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.A quiet table bea busy table, and by me the cooking of Eth and Birdie here was ever beloved."Page 148 But the Ertishman's high jollity could scarcely contain itself, and it was not long before he was regalingthe diners with the tale of his embarrassment at the hands of the little folk the miniature siofra, or fanes,as they were sometimes called at their glamour-fair.The story lost nothing in the telling, and soon alldiners rocked with mirth.Then a bell rang and Muirne rose swiftly."I shall see to it, Mother." She went behind the leather curtain to the screened-off front of the room.Presently she returned carrying an apron full of plums."A scald," she said."I made up the poultice."«You did well,» her mother signed."And how long did it take ye to make the base for that poultice?" asked Sianadh.His sister shrugged."I'll wager it took hours, gathering, washing, drying, pounding, brewing, straining, and suchlike, and lookwhat it got for ye,tambalai a few plums.Nay, Sparrow-Bird.I be not at odds with ye, I know the feesyour mother sets ye were just abiding by her wish.But she charges far too little, allus has, and workstoo hard." He sighed."Ah, but all that has changed now, and it be time for the telling."Muirne deposited the plums in a dish."See, Imrhien here," said Sianadh, leaning on the table confidingly, "she be a lady of means.She wastraveling to Tarv to get a cure for paradox poisoning, but her bodyguard met with some misfortune.Luckily I chanced along, and here we be.Ye do not have to go telling all and sundry about her visit, shewants no song and dance, just a cure." Imrhien nodded.Sianadh had a unique way of framing hisexplanations.Ethlinn signed a complicated message to her daughter."At once?" the lass asked.The carlin nodded."My mother has asked Muirne to go on an errand," explained Liam.Muirne removed her apron andtook up a basket and some coppers from a crock on the mantelpiece.Then she was gone, pulling on hertaltry.The inevitable bell signaled her departure."Now we can really talk," said Sianadh."Meaning no offense to the Sparrow, but what she does notknow cannot harm her.Ethlinn and I spoke together last night when ye young 'uns were abed, and by theend of it we agreed that ye, Liam boyo, and ye only, should know the full truth of the matter.""Ye do me a kindness, Uncle.""Never.I know ye can make yourself useful, that is all.The rest of the matter that concerns ye be this Icame upon a lost treasure out there in the Lofties, a treasure of moonrafter and candlebutter and baublesso busy, ye cannot even dream of it.Imrhien kind of opened the doors to it, and we brought some backwith us.Half of it belongs to her we saved each other's hides at whiles all along the way but believeme, a tenth part of it, a thousandth part of it, would keep us all in luxury all our born days.""Mother of Warriors!" exclaimed Liam."So 'tis to be rich, we are, is it?" He jumped up and danced alittle jig around the room, his mother and uncle smiling on his enthusiasm."Rich at last!" crowed the youngman."After being dirt-poor for centuries.At last we shall have all the good things we deserve."Page 149 "Deserve!" Sianadh barked."Deserve! Boyo, did your mother never tell ye what our granny's wisewords were on that matter?"Liam ceased his hopping and eyed his uncle inquiringly."She used to say nobody deserves aught in this world," said Sianadh."Naught, neither good nor bad.Yeget what ye get, and that's the way of it.Those who talk of deserving or not deserving only end up with achip on their shoulder.""Ach, whatever," Liam said lightly, sitting himself down again.Sianadh winked conspiratorially atImrhien."Hearken, boyo, point yer lugs this way.I be going back with an expedition to get more, a big haul, andI need your help.Ethlinn tells me that since last I was here my old cronies have drifted away there beonly one left of the trusty few, but he be crooked with a broken shoulder from some scrape withmercenaries in an alehouse.So I need your strong arms, boyo, and half a dozen trusty lads.""But if 'tis sildron, then surely it belongs by rights to the King-Emperor?""Now, do not go getting like your brother.Liam, this be the Bear you be talking to.Sure and theKing-Emperor's got more Rusty Jack's Friend than ye could think of and would not be wanting more.But after we take all we want, we will let the King-Emperor's Royal Court know that we have suddenlydiscovered a stack of riches and we ain't touched a penny.They may claim the rest, barring the rewardthey would give us, of course.There be some things too big for us to take, and besides, I would ratherthese riches fell into the right hands, the hands of ourselves and good King James and the Dainnan, notinto the clutches of bloodthirsty reivers.Ain't that right,chehrna?""By all means, Uncle," Liam interjected eagerly."I can drum up the boys we need for such anexpedition, in no time at all!""Aye good lad.But before we set out, none of them must know the treasure exists.It be vital thatthere be no chance of word leaking out into the city, and no matter how trusty your comrades may be,they be only mortal, and the tongues of mortals may slip.Tell them that 'tis a rich foreigner's huntingexpedition and that we are to meet this sporting noble somewhere upriver.""Ye ask me to lie to my comrades?""I demand that ye lie to them, or else there shall be no expedition.None but we four here at this tablemust know about what lies under Waterstair not even your brother or your sister must know.Laterthere shall be time enough to reveal all, but not until we have taken all we need for ourselves.Now swearto secrecy, Liam."The youth looked at his mother, who nodded."For ye, and for riches, I swear it," he said."When do we start?""As soon as ye have gathered a company and provisions have been purchased.""And are ye to accompany us, Lady Imrhien?"She began to nod her head, but Sianadh cut across the gesture with a word.Page 150 "Nay!Chehrna, the wilderness be no place for lasses.Remain in safety I shall bring back your share, tobe sure."The girl frowned, shaking her head.Gently he said, "Remain here and undergo the cure ye have wished for.Ethlinn, can ye give her back herrightful face?"Imrhien held her breath.She saw the woman's shoulders sag slightly, as though Sianadh had placed aburden on them.After a moment she signed to her son."My mother says that she cannot help.Her Wand is powerful, but it may not safely cure such a bad caseof paradox without possibly causing scarring," Liam interpreted.«You must go to the Daughter of Grianan, who sees with one eye,» Ethlinn signed."A Daughter of the Winter Sun, that means a carlin," explained Sianadh."The carlin of whom my sisterspeaks is very great, perhaps the most powerful of all carlins, Maeve One-Eye.But where might she be,Eth? She travels, does she not, and is never in one place for longer than a season?"Ethlinn's hands danced."Every Autumn, the dame abides near a small village by the name of White Down Rory," Liamtranslated, "near Caermelor."In sudden anger, Imrhien thumped her fist on the table.Wearily her head sank into her hands [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]
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.A quiet table bea busy table, and by me the cooking of Eth and Birdie here was ever beloved."Page 148 But the Ertishman's high jollity could scarcely contain itself, and it was not long before he was regalingthe diners with the tale of his embarrassment at the hands of the little folk the miniature siofra, or fanes,as they were sometimes called at their glamour-fair.The story lost nothing in the telling, and soon alldiners rocked with mirth.Then a bell rang and Muirne rose swiftly."I shall see to it, Mother." She went behind the leather curtain to the screened-off front of the room.Presently she returned carrying an apron full of plums."A scald," she said."I made up the poultice."«You did well,» her mother signed."And how long did it take ye to make the base for that poultice?" asked Sianadh.His sister shrugged."I'll wager it took hours, gathering, washing, drying, pounding, brewing, straining, and suchlike, and lookwhat it got for ye,tambalai a few plums.Nay, Sparrow-Bird.I be not at odds with ye, I know the feesyour mother sets ye were just abiding by her wish.But she charges far too little, allus has, and workstoo hard." He sighed."Ah, but all that has changed now, and it be time for the telling."Muirne deposited the plums in a dish."See, Imrhien here," said Sianadh, leaning on the table confidingly, "she be a lady of means.She wastraveling to Tarv to get a cure for paradox poisoning, but her bodyguard met with some misfortune.Luckily I chanced along, and here we be.Ye do not have to go telling all and sundry about her visit, shewants no song and dance, just a cure." Imrhien nodded.Sianadh had a unique way of framing hisexplanations.Ethlinn signed a complicated message to her daughter."At once?" the lass asked.The carlin nodded."My mother has asked Muirne to go on an errand," explained Liam.Muirne removed her apron andtook up a basket and some coppers from a crock on the mantelpiece.Then she was gone, pulling on hertaltry.The inevitable bell signaled her departure."Now we can really talk," said Sianadh."Meaning no offense to the Sparrow, but what she does notknow cannot harm her.Ethlinn and I spoke together last night when ye young 'uns were abed, and by theend of it we agreed that ye, Liam boyo, and ye only, should know the full truth of the matter.""Ye do me a kindness, Uncle.""Never.I know ye can make yourself useful, that is all.The rest of the matter that concerns ye be this Icame upon a lost treasure out there in the Lofties, a treasure of moonrafter and candlebutter and baublesso busy, ye cannot even dream of it.Imrhien kind of opened the doors to it, and we brought some backwith us.Half of it belongs to her we saved each other's hides at whiles all along the way but believeme, a tenth part of it, a thousandth part of it, would keep us all in luxury all our born days.""Mother of Warriors!" exclaimed Liam."So 'tis to be rich, we are, is it?" He jumped up and danced alittle jig around the room, his mother and uncle smiling on his enthusiasm."Rich at last!" crowed the youngman."After being dirt-poor for centuries.At last we shall have all the good things we deserve."Page 149 "Deserve!" Sianadh barked."Deserve! Boyo, did your mother never tell ye what our granny's wisewords were on that matter?"Liam ceased his hopping and eyed his uncle inquiringly."She used to say nobody deserves aught in this world," said Sianadh."Naught, neither good nor bad.Yeget what ye get, and that's the way of it.Those who talk of deserving or not deserving only end up with achip on their shoulder.""Ach, whatever," Liam said lightly, sitting himself down again.Sianadh winked conspiratorially atImrhien."Hearken, boyo, point yer lugs this way.I be going back with an expedition to get more, a big haul, andI need your help.Ethlinn tells me that since last I was here my old cronies have drifted away there beonly one left of the trusty few, but he be crooked with a broken shoulder from some scrape withmercenaries in an alehouse.So I need your strong arms, boyo, and half a dozen trusty lads.""But if 'tis sildron, then surely it belongs by rights to the King-Emperor?""Now, do not go getting like your brother.Liam, this be the Bear you be talking to.Sure and theKing-Emperor's got more Rusty Jack's Friend than ye could think of and would not be wanting more.But after we take all we want, we will let the King-Emperor's Royal Court know that we have suddenlydiscovered a stack of riches and we ain't touched a penny.They may claim the rest, barring the rewardthey would give us, of course.There be some things too big for us to take, and besides, I would ratherthese riches fell into the right hands, the hands of ourselves and good King James and the Dainnan, notinto the clutches of bloodthirsty reivers.Ain't that right,chehrna?""By all means, Uncle," Liam interjected eagerly."I can drum up the boys we need for such anexpedition, in no time at all!""Aye good lad.But before we set out, none of them must know the treasure exists.It be vital thatthere be no chance of word leaking out into the city, and no matter how trusty your comrades may be,they be only mortal, and the tongues of mortals may slip.Tell them that 'tis a rich foreigner's huntingexpedition and that we are to meet this sporting noble somewhere upriver.""Ye ask me to lie to my comrades?""I demand that ye lie to them, or else there shall be no expedition.None but we four here at this tablemust know about what lies under Waterstair not even your brother or your sister must know.Laterthere shall be time enough to reveal all, but not until we have taken all we need for ourselves.Now swearto secrecy, Liam."The youth looked at his mother, who nodded."For ye, and for riches, I swear it," he said."When do we start?""As soon as ye have gathered a company and provisions have been purchased.""And are ye to accompany us, Lady Imrhien?"She began to nod her head, but Sianadh cut across the gesture with a word.Page 150 "Nay!Chehrna, the wilderness be no place for lasses.Remain in safety I shall bring back your share, tobe sure."The girl frowned, shaking her head.Gently he said, "Remain here and undergo the cure ye have wished for.Ethlinn, can ye give her back herrightful face?"Imrhien held her breath.She saw the woman's shoulders sag slightly, as though Sianadh had placed aburden on them.After a moment she signed to her son."My mother says that she cannot help.Her Wand is powerful, but it may not safely cure such a bad caseof paradox without possibly causing scarring," Liam interpreted.«You must go to the Daughter of Grianan, who sees with one eye,» Ethlinn signed."A Daughter of the Winter Sun, that means a carlin," explained Sianadh."The carlin of whom my sisterspeaks is very great, perhaps the most powerful of all carlins, Maeve One-Eye.But where might she be,Eth? She travels, does she not, and is never in one place for longer than a season?"Ethlinn's hands danced."Every Autumn, the dame abides near a small village by the name of White Down Rory," Liamtranslated, "near Caermelor."In sudden anger, Imrhien thumped her fist on the table.Wearily her head sank into her hands [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]