Part 7 (2/2)
Up to the deck he betook himself, where the night air was chilly and sharp, and the stars overhead shone with a hard radiance, remote and clean. Withdrawing a black cigarette from a platinum case, he lit up and for a brief span stood there watching the skies. Presently, eyes still fixed on the stars, he reached into the breast pocket of his tailcoat to bring forth a perforated tube. Absently uns.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the lid, he shook the jittery tenant forth into his palm, and only then allowed his gaze to drop.
The little nightspeeder that he held lightly clasped quivered with eagerness to fly. The capsule containing a message printed in minuscule characters was well affixed to the creature's dorsal whip, and the night was providentially clear. The grandlandsman opened his hand, and the nightspeeder flew like shattered faith.
The resonance of a footfall upon the deck alerted Torvid, and he turned to confront a tall figure, at once alien and known to the marrow.
”I intrude, Grandlandsman,” opined Karsler Stornzof.
”Not at all. I smoke, merely.” A careless vaporous wave accompanied the disclaimer.
”What was it that flew from your hand, just now? I saw-”
”Nothing. A trick of the light.” Torvid blew a perfect smoke ring.
There was a pause, then Karsler responded correctly, ”According to your will, Grandlandsman.”
Perhaps the younger Stornzof really believed him. Or else simply accepted the authority of the legitimate head of the House, which equated to belief. Either way, Karsler presented no immediate threat.
Threat. How curious to consider applying such a term to a member of the Stornzof family, an honored member at that. Karsler Stornzof was a hero and, as such, a considerable a.s.set. How curious to consider applying such a term to a member of the Stornzof family, an honored member at that. Karsler Stornzof was a hero and, as such, a considerable a.s.set.
”I will leave you to your diversions, Grandlandsman,” Karsler intoned irreproachably, and turned to leave.
”Stop,” Torvid commanded, and the other halted at once. ”One moment, Nephew. A word of advice, if I may.” He did not await reply, but continued, ”I did not antic.i.p.ate the necessity of instructing you, but at this time find myself compelled to observe that a certain-how shall I say-careless good nature on your part is causing you to blunder.”
”In what manner do you suppose me to have blundered?”
”You go out of your way to aid your rivals, at the obvious expense of Stornzof interests. You offer them a.s.sistance, you divulge personal information, you undermine your own position.”
”You allude to the incident in Glozh.”
”That was indeed the first of your errors. Had you not interfered upon that occasion, one of the racers would almost certainly have been eliminated from the compet.i.tion then and there.”
”You cannot suppose I would stand by while a woman is molested?”
”Her welfare is hardly your concern. I trust you will not wax unduly sentimental over the nonexistent virtue of some random little Vonahrish actress.”
”Miss Devaire is not an actress. She is a writer and a lecturer, I believe.”
”She makes a living upon the public stage, does she not? It is of no consequence. What concerns me now is the quality of your judgment. You chose unwisely to prevent an occurrence that would have benefited you. You compounded your folly by apologizing-yes, literally apologizing-to this foreign woman for the actions of your own Grewzian countrymen. We do not bow the head to inferiors and outsiders, Nephew. You understand me?”
”I understand, but I do not agree,” Karsler returned. ”The lady was grossly insulted, the animals a.s.saulting her deserved court-martial, and an apology was more than indicated.”
”Lady? Ah? I begin to understand. Your head has been turned by the Vonahrishwoman, then?”
”Not at all. She is very beautiful, but-”
”Her shape is quite good. So much I will grant,” Torvid conceded negligently. ”But she is very much the bourgeoise, conducting her small flirtations without skill or style. She plays the eyes with you continually, and there is little of subtlety in her performance.”
”You are difficult to please, Grandlandsman.”
”My standards are exacting.”
”Miss Devaire strikes me as direct, spontaneous, and generally free of artifice. And I am accustomed to gauging character.”
”Men's character, perhaps. But you know nothing of women.”
”There were none at the Promontory,” Karsler admitted.
”Indeed. And there you touch upon another of your own errors that duty obliges me to note. Not half an hour ago you spoke of your childhood training, informing an imbecilic foreign audience of your ability to sense arcane energy. What foolery is this? The education you received at the Promontory-the very existence of that retreat-all are private matters intended for Grewzian ears alone. The Elucidation, hallowed by time and tradition, is no fit topic for casual chat at table among strangers and enemies. This was worse than stupidity-it verged upon a betrayal of sacred trust.”
Karsler Stornzof stiffened with anger, but remained punctilious as he replied, ”I must respectfully disagree, Grandlandsman. I revealed nothing of the Elucidation, but only spoke briefly of my early education. I mentioned my ability to detect arcane activity, but that is a matter pertaining to myself alone, and no secret. I speak as I see fit of my own concerns, and do so with a clear conscience.”
”Pah, you seek to impress the woman. Amuse yourself with her if you wish, but do not commit the sottise sottise of whispering secrets in her Vonahrish ear.” Irritably, Torvid flicked his cigarette over the railing into the sea. ”Now listen, I speak as the head of our House. You are an officer of the Grewzian Imperium, and a Stornzof. You know well where your duty lies. You are a seasoned soldier and surely recognize the danger of divulging information to the enemy. Guard your tongue, give these fools nothing, and the battle is surely yours.” of whispering secrets in her Vonahrish ear.” Irritably, Torvid flicked his cigarette over the railing into the sea. ”Now listen, I speak as the head of our House. You are an officer of the Grewzian Imperium, and a Stornzof. You know well where your duty lies. You are a seasoned soldier and surely recognize the danger of divulging information to the enemy. Guard your tongue, give these fools nothing, and the battle is surely yours.”
”But it is not a battle,” Karsler observed with the slightest perceptible hint of dryness. ”As you have noted, sir, I am a soldier, and therefore capable of distinguis.h.i.+ng between a war and a sporting event.”
”The distinction you seek to draw is one of degree, merely. A sporting event-a compet.i.tion of any sort-is simply war on a small scale,” Torvid stated. ”The battles on the Rhazaullean front-a game of chess-the Grand Ellipse-it is all a variation upon the same theme, and the guiding principle never alters. Victory at any cost, by any available means. That is what it means to be a Stornzof and a servant of the imperior. That is your heritage, Nephew-it is in the Stornzof blood. Your years at the Promontory have served you ill if they have not taught you that.”
”My years at the Promontory have taught me much,” Karsler replied noncommittally. ”Sir, I have listened to your oration, and you have made yourself quite clear.”
”Well? And?”
”And, a.s.suming there is nothing more you wish to say, I take this opportunity to bid you good evening. With all due respect, Grandlandsman.” Inclining his head to the precise angle that family custom dictated, Karsler Stornzof withdrew.
Torvid resisted the impulse to order his nephew back, for there was little profit in prolonging an exchange that threatened to degenerate into a tiresome squabble. Extracting a fresh cigarette from his case, he relit and stood gazing expressionlessly out over the sea, blowing the occasional smoke ring in the wake of the vanished nightspeeder.
THE NIGHTSPEEDER ARROWED SOUTHEAST over the Sea of Silence. Guided by moon and stars, by its sense of natural forces or by unknowable internal stirrings, the creature sped on through the darkness. The hours expired. The moon conceded defeat and vanished. The stars wheeled overhead, and the messenger's speed never slackened. over the Sea of Silence. Guided by moon and stars, by its sense of natural forces or by unknowable internal stirrings, the creature sped on through the darkness. The hours expired. The moon conceded defeat and vanished. The stars wheeled overhead, and the messenger's speed never slackened.
The shadowed world turned invisibly on its axis, the black air gradually faded to charcoal, to slate, to steel, and down below the solid bulk of the great island-continent of Dalyon differentiated itself from the surrounding sea. The nightspeeder pressed on, the air lightened, and the Dalyonic coastline sharpened. Presently a small archipelago appeared, trailing the mainland like an afterthought. The nightspeeder descended, and the archipelago resolved itself into nine separate islands lazing in a curve around a great central harbor, all of the islands thickly bedizened with human architecture.
Lower yet, and the little lights glowing at doors and windows winked up through the fog-colored atmosphere, while the dark rifts running among the illuminated buildings looked like cracks marring ancient lacquer.
The world spun on, and now the sky was flushed with rose along the eastern horizon, and the color expanded, pumping pastel life into the morning mists that sprawled over land and water.
Lower, and the individual domes and turrets distinguished themselves. The glow along the horizon intensified, and the sun lifted over the edge of the waking world to flood the city with glory. Morning light glittered silver upon the waters of the arterial ca.n.a.ls, dotted with countless small craft cl.u.s.tered along innumerable private and public moorings. The sun struck daggers off the brightly tiled towers and rooftops of the fabled palaces, flashed upon the golden crystal ornamenting bridges of green marble, washed the small alleys and market squares with matinal brilliance. Lanthi Ume woke and breathed.
The nightspeeder's instincts bade it shun the day. Fortunately, its goal and refuge lay close at hand. Beyond the prosperous region of s.h.i.+ning palaces and monuments sped the messenger, on into the ancient inner depths of the city, skimming low over crooked streets stirring to pungent life, barely clearing the scarred wooden bridges spanning stagnant ca.n.a.ls littered with refuse and crowded with disintegrating houseboats.
Straight to the most battered and disreputable of the houseboats flew the nightspeeder, through the open window and into the cabin, where two square-built, dark-clad proprietors sat eating fish chowder heated over a tiny alcohol stove.
Both men looked up, and one of them exclaimed with enthusiasm, in Grewzian, ”Little Hilfi, back at last! Come to Papa!”
He extended his wrist, and Little Hilfi alighted at once. Papa caressed the winged creature for a moment or so, then very gently disengaged the capsule affixed to the dorsal whip. Setting Little Hilfi aside with care, he opened the capsule, extracted the message, unfolded it, and read swiftly. When he had done, he pushed the paper sc.r.a.p across the table to his companion, who also read.
The two men traded glances, and Papa remarked, ”Seven-fifteen.”
AT EIGHT O'CLOCK the big cargo vessel the big cargo vessel Rhelish Mercenary Rhelish Mercenary steamed into the Lanthian harbor, only forty-five minutes behind schedule-an exceptionally fine run. There was a moderate delay as the Grewzian inspectors at the waterfront came aboard to check over the relevant doc.u.ments, but the steamed into the Lanthian harbor, only forty-five minutes behind schedule-an exceptionally fine run. There was a moderate delay as the Grewzian inspectors at the waterfront came aboard to check over the relevant doc.u.ments, but the Mercenary's Mercenary's paperwork was in order, and official approval quickly granted. Unloading commenced. paperwork was in order, and official approval quickly granted. Unloading commenced.
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