Read Online The Pixilated Peeress by L. Sprague de Camp, Catherine Crook de Camp - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: L. Sprague de Camp, Catherine Crook de Camp
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divan, and a large desk. Seating himself behind the desk, Orlandus motioned Thorolf and Bardi to chairs. At another gesture, the soldiers set down the tub and departed.
Thorolf glanced around. In contrast to Bardi's dusty clutter, the chamber was as clean, neat, bare, and or derly as if it had never been occupied at all. The door through which they had come was one of a pair o n one of the long sides of the room, which was cheerfully lit by diamond-paned casement windows at the ends. On the long side facing the doors was a low fireplace, but no fire had been laid and there were neither ashes nor cinders on the hearth.
Above th e fireplace hung a huge framed painting, ex tending to the ceiling and dark with the dirt of decades. Through the grime it faintly showed the God and God dess, Voth and Frea, of the Dualistic Church of Carinthia and the Empire. A small tear above Voth's h e ad had not been repaired.
The Divine Pair had originally been painted seated on the natural thrones formed by a pair of thick-stemmed, twisted trees. The divinities extended bene dictory hands above a multitude of tiny figures, representing mortal mankin d, which swarmed about their feet. The Pair had originally been nude, Voth with a great black beard rippling down his chest and a wreath of laurel leaves on his hair; Frea as a beautiful blond woman of matronly figure. Someone had later painted bronze-gre e n oak leaves over the Divine Couple's sex ual characters.
Following Thorolf's glance, Orlandus said: "This was the audience chamber of the Carinthian governors when they ruled in Rhaetia. When the Carinthians de parted, they evidently found the moving of yon painting more trouble than they deemed it worth. According to a Tyrrhenian expert I had in, it is second-rate art. Still, it might be worth cleaning some day when we have the time."
Thorolf said: "Here are the garments she wore ere her transformatio n." He laid the bundle on Orlandus' desk before sitting down. "I see you are not using the fireplace, Doctor, albeit winter will be upon us ere long."
Orlandus smiled. "The fireplace is more ornamental than useful. The castle hath an amenity invented in the days of the old Neapolitan Empire but neglected since. It is clept central heating. A furnace in the basement sends warm air through ducts to the far reaches of the building."
Another good-looking woman of about Yvette's age, also swathed in gray, en tered and began mopping the floor, although Thorolf could not discern a speck of dust. He said:
"You keep a neat hold, Doctor."
"Surely. I am a modern, scientific magus. All oper ations are conducted in accordance with the latest prin ciples of natural philosophy. One cannot be efficient without order."
Thorolf exchanged glances with Bardi, whose sanc tum was at a polar extreme from their present surround ings. The soldier jerked his head towards the woman mopping. "Do your folk clean even when there is no dirt?"
Orlandus chuckled. "She serves a light sentence of expiation for a breach of discipline by a member of our order, of the lowest or probationary grade. Only when the aspirant hath risen to the rank of diaphane is he or she immune to such disc ipline. Since the recent warm spell hath made it needless to stoke the central furnace, I have instead passed sentences of cleaning and polish ing. A diaphane, however, knows the right thing to do on all occasions and does it.
"Let us return to the conco mitants of my treatment of your Countess, since you expressed the desire that I do so. The price of the coronet would not nearly cover the cost of the Spell of Mimingus needed
Thorolf glanced around. In contrast to Bardi's dusty clutter, the chamber was as clean, neat, bare, and or derly as if it had never been occupied at all. The door through which they had come was one of a pair o n one of the long sides of the room, which was cheerfully lit by diamond-paned casement windows at the ends. On the long side facing the doors was a low fireplace, but no fire had been laid and there were neither ashes nor cinders on the hearth.
Above th e fireplace hung a huge framed painting, ex tending to the ceiling and dark with the dirt of decades. Through the grime it faintly showed the God and God dess, Voth and Frea, of the Dualistic Church of Carinthia and the Empire. A small tear above Voth's h e ad had not been repaired.
The Divine Pair had originally been painted seated on the natural thrones formed by a pair of thick-stemmed, twisted trees. The divinities extended bene dictory hands above a multitude of tiny figures, representing mortal mankin d, which swarmed about their feet. The Pair had originally been nude, Voth with a great black beard rippling down his chest and a wreath of laurel leaves on his hair; Frea as a beautiful blond woman of matronly figure. Someone had later painted bronze-gre e n oak leaves over the Divine Couple's sex ual characters.
Following Thorolf's glance, Orlandus said: "This was the audience chamber of the Carinthian governors when they ruled in Rhaetia. When the Carinthians de parted, they evidently found the moving of yon painting more trouble than they deemed it worth. According to a Tyrrhenian expert I had in, it is second-rate art. Still, it might be worth cleaning some day when we have the time."
Thorolf said: "Here are the garments she wore ere her transformatio n." He laid the bundle on Orlandus' desk before sitting down. "I see you are not using the fireplace, Doctor, albeit winter will be upon us ere long."
Orlandus smiled. "The fireplace is more ornamental than useful. The castle hath an amenity invented in the days of the old Neapolitan Empire but neglected since. It is clept central heating. A furnace in the basement sends warm air through ducts to the far reaches of the building."
Another good-looking woman of about Yvette's age, also swathed in gray, en tered and began mopping the floor, although Thorolf could not discern a speck of dust. He said:
"You keep a neat hold, Doctor."
"Surely. I am a modern, scientific magus. All oper ations are conducted in accordance with the latest prin ciples of natural philosophy. One cannot be efficient without order."
Thorolf exchanged glances with Bardi, whose sanc tum was at a polar extreme from their present surround ings. The soldier jerked his head towards the woman mopping. "Do your folk clean even when there is no dirt?"
Orlandus chuckled. "She serves a light sentence of expiation for a breach of discipline by a member of our order, of the lowest or probationary grade. Only when the aspirant hath risen to the rank of diaphane is he or she immune to such disc ipline. Since the recent warm spell hath made it needless to stoke the central furnace, I have instead passed sentences of cleaning and polish ing. A diaphane, however, knows the right thing to do on all occasions and does it.
"Let us return to the conco mitants of my treatment of your Countess, since you expressed the desire that I do so. The price of the coronet would not nearly cover the cost of the Spell of Mimingus needed
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