Joel Rosenberg KOTHW 03 The Crimson Sky

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Thorian del Orvald was Thorian Thorsen's father, and he could no more let
familial affection stand in his way than any other ruler could, even though
the territory the Duelmaster ruled was a corner of his society, not real
estate.
But Ian wasn't arrogant enough to think he was ready to take on Tir Na Nog
alone. He would have liked to have had Arnie Selmo with him, but Arnie Selmo
wasn't available. Torrie would have been fine, but he wasn't available,
either. He might even have settled for Maggie she really wasn't all that good
with a sword, not by Ian's standards but people didn't expect a girl to be
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even as adequate as Maggie was.
But she wasn't available either.
For a moment, he played with the idea of seeing if he could enlist Malta's
brother, but he realized that would only be an excuse to travel to Vandescard
and see Marta. It wasn't just the hunger for the taste of her lips on his, for
the warmth and supple strength of her body at night, but that was part of it.
And while the Thorsen men could afford to think with their dicks, that was a
luxury that Ian had never been permitted.
There was only one more candidate... "So I'll take Valin," he said.
Karin Thorsen's eyes went wide. "Valin? He's just this side of death."
"No, not really." Hosea pursed his lips together thoughtfully. "He was," he
said, "but dwarves heal rapidly. That which doesn't kill them won't keep them
down for long." His right hand, as usual, lay limp in his lap, but somehow or
other he managed to eat the coffee cake without dropping so much as a crumb on
his lap or the table. Ian wished he knew how Hosea did that.
Hosea turned to him. "You'll take the Hidden Way from the clearing," he said.
"If you don't look for hidden turns, you'll likely emerge at the place where
the Sons brought Thorian and his family, only a few days from the Southern
Pass, even at a fairly slow pace."
Ian frowned. "I was hoping you knew a way that could bring us directly back
to Falias." The Hidden Way from Falias emerged in the clearing; there should
be some way to take it back to Falias.
"I'm sorry." Hosea shook his head, sadly. "I'm sure there is a way," he said,
tapping a long forefinger against his temple. "But I couldn't tell you what it
is." His jaw clenched for just a moment, and his cheek muscles stood out in
sharp relief. "There was a time..." he shook his head slowly, sadly, in
resignation. "Regrets," he said, "are not the most useful of emotions." His
eyes stared sadly at something infinitely far away as he sipped at his coffee.
Ian smiled. "I could've told you that myself."
Hosea shook himself, a tremor running up and down his body for just a moment,
and when it stopped, his warm smile was back in place, and his eyes rested
gently on Ian's. "Well then," he said, "let's take a look at you."
"Eh?"
Hosea turned in his chair and fumbled with the buttons of Ian's shirt with
his right hand, while his left hand dexterously eased inside, dry, gentle
fingers probing in a strange rippling motion that didn't feel at all clinical
but still somehow evaluative.
"Hmm ... there is some tearing, but only of the muscle; that should heal."
The fingers probed harder, deeper, but the only pain Ian felt was the mild
discomfort he would have felt anyway, if anybody had poked that hard at even
undamaged tissue. "It seems to me that there's some inflammation next to what
an acupuncturist would call a chi point, and what Dr. Sherve would call a
nerve cluster, I think."
He removed his hand and buttoned Ian's shirt, the buttons and buttonholes
aligning themselves instantly, as though leaping into place. If he hadn't been
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watching closely, Ian would have sworn that the buttons started moving just
before Hosea's fingers touched them, but...
But, no... it was just too easy to see magic everywhere, once you hung around
with these people for a while. It wasn't magic; it was just remarkable
dexterity.
Just...
"I don't like this," Karin said, her lips drawn into a thin line that, for
just a moment, made her look old and tired. She stood, and picked up the
receiver of the wall phone; her slim fingers punched a number faster than
lan's eyes could follow.
"Bob? It's Karin." She smiled. "I figured you would; I don't sleep that well
alone either. No, she's fine a bit put out, but I think that Martha was born
put out... yes, yes. No, that's not it no word, yet. I think we need a house
call. Yes, yes both of them. Hosea says that it's not all that bad, but yes, I
know." Her lips tightened. "And truth is that I need you to swear to Thorian
that I didn't talk him into it long before... yes. Half an hour is fine."
She hung up the phone and turned back to Ian. "He'll be here in an hour. I'll
pack for you, but you're not to even think about leaving until Bob Sherve
gives you an okay."
Ian shrugged, then immediately regretted the motion. "I'll wait for him to
look me over," he said. He clenched his right hand, the one that wore
Harbard's ring.Iam not afraid. I am cautious, certainly, but I am not afraid.
He concentrated on the thought, and then, as the ring pulsed once, twice,
three times against his finger, he shook his head and wondered why he'd
bothered with the ring again. It worked on other people at least the few times
he had used it, it had but it didn't seem to do anything for him. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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