Conan The Unconquered Robert Jordan

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."What is your name, little one?""Yasbet.My father calls me Yasbet." She looked past him to the street beyond, where pushcartsrumbled by."Do you think the casket, at least, would be there if we went back? It belonged to mymother, and Fatima will be furious at its loss.More furious than for the jewels, though she'll be madenough at those."He shook his head."That casket has changed hands at least twice by now, for money or blood.And thejewels as well.Who is Fatima?""My amah," she replied, then gasped and glared at him as if he had tricked her into revealing the fact."Your amah!" Conan brayed with laughter."Are you not a little old to have a nursemaid?""My father does not think so," Yasbet replied in a sullen voice."He thinks I must have an amah until I amgiven to my husband.It is none of my liking.Fatima thinks I am still five years of age, and father sideswith her decisions always." Her eyes closed and her voice sank to a weary whisper.She spoke as if nolonger realizing she spoke aloud."I shall be locked in my room for this, at the least.I shall be lucky ifFatima does not." Her words drifted off with a wince, and her hands stole back to cover her buttocksprotectively."You deserve it," Conan said harshly.Yasbet started, eyes wide and flushing furiously."Deserve what? What do you mean? Did I saysomething?""You deserve to have an amah, girl.After this I shouldn't be surprised if your father takes two or three ofthem in service." He smiled inwardly at the relief on her face now.In truth, he thought she deserved aspanking as well, but saying so would be no way to gain satisfaction for his curiosity."Now tell me,Yasbet.What were you doing alone on a street like that, giving your jewels to beggars? It was madness,girl.""It was not madness," she protested."I wanted to do something significant, something on my own.Youhave no idea what my life is like.Every moment waking or sleeping is ruled and watched by Fatima.I amallowed to make not the smallest decision governing my own life.I had to climb over the garden wall toleave without Fatima's permission.""But giving jewels to beggars and strumpets?""The.the women were not part of my plan.I wanted to help the poor, and who can be poorer thanbeggars?" Her face firmed angrily."My father will know I am no longer a child.I do not regret giving upthe pretties he believes mean so much to me.It is noble to help the poor.""Perhaps he'll hire six amahs," Conan muttered."Girl, did it never occur to you that you might be hurt? Ifyou had to help someone, why not ask among your own servants? Surely they know of people in need?Then you could have sold a few of your jewels for money to help."Yasbet snorted."Even if all the servants were not in league with Fatima, where would I find a dealer ingems who would give me true value? More likely he would simply pretend to deal with me while he sentfor my father! And he would no doubt send Fatima to bring me home.That humiliation I can do without,thank you.""Gem dealers would recognize you," he said incredulously, "and know who your father is? Who is he?King Yildiz?"Suddenly wary, she eyed him like a fawn on the edge of flight."You will not take me back to him, willyou?""And why should I not? You are not fit to walk the streets without a keeper, girl.""But then I'll never keep him from discovering what happened today," She shuddered."Or Fatima."Wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue, she moved closer."Just listen to me for a moment.Please? I-"Abruptly she darted past him into the street."Come back here, you fool girl," he roared, racing after her.She dashed almost under the wheels of a heavy, crate-filled cart, and was immediately hidden from view.Two more carts pressed close behind.There was no room to squeeze between them.He ran to getahead of the carts and to the other side of the street.When he got there, Yasbet was nowhere in sight.Apotter's apprentice was setting out his master's crockery before their shop.A rug dealer unrolled hiswares before his.Sailors and harlots strolled in and out of a tavern.But of the girl there was no sign."Fool girl," he muttered.Just then the tavern sign, painted crudely, creaked in the breeze and caught his eye.The Blue Bull.Allthat had happened, and he had come right to it.Aghrapur was going to be a lucky city.Giving hisswordbelt a hitch and settling his cloak about his broad shoulders, he sauntered into the stone-frontedinn.Chapter IIThe interior of the Blue Bull was poorly lit by guttering rush torches stuck in crude black iron sconces onthe stone walls.A dozen men, hunched over their mugs, sat scattered among the tables that dotted theslate floor, which was swept surprisingly clean for a tavern of that class.Three sailors took turns flingingtheir daggers at a heart crudely painted on a slab of wood and hung on a wall.The rough stones aroundthe slab were pocked from ten thousand near misses.A pair of strumpets, one with multi-hued beadsbraided in her hair, the other wearing a tall wig in a bright shade of red, circulated among the patronsquietly hawking the wares they displayed in diaphanous silk.Serving girls, their muslin covering little morethan the harlots' garb, scurried about with pitchers and mugs.An odor of sour wine and stale ale,common to all such places, competed with the stench of the street.When he saw the innkeeper, a stout, bald man scrubbing the bar with a bit of rag, Conan understood thecleanliness of the floors.He knew the man, Ferian by name.This Ferian had a passion for cleanlinessuncommon among men of his profession.It was said he had fled from Belverus, in Nemedia, after killinga man who vomited on the floor of his tavern.But as a source of information he had always beenunsurpassed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Pokrewne