Incarceron Part 44

He drew from inside his s.h.i.+rt a small gold locket, tugged the black ribbon over his head and held it out.

For a moment she was almost afraid to take it; when she did, it was warm from his body heat.

"Open it," he said.

She undid the fastening.

Inside, facing each other in two oval frames were two miniatures, exquisitely painted. On the right, her father, looking grave and younger, his hair a rich brown. And opposite, in a low-cut gown of crimson silk, a woman with a sweet, delicate face, smiling, a tiny flower held to her mouth. Her mother. Her fingers trembled; glancing up to see if he noticed, she saw he was watching her.

He said, "I will have a copy made for you at Court. Master Alan the painter is a fine workman."

She wanted him to break down, to cry out. She wanted him to be angry, to be scorched with grief, something, anything she could respond to. But there was only his grave calm.

She knew he had won this round of the game.

Silently she gave the medallion back. He slid it into his pocket.

Neither of them spoke for a while. The coach rumbled along the high road; they pa.s.sed through a village of tumbledown cottages and a pond where geese rose up and flapped white wings in fright.

Then the road ran uphill, into the green shade of a wood. Claudia felt hot and embarra.s.sed. A wasp blundered through the open window; she waved it out and wiped her hands and face with a small handkerchief noticing how the brown dust of the road came off on the white linen.

Finally she said, "I'm glad you've told me. Why now?"

"I am not a demonstrative man, Claudia. But only now am I ready to speak of it."

His voice was gravelly and hoa.r.s.e.

"This wedding will be the pinnacle of my life. Of hers too, had she lived. We must think of her, of how proud and happy she would have felt."

He raised his eyes and they were gray as steel.

"Nothing must be allowed to spoil things, Claudia. Nothing must get in the way of our success."

She met his eyes; he smiled his slow smile.

"Now. I am sure you would prefer Jared's company to mine."

There was an edge to the words that she did not miss. He picked up his stick and thumped on the carriage roof; outside, the coachman gave a low call, drawing the horses to a restless, stamping, snorting halt.

When they were still, the Warden leaned over and opened the door. He climbed down and stretched.

"What a beautiful view. Look, my dear."

She stepped out beside him.

A great river ran below them, glinting in the summer suns.h.i.+ne. It ran through rich farmlands, the fields golden with the ripening barley, and she saw that b.u.t.terflies were rising in clouds from the flowery meadows beside the road.

The sun was hot on her arms; she raised her face to it gratefully, closing her eyes and seeing only a red heat, smelling the dust and some pungent crushed yarrow in the hedge.

When she opened them again he was gone, walking back to the following coaches, swis.h.i.+ng his stick, speaking a pleasant word to Lord Evian, who climbed out and mopped perspiration from his red face. And the Realm stretched before her to the distant misty heat of the horizon, and she wished for a second that she could run into its summer stillness, escape into the peace of the empty land. Somewhere no one else would be. Somewhere she would be free.

A movement at her elbow. Lord Evian stood there, sipping from a small wine flask.

"Beautiful," he breathed. He pointed a plump finger. "Do you see?"

She saw a glitter miles away in the distant hills. A brilliant diamond-white reflection.

And she knew it was the sunlight on the roof of the great Gla.s.s Court.

KEIRO ATE the last sc.r.a.p of meat and leaned back, replete. He drank the dregs of beer and looked around for someone to refill the tankard.

Attia was still sitting by the door; he ignored her.

The tavern was full; he had to call twice to get attention. Then the alewife came over with a jug and as she filled said, "What about your friend? Doesn't she eat?"

"She's no friend of mine."

"She came in behind you."

He shrugged.

"Can't help being followed by girls. I mean, look at me."

The woman laughed and shook her head.

"All right, handsome. Pay up."

He counted out a few coins, drank the beer, and stood, stretching. He felt better after the wash, and the flame-red jerkin had always looked good on him.

Striding between the tables he ignored Attia as she scrambled up to follow and was halfway down the dim alleyway before her voice made him stop.

"When are we going to find them?" He didn't turn.

"G.o.d knows what's happening to them. You promised ..."

Keiro swung around. "Why don't you get lost?"