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.”“Always got to have a crib,” he said.He seemed ill at ease, almost shy.He stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels, not meeting her eyes.“I thought I saw you,” Raisa said.“At the start of fall term.On horseback, near the stables on the Wien House side of the river.”“That was me,” he admitted.“I thought that was you.” He squinted at her.“Your hair is different,” he said, fingering his own.Raisa chose a book at random and pulled it from the bookcase.“I had no idea you were a wizard,” she said, thumbing through it — something about oats and barley.“I wasn’t.Not before.”“People are born wizards,” Raisa said.“I never heard of anyone turning into a wizard later on.” She jammed the book back onto the shelf.He just shrugged away the mystery.“Strange, huh? Please.Sit down.” He gestured at the single chair.“Do you want tea? Might warm you up.” He seemed to be working hard to be a gracious host, displaying his tattery manners.“Tea sounds good,” Raisa said.And then, unable to help herself, “How did you end up here?”Color stained his cheeks.“I go to school here, like I said,” he said, a little defensively.“How can you afford it?” Raisa blurted.She was immediately sorry, thinking the question sounded arrogant and nosy.He gazed at her for a long moment, as if debating how to answer.Then said, “I sold my wristplate.They went for a good price.” He held his wrists out for inspection.The silver cuffs were gone, though the skin underneath still looked raw and unweathered.This surprised her.The cuffs were his trademark.It seemed like he’d hang on to them.He must be really hungry for an education, she thought.He dug into a box in the corner and found a cup, spooned loose tea into it from a tin, heated a pitcher of water between his hands, and poured.He handed it to Raisa.“You’ve learned a lot of wizardry already,” Raisa said, sipping at her tea.It was a smoky, upland blend, and she felt a pang of homesickness.“I’m impressed.You must be a quick study.”Cuffs shrugged the compliment off.“I’ve been hard at it.It’s all I got to do here.And I have a — a tutor.Who’s helping me out.” He stopped abruptly and wet his lips.Raisa cast about for something else to say, eager to keep him talking about himself.“Listen, Cuffs.I was wondering if—”“I don’t go by that name down here,” he interrupted.“Since—you know—the cuffs are gone.My actual name’s Hanson Alister.Han.”A memory came back to Raisa—the scene in Father Jemson’s study, Cuffs Alister with his arm tight around her waist, his knife pressed to her throat, his heart thudding wildly against her back.Speaker Jemson saying, Hanson! You’re better than this! Let the girl go.Jemson had believed in Hanson Alister.Had his faith been misplaced?Raisa looked up to find Cuffs/Han waiting expectantly for the question she’d begun.It had flown out of her mind as she careened between her private thoughts and public speech.He must think I’m a real muddle head.“D-Does the school provide your amulets, or did you have to find one on your own?” she asked.“We bring our own,” he said.“I bought mine used off a trader before I came south.” It sounded like a well-rehearsed story.He made no move to display the amulet again.Raisa knew something about magical artifacts from working with her father.They fascinated her, that marriage of magic and metal and stone crafted into a bewitching whole.Most of them were gorgeous art pieces in and of themselves.“Could I see it again?” she asked.“Well, if you want,” he said, as if he didn’t really want to show it to her but couldn’t think of a reason not to.Fishing inside his neckline, he pulled it free and dangled it toward her.It spun before her eyes, glowing green and orange like a fire opal in sunlight.It was a finely crafted gemstone serpent with ruby eyes, its coils layered over gold.The serpent’s mouth was open, and it was so detailed that Raisa could see the drops of venom collected at the tips of its fangs.“Oh!” Impulsively, she reached for it, and Han yanked it back.“Better not touch it.It bites,” he said, sheltering it with his other hand.“What? Do you mean it.the snake.?”He shook his head.“It’s unpredictable.It’s charred a few curious fingers.”Raisa stared at the jinxpiece, teasing out a strand of memory.“I think I’ve seen it before.Is it a reproduction of an old piece? From before the Breaking?”Han nodded.“So I’m told.” He slid the amulet back under his shirt [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.”“Always got to have a crib,” he said.He seemed ill at ease, almost shy.He stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels, not meeting her eyes.“I thought I saw you,” Raisa said.“At the start of fall term.On horseback, near the stables on the Wien House side of the river.”“That was me,” he admitted.“I thought that was you.” He squinted at her.“Your hair is different,” he said, fingering his own.Raisa chose a book at random and pulled it from the bookcase.“I had no idea you were a wizard,” she said, thumbing through it — something about oats and barley.“I wasn’t.Not before.”“People are born wizards,” Raisa said.“I never heard of anyone turning into a wizard later on.” She jammed the book back onto the shelf.He just shrugged away the mystery.“Strange, huh? Please.Sit down.” He gestured at the single chair.“Do you want tea? Might warm you up.” He seemed to be working hard to be a gracious host, displaying his tattery manners.“Tea sounds good,” Raisa said.And then, unable to help herself, “How did you end up here?”Color stained his cheeks.“I go to school here, like I said,” he said, a little defensively.“How can you afford it?” Raisa blurted.She was immediately sorry, thinking the question sounded arrogant and nosy.He gazed at her for a long moment, as if debating how to answer.Then said, “I sold my wristplate.They went for a good price.” He held his wrists out for inspection.The silver cuffs were gone, though the skin underneath still looked raw and unweathered.This surprised her.The cuffs were his trademark.It seemed like he’d hang on to them.He must be really hungry for an education, she thought.He dug into a box in the corner and found a cup, spooned loose tea into it from a tin, heated a pitcher of water between his hands, and poured.He handed it to Raisa.“You’ve learned a lot of wizardry already,” Raisa said, sipping at her tea.It was a smoky, upland blend, and she felt a pang of homesickness.“I’m impressed.You must be a quick study.”Cuffs shrugged the compliment off.“I’ve been hard at it.It’s all I got to do here.And I have a — a tutor.Who’s helping me out.” He stopped abruptly and wet his lips.Raisa cast about for something else to say, eager to keep him talking about himself.“Listen, Cuffs.I was wondering if—”“I don’t go by that name down here,” he interrupted.“Since—you know—the cuffs are gone.My actual name’s Hanson Alister.Han.”A memory came back to Raisa—the scene in Father Jemson’s study, Cuffs Alister with his arm tight around her waist, his knife pressed to her throat, his heart thudding wildly against her back.Speaker Jemson saying, Hanson! You’re better than this! Let the girl go.Jemson had believed in Hanson Alister.Had his faith been misplaced?Raisa looked up to find Cuffs/Han waiting expectantly for the question she’d begun.It had flown out of her mind as she careened between her private thoughts and public speech.He must think I’m a real muddle head.“D-Does the school provide your amulets, or did you have to find one on your own?” she asked.“We bring our own,” he said.“I bought mine used off a trader before I came south.” It sounded like a well-rehearsed story.He made no move to display the amulet again.Raisa knew something about magical artifacts from working with her father.They fascinated her, that marriage of magic and metal and stone crafted into a bewitching whole.Most of them were gorgeous art pieces in and of themselves.“Could I see it again?” she asked.“Well, if you want,” he said, as if he didn’t really want to show it to her but couldn’t think of a reason not to.Fishing inside his neckline, he pulled it free and dangled it toward her.It spun before her eyes, glowing green and orange like a fire opal in sunlight.It was a finely crafted gemstone serpent with ruby eyes, its coils layered over gold.The serpent’s mouth was open, and it was so detailed that Raisa could see the drops of venom collected at the tips of its fangs.“Oh!” Impulsively, she reached for it, and Han yanked it back.“Better not touch it.It bites,” he said, sheltering it with his other hand.“What? Do you mean it.the snake.?”He shook his head.“It’s unpredictable.It’s charred a few curious fingers.”Raisa stared at the jinxpiece, teasing out a strand of memory.“I think I’ve seen it before.Is it a reproduction of an old piece? From before the Breaking?”Han nodded.“So I’m told.” He slid the amulet back under his shirt [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]