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.And in the same way that he was on that road, he could see asclearly as though it was broad daylight.At the mouth of a mineshaft stood Ulanda and Bolda.Around Ulanda, the pattern lines became narrower and closer together,appearing further and further away until vanishing before ever touching her skin.Perspective ruined.or more real in a way he couldn't fathom.In that instant, his feelings coalesced in the same way that he saw the patternlines.“Is it worth it?” he asked.Ulanda looked past the loom-master towards him, and if she was surprised tosee him there, she didn't show it.“Your death was only slowed, not stopped.”With her words, came what he only saw in dreams: the stone room.Then he was blinking fire-blindness from his eyes, surrounded by the sound ofpeople talking.And found his ears as blind as his eyes when he couldn't draw any meaning from the noise.Milla was back with Roland, Yelve on his other side, his head bent as though hehad been whispering into the boy's ear.He straightened, his eyes on Rit.“.what you are bringing on us here?”And found himself as mute as he had been blind and deaf a moment earlier.“Are they creatures of flesh, or like the shadow you pulled over the fire?”Shadow? He squeezed his eyes shut and opened then again.And found histongue.“Lord Aspier, you promised hospitality, not an interrogation.”“So I did,” Roland said.And to Yelv: “Do I have your support?”The decision must have already been made; there was no hesitation in Yelv'sanswer.“Yes.” He looked around.“Anyone else have something to say about thematter?” He waited a moment, then in the silence added to Roland: “I give mypledge to your bride as well as she has no kin here.I'll see her as safe as one of my own daughters.”He bowed solemnly to the girl and Milla curtsied in return.“I'm honored, sir.”Then looking past Yelv to Rit, she ran over and gave him a hug.“Thank you,” shewhispered into his ear.Alicia was next, with longer whispers between the two.Lady Islil took his arm.“Well, it looks as though you have your wish.”“Is it settled here so quickly?” Nalwin and many of the people were gone.“Oh, I'd say not for a generation or two.” She laughed.“But settled enoughtonight for dinner and bed.” With a shooing motion, she gestured to Alicia.“You've young legs, so go on ahead.Let your husband walk with me.I want totalk and he wants to indulge an old woman.”Rit nodded to the question he saw in Alicia's eyes and to Kori, a hand sign thatshe was to go with her.Roland offered himself as guide, calling servants, showing Laurel Hickeywww.2morrow.bc.caEye of the Ocean – Book 2: Alisimthe same energy as he had climbing the rocks earlier in the day.Lady Islilslammed her cane down.“The Imperial Suite,” she announced in a loud voice andlaughed again.“This isn't the first time Istarom has guested royalty.”Roland hesitated, his eyes on his grandmother.Then shrugged with the samealmost secret smile as hers playing over his lips.And had bags and peoplemoving before Rit and the old woman had made the first step.On the way, LadyIslil gained a following: the same man-at-arms, two ladies and several servants.Only Pasi and the dog stayed with him.He wanted Kori away as quickly aspossible, and with the others to provide the needed buffer.They moved at the old woman's pace and the sound of her cane striking thefloor as though she felt it necessary to sound each step.Stairs rose to severallevels with balconies overlooking the central area.At the top, he stopped to catch his breath.“Is Roland's father's greatest crime that he wants power in WilniCapital, rather than here?” He nodded to the fire several levels below them.There was no railing.Her eyes were on him, not the view.“As a king, you must have been a trial toyour advisors.Do you always say what comes to mind?”“Except when I talk in riddles.”She shook her head, but he'd earned the Aspier smile.“You don't seem a manwho could have done half the things said of you.”“Not even half the things I've heard I've done.”“So.”He lowered his voice so that beyond her man and Pasi, the others with themwouldn't hear.“The arrangement your grandson has with me is based onexpediency, not loyalty.” He looked down but couldn't make out who was who.Expediency.And remembered the vulnerability Roland had betrayed: I wouldn'tdo it.What he had just said about Roland wasn't entirely true, but that wasn't something his grandmother should hear.“I needed the War Council and thesuccession settled quickly to the satisfaction of the other members of the Council.He provided the solution to both problems.Essentially, as long as I have hiscooperation, he has my.”“Support? How much support can a pea shelled from the pod offer?”Support was what he had been going to say, but hearing it, knew it was thewrong word.“Not support, but good will.”“Or at least a good long stare at the fire.”“Was that what I was doing?”“No doubt you intended it should unnerve the superstitious.”“Did it?”“And the ignorant.”“Leaving you unaffected, of course.”“Flatterer.”Laurel Hickeywww.2morrow.bc.caEye of the Ocean – Book 2: Alisim“The plain truth.”She laughed then pointed with her cane to a hall, the metal door pushed halfopen.Widely spaced torches flickered in a long row into the darkness, therelatively warm air of the main hall creating a breeze that pushed at their backs.In his mouth was pine smoke tainted with iron.Near the end of the corridor, Lady Islil paused at a double set of steel doors.“Part of the Imperial suite, the next rooms.” To several open doors further along the corridor.“.are yours and your lady's, more for your staff next to them.And the library here.”The library doors were operated by a set of balances, and slid open far easierthan the main hall doors had, or the ones to this corridor.A puff of stale airbreathed in his face.“A private door into your sitting room.” She gestured to a wood paneled doorhalf draped in curtains.“.and books enough even for a Strom.And maps.”Followed by the servants carrying lamps, she walked to the center table.Flat on the table was a map of Surri, a fine film of dust over top.Rit brushed a palm width streak away.More detailed than the Xintan military maps they hadbrought with them, the streams, crevasses, game trails.all the various dots and dashes, even the shaded lines of elevation were labeled in a fine old-fashionedscript.Try as he might, the printing was too small for him to read.Rubbing his back, he straightened.Except for Pasi and the dog, they werealone.He had heard the door close, but had expected her man-at-arms to stayeven if the servants didn't.He wondered if he should send Pasi out as well, butwasn't sure that order would be obeyed, even now.As the moments passed and the order wasn't given, the corners of her widemouth dipped.She obviously wasn't pleased, but when she spoke, her wordsweren't about courtesies not returned.“Ruined your eyes as boy, did you? Theyhad you studying at all hours, I expect.” She leaned over the table and tappedher index finger against the map.“I came along that road as a bride.”The map might be from around the same time, he thought.“I thought Idetected an Aklif accent.”Sharp black eyes met his.“Did you just?” Then the finger tapped against thepaper again as though she intended to flatten a mountain or two [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]