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."Tomorrow is yet toeventuate.""Why stop at tomorrow?" Fellian said."Next week, next month, next year if youlike, when I have won still more bets against Yuckin and Nusk, we'll take youand hoist you on a tall pole that you may look on the lady directly and seethat she does smile towards me.Meantime, enjoy the hospitality of my dungeon.Hey, guards!""Thank you, I am in no need of lodging," the traveler said."Moreover, a weekis too long.One day will suffice.I will see you again tomorrow; let's say atdawn.For now, however, farewell.""Seize him!" Fellian bellowed, and the soldiers who had remained behind, onAchoreus's signal, when the party of captives was led away, dashed in thedirection of the traveler.But they went crashing against one another, asthough they had sought to clutch an armful of empty air.VIIIn the great cave-like kitchens of the palace, a cook sweated with ladle andtongs at a cauldron of half a hogs-head capacity.The fire roaring beneathscorched his skin, the smoke blinded his eyes with tears.From the dark corner of the hearth, a voice inquired for whom thesavory-smelling broth was being prepared."Why, for Lord Fellian," sighed the cook."But no man can engulf such a deal of soup.Will he have guests?""Yes, so he will." The cook grimaced."They'll eat two ladlefuls, or maybethree.""And you then will enjoy what is left over?""I, sir?" The cook gave a rueful chuckle."No, on my soul, I wouldn't dare.What my lord leaves in his dish goes to his hounds! Tonight as ever I shallsup off a crust of dry bread and that chunk of moldy bacon-rind.Still, houndshave no taste for wine, so if I'm quick I may claim the dregs from the gobletsat the high table, and liquor will soothe my grumbling belly enough to let mesleep."Among the fierce ammonia stench of guano, the falconer worked by an unglazedwindow, tooling with gnarled yet delicate hands a design of rhythmical goldleaf onto the hood and jesses of a peregrine falcon.Page 63 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"This leather is beautiful," said a soft voice from over his shoulder."Butdoubtless you put on far finer array when you go forth of an evening to enjoyyourself at a tavern?""I, sir?" grunted the falconer, not turning around; the light was wasting, andhe was forbidden the extravagance of lamps or candles."Why, no, I'm in theservice of Lord Fellian, and have no time to amuse myself.And had I time, I'dbe constrained to wear what you see upon me now-old canvas breeches, boundaround the waist with fraying rope.Besides, with what would I purchase a mugof ale?With a scoop of fewmets?"In the stables, a groom passed a soft cloth caressingly over the fitments of astall; they were of jacynth and ivory, and the manger was filled with newsweet hay, fine oats fit to have baked bread, and warm-scented bran."Palatial," said a voice from behind the partition."This is merely for ahorse?""Aye, sir," muttered the groom, declining to be distracted from his work."ForWestern Wind, LordFellian's favorite steed.""By comparison, then, I judge you must take your repose on high pillows filledwith swan's down, beneath a coverlet of silk, or furs for winter!""I sleep on straw, sir-do not jest with me! And if I have time to gather clayto stop the chinks in my hovel against the night's cold, I count myselflucky."Beside a marble bath, which ran scented water from a gargoyle's mouth, aslender girl measured out grains of rare restorative spices onto a sponge, aloofah, and the bristles of a brush made from the hide of a wild boar."With such precautions," a voice said from beyond a curl of rising steam,"beauty must surely be preserved far beyond the normal span.""Think you I'd dare to waste one grain of this precious essence on my ownskin?" the girl retorted, tossing back a tress of hair within which-though shecould be aged at most twenty-there glinted a betraying thread of silver."I'dbe lucky, when they detected my pilfering, to be thrown over the sill of thatwindow! Beneath it there is at least a kitchen-midden to give me a softlanding.No, my entire fortune is my youth, and it takes the powers of anelemental and the imagination of a genius to spread youth thin enough tosatisfy Lord Fellian from spring to autumn.""Then why do you endure his service?""Because he is a winner in the game of life.""And how do you know that?""Why," sighed the girl, "everyone says so."In the high-vaulted banqueting-hall, as the sun went down, the rival lordsYuckin and Nusk came to feast with their respective retinues at the expense ofthe current greatest winner prior to the onset of the night's gambling.Theyhad come to his palace too often of late; there was no friendly chat betweenthem.Gloomily-though with fair appetite, because their own kitchens did not boastsuch delicacies-they sat apart, growing angrier and angrier as platters ofgold succeeded those of silver, goblets of crystal replaced those of enameledpottery.and often recognizing items they had formerly owned.Lord Fellian, who should have been delighted at the discomfiture of hisrivals, was downcast, and the talk at his long table was all of the strangeintruder in a black cloak who had laid down so threatening a bet."It's nonsense!" roundly declared Achoreus, who was seated beside Fellian as amark of special favor."As you rightly said, sir, it's absurd to expect someone of your standing towager with a penniless nobody-and moreover the bet he named is by definitionincapable of settlement!"But his brow was pearled with sweat, and when he had repeated his assertionPage 64 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlfor the third time his voice was harsh with a hoarseness no amount of winecould relieve."And how say you, Torquaida?" demanded Fellian, hungry for reassurance-thoughnot for food; course after course was being removed from his place untouched."There is no need to worry," the elderly treasurer wheezed."Like you ordislike you, Lords Yuckin andNusk would have to concede the propriety of declining such a wager.One cannotconduct important affairs on an arbitrary basis!"Even that, however, did not set Fellian's mind at rest."Ah, would I knew theoutcome of the wager, however foolish!" he grumbled, and at that theblack-clad traveler, standing apart in the secrecy of an embrasure, gave a sadsmile."As you wish," he murmured, "so be it.You have won your bet with me, LordFellian-and there are and have been few in all eternity who can make thatclaim.Yet in the same instant when you won, you lost beyond all eternalhope."The question settled now, he went away.Shortly, they cleared the dishes from the hall, bringing in their place thehand-carved dominoes required for the game shen fu, the lacquered plaquesdestined for match-me-mine and mark-me-well, the tumbling gilded cages full ofcolored balls known as The Lady's Knucklebones, the gaming-wheels-those withfour, those with nine, and those with thirty-three divisions- blind songbirdstrained to pick out one and only one among three disparately dyed grains ofcorn, jumping beans, silver-harnessed fleas, baby toads steeped in strongliquor, and all the other appurtenances on which the Lords of Teq wereaccustomed to place their bets [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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."Tomorrow is yet toeventuate.""Why stop at tomorrow?" Fellian said."Next week, next month, next year if youlike, when I have won still more bets against Yuckin and Nusk, we'll take youand hoist you on a tall pole that you may look on the lady directly and seethat she does smile towards me.Meantime, enjoy the hospitality of my dungeon.Hey, guards!""Thank you, I am in no need of lodging," the traveler said."Moreover, a weekis too long.One day will suffice.I will see you again tomorrow; let's say atdawn.For now, however, farewell.""Seize him!" Fellian bellowed, and the soldiers who had remained behind, onAchoreus's signal, when the party of captives was led away, dashed in thedirection of the traveler.But they went crashing against one another, asthough they had sought to clutch an armful of empty air.VIIIn the great cave-like kitchens of the palace, a cook sweated with ladle andtongs at a cauldron of half a hogs-head capacity.The fire roaring beneathscorched his skin, the smoke blinded his eyes with tears.From the dark corner of the hearth, a voice inquired for whom thesavory-smelling broth was being prepared."Why, for Lord Fellian," sighed the cook."But no man can engulf such a deal of soup.Will he have guests?""Yes, so he will." The cook grimaced."They'll eat two ladlefuls, or maybethree.""And you then will enjoy what is left over?""I, sir?" The cook gave a rueful chuckle."No, on my soul, I wouldn't dare.What my lord leaves in his dish goes to his hounds! Tonight as ever I shallsup off a crust of dry bread and that chunk of moldy bacon-rind.Still, houndshave no taste for wine, so if I'm quick I may claim the dregs from the gobletsat the high table, and liquor will soothe my grumbling belly enough to let mesleep."Among the fierce ammonia stench of guano, the falconer worked by an unglazedwindow, tooling with gnarled yet delicate hands a design of rhythmical goldleaf onto the hood and jesses of a peregrine falcon.Page 63 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"This leather is beautiful," said a soft voice from over his shoulder."Butdoubtless you put on far finer array when you go forth of an evening to enjoyyourself at a tavern?""I, sir?" grunted the falconer, not turning around; the light was wasting, andhe was forbidden the extravagance of lamps or candles."Why, no, I'm in theservice of Lord Fellian, and have no time to amuse myself.And had I time, I'dbe constrained to wear what you see upon me now-old canvas breeches, boundaround the waist with fraying rope.Besides, with what would I purchase a mugof ale?With a scoop of fewmets?"In the stables, a groom passed a soft cloth caressingly over the fitments of astall; they were of jacynth and ivory, and the manger was filled with newsweet hay, fine oats fit to have baked bread, and warm-scented bran."Palatial," said a voice from behind the partition."This is merely for ahorse?""Aye, sir," muttered the groom, declining to be distracted from his work."ForWestern Wind, LordFellian's favorite steed.""By comparison, then, I judge you must take your repose on high pillows filledwith swan's down, beneath a coverlet of silk, or furs for winter!""I sleep on straw, sir-do not jest with me! And if I have time to gather clayto stop the chinks in my hovel against the night's cold, I count myselflucky."Beside a marble bath, which ran scented water from a gargoyle's mouth, aslender girl measured out grains of rare restorative spices onto a sponge, aloofah, and the bristles of a brush made from the hide of a wild boar."With such precautions," a voice said from beyond a curl of rising steam,"beauty must surely be preserved far beyond the normal span.""Think you I'd dare to waste one grain of this precious essence on my ownskin?" the girl retorted, tossing back a tress of hair within which-though shecould be aged at most twenty-there glinted a betraying thread of silver."I'dbe lucky, when they detected my pilfering, to be thrown over the sill of thatwindow! Beneath it there is at least a kitchen-midden to give me a softlanding.No, my entire fortune is my youth, and it takes the powers of anelemental and the imagination of a genius to spread youth thin enough tosatisfy Lord Fellian from spring to autumn.""Then why do you endure his service?""Because he is a winner in the game of life.""And how do you know that?""Why," sighed the girl, "everyone says so."In the high-vaulted banqueting-hall, as the sun went down, the rival lordsYuckin and Nusk came to feast with their respective retinues at the expense ofthe current greatest winner prior to the onset of the night's gambling.Theyhad come to his palace too often of late; there was no friendly chat betweenthem.Gloomily-though with fair appetite, because their own kitchens did not boastsuch delicacies-they sat apart, growing angrier and angrier as platters ofgold succeeded those of silver, goblets of crystal replaced those of enameledpottery.and often recognizing items they had formerly owned.Lord Fellian, who should have been delighted at the discomfiture of hisrivals, was downcast, and the talk at his long table was all of the strangeintruder in a black cloak who had laid down so threatening a bet."It's nonsense!" roundly declared Achoreus, who was seated beside Fellian as amark of special favor."As you rightly said, sir, it's absurd to expect someone of your standing towager with a penniless nobody-and moreover the bet he named is by definitionincapable of settlement!"But his brow was pearled with sweat, and when he had repeated his assertionPage 64 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlfor the third time his voice was harsh with a hoarseness no amount of winecould relieve."And how say you, Torquaida?" demanded Fellian, hungry for reassurance-thoughnot for food; course after course was being removed from his place untouched."There is no need to worry," the elderly treasurer wheezed."Like you ordislike you, Lords Yuckin andNusk would have to concede the propriety of declining such a wager.One cannotconduct important affairs on an arbitrary basis!"Even that, however, did not set Fellian's mind at rest."Ah, would I knew theoutcome of the wager, however foolish!" he grumbled, and at that theblack-clad traveler, standing apart in the secrecy of an embrasure, gave a sadsmile."As you wish," he murmured, "so be it.You have won your bet with me, LordFellian-and there are and have been few in all eternity who can make thatclaim.Yet in the same instant when you won, you lost beyond all eternalhope."The question settled now, he went away.Shortly, they cleared the dishes from the hall, bringing in their place thehand-carved dominoes required for the game shen fu, the lacquered plaquesdestined for match-me-mine and mark-me-well, the tumbling gilded cages full ofcolored balls known as The Lady's Knucklebones, the gaming-wheels-those withfour, those with nine, and those with thirty-three divisions- blind songbirdstrained to pick out one and only one among three disparately dyed grains ofcorn, jumping beans, silver-harnessed fleas, baby toads steeped in strongliquor, and all the other appurtenances on which the Lords of Teq wereaccustomed to place their bets [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]