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.It raises questions I need answered." He gestured."MeanwhileI'll have your dagger please.No reflection on you, but things havebeen.uncertain in the palace, and it's best to observe policy.I'm sure youunderstand.I'll return it to you before you leave."He watched her unbuckle her belt and remove the dagger, sheath and all.A bit clumsily; she wore a man's gloves to hide her small hands.He wonderedif the idea was hers.He dismissed Nagy, and the two of them walked alone to his apartment, nottalking till they got there and he'd closed the door."So, Elvi," he said genially, "let me look at you."She threw back her cowl; she was actually smiling.Good sign.He picked up theblank paper from the table where he'd left it."What, pray tell, is this?"She explained it honestly, then described her ride to Hasty somewhat lesshonestly.Armand Schubert wasn't mentioned, but the route was basicallyaccurate."I first heard of father's imprisonment from the WestCrossing ferryman," she finished."Who was responsible for that?"Page 145ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Ah.I hadn't planned to bring it up so soon.When he heard about theinvasion, he refused to believe it, and became violently deranged.Ragingabout executions."Elvi nodded."I thought it might be something like that.I was afraid thesavages would arrive here before I could.What's being done to defend thekingdom?"Her words, her attitude, were a greater relief than he could have imagined."As soon as I took over," he said, "I sent a battery of light cannon, thebattery your Uncle Jaako left us with, to the Knees of the Misasip, along withthe 1st Rifle Company.In case the invaders get past Cloud.Since then, theother battery and the 2nd Rifle Company arrived from your UncleJaako.I sent that battery, too.Jaako is covering the Sota River approach,and I kept the 2nd Rifles here to defend the town and palace.Actually I'moptimistic." He paused, looking more sober now."Your father is stillderanged, suspecting everyone, yourself included.He believes you left tobetray him, and-talks the most terrible filth."She seemed untouched by that, something else he wouldn't have expected."Well," she said after a moment, "I suppose his heart was too pure to standMazeppa's betrayal."He wondered if she was serious."Clonarty was the major source of yourfather's problems.We all know that." Actually, Bonde knew better; Eldred hadbeen a molli before Clonarty had come to Sota.Still, Clonarty had no doubtmade him worse."The archbishop is also in the dungeon," Bonde added, "but ina different room.""Room" sounded better than "cell.""Good.And you, apparently, are in charge here now.What is your status?""By virtue of my military rank and Jaako's absence, I'm acting asregent-acting for the army, with the support of the palace guard, until theinvaders are driven out."Nobody had actually described it that way before, but it amounted to thetruth."And who do you suppose that new ruler will be?""Yourself, now that you're here.Your father intended that Mary rule in hertime, being the eldest, but she's in a nunnery now, some-five hundred? sixhundred?-miles away.The council will try to impose its will, of course, andJaako may conform to avoid violence.As for me-I'll support your candidacywith whatever force is mine."His last words took him by surprise; but they seemed politic.He coveted thethrone himself, but had no constituency, or much standing with the family.But.if he were to marry Elvi.Clearly she'd changed.She might, though,have in mind rehabilitating her father as king.And Eldred would execute fortreason anyone who'd had anything to do with his jailing or the regency.Well.If she wanted her father rehabilitated, Elvi might have to disappear.Apparently no one else knew she was here.But if she didn't- Perhaps he couldmarry her, and share the throne.Would the Church label such a marriageincestuous? Maybe Clonarty could declare an exemption for a second cousin.They could make a deal: for Arvid Bonde, marriage to Elvi;for the archbishop, house arrest instead of the dungeon.Clonarty couldperform the wedding in his own chapel.There was another rapping at the door, and a voice, the door guard's."Sir,some men are here with your bath water."Bonde gestured at the door to the bedroom, and Elvi went, closing it behindher."Good.Let them in," he said.There were two of them, with two large water cans on a cart.He'd beenexpecting, then forgotten them."You know what to do with it?" he asked."Yes, milord," the elder answered.Page 146ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHe watched them lug one of the twelve-gallon cans into the bathroom, and heardthem pour it into the copper tub.Then they repeated the performance with theother, and left with the empty cans.Before closing the door after them, hespoke to the guard."No one else tonight, Jao," he said, then shut it,thinking about the bath.Really, he coveted the royal suite, the Garden Suite,with bath house and sauna built in, fed from a cistern with water from theroof.Elvi removed her cape and cowl, and he hung them up for her."I suppose,"he said, "you'd like a bath after your long ride." He hoped she'd decline.He liked his hot bedtime bath, but the offer was necessary."Let me show youwhere the bath is." It occurred to him it lacked equipage a princess mightthink necessary [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]