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.He made no attempt to disguise his cat-pupiled green eyes orpointed ears.His costume was an elaborate and thickly embroidered antique-style tunic and trewsmade of gold and scarlet silk; on his feet were sandals that laced up over the legs of the trews.file:///F|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Me.Serrated%20Edge%204%20-%20Chrome%20Circle.txt (58 of 173) [6/4/03 10:33:36 PM]file:///F|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Mercedes%20-%20Serrated%20Edge%204%20-%20Chrome%20Circle.txtThe leather was studded with gold, as was the heavy belt at his waist.A crimson mantle of silkvelvet was held to his shoulders by matching Celtic circle-brooches.His jewelry, aside from thecrown and the brooches, consisted of a pair of heavy gold armbands and a gold torc with monsterhead finials.Shar could not help thinking that he looked like an art supply catalog on two feet.Shar stepped carefully down from the platform, which held the physical counterpart of the Gate inthe Forest, and made her way across the vast and empty floor.She kept her face impassive right upuntil the moment that she came to Madoc's feet.Then she allowed her face to assume an expression of amused irony."I think you owe Frank Frazettalicensing fees," she said.Madoc frowned, a flash of real anger, as his impassive mask slipped for a moment.Shar smiled.Madoc hated being reminded that the elves copied everything they did from humans, and he hated iteven more when she recognized the source."Don't mention Frazetta's name to me again.He has caused the Unseleighe enough trouble.You'remaking no progress in dealing with Tannim," he said abruptly, as she crossed her arms over herbreasts and took a hip-shot, careless stance designed to tell him without words that she was notimpressed.She shrugged."It's coming along.You know as well as anyone that Oberon has been taking aninterest in Keighvin and his crew, and that includes Tannim.Challenge him without all the properprotocols and you could wind up answering to the High King.Again.Just because he threw you outof the Court once doesn't mean he can't choose to come after you."Madoc flushed."You haven't stayed long enough to get Tannim's response to your challenge!" heaccused."You're toying with him! Enough of your foolishness! We are not engaged with this plan toamuse you.Deal with the man and have done with it!"She lowered her eyelids to hide her anger at the tone of command he had taken with her.He shouldknow better than to take that attitude with her—Suddenly, a soft popping sound signaled Azure's arrival into the throne room, speeding towards herwith obvious excitement.Something must have happened to make her pet seek her out here! Sheraised her hand to warn Madoc not to disturb the creature—Too late.He was already irritated with her, and this intrusion gave him an excuse to vent that anger onsomething connected with her.He blasted the hapless creature into the back wall with a flick of his hand.It whimpered once,and died.Shar felt stunned, as if she had taken the blow herself.She stared at the remains of her pet,then transferred her gaze to Madoc.The Unseleighe yawned, rubbed his chin, and smiled at herlazily."Next time," he purred, "curb your dog."At that moment Shar made up her mind about which side she was on.She gave no outward sign of her thoughts.Instead, she said, "What do you want me to do? Don't yourealize what weapon he's likely to choose for the Challenge? Cars.Racing.His Mustang againstmine." She gritted her teeth and went on with the deception."In anything else, I could best him,but not that.He's better than I am or ever will be, and no amount of magery is going tocounteract his skill."Madoc frowned, as if that had never occurred to him."Well, kill him, then!" he snapped.But again, she shook her head."Oberon," she said succinctly."If you don't want Oberon'sfile:///F|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Me.Serrated%20Edge%204%20-%20Chrome%20Circle.txt (59 of 173) [6/4/03 10:33:36 PM]file:///F|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Mercedes%20-%20Serrated%20Edge%204%20-%20Chrome%20Circle.txtattention, play by the rules of the game.We've issued the Challenge; we can't kill Tannim out ofhand now.Remember, if you violate the rules, no Unseleighe will ever trust you.He has to acceptthe Challenge, and you're going to have to figure out some way of making him choose magery or someother weapon I am superior with.That's why I've been drawing things out; I've been trying to gethim off balance enough that he won't think of racing as the response when I finally let himrespond."There.Bite on that awhile.She seethed with anger at the wanton, pointless destruction of Azure; she would mourn the poorlittle creature later, when her privacy was assured.But the best way to get revenge on Madoc wasto frustrate him, to make him angry.If he lost control of himself, he would do something stupid,and he might lose all of his allies.That would put him right back at square one, all of his plansin ruins, all of it to do over again.But this time it would take much longer to undo all thedamage.Look how long it had taken Vidal Dhu to regain his reputation after losing to KeighvinSilverhair the first time!Madoc frowned fiercely at being confronted with the truth—but then, unexpectedly, he smiled."But he cannot choose racing if he has nothing to race with, can he?" the Unseleighe lord saidwith glee." 'Tis simple enough: we steal his precious Mustang with magic, and bring it Underhill!There are pockets we can armor against the harmful effect of so much Cold Iron—and I myself haveenough power to bring the vehicle here!"She blinked, taken aback—then quickly recovered."What if he comes after it?" she countered."Whatif he brings help with him, armed with Cold Iron weapons?""Then he but proves my point to Oberon," Madoc retorted with triumph."And we can lay a trap forhim [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]