Read Online A Game of Authors by Frank Herbert - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Frank Herbert
Ads: Link
belt holster. “ Sí, Patron .”
Separdo looked at the floor behind Luac, smiled. “I came to tell you that we have a message from the colonel of police in Ciudad Brockman.”
Luac’s goatee quivered. “Oh?” His tongue flicked over his thin lips. “What does my friend Bartolomé want?”
“He wishes to know if we have seen an American tourist named Hal Garson. Both the Consulate and Turismo have called him from Mexico City.”
Garson stared at Luac. Score one for me! Villazana did as he was told!
“Ahhhh,” said Luac. “Send the good colonel my regards, Raul. Tell him that Mr. Garson—an old friend—has kindly accepted our hospitality for an indefinite period, and that he would like his luggage sent up from the hotel.”
Separdo nodded.
“You will recall my wise counsel of last night, Raul?” asked Luac.
“Yes, Antone.”
“This is why Olaf still relies upon my judgment rather than yours, Raul. Olaf realizes that you are too—ahhh—quick.”
Separdo scowled. The corners of his mouth trembled. Slowly, he smiled, turned to Anita Luac. “Are we going riding today, Nita?”
“Why . . .” She hesitated, glanced at her father.
“I’m sorry, Raul,” said Luac. “Nita will be helping to guide Mr. Garson today.”
Separdo’s fingers curled stiffly like claws, then relaxed. “Of course. And Choco will be with them.”
“Choco always guards my daughter, Raul.”
“But naturally, Antone.” Separdo looked out at the lake. “Such a beautiful lake,” he murmured. “One never knows, does one? Beauty may conceal so many things.”
Garson noted that Anita Luac was watching Separdo as a bird might watch a snake. Her hands were clenched into fists.
“As you say, Raul,” said Luac. He turned to Garson. “Choco will loan you a razor if you wish to freshen up before looking around.”
Medina lifted the machete in his hand. “Shall I loan him this one, Patron ?”
Anita Luac laughed. It was like a release from hysteria. Garson realized that Medina’s words had been aimed at just that effect.
“One of the little ones will do,” said Luac. Laughter wrinkles deepened at the corners of his eyes.
Separdo nodded to Garson. “You must be careful that you do not cut yourself, Mr. Garson.”
“Be sure you give the message correctly to the colonel of police,” said Garson. “I wouldn’t want him to worry about me.”
“Worry is a bad thing,” said Separdo. “No one must worry.” He left the room, still with the lithe motions of a dancer.
Garson stared after Separdo. What’s his real function here? What hold does he have on Luac?
“We will continue our discussion another time,” said Luac.
“ Mañana? ” asked Garson.
Luac chuckled. “ Sí. Mañana. ”
***
Chapter 5
“This is my father’s study,” said Anita Luac. She opened a door off the hallway, preceded Garson into the room.
The noon sun beat down on the terrace beyond the room’s front windows, reflected with a rippling glare off the white-washed ceiling.
Anita Luac crossed to the front windows, dropped bamboo screens across them, masking the view of the lake and sun scorched hills.
There was a hot mugginess in the room that Garson noted immediately as he entered. He wondered how Luac could work in that heat.
“Father uses this room at night,” she said, as though answering his unspoken question. “He prefers the summer house in the garden during the day.”
Garson nodded, looked around him. An intricate bird pattern in green had been worked into the golden tiles of the floor. A long trestle table stood parallel to the windows, its top littered with papers. A heavy rattan chair with a green velvet cushion had been pushed back from the table. The back wall of the room was entirely window-pane mirrors that reflected the masked view of lake and hills. Book cases floor to ceiling filled the side walls.
The green notebooks , thought Garson. He saw them on the right.
Medina followed them into the room,
Separdo looked at the floor behind Luac, smiled. “I came to tell you that we have a message from the colonel of police in Ciudad Brockman.”
Luac’s goatee quivered. “Oh?” His tongue flicked over his thin lips. “What does my friend Bartolomé want?”
“He wishes to know if we have seen an American tourist named Hal Garson. Both the Consulate and Turismo have called him from Mexico City.”
Garson stared at Luac. Score one for me! Villazana did as he was told!
“Ahhhh,” said Luac. “Send the good colonel my regards, Raul. Tell him that Mr. Garson—an old friend—has kindly accepted our hospitality for an indefinite period, and that he would like his luggage sent up from the hotel.”
Separdo nodded.
“You will recall my wise counsel of last night, Raul?” asked Luac.
“Yes, Antone.”
“This is why Olaf still relies upon my judgment rather than yours, Raul. Olaf realizes that you are too—ahhh—quick.”
Separdo scowled. The corners of his mouth trembled. Slowly, he smiled, turned to Anita Luac. “Are we going riding today, Nita?”
“Why . . .” She hesitated, glanced at her father.
“I’m sorry, Raul,” said Luac. “Nita will be helping to guide Mr. Garson today.”
Separdo’s fingers curled stiffly like claws, then relaxed. “Of course. And Choco will be with them.”
“Choco always guards my daughter, Raul.”
“But naturally, Antone.” Separdo looked out at the lake. “Such a beautiful lake,” he murmured. “One never knows, does one? Beauty may conceal so many things.”
Garson noted that Anita Luac was watching Separdo as a bird might watch a snake. Her hands were clenched into fists.
“As you say, Raul,” said Luac. He turned to Garson. “Choco will loan you a razor if you wish to freshen up before looking around.”
Medina lifted the machete in his hand. “Shall I loan him this one, Patron ?”
Anita Luac laughed. It was like a release from hysteria. Garson realized that Medina’s words had been aimed at just that effect.
“One of the little ones will do,” said Luac. Laughter wrinkles deepened at the corners of his eyes.
Separdo nodded to Garson. “You must be careful that you do not cut yourself, Mr. Garson.”
“Be sure you give the message correctly to the colonel of police,” said Garson. “I wouldn’t want him to worry about me.”
“Worry is a bad thing,” said Separdo. “No one must worry.” He left the room, still with the lithe motions of a dancer.
Garson stared after Separdo. What’s his real function here? What hold does he have on Luac?
“We will continue our discussion another time,” said Luac.
“ Mañana? ” asked Garson.
Luac chuckled. “ Sí. Mañana. ”
***
Chapter 5
“This is my father’s study,” said Anita Luac. She opened a door off the hallway, preceded Garson into the room.
The noon sun beat down on the terrace beyond the room’s front windows, reflected with a rippling glare off the white-washed ceiling.
Anita Luac crossed to the front windows, dropped bamboo screens across them, masking the view of the lake and sun scorched hills.
There was a hot mugginess in the room that Garson noted immediately as he entered. He wondered how Luac could work in that heat.
“Father uses this room at night,” she said, as though answering his unspoken question. “He prefers the summer house in the garden during the day.”
Garson nodded, looked around him. An intricate bird pattern in green had been worked into the golden tiles of the floor. A long trestle table stood parallel to the windows, its top littered with papers. A heavy rattan chair with a green velvet cushion had been pushed back from the table. The back wall of the room was entirely window-pane mirrors that reflected the masked view of lake and hills. Book cases floor to ceiling filled the side walls.
The green notebooks , thought Garson. He saw them on the right.
Medina followed them into the room,
Similar Books
