound. Still, his amusement echoed in
her ears as she fled.
She couldn t go back through the galleries, to be stared at by everyone.
Muffling her sobs, Pheresa picked up her skirts and ran for a hiding place,
where she could stay unseen and unheard for the rest of the day.
As a town, Savroix-en-Charva sprawled larger than any other settlement Dain
had ever seen.
Buildings made either of stone or wood towered as high as five stories and
were crammed so closely together a person could lean out of an upstairs window
and touch the wall of the adjoining struc-ture. The streets were paved with
stone, and the clatter of horses hooves and cart wheels made an awful din and
racket that went on day and night. To the south side of the city, the mouth of
the Charva River spread nearly half a league wide as it joined the sea. Rich
black farmland bordered it, lush with crops nearly ready for harvesting.
To Dain, there had never been such sights or smells or sounds. He found it
disorienting at first, for the city was so large he felt closed off from
trees, and the soil, and growing things. All he could sense was a bewildering
flicker of men-minds and the constant bustle and hurry of movement. It took
him time to adjust and block out the worst of it.
Then he discovered the sea, and stood for nearly an hour, mouth open, just
gazing at its vast expanse.
It stretched so far that on the horizon it blended with the sky. And within
it, deep beneath the heaving waters, swam such a bounty of life. His mind
reached out to new creatures the fish, and the little spiny urchins-that grew
on rocks, and the weeds swaying in their own dim fluid world. More than that,
he i felt the sea itself as an entity, vast and powerful, like the mountains
or the Dark Forest.
And to Riva, goddess-consort of Thod, who ruled the moon and held power over
the sea, Dain knelt and worshiped.
Sir Terent s meaty hand gripped his shoulder and squeezed it hard.  Dain! he
said in a strangled voice.  What re you doing?
Dain ignored him until he finished, then he rose to his feet and looked into
the red face of his protector.
Beyond Sir Terent s burly shoulders, a crowd of people came and went on their
business.  I was praying, Dain said.
 Aye,  tis what I thought. Take care, now. A pagan you no longer are, and you
aren t to be praying to whatever it was that you were praying to.
Dain frowned.  But Riva is part of the 
 Hsst! Sir Terent uttered in warning. He glanced over his shoulder as though
worried they d be overheard in the din and commotion. The wharf, however, was
a busy place. Sailors in short cloaks and bare legs were arguing loudly over
the unloading of their cargo. Merchants were inspecting wares. From all sides
could be heard haggling and argument and laughter.
 But, Sir Terent 
 Enough now, the protector said.
Dain planted his feet stubbornly, ready to argue.
 Enough,
Sir Terent said firmly.  She whom you named has no more place in the Reformed
Church.
You know that.
 I feel her presence, Dain said in protest, gesturing toward the ocean.
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Sir Terent s eyes bulged in shock. He shook his large head.  Unwise, m lord.
Very unwise. Only
Thod and Tomias are we permitted to worship. Do you want to be thrown into
prison for heresy nowT
 No, of course not. Dain relented, and let himself be drawn away from the
wharves.
It was nearly sunset, and the streets were jammed with people out for revelry.
Streaming ribbons of every imaginable color fluttered from open windows and
doorways. The banners of lords and knights flew from lodgings and inns.
Horses, too numerous to be stabled in the mews, were tied up in groups in the
smaller streets and guarded by zealous grooms.
Music was playing, mostly enthusiastic pounding on drums accompanied by
tambourines and rattles.
The clear voice of a huckster rose over the hubbub:  This way, good people!
This way to see the sword swallower....
Dain swung in that direction, but Sir Terent grabbed his arm and herded him
onward.
 Got to be fresh for tomorrow, m lord.
With increasing difficulty they pushed their way through the throngs.
Pickpockets abounded, and Dain kept one hand on his dagger and the other on
his purse. Sir Terent crowded even closer on his heels, gripping their food
pouch and grumbling curses beneath his breath all the while.
Dain pretended to ignore his complaints, but he knew it was his fault they
were out so late. He and Sir
Terent had gone to the food shops to collect dinner for everyone, but Dain
wanted to look at the sea, and he d lingered there too long. It was unfair to
the others, cooped up at their miserable lodgings with armor to polish and the
horses to tend in readiness for tomorrow s jousting. Now Dain tried to hurry
back, but it was impossible to do anything other than elbow and shove his way
through the crowd.
 Have your fortune read, handsome! called out a woman.
 Sweetmeats, nice  n hot! roared a man.
 See the two-headed donkey!
 Three coppers for a dance with the Siren of the Sea!
A woman with only one eye leaped into Dain s path and flung a handful of
ribbons in his face.  Buy these for your sweetheart, m lad!
 No. He shoved past her, and felt her nimble fingers dance along his purse.
He had a firm hold on it, however, and heard her curse him as he elbowed on
by.
 Gods! Sir Terent swore, treading on his heels.
A clanging bell warned them, and they jumped back from a street just as a
ponderous carriage rumbled by. A dog snapping at the wheels got his paw run
over. Yelping, he dodged back and limped away.
Dain and Sir Terent ran across the street and turned down a narrow passage
between buildings. It smelled foul and was so dark only Dain could see where
he was going.
At the other end, they emerged into a tiny square, where three inns stood in
fearsome competition with each other. Theirs was the smallest and filthiest,
although its prices were a king s ransom. They were lucky to be lodged even
there, although Dain, Sir Terent, Sir Polquin, Sulein, and Thum had to share a
single room and bed, with Lyias on the floor. The food was bad, the service
worse, and the ale unspeakable. That was why Dain and Sir Terent had sought [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]