At each corner of the bed stood a table. The two at the head held the usual appurtenances-lamps, basin,
pitcher, mirrors, and so on. The two at the foot held bronze statues, each of a nude couple engaged in
amorous play. Chests of drawers, trimmed with intricate carvings, stood against one wall, and two enormous
wardrobes, their doors elaborately painted, occupied another. A marble statue of a woman stood in the center
of the room. A small, extraordinarily fine shrine was built into the wall near the head of the bed. Two broad
windows, shuttered and curtained, pierced the north side of the room. A large marble and gilt mantel topped a
carved marble fireplace above an elegant tile hearth; a gold and ivory screen blocked the opening, since no
one would want a fire for months. Half a dozen fine small carpets hid much of the polished parquet floor, and
a dozen painted panels adorned the walls; the paintings mostly seemed to involve beautiful people in states
of undress. Everywhere were detailed carvings, fine woods, rich textures and colors.
Hanner had seen the overlord's own bedchamber once; it was not so lush and ornate as this.
"Gods," he murmured.
Then he realized that Bern had been talking and had stopped. He had asked Hanner a question.
"What?" Hanner asked.
"Breakfast arrangements, my lord," Bern said. "What shall I do?"
"Do you..." Hanner began, then he remembered some of what Bern had already said. He hadn't really been
listening, but some of it had registered anyway.
Bern was merely the chief caretaker; other servants came in sometimes during the day to clean and maintain
the place, and when Faran was in residence a full staff was on call.
Hanner had been about to ask about Bern's cooking skills, but now he thought better of it.
"Just something simple," he said. "Cold salt ham and small beer, perhaps. Or fruit and bread, if any is on
hand, but you needn't light the oven."
"Thank you, my lord," Bern said. He bowed and departed- Hanner stepped into the room, out of Bern's way,
when the servant reached the doorway.
Bern closed the door softly behind him, leaving Hanner staring at his uncle's private bedchamber.
Hanner had never realized that Faran would want a place like this. He had known his uncle pursued women
whenever he had the time free from his work, and affected expensive tastes, but somehow Hanner had still
thought of Faran as a frugal and com-mon-sensical man, not the sort of sybarite who would maintain so
elaborate a hideaway.
He wondered how, after a dozen years living with his uncle, he could have understood him so little. It was
somehow the biggest surprise of the entire long, strange night.
And a very long, very strange night it had been. Walking Mavi home had been only very slightly out of the
ordinary, a natural progression in a normal relationship, but from then on the night had grown ever more
bizarre. Strange new magic erupting all over the city, people running amok with it, the magicians of the
Wizards' Quarter confounded, Hanner making himself the leader of a posse set upon restoring order, being
refused admission to his home in the overlord's palace, being sent here instead-and rinding that his uncle was
not the man Hanner had thought him, all these years.
Hanner let out a long, shuddering sigh, then headed for the bed, pulling off his tunic.
Perhaps in the morning everything would be back to normal. Perhaps this strange new magic would pass with
the dawn, perhaps the overlord's orders would have changed, perhaps everyone could go back to their own
proper homes .. .
But, Hanner realized, as he pulled off his boots, Uncle Faran would still be capable of having maintained this
amazing secret retreat. That wasn't going to go away.
But it might not seem to matter by daylight. Hanner crawled under the coverlet, straightened the pillow under
his head, blew out the lamp, and fell instantly asleep.
Chapter Twelve
Ulpen of North Herris arose early from a night of troubled dreams, while the sun was still red in the east.
Half-asleep, he stumbled to the kitchen to stir up the fire and get his master's breakfast.
He felt strange and awkward as he moved through the familiar rooms of the wizard's house in the slanting [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]