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Lord."
Silvina narrowed her eyes in thought. "I make it nine or ten full-Blooded
close male heirs. Those daughters of Mer-
on's are too young to be married, and none of them will ever be pretty, taking
after their sire as they all seem to have had the misfortune to do. Which of
those nine--"
"Ten . . ."
"Which would get the most support from the small holders and crafthalls? And
how, pray tell, does Piemur fit into . . . ah, but, of course." A smile
smoothed Silvina's frown, and she raised her glass to toast the Harper's inge-
nuity. "He did well then at Igen Hold?"
"Indeed he did, though Igen's a loyal group under any circumstances."
Silvina caught his slight emphasis on the word "loyal,"
and scrutinized his thoughtful face. "Why 'loyal'? And to whom? Surely there's
no more disloyalty to Benden?"
Robmton gave a quick negative shake of his head. "Sev-
eral disquieting rumors have come to my notice. The
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most worrying, the fact that Nabol abounds with fire lizards . . ."
"N&bol has no shoreline and scarcely any friends in
Holds that do acquire what fire lizards are found."
Robinton agreed. "They have also been ordering, and paying for, large
quantities of fine cloth, wines, the deli-
cacies of Nerat, Tiliek and Keroon, not to mention every sort of mongery from
the Smithcrafthall that can be bought or bartered, quantities and qualities
enough to garb, feed and supply amply every holder, cot and hold in Na-
bo! . . . and don't!"
"The Oldtimers!" Silvina emphasized that guess with a snap of her fingers.
"T'kul and Meron were always two cuts from the same rib."
"What I cannot figure out is what besides fire lizards the association gains
Meron . . ."
"You can't?" Silvina was frankly skeptical. "Spite! Mal-
ice! Scoring off Benden!"
Robinton reflected on that opinion, turning his wine glass idly by the stem.
"I'd like to know . . ."
"Yes, you would!" Silvina grinned at him, tolerance for his foibles as well as
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affection in her glance. "You and
Piemur are paired in that respect. He has the same insatia-
ble urge to know, and he's a dab hand at finding out, too.
Is that why you want his head mended? You're sending him up to Candler at
Nabol Hold?"
"No . . ." and the Harper drawled the word, pulling at his lower lip. "No, not
directly to Nabol Hold. Meron might recognize him: the man's never been a
fool, just perverted in principle."
"Just?" Silvina was disgusted.
"I'd like to know what's going on there."
"Today is not likely to be the last time Meron summons
Master Oldive. . . ." she said, raising her eyebrows sugges-
tively.
Robinton brushed aside the notion. "I hear that a Gath-
er's been scheduled at Nabol on the same sevenday as Lord
Groghe's. . . ."
"Isn't that just like Meron."
"Consequently, no one would expect Hall harpers to be in attendance," and
Robinton ended his sentence on an up-
swing of tone, eyeing Silvina hopefully.
91
"The boy'll be fit enough for a Gather, and undoubt-
edly it's kinder to send him away from the Hall on that particular day.
Tilgin's come along amazingly."
"Could he do aught else?" asked Robinton with real hu-
mor in his voice, "with both Shonagar and Domick spend-
ing every waking moment with him?"
92
Chapter 6
Piemur drifted in and out of sleep for the rest of that day and most of the
next, immeasurably reassured and com-
forted by the presence of Rocky or Lazy and Mimic who spelled the bronze fire
lizard.
If Menolly's fire lizards were with him, he reasoned, during the moments he
drifted into consciousness, then
Master Robinton couldn't be annoyed that he'd been stu-
pid enough to fall and hurt himself just when the Harper needed him. For that
was how Piemur construed the Har-
per's urgent query about his injury. He fretted, too, about what Clell and the
others might do with his possessions until he saw his press against the wall
beside his bed.
The first time Silvina appeared with a tray of food, he didn't feel like
eating.
"You're not likely to be sick again," she told him in a low but firm voice,
settling on his bed to spoon the rich broth into him. "That was due to the
crack you gave your head. You need the nourishment of this broth, so open your
mouth. Too bad we can't numbweed the inside of your head, but we can't. Never
thought to see the day you weren't ready to eat. Now, there's the lad. You'll
feel right as ever in a day or two more. Don't mind if you seem to want to
sleep. That's only natural. And here's Rocky to keep you company again."
"Who's been feeding him?"
"Don't sit up!" Silvina's hand pressed him back into the half-reclining
position. "You'll spill the broth. I suspect Se-
bell gave Menolly a hand. Not to worry. You'll be back at that chore soon
enough!"
Piemur caught at her skirt as she made a move. "There
#was grease on those steps, wasn't there, Silvina?" Piemur had to ask the
question, because he couldn't really trust what he thought he'd heard.
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91
"Indeed and there was!" Silvlna frowned, pursing her lips in an angry line.
Then she patted his hand. "Those little sneaks saw you fall, scampered down
and washed the grease off the steps and handrail . . . but," she added in a
sharper tone, "they forgot there'd be grease on your boot as well!" Another [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]