Walter Jon Williams The Crown Jewels

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

"I never cared for him. It was the smile, I think. Never went away."
Maijstral nodded to the sound of violas. His eyes were dreamy. "The D Minor. I
always liked those first four bars."
"Me, too, boss." Gregor looked at Maijstrat, disquiet humming in his mind- He
knew he'd been diverted from his question about the reliquary's ultimate
fate and ex-
pertly diverted, too but his admiration for Maijstral's style had not obscured
his disquiet. He had no objection to looking after profit, but neither did he
enjoy the idea of the
Imperium coming back.
All this, he concluded, was going to take some thinking about.
Woolvinn Leases had a small office in the center of
Peleng City. Beside the door was a copper plate that was probably polished
daily. The door was opaque from the outside but transparent from the inside,
so that the func-
tionary therein could observe the customer on his approach and decide on the
proper attitude. Roman stepped through the door and gazed at the functionary
through rose-colored spectacles. "Mr. Woolvinn, please."
"Mr. Woolvinn has been deceased for eighty years,"
the functionary reported. He was a Tanquer and looked up at Roman through
slitted, supercilious nictitating mem-
branes. "I will show you to Mr. Clive. Who may I tell him is calling?"
"My name is Castor. I am personal assistant to Lord
120 / WALTER JON WILLIAMS
Graves." Roman handed the Tanquer a card. The real
Graves was a distant relation of Maijstral's who lived in the Imperium, a
spare and miserly young gentleman who would have been mortally offended by the
uses to which
Roman put his name, but too parsimonious to send a message complaining about
it.
"Sir." The Tanquer bowed, his striped tail swishing, and led Roman to an
office paneled in light, varnished wood. "Please wait here, sir." The
functionary indicated a chair, then a bar set into the wall. "May I offer you
coffee, tea, rink, kit infusion? Wine, perhaps?"
"A kif infusion. Thank you."
Roman sipped his drink and felt a warm and secret joy.
In addition to his ornamental spectacles he wore a soft grey jacket with a
dark braided collar and black laces, an antique gorget of darkened Wilkinson
steel, and handmade boots of brown leather. It was anything but what a servant
should wear, and that was what gave Roman pleasure. He had always thought, in
his heart of hearts, he would make
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Wa...on%20Williams%20-%20The%20Crown
%20Jewels.txt (82 of 171) [10/16/2004 5:37:56 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Walter%20Jon%20Williams%20-%20The%20
Crown%20Jewels.txt a first-rate lord. He was secretly pleased that Woolvinn's
had proven sufficiently old-fashioned not to have con-
nected their computer files to the telephone, and that he'd have to do his
reconnaissance the old-fashioned way.
Page 65
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Mr. Clive proved to be human, a middle-aged man of pleasant aspect and
Empire-tailored coat. Roman sniffed ears and declined an offer of pastry.
"Is that a Jasper?" he asked, indicating a smooth silver-
alloy construction rising gracefully in the comer. A lesser impersonator would
have said "genuine Jasper."
"Indeed, yes," said Mr. Clive. "Our founder, Woolvinn the Elder, was a
collector."
Roman sat, and Clive followed suit. "I congratulate Mr.
Woolvinn on his tastes," Roman said. "My own taste runs more to Torfelks, but
I understand that Jaspers are not easy
THE CROWN JEWELS I 121
to find nowadays. Lord Graves had a small collection to which he is always
hoping to add, but alas, Jaspers are much harder to acquire these days than in
the late Mr.
Wootvinn's time."
"Indeed, yes," Mr. Clive murmured.
"Lord Graves wishes to make a tour of the Constella-
tion," Roman said. "He hopes to spend a month on
Peleng, beginning eighteen months from now. He wishes to have suitable
accommodation."
"His lordship will doubtless want a house in town."
"In the country, methinks." The Countess Anastasia's residence had a rural
address, and Maijstral had primed
Roman with a description of her tastes- "A sizable place, suitable for
entertaining his lordship's large acquaintance.
Elegantly appointed, with an arbor for preference, perhaps a croquet court.
Would mis be possible?"
"indeed, yes," Mr. Clive said, now for the third time.
"We have several properties that might suit. In eighteen months, you say?"
"Indeed," said Roman, "Yes."
Roman viewed holographic representations of a number of residences, any of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Archiwum