Juanita Coulson The Death God's Citadel

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speech all these betray you, LaSirai," Tyrus said with a wide smile.
Behind his courtly phrases, his mind was racing, collecting scraps of rumors
and information. All the bits he had learned on nearby islands and on the ship
and coming through the bazaar the puzzle nearly solved.
Still attempting to play the barbarian, she said, "If& if you are saying that
I am nobly born& "
"Royally born," Tyrus corrected her. "Indeed. La-Renya. Is this not so?"
The battle maiden chuckled nervously. "You parry and dodge well. But I
think you are bluffing, charm-weaver. You& you cannot know such things.
If you are a true conjurer, reveal& one of my secrets. I will not tell it to
you nor will she," she admonished the dancer. "Not a word! Not even if he
brings back the magic light. LaRenya! Bah! Such nonsense!"
"The light is not necessary," Tyrus said. He squinted and pressed a hand to
his brow. "I see the royal daughters of a king, the late king of
Couredh. One lady is tall, a princess of great courage. The other is
exquisitely fair, her mother's Irico blood giving her matchless beauty.
Within their court, these sisters are pent by rules of their rank. And at
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times those rules chafe, like a prisoner's chains, especially to the eldest
sister. Would not a brief escape lighten their burdens? I see them devising
some scheme between them, eluding lackeys and maids, disguising themselves,
undertaking a bold adventure. Fearing their masquerade will not be sufficient.
Ah! But they have succeeded most well, and more. A day of freedom, unhampered
by rules, enjoying the anonymity of their pretense, mingling with the people& "
Tyrus abandoned his pose of foretelling, looking directly at the battle
maiden. "I see, writ in the records of Couredh, the names of the new ruler of
the realm, LaRenya Jathelle, and her beloved sister the LaSirin Dissa."
Erejzan was as amazed as the women. The dancer let out a great sigh of relief.
"He knows, Jathelle. It is at an end. I warned you we could not carry off such
a trick for very long. Oh, I am glad to be done before something awful could
happen." The princess lifted all but the thinnest of her face veils. Tyrus had
borrowed from the tales he and Erejzan had heard. Now he saw those few phrases
had done little justiee to LaSirin Dissa.
"Beautiful" was an inadequate word. The face seen through the diaphanous net
was one to honor a goddess.
Another iace
, however, interested Tyrus more. La-Renya Jathelle drew aside her half-mask,
impatiently dragging it down to her throat. Though not so perfect of feature
as Ilissa, she was a most attractive woman. Like her sister, the inheritance
of Irico mixed with Clarique, making her skin delicate, running whife through
her yellow hair, adding to her height. She accepted her defeat with a smile.
"I think the game might have gone on a while longer if& How did you discover
me, conjurer? I admit it. You have won fairly. I would know where my plan went
amiss, though."
Tyrus and Erejzan would have knelt to the royal sisters, but LaRenya
Jathelle did not permit it. She bade them continue standing and insisted on
hearing how she had been identified. With mock horror, Tyrus repeated his
protest. "I cannot reveal my secrets, LaRenya."
"Then am I never to know? My hands gave me away, you say?" Jathelle flexed her
long, sum fingers and grimaced. "And I put off all my rings ere I
left the palace, too. In vain! Next time I will besmear myself with dirt.
Then we will see if any master conjurer can see past my disguise!" Ilissa took
alarm at her sister's mention of a next time. Jathelle patted the younger
woman's shoulder, calming her. Then she said, "You are a charming fellow,
Tyrus of Qamat. You put the matter accurately: I
am much constrained by my royal duties. I yearned for at least one day without
titles and rank and responsibilities. But how did you know?"
Tyrus hesitated, buffeted by memories. Mastering these, he said again, "A
magician's tricks, LaRenya."
"So much came so quickly upon me this winter, since our father went to Keth's
portals," the young queen said wistfully. "When Hetanya smiled [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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