Part 27 (1/2)
I won't. I can't.” The girl sits up in the bed, and swings her legs aver the edge, letting the sheer green cotton fall away from small and well-formed b.r.e.a.s.t.s that s.h.i.+mmer in the faint light that comes through the door from the outer room.
”You're sure?” Rabyn's voice is concerned, warm.
”I can't...” She shakes her head. ”That... that's awful.”
”I'd hoped you'd be sweet to me.”
”The other...” She shakes her head. ”Not that....” The dark-haired youth sits up beside her, offers her a goblet of wine. ”Here. It's all right. I didn't realize it would upset you.”
”You're so young. You're not old enough to think like that. How...” She takes a swallow, and her mouth puckers slightly. ”'Sweet. Too sweet.” Another smaller swallow follows.
”Honey. I like my wine sweet. I like girls sweet, too, Dylla.” Rabyn offers a smile.
”Sickening... sweet” She wipes her lips with the back of her hand, and her mouth puckers again.
”I like things sweet. That's why you should have done what I asked,” he adds slowly, taking the goblet from her, as her hands begin to tremble.
”You...” Her mouth opens spasmodically, and she begins to choke. Her hands reach for him, but the trem- bling increases, and Rabyn steps out of her grasp easily.
”You should have been sweet to me,” he repeats as he stands and steps away from the bed, carrying the goblet.
Dylla slumps, then topples forward, and her nude form, lying half across the green braided rug and half across the cold tiles, twitches and shudders for a time. She also moans softly, softly only because she cannot make a greater effort.
Before long, twitches and moans cease.
Then Rabyn pulls on his tunic and trousers, and a pair of gold threaded sandals, and walks into the antechamber where he rings the crystal bell and waits by the single flickering candle.
”Yes, sire?” answers the page as he opens the door.
”I would like to see Nubara. Now. Here.”
”Now?” The servant glances toward the dark window, then at Rabyn. ”Yes, sire.”
The door closes.
Rabyn goes back to the bedchamber and amuses himself for a time, waiting for Nubara.
When he arrives, the hand of the regent does not have himself announced, but throws open the door and marches through and into the bedehamber.
Rabyn smiles. ”She wasn't nice to me, Nubara. I don't like people who aren't sweet to me.”
Nubara looks at the naked body on the floor. ”Was that necessary, Rahyn?”
”Lord Rabyn,” corrects the dark-haired youth. ”She wouldn't do what I wanted. She didn't make me feel good.” Rabyn smiles. ”You said she was only a peasant.”
”1 beg your pardon, Lord Rabyn.” Nubara's voice is cold. ”She still had family, and they will not be happy. Neither will their friends.”
”Tell them she died of the flux. It does happen. Offer them a few golds as consolation. Every peasant loves golds.” Rabyn' s lips curl. ”They see few enough of them.”
”Would you be so kind as to help me dress the body? It might be easier to explain.”
”I'm the Prophet, Nubara. I'm sure grandsire wouldn't wish anything to happen to me. You know that, don't you?” Rabyn pauses. ”Her clothes are on the chair there.”
Nubara compresses his lips, then walks to the chair and picks up the silken trousers. His eyes go to the still form. ”What a waste,” he murmurs to himself.
”She should have done what I wanted,” Rabyn repeats. ”You will, won't you, Nubara?”
Nubara forces a smile. ”Of course, Lord Rabyn, of course.
31 Anna looked out the guest-chamber window at the low clouds and the driving rain, then walked back to the table and picked up a flaky roll-better than a biscuit- and began to eat slowly as she sat down.
She finished the roll with a sigh, and topped off roll and sigh with a long swallow of water. Her eyes flicked toward the window and the rain outside.
”You still wish to travel to Synope?” Jecks asked from the other side of the writing table.
”After the rain lifts, a.s.suming it does lift, yes, I do. I worry about Anientta, and I don't like the idea of her controlling Flossbend.”
”That is a hard ride of eight to nine days,” Jecks pointed out. ”You know that there is little you can do about this consort of Lord Hryding's right now. If you are worried about repairing the ford at Soprat, you could turn north at the wide bend in the Synor and travel straight north. That would save almost five days' travel in returning to Falcor.”
”Why are you so worried about time? You and Hanfor practically insisted nothing was going to happen for months-seasons, I mean.”
”You have spent more time in Synfal than you had planned.”
”There has been more to do than I expected.” Anna took another sip of water. ”You want me to get back to Falcor to announce that Jimbob will inherit Synfal?” She grinned. ”I thought we'd agreed that should wait a bit”
Jecks looked at the time-dulled oak of the table, then gave an embarra.s.sed smile. ”Menares sent a message scroll to you through me.
Anna frowned. Again...it had to be bad news. No one wanted to tell her that sort of thing directly.
”What's the trouble?” she said, reaching for another roll.
”There are two troubles.” Jecks coughed. ”You had best read it yourself.” He handed Anna a scroll.
She began to read, skipping over the flowery salutations.
”...I have not made any contact with the ladies of Wei. This you must know and convey to the lady Anna.
Yet they have taken it upon themselves to impart information, and I have enclosed their very message scroll as proof. The lady Anna must know this, and yet I fear that she will not believe I have acted in good faith.
Still if what they have sent is true, and they have not lied about what has happened elsewhere in former scrolls, you both should know the contents.
My humble best to you and to the great and glorious regent, whose fairness has become legendary...”
Anna laughed. ”He knew you'd give this to me, the scoundrel.”
”His last words are sung in your direction,” Jecks said. ”They are true, but they are a plea.”
True? What's true is that no man around here would plead to a woman. d.a.m.ned few, anyway. ”He addressed his plea through you.”
”Most men would.”