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.Luce, laughing, shook him.A rib protested- "Little prince," he baited, "where is your liege man now?"Blais would not permit this— Kellin arched his body in a final attempt at escape, then went limp.Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.He hung slackly in thick arms.Luce squeezed him a final time, threw him down."I'll have that knife now."Kellin's breath came back in a rush.He heard himself gasping and whooping as his lungs filled slowly, then understood what Luce intended to do-"No knife—mine-—" And it was there, kicked beneath shattered wood; Kellin clawed for it, touched it» closed trembling fingers upon it even as Luce saw his intent.But before the big man could react, Kellin's hand closed over the hilt.He came up from the floor in one awkward lunge, still gasping for breath, still doubled up from the pain of his bruised ribs.But to hesitate or protect himself guaranteed death; Kellin slashed out repeatedly, carving himself a clearing.He saw 202 Jennifer Robersons,the glint of a swordblade—no, two—and realized ^the watchdogs were present at last.Teague had reached the door, or else they had heard the commotion.Luce?The man was there, armed as well.The knife he held was not so elaborate as Kellin's but its blade was equally deadly.Near-black eyes were fastened ^on Kellin's face."I'll have that long-knife yet."Blood trickled into Kellin's right eye as he ^sucked at air.He scrubbed a forearm across his ?brow, shook back damp hair, then grinned at the s big man- Without the breath to answer, Kellin f beckoned Luce on with the waggle of one hand.By now most of the fighting had been stopped, or stopped of its own accord.It had come down to Kellin and Luce.The silence in the tavern was heavy with expectation.Luce still watched him, judging his condition.Kellin knew it well enough: he was half-sick on usca and the blow from Luce's knee, as well as bruised about the ribs.He was stippled by half a dozen nicks and slices, and a cut across his brow bled sluggishly, threatening his vision.Kellin forced a ragged laugh."Are you truly the king of the Midden? Do you think yourself fit to rule? Then show me, little man.Prove to a Cheysuli you are fit to hold his knife."Luce came on, as expected.Kellin stood his ground, watching the man's posture and the subtle movements of his body; when Luce's momen-tum was fully engaged, his intent divulged, Kellin slipped aside and thrust out a boot.Luce stumbled, cursed, then fell against a table.His hands thrust out to brace himself.With a single definitive blow of Blais' knife, Kellin chopped down and severed the thief's re-A TAPESTSY OF LlOPHS 203maining thumb."There," he said, "the debt now is paid."Luce screamed.He clutched his bleeding hand against his chest."Shapechanger sorcery!"Kellin shook his head.still trying to regain his breath."Just a knife in the hand of a man.But enough for you, it seems."The conquest of Luce ended the fight entirely.Kellin saw bloodied faces and gaping mouths, torn clothing and gore-splattered hair.The crimson tunics of the watchdogs glowed like pristine beacons in the smoky shadows of the tavern.He ached.His profaned manhood throbbed.He wanted no more than to lie down in the slushy snow and cool the heat of pain, to drive away the sickness, to regain in the bite of winter the self-control he had forfeited to a despised desperation.Kellin wanted no one, thief or guardsman, to see how much he hurt.Without a word, without an order, he turned and walked through the crowd and pushed open the cracked door, taking himself from the tavern into the cold clarity of the alley.The stench was no better there, but the familiar glitter of stars was an infinite improvement over the opaque malignancy of Luce's enraged stare.Kellin looked at the horses and very nearly flinched.He could not bear the idea of riding."My lord?" It was Teague, exiting the tavern.He was bloodied and bruised and very taut around the mouth."We should get you to Homana-Mujhar,"The response was automatic."If I choose to go."Teague neither flinched nor colored.His tone was pitched to neutrality."Are you done for the evening, my lord?"Kellin gifted him with a scowl as the other guardsmen filed out of the tavern."Is there something else you wished to do?"204 Jennifer RobersonTeague shrugged."I thought perhaps you might desire to find another game." He paused."My lord."As he collected breath and wits, Kellin considered any number of retorts.Most of them were couched in anger or derision.But after what Teague had done, he thought the guardsman deserved better [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]