[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
mists drifting across the tree branches out there.
A knock sounded on his door. David's voice: "You awake?"
"Yes."
"The PN is here."
Sil-Chan sat upright, stared at the closed door. "But he wasn't supposed to .
. ."
"He's here and he wants to see you immediately. You and Hepzebah."
The Paternomer Dornbaker was not as tall as his nightmare counterpart, but he
towered over Sil-Chan nonetheless. The PN stood more than two meters and his
shock of grey hair added another ten centimeters. The PN was also a heavy
man, muscular and swift in his movements. The early morning light penetrated
the east windows to bathe the room in sharp contrasts. The PN stood out like
an ancient figurehead, an older David -- skin like cured leather, fan wrinkles
at the corners of his eyes and mouth, a square chin, sea blue eyes and a wide
mouth with dark lips.
Sil-Chan stood facing him in front of the fireplace. Hepzebah sat on the
divan with David standing behind her.
The PN glared at Sil-Chan. "Why do you deliberately disrupt things of which
you have no knowledge?"
Sil-Chan glanced at Hepzebah, but she was staring at the floor.
"I did not come to disrupt," Sil-Chan aid.
"I judge a man by what he does," the PN said. "How long have you been seeing
my niece?"
"I met her for the first time, yesterday."
"A likely story."
"Are you calling me a liar, sir?" Sil-Chan kept his voice low and steady. It
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
was a tone that surprised even him. The pre-Dornbaker Sil-Chan would never
have used it.
The PN favored him with a peculiar, weighted stare, then: "No-o-o, I am not.
But you will admit this is disruptively surprising."
"Surprising, yes."
"Why did you come here, then?"
"The Library needs your help."
"This is how you enlist my help?" He waved at Hepzebah.
She stood and moved to Sil-Chan's side, put her hand in his. "You almost
killed him, Uncle, and you've not apologized."
"You stay out of this."
"Don't you take that tone with me," she said, "or I and my sisters will ban
the seed. How will you find a PN then?"
He glared at her. "I'm the PN here!" He made it sound "Pen."
"And I am the Elected Womb," she said.
The PN focused on Sil-Chan. "With him?"
"With whomever I choose!"
"The trothers agreeing!"
"They'll agree."
"I'm thirsty," the PN said.
David whirled away and went into the rear of the house while the PN stared
into the fire. Presently, David returned with one of the earthen mugs he had
brought to Sil-Chan. The PN took the drink without looking at David, quaffed
it, wiped his lips and returned the mug with the same casual disregard for its
source.
"My word is law here," the PN said. "Except when I give a direct order to a
chit like that." He jerked his head at Hepzebah. "You know you've
interrupted my hunt?"
"David sent word to you, I know," she said. "But you could have come back
after the hunt."
"And found you already with the trothers?" He looked at Sil-Chan. "Why
aren't you sitting? I told you there was no need to stand." His voice
sounded suddenly old and petulant. "I know you were injured."
Sil-Chan realized that was as much of an apology as he would ever get. It
amused him and strengthened him.
"You owe him something for the loss of his jetter," David ventured.
The PN whirled. "I don't owe him the woman who could join those lines!
Martin's willing. Why can't she . . ."
"I have sisters," Hepzebah said. "The lines can still be joined."
"But not this year," the PN grumbled. "It's an imposition to expect an old
man to wait for . . ."
Sil-Chan interrupted: "Aren't you being a little . . ."
"Stay out of this!" the PN snapped.
"I will not stay out of this!"
"You won't obey a direct order from the PN?" His voice was ominous.
Sil-Chan suppressed the churning of his stomach. "Sir, I came here at the
direction of Galactic Archives, of the Library. You don't have any idea what
. . ."
"We'll get to your official excuses later," the PN said. "Right now I'm
trying to reason with a pig-headed female who . . ."
"Uncle." The steel had returned to Hepzebah's voice. "In front of a witness,
I asked this man to wed and he accepted."
"So David says!"
"Even you are not above the law," she said. "You will recall that I was not
raised a chore daubto . . ."
"Maybe that's where I made my mistake," the PN muttered.
"If it was a mistake, it was not my mistake," she said. "And I warn you that
I do not intend to be bound by your tame band of trothers when. . . ."
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"You're a pig-headed female!"
She continued unperturbed. ". . . when they cast no omens, made no
divinations. We both know that they followed your instructions to approve
Martin."
"What's the difference? Mumbo jumbo or common sense? Give me common sense
every time!" Again, he stared into the fire.
"Don't try swaying the trothers," she said. "I'll demand the Pleb. You know
what'll happen then."
He spoke without turning. "Are you threatening me?"
She said: "The trothers will face the Stone and be forced to admit your
interference. The vote of the Pleb will go for me."
"All right! "He whirled. "So you want this . . . this . . ." He gestured
with a fist at Sil-Chan. "Ever since you were a wee one you've gotten
everything you wanted! Now you . . ."
"Will all of you shut up for just a minute?" Sil-Chan asked. "I've had quite
enough of this family bickering." He caught a sudden grin from David standing
behind the PN, took heart from it.
"Oh, have you now?" the PN asked. His voice was dangerous. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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mists drifting across the tree branches out there.
A knock sounded on his door. David's voice: "You awake?"
"Yes."
"The PN is here."
Sil-Chan sat upright, stared at the closed door. "But he wasn't supposed to .
. ."
"He's here and he wants to see you immediately. You and Hepzebah."
The Paternomer Dornbaker was not as tall as his nightmare counterpart, but he
towered over Sil-Chan nonetheless. The PN stood more than two meters and his
shock of grey hair added another ten centimeters. The PN was also a heavy
man, muscular and swift in his movements. The early morning light penetrated
the east windows to bathe the room in sharp contrasts. The PN stood out like
an ancient figurehead, an older David -- skin like cured leather, fan wrinkles
at the corners of his eyes and mouth, a square chin, sea blue eyes and a wide
mouth with dark lips.
Sil-Chan stood facing him in front of the fireplace. Hepzebah sat on the
divan with David standing behind her.
The PN glared at Sil-Chan. "Why do you deliberately disrupt things of which
you have no knowledge?"
Sil-Chan glanced at Hepzebah, but she was staring at the floor.
"I did not come to disrupt," Sil-Chan aid.
"I judge a man by what he does," the PN said. "How long have you been seeing
my niece?"
"I met her for the first time, yesterday."
"A likely story."
"Are you calling me a liar, sir?" Sil-Chan kept his voice low and steady. It
Page 31
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
was a tone that surprised even him. The pre-Dornbaker Sil-Chan would never
have used it.
The PN favored him with a peculiar, weighted stare, then: "No-o-o, I am not.
But you will admit this is disruptively surprising."
"Surprising, yes."
"Why did you come here, then?"
"The Library needs your help."
"This is how you enlist my help?" He waved at Hepzebah.
She stood and moved to Sil-Chan's side, put her hand in his. "You almost
killed him, Uncle, and you've not apologized."
"You stay out of this."
"Don't you take that tone with me," she said, "or I and my sisters will ban
the seed. How will you find a PN then?"
He glared at her. "I'm the PN here!" He made it sound "Pen."
"And I am the Elected Womb," she said.
The PN focused on Sil-Chan. "With him?"
"With whomever I choose!"
"The trothers agreeing!"
"They'll agree."
"I'm thirsty," the PN said.
David whirled away and went into the rear of the house while the PN stared
into the fire. Presently, David returned with one of the earthen mugs he had
brought to Sil-Chan. The PN took the drink without looking at David, quaffed
it, wiped his lips and returned the mug with the same casual disregard for its
source.
"My word is law here," the PN said. "Except when I give a direct order to a
chit like that." He jerked his head at Hepzebah. "You know you've
interrupted my hunt?"
"David sent word to you, I know," she said. "But you could have come back
after the hunt."
"And found you already with the trothers?" He looked at Sil-Chan. "Why
aren't you sitting? I told you there was no need to stand." His voice
sounded suddenly old and petulant. "I know you were injured."
Sil-Chan realized that was as much of an apology as he would ever get. It
amused him and strengthened him.
"You owe him something for the loss of his jetter," David ventured.
The PN whirled. "I don't owe him the woman who could join those lines!
Martin's willing. Why can't she . . ."
"I have sisters," Hepzebah said. "The lines can still be joined."
"But not this year," the PN grumbled. "It's an imposition to expect an old
man to wait for . . ."
Sil-Chan interrupted: "Aren't you being a little . . ."
"Stay out of this!" the PN snapped.
"I will not stay out of this!"
"You won't obey a direct order from the PN?" His voice was ominous.
Sil-Chan suppressed the churning of his stomach. "Sir, I came here at the
direction of Galactic Archives, of the Library. You don't have any idea what
. . ."
"We'll get to your official excuses later," the PN said. "Right now I'm
trying to reason with a pig-headed female who . . ."
"Uncle." The steel had returned to Hepzebah's voice. "In front of a witness,
I asked this man to wed and he accepted."
"So David says!"
"Even you are not above the law," she said. "You will recall that I was not
raised a chore daubto . . ."
"Maybe that's where I made my mistake," the PN muttered.
"If it was a mistake, it was not my mistake," she said. "And I warn you that
I do not intend to be bound by your tame band of trothers when. . . ."
Page 32
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"You're a pig-headed female!"
She continued unperturbed. ". . . when they cast no omens, made no
divinations. We both know that they followed your instructions to approve
Martin."
"What's the difference? Mumbo jumbo or common sense? Give me common sense
every time!" Again, he stared into the fire.
"Don't try swaying the trothers," she said. "I'll demand the Pleb. You know
what'll happen then."
He spoke without turning. "Are you threatening me?"
She said: "The trothers will face the Stone and be forced to admit your
interference. The vote of the Pleb will go for me."
"All right! "He whirled. "So you want this . . . this . . ." He gestured
with a fist at Sil-Chan. "Ever since you were a wee one you've gotten
everything you wanted! Now you . . ."
"Will all of you shut up for just a minute?" Sil-Chan asked. "I've had quite
enough of this family bickering." He caught a sudden grin from David standing
behind the PN, took heart from it.
"Oh, have you now?" the PN asked. His voice was dangerous. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]