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."How did you find this connection?""Commingling's a two-way process," said David."It's amazing what you learn from the young of your species, who want nothing more than to praise Godith.""Die," said Tootega, and threw the ice.In midair it changed to a pointed spear, piercing the center of David's chest.David cried out and dropped to his knees, his left hand clasping that portion of the ice still sitting proud above his chest."It will be slow," said Tootega, throwing another.Its point sank into David's heart."The ice will stop your human blood and freeze you to death from the inside out.""No," said David, reeling slightly."I am never wrong," the Fain said back."The ice will transform me," David breathed."You're the one who's going to die.""Nothing on this world can touch me, human."542"I'm not thinking of this world," said David.His head fell low.In his mind's eye, he turned for what he knew could be the last time to his beloved writing dragon."Are you sure?" he asked.On his pad Gadzooks wrote down the word:IcefireSo be it."You've been seeking the fire of Gawain," said David."Where is it? Speak and I will kill you quicker.""You're standing on it.The ice is his fire tear.And that's what's seeping into my blood."Puzzled, Tootega looked about him.The ice rocked, the ocean rippled.A strange dark wind began to blow.For the first time in its life, the Fain felt cold."I was sworn to secrecy," David said, giving out a little breath of discomfort."If I speak of the fire, in the presence of the tooth, the spirit of Ragnar will be at my shoulder." He stared into the absent, hooded eyes."Say hello to Ingavar.I think you've already met."543As Tootega turned, a spirit paw punched through the center of his chest, and tore out the Fain, striking it dead.The body that had once been the hunter, Tootega, fell to the ice in a lifeless heap.The spirit of Ingavar raised its paw again and drew three short lines in the dead man's head.A hole opened in the ice beneath the corpse, and Tootega joined his dogs in spirit."David! David!" Then it was Zanna, scrambling headlong across the ice.She dropped to her knees to cradle his head."Hi," he said, having difficulty swallowing."Guess this means we're back on again?""Why?" she said quietly, swaying over him."Why did you have to do it?"He lifted a hand and played with her hair, amused by the number of Inuit charms."Got your feather.It's under my pillow.""Don't do this," she sobbed."I don't want to lose you."He swallowed again and looked up into her face."Your eyes.They're so beautiful.Please don't cry."544"David, don't.Stay with me," she begged.The ice rocked.Three bears, maybe four, had climbed onto the floe.David ran his fingertips over his lips and pressed them onto her cold, white cheek."Know what day it is?"She sniffed and shook her head."Valentine's.Don't s'pose you sent me a card?"She shook her head again."Missed the mail.""No problem.Put out your hand."She leveled it for him.And gathering his own hands together in a circle, he placed an invisible gift in her palm."What is it?" she said, trying hard not to cry."A Valentine dragon -- anonymous, of course."She laughed and pulled her hair away from her mouth."What's its name?"He blinked once and touched her face again."It'll come to you," he said.Then his eyes closed slowly and his head fell into the crook of her arm.545"No," she wailed, and pulled him to her."Stay with me.Please stay with me."One of the bears gave a gentle snort.There were four on the floe, lying down together.Farther out, on other floes, she could see more.At David's feet sat the spirit of Ingavar."Not yet, I want to hold him," she said.And they waited, heads bowed, until she was ready to lay David down and move aside.Only then did she tell them, "Do what you must."The spirit of Ingavar set himself down at David's shoulder.One by one, the four bears stood.North, south, east, and west.On a signal they rose together and pounded the ice in unison.The piece holding David and Ingavar broke and committed them both to the lapping water."My love," said Zanna, and looked into the sky.In the heavens, the fire star went out.546547EPILOGUE548WAYWARD CRESCENT -- THREE DAYS LATERCharming.That was the word that leaped to mind as soon as Bernard stepped out of the taxi.Despite the rain, the Crescent had a wonderful, welcoming feel.He knew his decision to come here was right [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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."How did you find this connection?""Commingling's a two-way process," said David."It's amazing what you learn from the young of your species, who want nothing more than to praise Godith.""Die," said Tootega, and threw the ice.In midair it changed to a pointed spear, piercing the center of David's chest.David cried out and dropped to his knees, his left hand clasping that portion of the ice still sitting proud above his chest."It will be slow," said Tootega, throwing another.Its point sank into David's heart."The ice will stop your human blood and freeze you to death from the inside out.""No," said David, reeling slightly."I am never wrong," the Fain said back."The ice will transform me," David breathed."You're the one who's going to die.""Nothing on this world can touch me, human."542"I'm not thinking of this world," said David.His head fell low.In his mind's eye, he turned for what he knew could be the last time to his beloved writing dragon."Are you sure?" he asked.On his pad Gadzooks wrote down the word:IcefireSo be it."You've been seeking the fire of Gawain," said David."Where is it? Speak and I will kill you quicker.""You're standing on it.The ice is his fire tear.And that's what's seeping into my blood."Puzzled, Tootega looked about him.The ice rocked, the ocean rippled.A strange dark wind began to blow.For the first time in its life, the Fain felt cold."I was sworn to secrecy," David said, giving out a little breath of discomfort."If I speak of the fire, in the presence of the tooth, the spirit of Ragnar will be at my shoulder." He stared into the absent, hooded eyes."Say hello to Ingavar.I think you've already met."543As Tootega turned, a spirit paw punched through the center of his chest, and tore out the Fain, striking it dead.The body that had once been the hunter, Tootega, fell to the ice in a lifeless heap.The spirit of Ingavar raised its paw again and drew three short lines in the dead man's head.A hole opened in the ice beneath the corpse, and Tootega joined his dogs in spirit."David! David!" Then it was Zanna, scrambling headlong across the ice.She dropped to her knees to cradle his head."Hi," he said, having difficulty swallowing."Guess this means we're back on again?""Why?" she said quietly, swaying over him."Why did you have to do it?"He lifted a hand and played with her hair, amused by the number of Inuit charms."Got your feather.It's under my pillow.""Don't do this," she sobbed."I don't want to lose you."He swallowed again and looked up into her face."Your eyes.They're so beautiful.Please don't cry."544"David, don't.Stay with me," she begged.The ice rocked.Three bears, maybe four, had climbed onto the floe.David ran his fingertips over his lips and pressed them onto her cold, white cheek."Know what day it is?"She sniffed and shook her head."Valentine's.Don't s'pose you sent me a card?"She shook her head again."Missed the mail.""No problem.Put out your hand."She leveled it for him.And gathering his own hands together in a circle, he placed an invisible gift in her palm."What is it?" she said, trying hard not to cry."A Valentine dragon -- anonymous, of course."She laughed and pulled her hair away from her mouth."What's its name?"He blinked once and touched her face again."It'll come to you," he said.Then his eyes closed slowly and his head fell into the crook of her arm.545"No," she wailed, and pulled him to her."Stay with me.Please stay with me."One of the bears gave a gentle snort.There were four on the floe, lying down together.Farther out, on other floes, she could see more.At David's feet sat the spirit of Ingavar."Not yet, I want to hold him," she said.And they waited, heads bowed, until she was ready to lay David down and move aside.Only then did she tell them, "Do what you must."The spirit of Ingavar set himself down at David's shoulder.One by one, the four bears stood.North, south, east, and west.On a signal they rose together and pounded the ice in unison.The piece holding David and Ingavar broke and committed them both to the lapping water."My love," said Zanna, and looked into the sky.In the heavens, the fire star went out.546547EPILOGUE548WAYWARD CRESCENT -- THREE DAYS LATERCharming.That was the word that leaped to mind as soon as Bernard stepped out of the taxi.Despite the rain, the Crescent had a wonderful, welcoming feel.He knew his decision to come here was right [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]