to make or own a Lesath.”
“Not where I come from,” Rigel said, wondering how a Lesath would rank under Canadian firearm laws.
“Who gave you that thing, boy?”
big Gacrux demanded.
Rigel looked him up and down. Then up again. “An admirer.”
Gacrux scowled, raised his right hand, and said, “Taygeta!” Then he too held a sword.
Saiph jerked Rigel’s hand up to an on-guard position.
“You idiot, Gacrux!” Alniyat shouted. “There isn’t a sword in the realm can beat Saiph. Put it away before you get yourself slaughtered.”
Gacrux lowered Taygeta and it vanished.
Rigel disposed of Saiph the same way and could breathe more easily. “What were those other names you read out, Muphrid?”
A couple of the girls tittered and their host scowled. “Manners!” he said. “I have to teach you. Lesson one is that children and halflings address purebloods like us as ‘starborn,’ or—and I do recommend this, at least until you get status—as ‘my lord’ or ‘my lady.’ Never ‘your lordship.’ Got that?”
“What were those other names you read out, starborn?”
“The names of famous heroes and kings of old who were slain by that sword. Saiph,” Muphrid added sourly, “is
ancestral
.”
“Ancestral to what, starborn?”
More sniggers.
“I mean it is storied, legendary. It is unthinkable that it should be wielded by a mere halfling boy. The court will certainly regard this as a most serious matter.”
“I may be what you call a halfling, but I am not a boy.”
“They’ll never grant him status with those eyes,” Nashira said, blinking her own, which were purple, like her hair. “They’re dead as paper.”
“You suppose he has ears under that mane?” That was big Gacrux again.
“We’ll see,” said Muphrid. He selected one of his finger rings and turned it. “Take off those awful rags, halfling.”
Rigel raised no objection. He knew he’d be more comfortable without his clothes, and the starfolk were very close to naked. Hepulled off his bloody shirt. The half-healed scars on his chest provoked screams of horror.
“A bear,” he explained.
“Didn’t Saiph protect you?”
“Yes. Oh, I killed it. I mean Saiph did. We just weren’t quite quick enough.”
His audience exchanged puzzled glances, as if that did not make sense, but he wasn’t going to explain about boots and bicycles and guitars getting in the way.
Knuckles tapped politely from the other side of the door, one of the gold handles turned, and the flap opened just enough to admit a man. Seemingly human, he was portly and balding, probably in his sixties. In the company of the youthful giants he seemed old and small. Surprisingly, he wore a toga with a purple border and red shoes like a character in a Hollywood gladiator epic. He bowed to Muphrid.
“How may I serve, starborn?”
“We have an extra guest, Halfling Rigel. Bring a moon-cloth wrap for him, and find someone to cut his hair. Take the earthling to staff quarters, and see that she is washed and suitably dressed and put to work. We’ll eat in the Versailles room in an hour or so. And, Senator…?”
“Starborn?”
“Treat the woman well as long as she behaves. She may have to testify in court. We don’t want any unpleasant accusations flying around.”
Senator bowed again. “Indeed not, starborn.” He gestured for Mira to follow him.
Mira squeaked.
“Wait a minute!” Rigel wrapped his arm around her shoulders again. “We are both strangers here, and we wish to stay together.”
“Your wishes are of no interest or importance,” Muphrid declared. “And hers even less. You will both do as you are told or you will both be chained up. I extend courtesy to you, halfling, merely because Starborn Fomalhaut asked me to. Now, which will it be?”
Rigel raised his right hand with the shiny bracelet…
Mira said, “No, don’t! My lord, I trust that I will be allowed to attend my master this evening to perform my usual duties?”
Attend
“Not where I come from,” Rigel said, wondering how a Lesath would rank under Canadian firearm laws.
“Who gave you that thing, boy?”
big Gacrux demanded.
Rigel looked him up and down. Then up again. “An admirer.”
Gacrux scowled, raised his right hand, and said, “Taygeta!” Then he too held a sword.
Saiph jerked Rigel’s hand up to an on-guard position.
“You idiot, Gacrux!” Alniyat shouted. “There isn’t a sword in the realm can beat Saiph. Put it away before you get yourself slaughtered.”
Gacrux lowered Taygeta and it vanished.
Rigel disposed of Saiph the same way and could breathe more easily. “What were those other names you read out, Muphrid?”
A couple of the girls tittered and their host scowled. “Manners!” he said. “I have to teach you. Lesson one is that children and halflings address purebloods like us as ‘starborn,’ or—and I do recommend this, at least until you get status—as ‘my lord’ or ‘my lady.’ Never ‘your lordship.’ Got that?”
“What were those other names you read out, starborn?”
“The names of famous heroes and kings of old who were slain by that sword. Saiph,” Muphrid added sourly, “is
ancestral
.”
“Ancestral to what, starborn?”
More sniggers.
“I mean it is storied, legendary. It is unthinkable that it should be wielded by a mere halfling boy. The court will certainly regard this as a most serious matter.”
“I may be what you call a halfling, but I am not a boy.”
“They’ll never grant him status with those eyes,” Nashira said, blinking her own, which were purple, like her hair. “They’re dead as paper.”
“You suppose he has ears under that mane?” That was big Gacrux again.
“We’ll see,” said Muphrid. He selected one of his finger rings and turned it. “Take off those awful rags, halfling.”
Rigel raised no objection. He knew he’d be more comfortable without his clothes, and the starfolk were very close to naked. Hepulled off his bloody shirt. The half-healed scars on his chest provoked screams of horror.
“A bear,” he explained.
“Didn’t Saiph protect you?”
“Yes. Oh, I killed it. I mean Saiph did. We just weren’t quite quick enough.”
His audience exchanged puzzled glances, as if that did not make sense, but he wasn’t going to explain about boots and bicycles and guitars getting in the way.
Knuckles tapped politely from the other side of the door, one of the gold handles turned, and the flap opened just enough to admit a man. Seemingly human, he was portly and balding, probably in his sixties. In the company of the youthful giants he seemed old and small. Surprisingly, he wore a toga with a purple border and red shoes like a character in a Hollywood gladiator epic. He bowed to Muphrid.
“How may I serve, starborn?”
“We have an extra guest, Halfling Rigel. Bring a moon-cloth wrap for him, and find someone to cut his hair. Take the earthling to staff quarters, and see that she is washed and suitably dressed and put to work. We’ll eat in the Versailles room in an hour or so. And, Senator…?”
“Starborn?”
“Treat the woman well as long as she behaves. She may have to testify in court. We don’t want any unpleasant accusations flying around.”
Senator bowed again. “Indeed not, starborn.” He gestured for Mira to follow him.
Mira squeaked.
“Wait a minute!” Rigel wrapped his arm around her shoulders again. “We are both strangers here, and we wish to stay together.”
“Your wishes are of no interest or importance,” Muphrid declared. “And hers even less. You will both do as you are told or you will both be chained up. I extend courtesy to you, halfling, merely because Starborn Fomalhaut asked me to. Now, which will it be?”
Rigel raised his right hand with the shiny bracelet…
Mira said, “No, don’t! My lord, I trust that I will be allowed to attend my master this evening to perform my usual duties?”
Attend
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