|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Mindyou, people tend to exaggerate.It s not like I really want twelve sons.Eight will be quiet sufficient, thank you very much. Really? Five girls and eight boys.I am fifteen.With any luck I could be donebefore I m thirty.I ll be almost fifty when the youngest leaves the nest,but by then the oldest will undoubtedly have given us grandchildren. She looked sideways at Obyann. And that hair of his is perfectlyfixable. She gave Obyann a radiant smile. That seems quite feasible, Obie.Quite feasible. Exiting the passage, they saw their way blocked by Chrom. Young sir, you know very well that unannounced visitors arestrick Oh, Chrom, get a life, will you? Can t you see the young lady iswith me? Lady Berninda of Eldorn.There.I ve announced her.She isnow officially un-unannounced.Now, get out of the way. Chrom returned to the little watch house from where Fraydirhad carefully observed the proceedings.He looked at Chrom withvacuous eyes. Well, all seems to be going well, Chrom said. Hm.Very well,indeed.I d like to stay, but, actually, I can t waste my time here anylonger.I trust you will have no further difficulties.Hm.Yes.So.Well,I m off then, young sir.I leave the gates in your care. Bonds of Fear 333Fraydir nodded with open mouth. 334 Andrew AshlingThe caravan to the north had halted for midday at a big roadhouse.The less well-off travelers stayed outside and cooked their meals onimprovised campfires.Richer merchants had hastened inside, whereit was warm and a hot meal could be purchased.Nobody thoughtanything of it that the two Avadesquan women kept to themselvesand sat together at a table, out of earshot of the other patrons.One of them looked with badly concealed revulsion at the chaoticgoings-on of several people trying to get served at the same time. He must be one of them.He just must be, she said to the other. Yes, dear, I m sure he is.A pity we don t know what he lookslike. It seemed so simple.Join the caravan, find out who he is, andwait for an opportunity to isolate him from the group, overpowerhim, and that would have been that. Except finding out who he is proved more difficult than weexpected. Sobrathi sighed. Yes.That s why I can t put it off any longer.I must informAnaxantis.I had so hoped that at the same time I could have givenhim the assurance that Damydas would never reach the Marches.Asit is he must prepare himself for a confrontation. You re sending a living letter? Yes.He is traveling with the group that follows us.I ve sent forhim.He should be here any minute now.I hate to do this, but I can t Bonds of Fear 335risk sending him a cryptic message so I ll be as outspoken as I can. Isn t that dangerous? What if the letter is caught? Emelasuntha shrugged. So what? They ll know that we know.They must suspect thatalready.In fact there is more than an even chance they ll catch him. Sobrathi looked at her friend. But, dear, how terrible.You re sending the poor man to his death.His painful death, probably. And what else would you have me do? I must warn Anaxantis.Or protect him. Yes, but is there really no other way? If there is, I would be glad to hear about it. Emelasuntha s eyes suddenly seemed to stare right throughSobrathi at a distant horizon, only discernible for her.Sobrathihated that look.It meant her friend had suddenly seen a new realmof possibilities and what exactly that entailed was impossible topredict.At that moment two men came in the establishment and madetheir way to the table of the women. This is the man you have asked for, my lady, one of them said. Mistress, call me mistress. The queen sighed. Thank youcaptain.You, sit down.What is your name? Ondrov, my la mistress. Well, Ondrov, ready to take a message? The man nodded nervously.He was in his early twenties, andSobrathi saw he was in awe of Emelasuntha. 336 Andrew Ashling Yes& yes, of course, mistress. The queen looked inquisitively at him. You seem nervous, Ondrov.Any reason for that? It sounded like a normal question, but Sobrathi knew better:Emelasuntha was in killer mode, and anything could unleash heranger. It s just that this is my first assignment, mistress.I would hateto disappoint you. Oh, yes, Ondrov, you would so hate to disappoint me, Emelasuntha agreed.Then she smiled and added lightly, But I mcertain you won t.I have the highest confidence in you.You were thebest in your group, one of your teachers told me. Yes, indeed.I was.I was indeed, Ondrov stammered. Well, my friend, then neither of us has to be worried. Sobrathi followed the interchange with mounting worries of herown. So, here we go, the queen said. I ll speak slowly& To Anaxantisfrom his mother and his aunt.We are coming [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
Archiwum
|