Magic Casement (25 page)

Again
that wolfish grin. “Wait and see! I wouldn’t want to spoil your
surprise.”

The
chief turned and grunted an order. One of the youngest men sprang up and ran
along the big room and out the door. As Rap watched with farsight, he hurried
to the smallest building, the one where the boys and youths of the tribe were
sitting or lying around a fireplace. There seemed to be one grown man there,
perhaps a supervisor, and he now rose to follow the chief’s messenger.
Yet, while the messenger ran back, the newcomer took his time, idly kicking
snow with his bare feet, brazenly strolling through that deadly arctic cold
while clad in nothing but a strip of deer hide.

He
sauntered into the hall and up to the fireplace, folded his arms, and looked
expectantly at the chief. He was not a grown man, but not far off it-about Rap’s
age, almost as tall and twice the depth, a barrel-chested, powerful youth, as
big as any goblin in the room. He already had more moustache than most, and the
black rope of his hair hung almost to his waist. There were no tattoos on his
wide, ugly face, but there was much arrogance. The chief said something. The
youth looked Rap over and then grinned hugely with his oversized teeth. He held
a meaty arm against one of Rap’s to allow a comparison. The audience
exploded in appreciative laughter.

“This
is Little Chicken,” Darad explained helpfully. “High Raven’s
son. You’ll be seeing more of him in future. More than you want, I fancy!”
He laughed and then translated his joke for the benefit of the audience. They
found it equally amusing. High Raven must be the chief. That and his size
explained this youngster’s superior air.

“Do
I have to fight him?” Rap demanded, uneasily studying Little Chicken’s
impressively thick limbs and chest.

“Just
hold your end up! “ Darad said, laughing again.

The
chief snapped an order. Little Chicken nodded and grabbed Rap’s wrist.
The goblins respected courage; Rap felt pushed beyond all endurance by this mockery
and ill treatment. He jerked his arm away and swung a fast punch with his other
hand.

He
hit nothing. He had no time to register the horrifying implications of that
failure before Little Chicken doubled him over with a left hook in the belly
and then flattened him to the floor with a thump on the back of his head. Dimly
he heard the audience erupt in screams of mirth.

Little
Chicken might be shorter, but obviously his greater weight was combined with
much greater speed. He kicked at Rap to drive home the point and his father
shouted what sounded like a warning. So Little Chicken casually knelt, tucked
Rap under one arm, and rose to wander away while the spectators were still
bellowing and hooting and rolling around on the platform. Hands and feet trailing
on the gritty snow, Rap was borne ignominiously over to the boys’
building and dumped in a corner. The boys clustered around to inspect the dazed
and still nauseated captive. They found him just as entertaining as their
elders had done.

Princess
Kadolan peered around the south drawing room, being careful not to appear to be
peering-she did not think it seemly for a lady to screw up her eyes merely to
see properly. In a moment she located the burgundy dress she sought, and the
highpiled honey-blond hair. She set off at a measured pace, smiling and nodding
to a few friends. The big room was almost empty, and also strangely drab. The
snow floating down outside had muffled the morning sun and muted the normally
joyful tones of Angilki’s decor.

In
searching out the brightest light for her sketch book, Inos had curled up on a
love seat by the window. Her bright gown burned hot against the winter
whiteness without and the potted plants within. Behind her, beside the
casement, an oversize grandfather clock steadily chopped away at the seconds,
contrasting the relentless march of time with youth and beauty. Portrait of an
artist...

Kade
knew well that in most women such a pose would be a deliberate stratagem, but
in Inos it came from pure instinct. Imperceptibly Kinvale had melted away her
awkward adolescence to reveal a stunningly beautiful young woman. She had
gained poise and grace, and yet she still retained her bloom of innocence. That
would vanish, of course, as soon as she herself became fully aware of the
change, but-as Ekka had remarked only a few minutes ago-the smallest part of
the problem now was motivating the prospective suitors.

Inos
flipped over a page and frowned at it. Then she noticed Kadolan’s
approach, sat up straight, put her feet down...

“Don’t
get up, dear.” Kade settled at her side. “Does this snow make you
homesick?”

Inos
flashed her a smile that could have demolished an Imperial legion. “This?
I don’t think a Krasnegarian would call this snow, Aunt. You couldn’t
lose a horse in this. “

“You
could barely lose a copper groat in it. No, unless it gets much deeper it
should not spoil the skating party.”

“I
hope not,” Inos said, gazing happily out at the winter-shrouded lawns and
hedges. She had not known how to skate until a few weeks ago-skating was not a
practical pastime in Krasnegar-but she had taken to it like a horse to oats.
From her father she inherited a natural ability for such vigorous pursuits. She
glanced around to see who might be within earshot. Kadolan had already
determined that no one was.

“You
have come to scold me, Aunt. You have that this-will-hurt-me-more look about
you.”

“Oh,
dear! Am I becoming so obvious in my old age?”

Inos
chuckled and reached out to squeeze her hand. “Of course not! I am
teasing. But I certainly ought to know when I have distressed you; I do it
often enough, do I not?”

“No,
dear...” Kade found herself being studied by the greenest eyes in the
Impire, large and deep and unreadable.

“Well,
I did!” Inos said, much amused. “I was quite horrid to you when we
first arrived, my dear Aunt, and I am truly repentant. But I am seeing that
expression much less often, so either you have given up on me, or I am getting
better. Which is it?” When Inos chose to be charming, she was
irresistible.

“You
are doing wonderfully, my dear.”

A
tiny gleam of pleasure was masked at once by a coquettish smile. “But... “

“Well...
That naval person has departed-”

“Captain
Eggoli?” Inos contrived to look shocked. “Should he be traveling in
his present state of health? In this snow?”

“He
seemed quite eager to leave-and not at all eager to come and make his farewells
to you.”

Inos
threw up her hands dramatically. “And I did so hope to hear just once
more how he keelhauled those poor mutineeers! Surely it would have been proper
for an Imperial officer to have come to say good-bye?” She could not
quite keep the satisfied twinkle out of her eye, although she was becoming much
more skilled at hiding her feelings now. Inosolan was much more skilled at
almost everything now.

And
it really was very funny.

“What
I cannot understand,” Kadolan said, playing along, “is how a
strapping young sailor like that could have come down with such a terrible cold
when everyone else seems perfectly healthy. “

Still
Inos kept a straight face. “I did hear rumors that he spent a night in a
potting shed.”

“That
seems an unwise thing to do. The whole night?”

“A
good part of it, I expect. He has very strong opinions.”

“Of
himself, you mean? Oh, Inos! How could you?”

“Me?
I wasn’t there!” With demure innocence, she turned to gaze out at
the big cottony flakes drifting past the windows. Eventually she looked back at
Kadolan, and then they both laughed. Their laughter was rather long and
immoderate for high-born ladies.

Inos
recovered first. She smoothed her sketch book with her hand, took a deep
breath, and said, “He really did deserve it! I don’t mind the ones
who are looking for wives, Aunt. I mean, I don’t mind them looking. I
mind some of them thinking I would be interested... Oh, I’m not saying
this very well. “

“Take
your time, dear. I think we ought to have this out now.”

Inos
looked startled. “Hair down? A woman-to-woman chat? “

“A
lady-to-lady chat.” The sort of chat they could not have enjoyed even a
few short weeks ago.

“All
right! You and the dowager dragon-”

“Inos!
“ Kadolan murmured reprovingly.

“Hair
down, Aunt! You two have been parading your breeding stock-”

“Inos!
“

She
chuckled. “All right, but why do you think I had hysterics that time at
the Kinford Horse Show?”

“I
knew exactly why, dear, and so did everybody else.”

“And
I should have grown out of it by now? I’m sorry, Aunt. I just can’t
take it all seriously!” But her fists were clenched.

“You
have to, my dear. You will be a queen one day. Your choice of husband is a
matter of state. You know that. “ Inosolan sighed and pouted. “Father
promised I was not being sent here to be married off!”

“Your
father wants you to choose, for love. Few kings would be so considerate.
Obviously there is no one suitable in Krasnegar, so he hopes you will meet
someone here. Here you have been introduced to some of the most eligible-”

“Dullest,
fattest, oldest-”

“Don’t
be so conceited,” Kadolan said primly. “People do visit Kinvale for
other reasons than you.” Her niece colored slightly and said nothing.

“Also,
Ekka has many other ladies visiting, also. She can hardly hand her gentleman
friends a menu when they arrive, now can she?”

Kadolan
did not add that all those other ladies were in despair, that Ekka’s
renowned matchmaking venture had not produced an engagement in months, that no
living, breathing male guest had eyes for anyone but the fabulous princess.

Inos
nodded repentantly. “I am trying, Aunt. I really am! I made some mistakes
at first, but I think I’m doing all right now.”

“You’re
doing splendidly, my dear. I’m very proud of you.”

“Well,
then! But there have been one or two, like the hearty Captain Eggoli... “
The big green eyes grew round with wonder. “He really believed me! He
really thought I was going to meet him in the potting shed; of all places, so
he could-”

“I
think I can guess what he thought.”

Inos
chuckled again, then sighed. “It isn’t fair! It just isn’t
fair! Just because they’re bigger and stronger than we are, they think
they can run the world to suit themselves. And run us, too.” Kadolan
could remember thinking things like that. “We are not totally without
resources. Captain Eggoli is much bigger and much stronger than most, but he
looked very miserable as he left. His nose was red, and his eyes were puffy as
lambswool bedsocks. “

Inos
sniggered, then became suddenly wistful. “Oh, we can win a point or two,
now and then. But it still isn’t fair. “

“No,
it isn’t. What are you going to do about it?”

“Oh!
I’ve just made an epochal discovery, haven’t I? Inosolan’s
Guide to the Universe! I suppose everyone sees it in her time! Did you
experience the same shattering revelation at my age?”

“I
was older than you, I think. But it is the way of the world, and we must just
play the cards we are dealt.”

“Or
refuse to play at all?”

Kadolan
sighed quite genuinely. “No, my dear. That is not an option-not for
anyone, and especially not for you. And even if the rules are unfair, all we
can hope is that everyone plays honestly. “

Inos
showed her teeth. “I’ll keep them honest!”

Overconfidence
would be her next danger, of course. Regretfully Kadolan decided that she would
have to be frank, although she hated to hazard this precious bridge of trust
and understanding they had so painfully built to each other. But now the stakes
were high, time was very short, and the perils great. She reached out to the
sketch book on Inos’s lap and turned back the page that Inos had so
casually flipped just before seeming to notice her aunt’s approach.

The
big clock tick-tocked, tick-tocked, thin-slicing eternity. Kade said, “It’s
a very good likeness, my dear. I had not realized how talented you were.”

Inos
was scarlet, eyes glinting furiously. She did not speak.

“Tell
me about him.”

“I
love him.”

“Yes,
I think you do. But tell me about him.”

“What
more is there to tell?” Inos was hurt now, and angry, and defensive. “What
else matters?”

“Quite
a lot, dear. You see, Sir Andor was a mistake.” Inos drew a deep breath,
and Kade interrupted before emotion could provoke indiscretion.

“I
mean that he was not invited here to meet you. He was not invited here to meet
anyone. He was not invited here at all, Inos. He brought letters of
introduction, of course. It was the duke who asked him to stay. “

“Oh.
“ Inos was far from stupid. She smiled triumphantly. “So it was chance?
Not the dowager dragon? The Gods intervened!”

“Possibly.
The trouble is... his letters were signed by some very odd people. His Grace
has many curious friends for a man of his rank-artists and builders. The
nobility write introductions for one another all the time, of course, but one
of Sir Andor’s references came from an artist, and another from a
scholar. Most nobles would not accept such letters.”

“And
the others?”

“From
quite minor gentry. Ekka has been making inquiries. They now admit that they hardly
know him. “

A
dangerous frown came over her niece’s face. “Are you suggesting
that Sir Andor is a fraud? An imposter? Because--”“I’m not
suggesting any such thing, Inos. You spent five weeks in each other’s
company. You must have talked about yourselves. So you tell me about him. “

Inos
turned away quickly to stare at the window. Her hands moved restlessly. “He
had to leave upon a matter of honor. It may be dangerous, he said. But he
promised to return, and I certainly trust-”