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.""You think it was her spell?""Her spell?" Pasgen looked blank and then blinked."I had not thought of that at all, but you could beright, of course.She has looked so much like an image rather than a creature with life and sense that Inever thought of it.But she was strong before whatever happened at Hatfield.What I thought was thatout of need they had learned to join.""Join," Rhoslyn repeated, and shivered."That would be bad.""Yes, but good or bad we must know what to expect."To that, Rhoslyn only nodded and looked ahead to where the servants, alerted by feeling the presence oftheir masters, were leading the not-horses.Rhoslyn mounted Talog without difficulty.Pasgen had moretrouble.He had not ridden Torgen at all in the two years he had been ill, and he did not ride very oftennow because he spent so much time in his workrooms.Even when he was out hunting mists in theUnformed lands, he often did not take Torgen because he only needed to go a few feet from the Gate.Once the not-horses were under control, Rhoslyn and Pasgen went to the nearest Gate a fantasticstructure designed to look like a gaping mouth with far too many fanged teeth which was large enoughfor the two not-horses abreast.They thought of Caer Mordwyn, Pasgen set the Gate spell in motion, andthey rode into the fanged mouth, and instantly out of a shadowy structure that might have been a bit ofdead woodland with great trunks, stripped of bark, leaning against one another, or a very large andrather ruinous barn.It was not enough of one or the other to be readily identified, but the first thing thatsprang to mind was that the work of creating it was second-rate and sloppy.Pasgen snorted and even Rhoslyn looked dissatisfied.Despite their differences about what was beautiful,neither tolerated shabby or careless work.However, neither spoke.This was Vidal's domain and thecareless, unfinished-looking surroundings might house prying eyes and listening ears.Certainly the Gatethat at one time had terminated very near the castle, now had released them at what looked like theborder of the domain."The horses will have a nice run," Pasgen said. "That was what I hoped.I have been away and Talog needs exercise."Rhoslyn grinned and picked up the pace so that they arrived at the black gate of the palace at a neargallop.Indeed, they were coming so fast that Pasgen had to circle Torgen before he could slow himenough to pass through.And that left the not-horse in such a fury that he savaged the first servant whocame to take him, leaving the long, thin newtlike thing mewling, with its face torn open and its bowelsoozing onto the cobblestones of the courtyard."Tsk," Rhoslyn said, gesturing first at the servant, who dissipated into mist, and then at Torgen, whoceased from plunging to the end of the rein that Pasgen had dropped and appeared fixed immovably tothe ground."That will be enough temper for one day, I think."Both not-horses now allowed themselves to be led away and Pasgen and Rhoslyn joined the gatheringthrong of dark Sidhe, boggles, bane-sidhe, red-caps, trolls, ogres, phookas, and other creatures whowere mounting the black marble stair to the entrance of Caer Mordwyn.Faintly a cry came from beyondthe great open doors.The twins glanced at each other."Shields?" Rhoslyn murmured."Ready," Pasgen replied.Inside, the unrelieved black of the external palace was brightened, if not much lightened, by red marbleveined with gold.The floors, too, had golden lines snaking curvaceously across their width.Rhoslynfrowned, not recalling whether the floor had always been so enhanced, just as a rather small ogre trippedover one of those curving lines, fell to the ground and began to shriek as something in the floor rose up topierce him.Whatever it was did not hold him long, for a moment later the ogre jumped up, wailing.The experiencehad not been fatal seemingly Vidal did not wish to diminish his court further, perhaps because he hadfinally realized that during his illness many had slipped out of his control and not returned.However, thelittle ogre seemed shrunken in size and could only stagger forward with a stain of dark blood trailing fromhis belly.Pasgen's and Rhoslyn's glance met; doubtless this was a new way for Vidal to suck power fromhis subjects.Pasgen's hand closed on Rhoslyn's arm and she felt the tingle of a shield sliding over her.It was just aswell, in being careful to avoid another trap on the floor they came too close to one of the pillars, whichlashed out at them with red ribbons that had been invisible against the red marble.The ribbons shriveledon touching Pasgen's shield, but others were not so fortunate.The twins heard grunts and cries fromthose both before and behind.As they took their places in the front row of the throne room, Pasgen sighed.Vidal was growingstronger.He looked alert and mildly dissatisfied over someone or something that had not yet arrived.Aurelia, beside him, was actually smiling.Pasgen pushed a little more power into the shield and tried towatch all around him for the next attack without seeming to do so.Thus Pasgen was taken completely by surprise when Vidal said, "I visited the FarSeers' tower a fewdays ago.Tell me, Lord Pasgen, why my FarSeers are still having Visions of the reign of Elizabeth.Whyhas she not been removed, one way or another as I ordered?"Pasgen almost asked "Who?" as he had asked the first time Vidal had mentioned Elizabeth, but recalledhimself in time.He shrugged, gestured indifference."I have not forgotten nor intended to disobey your command, Prince Vidal.I have merely been trying to be rid of the girl in a way that cannot be traced to the Unseleighe.Although she has been declaredillegitimate, she is still part of the royal family, and Oberon ""Oberon is not the ruler of this court!" Vidal roared.Pasgen shrugged again."No, but since there is no hurry about being rid of the child, why chance enragingthe High King?""Oh?" Vidal glowered down at him dangerously."And how do you know there is no hurry to be rid ofElizabeth? You have not been near the FarSeers' tower [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.""You think it was her spell?""Her spell?" Pasgen looked blank and then blinked."I had not thought of that at all, but you could beright, of course.She has looked so much like an image rather than a creature with life and sense that Inever thought of it.But she was strong before whatever happened at Hatfield.What I thought was thatout of need they had learned to join.""Join," Rhoslyn repeated, and shivered."That would be bad.""Yes, but good or bad we must know what to expect."To that, Rhoslyn only nodded and looked ahead to where the servants, alerted by feeling the presence oftheir masters, were leading the not-horses.Rhoslyn mounted Talog without difficulty.Pasgen had moretrouble.He had not ridden Torgen at all in the two years he had been ill, and he did not ride very oftennow because he spent so much time in his workrooms.Even when he was out hunting mists in theUnformed lands, he often did not take Torgen because he only needed to go a few feet from the Gate.Once the not-horses were under control, Rhoslyn and Pasgen went to the nearest Gate a fantasticstructure designed to look like a gaping mouth with far too many fanged teeth which was large enoughfor the two not-horses abreast.They thought of Caer Mordwyn, Pasgen set the Gate spell in motion, andthey rode into the fanged mouth, and instantly out of a shadowy structure that might have been a bit ofdead woodland with great trunks, stripped of bark, leaning against one another, or a very large andrather ruinous barn.It was not enough of one or the other to be readily identified, but the first thing thatsprang to mind was that the work of creating it was second-rate and sloppy.Pasgen snorted and even Rhoslyn looked dissatisfied.Despite their differences about what was beautiful,neither tolerated shabby or careless work.However, neither spoke.This was Vidal's domain and thecareless, unfinished-looking surroundings might house prying eyes and listening ears.Certainly the Gatethat at one time had terminated very near the castle, now had released them at what looked like theborder of the domain."The horses will have a nice run," Pasgen said. "That was what I hoped.I have been away and Talog needs exercise."Rhoslyn grinned and picked up the pace so that they arrived at the black gate of the palace at a neargallop.Indeed, they were coming so fast that Pasgen had to circle Torgen before he could slow himenough to pass through.And that left the not-horse in such a fury that he savaged the first servant whocame to take him, leaving the long, thin newtlike thing mewling, with its face torn open and its bowelsoozing onto the cobblestones of the courtyard."Tsk," Rhoslyn said, gesturing first at the servant, who dissipated into mist, and then at Torgen, whoceased from plunging to the end of the rein that Pasgen had dropped and appeared fixed immovably tothe ground."That will be enough temper for one day, I think."Both not-horses now allowed themselves to be led away and Pasgen and Rhoslyn joined the gatheringthrong of dark Sidhe, boggles, bane-sidhe, red-caps, trolls, ogres, phookas, and other creatures whowere mounting the black marble stair to the entrance of Caer Mordwyn.Faintly a cry came from beyondthe great open doors.The twins glanced at each other."Shields?" Rhoslyn murmured."Ready," Pasgen replied.Inside, the unrelieved black of the external palace was brightened, if not much lightened, by red marbleveined with gold.The floors, too, had golden lines snaking curvaceously across their width.Rhoslynfrowned, not recalling whether the floor had always been so enhanced, just as a rather small ogre trippedover one of those curving lines, fell to the ground and began to shriek as something in the floor rose up topierce him.Whatever it was did not hold him long, for a moment later the ogre jumped up, wailing.The experiencehad not been fatal seemingly Vidal did not wish to diminish his court further, perhaps because he hadfinally realized that during his illness many had slipped out of his control and not returned.However, thelittle ogre seemed shrunken in size and could only stagger forward with a stain of dark blood trailing fromhis belly.Pasgen's and Rhoslyn's glance met; doubtless this was a new way for Vidal to suck power fromhis subjects.Pasgen's hand closed on Rhoslyn's arm and she felt the tingle of a shield sliding over her.It was just aswell, in being careful to avoid another trap on the floor they came too close to one of the pillars, whichlashed out at them with red ribbons that had been invisible against the red marble.The ribbons shriveledon touching Pasgen's shield, but others were not so fortunate.The twins heard grunts and cries fromthose both before and behind.As they took their places in the front row of the throne room, Pasgen sighed.Vidal was growingstronger.He looked alert and mildly dissatisfied over someone or something that had not yet arrived.Aurelia, beside him, was actually smiling.Pasgen pushed a little more power into the shield and tried towatch all around him for the next attack without seeming to do so.Thus Pasgen was taken completely by surprise when Vidal said, "I visited the FarSeers' tower a fewdays ago.Tell me, Lord Pasgen, why my FarSeers are still having Visions of the reign of Elizabeth.Whyhas she not been removed, one way or another as I ordered?"Pasgen almost asked "Who?" as he had asked the first time Vidal had mentioned Elizabeth, but recalledhimself in time.He shrugged, gestured indifference."I have not forgotten nor intended to disobey your command, Prince Vidal.I have merely been trying to be rid of the girl in a way that cannot be traced to the Unseleighe.Although she has been declaredillegitimate, she is still part of the royal family, and Oberon ""Oberon is not the ruler of this court!" Vidal roared.Pasgen shrugged again."No, but since there is no hurry about being rid of the child, why chance enragingthe High King?""Oh?" Vidal glowered down at him dangerously."And how do you know there is no hurry to be rid ofElizabeth? You have not been near the FarSeers' tower [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]