Read Online Rosemary Kirstein - Steerswoman 04 by The Language of Power - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: The Language of Power
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crisp efficiency.
His scalp was bare and pale, and, it seemed, a bit dusty. Nose and eyebrows
jutted; green eyes in which the squint of hard thinking had become a permanent
feature now showed pleasure and interest. “I do it all by rote. Five minutes
after you’ve gone, I’ll have caught up again, without a moment’s strain. I
hardly have to pay attention to myself at all.”
Rowan liked him immediately. “Your business seems to be
doing well,” she commented; the secretary returned with a tall stool, and Rowan
perched herself on it, leaning her cane against the central worktable. “I’ve
just come from Alemeth; I can’t help wondering if the silk that rode with me is
coming through your offices?”
“Silk.” He blinked twice, then became animated. “No, more’s
the pity! Dunmartin’s got it, I’ve heard, and it’ll caravan up the Long North
Road.”
She nodded. “I’d like to ask you about some events that occurred
in Donner some years ago.”
He spread his hands. “If it’s after eighty years ago and
before today, I’ll know about it! Although, I admit, I’m a bit hazy on the
first three years …”
“The wizard Kieran.”
His brows rose. He leaned back in his chair, steepling his
fingers. “Strange for a man to change like that,” he said.
Rowan leaned forward, hands on her knees. “Did he change?”
she asked intently.
“Oh, yes. Yes, indeed. Never saw the like. When I was a lad,
one steered clear of Kieran. A strange, grim man, as I recall. But just before
he died …”
“Star parties for the little children.”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t people think it odd? After what happened to Nid’s sister?”
The old man’s brows rose higher; he whistled silently. “Now,
that is going very far back indeed. I was just a lad myself. Just turned
thirteen, and Nid a year or two older.”
“I’m surprised anyone permitted their children to associate
with Kieran at all.”
“That’s the thing, do you see? We were all so very young
when Ammi died, and later, when Kieran started being friendly … well, most of
us hadn’t seen the business personally, just heard about it. I hardly knew the
girl myself. But Nid was my friend, so perhaps it stayed with me more.”
“Did you keep your own children away from Kieran’s parties?”
He scratched his ear. “No, they were grown by the time those
started. My youngest was eighteen, nineteen. They weren’t invited to the sky
parties.”
“Did Kieran actively keep them away?”
“I don’t think so … Here, boy!” He called across the room,
and gestured someone over.
The “boy” addressed was a tall and angular man in his
fifties. Marel continued when he arrived: “Now, those old star parties that
Kieran the wizard hosted; your lot never went to them yourselves, did you?”
“No. We weren’t invited.” He turned an uninterested pale
green gaze on the steerswoman, then back on his father. “Stupid, really, to bother
a wizard uninvited.”
“It was only the little children he asked, then?”
The son considered. “He would make a great show of performing
formal and gracious invitations. But as I recall, any little child could show
up, anytime, whether she’d been asked
or not.
Rowan nodded. “We’ve met,” she said suddenly.
“Excuse me?”
“Reeder, isn’t it?”
His gaze remained impassive. “Yes.”
“I was on Morgan’s Chance with you, six years ago,
traveling from here to Wulfshaven.” His expression became even more blank, and
intentionally so. Rowan instantly regretted reminding Reeder of the
circumstances of their meeting, but found she could not gracefully exit the
conversation without some further, more formal comment. “I was sorry when I
learned what had happened to that boy who traveled with you. He wasn’t your
son, I hope.”
He paused before replying. “No. The son of a friend.” And he
departed without another word.
Rowan watched him cross the room to return to his own work,
and turned back to
His scalp was bare and pale, and, it seemed, a bit dusty. Nose and eyebrows
jutted; green eyes in which the squint of hard thinking had become a permanent
feature now showed pleasure and interest. “I do it all by rote. Five minutes
after you’ve gone, I’ll have caught up again, without a moment’s strain. I
hardly have to pay attention to myself at all.”
Rowan liked him immediately. “Your business seems to be
doing well,” she commented; the secretary returned with a tall stool, and Rowan
perched herself on it, leaning her cane against the central worktable. “I’ve
just come from Alemeth; I can’t help wondering if the silk that rode with me is
coming through your offices?”
“Silk.” He blinked twice, then became animated. “No, more’s
the pity! Dunmartin’s got it, I’ve heard, and it’ll caravan up the Long North
Road.”
She nodded. “I’d like to ask you about some events that occurred
in Donner some years ago.”
He spread his hands. “If it’s after eighty years ago and
before today, I’ll know about it! Although, I admit, I’m a bit hazy on the
first three years …”
“The wizard Kieran.”
His brows rose. He leaned back in his chair, steepling his
fingers. “Strange for a man to change like that,” he said.
Rowan leaned forward, hands on her knees. “Did he change?”
she asked intently.
“Oh, yes. Yes, indeed. Never saw the like. When I was a lad,
one steered clear of Kieran. A strange, grim man, as I recall. But just before
he died …”
“Star parties for the little children.”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t people think it odd? After what happened to Nid’s sister?”
The old man’s brows rose higher; he whistled silently. “Now,
that is going very far back indeed. I was just a lad myself. Just turned
thirteen, and Nid a year or two older.”
“I’m surprised anyone permitted their children to associate
with Kieran at all.”
“That’s the thing, do you see? We were all so very young
when Ammi died, and later, when Kieran started being friendly … well, most of
us hadn’t seen the business personally, just heard about it. I hardly knew the
girl myself. But Nid was my friend, so perhaps it stayed with me more.”
“Did you keep your own children away from Kieran’s parties?”
He scratched his ear. “No, they were grown by the time those
started. My youngest was eighteen, nineteen. They weren’t invited to the sky
parties.”
“Did Kieran actively keep them away?”
“I don’t think so … Here, boy!” He called across the room,
and gestured someone over.
The “boy” addressed was a tall and angular man in his
fifties. Marel continued when he arrived: “Now, those old star parties that
Kieran the wizard hosted; your lot never went to them yourselves, did you?”
“No. We weren’t invited.” He turned an uninterested pale
green gaze on the steerswoman, then back on his father. “Stupid, really, to bother
a wizard uninvited.”
“It was only the little children he asked, then?”
The son considered. “He would make a great show of performing
formal and gracious invitations. But as I recall, any little child could show
up, anytime, whether she’d been asked
or not.
Rowan nodded. “We’ve met,” she said suddenly.
“Excuse me?”
“Reeder, isn’t it?”
His gaze remained impassive. “Yes.”
“I was on Morgan’s Chance with you, six years ago,
traveling from here to Wulfshaven.” His expression became even more blank, and
intentionally so. Rowan instantly regretted reminding Reeder of the
circumstances of their meeting, but found she could not gracefully exit the
conversation without some further, more formal comment. “I was sorry when I
learned what had happened to that boy who traveled with you. He wasn’t your
son, I hope.”
He paused before replying. “No. The son of a friend.” And he
departed without another word.
Rowan watched him cross the room to return to his own work,
and turned back to
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