Part 6 (2/2)

The dust was settling, although the ground in front of them still boiled in an unnatural way. It seethed, as the surface of a stew or overheating custard does; it rumbled in A Sorcerer and a Qentleman f-- 69 many keys, the sounds of stones grinding together; it hissed and threw friction heat. The air above it s.h.i.+mmered as on a hot, dry summer day.

Ocher faced Ottaviano. Otto could just see his moustaches beneath his helm's nosepiece across the thirty-foot-wide breadth of this no-man's-land. They glared at one another.

”You b.a.s.t.a.r.d puppy!” screamed Ocher. ”You birth-d.a.m.ned unclean dog . . .”

The sorcerer listened, smiling, and saw the five riders returning at a cautious pace. He nudged his nervous horse out of cover without lifting the spell that veiled them and walked the horse until he was at the verge just opposite them where they had drawn up to the rear of the others. As one of the men went up to ask his fellows what had happened, the sorcerer rode toward the small party, undoing his concealment as he went. Someone was bellowing at the unsettled edge of his earthen barrier. Occasionally, an unseen tree crashed in the forest as the disturbance lengthened.

The men with the lady drew their weapons and surrounded her as he approached, but she spoke and they reluctantly put up their blades and moved aside.

The sorcerer and the lady in riding clothes regarded one another. There was some shouted conversation going on now over the seething earth.

”What did you do?” she asked. ”It was you, wasn't it?”

”I? Do?” The sorcerer blinked innocently and smiled, tipping his head to one side. His hat hung at his back, suspended on a cord.

Lunete's heart did three backflips and landed somewhere near her liver. ”Uh,” she said, and smiled also. He is a magician, a wizard, thought Lunete distractedly, but her smile was still there and so was his. He was so young! And so handsome. She'd thought wizards were centuries old- The sorcerer lifted an eyebrow. ”Your party appears to be in disarray,” he observed. ”Perhaps it would be best to regroup and continue on your way, madame.”

Lunete couldn't stop smiling. ”Is that what you advise, 70.'Llizab&th sir?” His eyes were an uncommon shade of blue. And he was quite tall, taller than Ottaviano- ”My advice is always worth its price, madame.”

”What price will you ask for this advice?” she asked him, collecting herself.

He shrugged, smiling still. ”I do not engage in trade, and you have already returned more than its value, madame,” he said, bowing from his saddle, and he flicked his left eyebrow again and turned away, nudging his horse toward the re-forming line of men.

Ocher was trying to circ.u.mvent the disturbed, moving section of ground. Otto turned his horse to prepare for the a.s.sault and saw the sorcerer.

”Son of a b.i.t.c.h!” he exclaimed. ”You!”

The other man smiled. ”Is he trying to flank?”

”Looks that way,” Otto replied tersely.

”Mm, he'll fail,” decided the stranger, studying his handiwork. ”It would be wisest for you to go on your way, Captain.”

Otto stared at him and then saw Lunete, who was gesturing urgently in apparent agreement with the stranger.

”What did you do?”

The magician shrugged.

Otto stared at him again, narrowed his eyes, and then shouted an order to fall back to his men. Shouts of dismay were coming from Ocher's troops, mixed with the sounds of more cras.h.i.+ng trees and the screaming of an injured horse. Ottaviano cleared his throat. ”Thanks,” he said.

The magician shrugged again.

They studied one another.

”Our paths seem to coincide,” Ottaviano said after another moment. ”Want to ride with us?”

The sorcerer thought about it. ”I thank you for your offer,” he said, inclining his head. ”1 will join you after completing some business which that rude fellow's arrival interrupted.”

Otto wondered what in the names of the stars it could be, but he nodded and turned his horse, shouting ”Fall in!” When he glanced back half a minute later, he saw that the Sorcerer and a (jentteman 71.man had dismounted and was picking plants by the road, ignoring the simmering ground twenty steps away.

Half an hour later, the men muttered as the magician's horse overtook them and then matched their pace at the head of the troop. They were on a pleasantly wide stretch of road, its sides guarded by tall, slender straight trees just coming out in bud. Beyond the trees lay fields of turned earth, black beneath the grey sky.

”Why, h.e.l.lo,” said Lunete, smiling.

”Good afternoon, madame,” replied their newly-acquired companion, inclining his head.

”h.e.l.lo,” Otto said, ”you finished your-business?”

The corner of the other's mouth lifted in a half-smile. ”For today.”

”I am Lunete of Lys,” said Lunete, ”and this is Ottaviano, King of Ascolet.”

”Countess Lunete of Lys,” Ottaviano corrected her, nettled by her openness.

She shrugged. ”Oh, well, yes.”

The magician managed a graceful bow to her, from horseback-no mean feat. ”I am honored to make your acquaintance, Your Grace, Your Majesty.”

Ottaviano heard mockery in his tone, but again Lunete spoke before he could.

”Please call me Lunete.”

Their new companion smiled at her, bowed again, and said, ”Dewar,” indicating himself.

An outlandish name. ”Pleased to meet you,” Ottaviano said.

”For a change,” Dewar said, catching his eye.

”For a change,” agreed Ottaviano. ”May I ask why you did that?”

”Did?”

”Blew up the road.”

Dewar shrugged. ”Certainly, you may ask,” he invited Ottaviano, without a trace of sarcasm.

Ducks.h.i.+t, thought Otto, and said, excruciatingly nicely, ”Why did you blow up the road?”

72.'Elizabeth ”Wittey ”To get to the other side?” Lunete suggested in a light, lilting voice.

”Because it was there?” wondered Dewar, and chuckled. ”I don't know, Your Majesty. It amused me to do it.”

Otto inhaled, giving him a hot look that was just a degree removed from a glare. ”I don't like being on the receiving end of favors from strange magicians-”

Dewar interrupted quickly, hardly thinking, ”Then you are in luck. I am a sorcerer.”

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