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chairs. Tapestries hung on the walls, and the curtains of the bed were of heavy material a dark blue velvet. At the moment, these had been pulled back to show a rumpled, unmade bed with at least six enormous pillows and any number of sheets and blankets. "Oh, look, m'Lord!" said Hob, pointing at the fireplace. "I see it," said Jim. The logs in it were burned down to charred stubs, and only a tiny wisp of smoke came up from their faintly glowing ends. "Don't you need more of a fire than that, to make smoke?" "Just fine, m'Lord!" cried Hob cheerfully and launched himself from Jim's shoulder into the fireplace, on a dive that caused him to plane in just above the flames. "Wait!" called Jim. Hob had already disappeared up the chimney, but now he reappeared, upside-down, his face peering at Jim inquiringly, just below the upper edge of the fireplace opening. "Yes, m'Lord?" "What are you going to do if you run into the Hob who belongs to this place?" asked Jim. "Oh, I'll say 'Greetings!'" said Hob. "And he'll say 'Greetings ' " "He won't be able to see you," Jim pointed out. "Let me change the magic so that other Hobs can see you. There! But what if he isn't all that friendly to you?" "Oh, m'Lord," said Hob, "all Hobs are friendly to each other. We're never like, like& well, like some of you big people." "Well," said Jim, "you remember,you gave the Hob at the Earl's Castle rather rough treatment when you first went there, according to what you told me." "I did?" Hob's face was a mirror of upside-down astonishment. "Certainly," said Jim. "You ordered him about and called him 'Sirrah!' " "I did?" said Hob again. Page 194 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "That's right," said Jim. Hob's face abruptly stopped looking astonished. "Oh, that was different, m'Lord. You see, you'd just given me that magnificent name I wasn't able to keep you remember? Can I say it?" Jim nodded. "Hob-One-de-Malencontri," said Hob, a couple of tears rolling up his forehead. "Well," said Jim, touched with remembered guilt, "Carolinus told me I wasn't allowed to give names to a Hob. But maybe we can get it back for you someday." "D'youthink so, m'Lord?" "We'll see," said Jim. "Anyway, be prepared, because this Hob will be the King's Hob, and he just may think he's got higher rank than you. Now, are you sure you can find the secret passage in this wall if there is one?" "Certainly, m'Lord," said Hob. "You see, I'll make the smoke feel over everything. And if there's a crack someplace, or some sort of a little hole, the smoke will work its way into it even if it has to go out into a room and back in again to do that. It may take me a little while, though." "That's all right," said Jim, struck by a sudden thought. "You go ahead. Edgar will stay here and wait for you, so he can come for me when you've found it." Hob disappeared,then almost immediately popped back into sight again. "I don't suppose you could make me invisible every time I come out of a fireplace, m'Lord?" "No," said Jim, thinking of what might happen at Malencontri if he did. "Oh, well," said Hob, and disappeared again. "Where are you going, Mage?" asked Edgar, sounding alarmed. "Just back to whereCumberland was sitting," said Jim. "Don't worry now. If anyone comes in, they can't see you. Just make it a point to keep out of their way, so that they don't bump into you." "I will, Mage. You can trust me," said Edgar. Fairly sure that he could trust Edgar, for that atleast, Jim went back through the various rooms to the door of the room whereCumberland had been seated. The door was ajar, but not enough that Jim could see the Earl. He slipped quietly through the opening, shouldering it slightly to do so, and stepped into the room, counting on his invisibility to make this a safe move. Cumberlandwas standing now, almost but not quite in front of the fire. Seated in the best chair was the King, looking less than majestic now that he was not on his feet. " Where the Devil did you say she had gone?" demanded the King. Page 195 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "Riding, your Highness," saidCumberland . "Riding!What does she want with that? Lately, anytime I want her, she's 'riding,'" the King muttered, more to himself than toCumberland . He looked up at the Earl. "Robert, give me to drink." Cumberland moved to the table that was actually within arm's reach of the King, poured from a bottle rather than a pitcher into a large painted-glass goblet; and, with only an abrupt small bow, handed the goblet to the King; who took it absentmindedly, but drank rather thirstily from it. "Damn women," said the King. "They've always got things to do. I don't ask much of her time. I believe I leave her free to do what she wants for most of it. But it would put the Saints to wonder the way there are always things coming up to interfere when I want to see her." He looked sharply atCumberland . "In the name of all that's Holy, Robert!I give you permission to sit! Stop hovering there like a bull about to be let out among the cows." "Thank you, your Highness," saidCumberland stiffly, sitting down on the other padded chair. "Where was I?" went on the King. "Oh, yes, hair-dressing, fitting a new robe, any number of things& Robert, is she still paying visits to that whatever-he-is down in the dungeons?" "I believe she goes down from time to time, Highness," saidCumberland . "There was a time in which he seemed to have escaped. Broke his chains somehow they should have held a bear broke his chains, and dug his way out of the pit he was in, or, at least, dug so far down that the man we sent in came back saying he had been blocked by a fall of earth. But three days later the creature was back again. We put heavier irons on him, and blocked up the hole; and yes, Lady Agatha has been down at least once since, I think." "Why does she do these things?" demanded the King. "I do not know, Highness," saidCumberland . "Perhaps you know how women are, with small things children, birds, and the like. They keep them to play with them. Perhaps she was trying to see if this strange, odd-made man could be trained like a lap-dog." "If he's trainable, I want him for a Fool at my Court," said the King. "But someone of her rank, mucking around in those dungeons I wish she wouldn't!" "You could speak to her about it, Highness," saidCumberland . "Why don't you speak to her, first," said the King. "I don't know how it is, but when I try to talk to her about things like that, somehow the conversation never goes the right way. Speak to her sharply,Cumberland . Tell her it ill-befits someone who is in close contact with the King, going down below the Castle like that and coming back possibly covered with filth." "Whatever is your Royal desire, of course," saidCumberland . "You are a good servant, Robert," said the King. "I appreciate your taking care of these little things as well as the larger ones." "Thank you, your Highness," saidCumberland . Page 196 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "Yes," said the King, "it is comforting to know I can entrust you with certain matters oh, Robert, you have let my wine-cup become empty." The Earl got up, refilled the wine-cup, and sat down again. "I am happy to have your approval, Highness," he said heavily. "If I may pray for your attention to the matter, perhaps this might be a good time to talk some more about the raid on my properties in the North." "Not that, Robert, not that!" said the King, pettishly. "We've talked about that already. Do what you want. Take care of it yourself. I shouldn't have to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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