go through there,” he said curtly, and returned to his book.
Kerwin, startled—had the Civil Service reserved accommodations here?—started to protest, thenshrugged and went through the indicated door.
And stopped, for he had stepped into a room prepared for a private party; a long table was laid in thecenter with some kind of buffet supper and there were flowers in tall crystal vases; at the far end of theroom a tall red-headed man in a long embroidered cape stood hesitantly looking at him—then Kerwinrealized that the black wall was a pane of glass opening on night, and darkness behind it made it a mirror;the cloaked Darkovan was himself. He looked as if he had never seen himself before; a big man, with redhair flattened from the rain, and a lonely and introspective face, the face of an adventurer who has forsome reason been cheated of adventure. The sight of his own face rising above the Darkovan cloakarrested him with a strange surge of—of memory? When had he seen himself dressed like this before? Or—or someone else ?
Kerwin scowled, impatient. Of course he looked familiar to himself. What was the matter with him?
And this was the answer, too; the clerk had simply taken him for a Darkovan, perhaps someone he knewby sight, and directed him into the reserved room. In fact, that would explain Ragan, too, and theredhead in the restaurant; he had a double, or near-double on Darkover, some big redhead of about hissize and coloring, and that deceived people, with a quick look.
“You’re here early, com’ii ,” said a voice behind him, and Kerwin turned and saw her.
He thought at first that she was a Terran girl, because of the red-gold hair clustered in curls atop hersmall head. She was slight and slim, wearing a simple gown that clung to dainty curves. Kerwin quicklyaverted his eyes—staring at a Darkovan woman in public is insolence punishable by a beating or worse,if any of the woman’s relatives are around and care to take offense—but she returned his gaze frankly,smiling with welcome, and so, even on second thoughts, he believed for a moment she was a Terran,despite her Darkovan speech.
“How did you get here? I thought we had decided to come with our respective Towers,” she said, and Kerwin stared. He felt his face heating, and not from the fire. “My apologies, domna ,” he said in the language of his childhood. “I didn’t realize that this was a private room; I was directed here by mistake. Forgive the intrusion; I will go at once.”
She stared at him, her smile fading. “But what are you thinking of?” she demanded. “We have manythings to discuss— ” She stopped. Then she said, uncertainly, “Have I made a mistake?”
Kerwin said, “Somebody’s made one, that’s for sure.” His voice trailed away on the last words,realizing that she was not speaking the language of Thendara, but some language he had never heardbefore. And yet he had understood her, so well that for a moment he had not realized that she hadspoken an unfamiliar language.
Her mouth dropped open, and she said, “In the name of the Son of Aldones and his divine Mother, whoare you?”
Kerwin started to say his name; then realized it could not possibly mean anything to her, and that red impof anger, held in abeyance for a few moments because he was talking to a beautiful woman, deviled himagain. This was the second time tonight—no, the third. Damn it, that double of his must be quite a fellow,
Page 26
if he was recognized simultaneously in a spaceport dive, and in the private reserved suite of Darkovan
aristocracy—for the girl could not possibly be anything else.
He said, with the heaviest irony he could manage, “Don’t you recognize me, lady? I’m your big brother Bill, the black sheep of the family, who ran away to space when he was six years old and I’ve been heldcaptive by space pirates in the Rim Worlds ever since. Find out in the next installment.”
She
Kerwin, startled—had the Civil Service reserved accommodations here?—started to protest, thenshrugged and went through the indicated door.
And stopped, for he had stepped into a room prepared for a private party; a long table was laid in thecenter with some kind of buffet supper and there were flowers in tall crystal vases; at the far end of theroom a tall red-headed man in a long embroidered cape stood hesitantly looking at him—then Kerwinrealized that the black wall was a pane of glass opening on night, and darkness behind it made it a mirror;the cloaked Darkovan was himself. He looked as if he had never seen himself before; a big man, with redhair flattened from the rain, and a lonely and introspective face, the face of an adventurer who has forsome reason been cheated of adventure. The sight of his own face rising above the Darkovan cloakarrested him with a strange surge of—of memory? When had he seen himself dressed like this before? Or—or someone else ?
Kerwin scowled, impatient. Of course he looked familiar to himself. What was the matter with him?
And this was the answer, too; the clerk had simply taken him for a Darkovan, perhaps someone he knewby sight, and directed him into the reserved room. In fact, that would explain Ragan, too, and theredhead in the restaurant; he had a double, or near-double on Darkover, some big redhead of about hissize and coloring, and that deceived people, with a quick look.
“You’re here early, com’ii ,” said a voice behind him, and Kerwin turned and saw her.
He thought at first that she was a Terran girl, because of the red-gold hair clustered in curls atop hersmall head. She was slight and slim, wearing a simple gown that clung to dainty curves. Kerwin quicklyaverted his eyes—staring at a Darkovan woman in public is insolence punishable by a beating or worse,if any of the woman’s relatives are around and care to take offense—but she returned his gaze frankly,smiling with welcome, and so, even on second thoughts, he believed for a moment she was a Terran,despite her Darkovan speech.
“How did you get here? I thought we had decided to come with our respective Towers,” she said, and Kerwin stared. He felt his face heating, and not from the fire. “My apologies, domna ,” he said in the language of his childhood. “I didn’t realize that this was a private room; I was directed here by mistake. Forgive the intrusion; I will go at once.”
She stared at him, her smile fading. “But what are you thinking of?” she demanded. “We have manythings to discuss— ” She stopped. Then she said, uncertainly, “Have I made a mistake?”
Kerwin said, “Somebody’s made one, that’s for sure.” His voice trailed away on the last words,realizing that she was not speaking the language of Thendara, but some language he had never heardbefore. And yet he had understood her, so well that for a moment he had not realized that she hadspoken an unfamiliar language.
Her mouth dropped open, and she said, “In the name of the Son of Aldones and his divine Mother, whoare you?”
Kerwin started to say his name; then realized it could not possibly mean anything to her, and that red impof anger, held in abeyance for a few moments because he was talking to a beautiful woman, deviled himagain. This was the second time tonight—no, the third. Damn it, that double of his must be quite a fellow,
Page 26
if he was recognized simultaneously in a spaceport dive, and in the private reserved suite of Darkovan
aristocracy—for the girl could not possibly be anything else.
He said, with the heaviest irony he could manage, “Don’t you recognize me, lady? I’m your big brother Bill, the black sheep of the family, who ran away to space when he was six years old and I’ve been heldcaptive by space pirates in the Rim Worlds ever since. Find out in the next installment.”
She
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