Part 10 (2/2)
”As it is here,” cried Aster, bustling forward, ”! Bow to Lady Moonhawk, Witch of Dyan Teician! Lady, Master-hter, Senna; and-and Cedar, who is betrothed to ht her breath hard, then straightened and clapped her hands together
”Quickly now, children! Senna, show the Lady and Master to the guesting room Cedar, take hot water to fill the basins Give thes to wash I will be along in a h till dinner”
So directed, the two young things obeyed with startling will, and it was not too long before Lute was reclining shalass in hand, dressed in a houserobe of rich vers,” he announced with satisfaction, and took a deep draught of wine
Moonhawk looked over fro her hair and paused, co ”Yes?”
She recovered herself, finished the stroke and began another ”It is only that you look very nearly respectable, dressed so”
His eyes glealass up to drink
”Who is he, Zinna?” deirlish falsetto from across the rooown, of course! Do you suppose he's a wealthy hed, conquering the urge to turn and stare at the girl she kneas not there, put the colass and moved over to the pillows ”I didn't say handsome,” she protested
”I said respectable”
”My hopes dashed,” he sighed, face reflecting unsurpassed sorrow He assayed the glass, slanted his eyes at her face ”Perhaps I'll have a try for the eldest daughter This will be hers someday, after all, and with a few manners I'm certain she'd be quite tolerable”
”A reed with false gravity and he inclined his head
”Present coe of hurling the contents of her glass into his gaunt brown face; sighed and shook her head
”Always one step before me, Master Lute,” she said, with equally false softness
He tasted his wine ”Hardly that At the most, half-a-step ahead and half-a-step to a side” He leaned forward suddenly; surprisingly extended a hand ”Co so sharply!”Carefully, she put her hand in his, felt his fingers exert brief, warht and cool in her pal a tael-blossoood wine,” murmured Lute ”Heedless, but not cruel And the elder sister's a shrew”
Moonhawk glanced up ”You think she left with forethought-and intent?”
He shrugged ”Perhaps they argued-the shrew and the heedless one-or perhaps love's veil was so fellow for the boor he is”
”Quick judgments, Master Lute,” she chided hilass”
”It's ood for solass, now three-quarters done ”We shall soon have the opportunity to ic”
”Then I will ask the assistance of the Goddess in the pursuit of truth,” Moonhawk corrected austerely, and he sighed
”I WILL REQUIRE a new candle,” Moonhawk told Aster; ”a length of string or thin rope and so she often had about her”
”At once,” said Aster, face gloith the half-sick hope that had filled her all through the meal, so that she pushed her food around the bowl and shredded the good, warm bread into untasted cru with Cedar by the fire ”Senna Bring Lady Moonhahat she requires”
”Yes, h her mouth was turned doith ill temper She bustled out and returned with a new candle in a wooden holder, a cord of fine white wool, a bright blue cloak and a string of pierced beads She placed them, one by careful one, on the table, saw Moonhawk's eye on the cloak and faltered, a blush ware, Lady Moonhawk, for one of the world to wear Circle blue But Tael loved the color She spun the thread, wove the cloth, dyed it in taelberry juice, fashi+oned the cloak-all with her own hands Being so, I thought it ers caressed the beaded necklace
”Is hed, ”which she hardly wore”
”Still,” said Aster, ”itit-”
”Yes, of course!” he said bitterly ”But the truth is that she would rather wear that length of leather and that stupid bit of wood-” He caught himself, folded his lips and made an aard bow ”Your pardon, houserief make me short of temper”
”I see that it does,” Aster replied, ”but in just a few moments, Lady Moonhaill find her and-”
”I also require, ” Moonhawk interrupted, ”quiet You may repair to the parlor I will call as soon as I have found what there is to find” She looked hard at Aster ”Remember, this lies with the Goddess, not withto touch her breast ”We abide by the will of the Goddess,” she said devoutly She beckoned the others with a sweep of her hand ”Coe the ite coiled before her, one end tied securely about the trothing gift The cloak she considered for a longthe brooch closed
”Youher head to look at Lute, leaning silent against the racious, Lady Moonhawk!” he returned ”You watch ic, after all Fair trade is fair trade”
She did look at him then, for the fine voice carried an undercurrent of what-had it not been Lute-she would have identified as worry ”I have done this before” she said, wishi+ng it didn't sound quite so tart
”It's a very sireed pleasantly, then brought a fingertip to his lips ”But here I aive me, Lady” He sank soundlessly to the bench and folded his hands in his lap ”Silent as the dead, you find me My , so neither of us is novice at our task”
Far ue with him than to acquiesce; which she did with a tip of the head She then ignored hi the prayers that would ready her for the work
Lute bent forward on his bench, foreboding like a chill handful of stone in his belly
Moonhawk's breathing deepened; the lines s it at once childlike and distantly cruel She raised her left hand, eyes still closed, pointed a finger and lit the candle She lowered the hand, laid it on the coil of twine and pulled in the necklace, holding it in her right hand
She opened her eyes
”By the grace, with the aid and in the Name of the Mother, I reach out to the one called Tael” with a smooth flip of the wrist, she hurled the necklace far across the kitchen, paying out the twine until the beads hit the stone flooring with a rustling clink
”With the will of She who Is, I call Tael to an, slowly, to pull in the cord
It ca over the stones with a half-audible murmur But e through Moonhawk's fingers, picked up-and faltered again
Lute craned forward, gravel-dread gone to ice in his gut, saw the necklace ht cast by the candle-and stop altogether
The Witch continued to work the cord, taking up the slack, then tightening the drag, until it stretched taut against the necklace, which moved no more, but lay as if welded to the floor
He looked back, saw Moonhawk's eyes closed and sweat on her face, the cord taut as a lute-string between her hand and the troth-gift, quivering and giving off a faint, smoky luminescence