recorders must have found me and brought me here, and they made me forget."
"Leeb?" he said. "You didn't know about him, then, when you ... I mean, when we . . ."
"Yes. But I wasn't a beginner, Mist, was I?" His blush had been fading. Now it flooded back.
"No. I don't think so. You knew more than I did, I think."
That was an astonishing admission from him. Where had all his smugness gone? Why did he suddenly have to start being so infuriatingly likable? She clenched her fists and hardened her anger.
"That was when I was sure. They stole part of my life and they stole my love! How can the Keeper do that? Where do you find that in your catechism? I want Leeb!"
For a moment Mist shuffled his feet. His fright had returned at the thought of carrying this defiance to Mearn. "What's he like, Thaile? Anything like me?"
She hoped not. "I don't know. I told you--I don't remember him at all. Only his name."
Again those pale yellow eyes widened. "You mean you're doing this because you're in love with someone you can't remember?"
"Yes!" She slammed the door on him, terrified she might start to weep. She leaned on it, shivering. "Tell that to Mistress Mearn!" she shouted. "Tell her I don't want lunch. Tell her I won't go to the Defile, tonight or any other night. Tell her I want my goodman back and I shan't eat or leave here until I get him!"
She heard a muffled wail through the door and Felt his horror. "Thaile!"
"I don't care if I starve to death! Tell her that, Mist! Tell the Keeper herself!"
Auld acquaintances:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to min'?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' auld lang syne?
— Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne
TWO
Lonesome road
1
That Thaile child was turning out to be a serious problem, the sort of flaw that could blight a man's whole career. Her antics were not Jain's fault, though, and he would have to make that very clear ... Scowling at the brilliant dawn sunshine, he strode out of his cottage and gazed over the dunes. Coarse grass rippled in the sea wind, waves rushed up on the beach, disappearing into froth and silvery sheets of water. He took a deep breath and felt better. At last a fine morning!
As he had foreseen, the children were romping on the sand with an enormous black furry animal. He strode over to them. The monster saw him first.
"Wait!" it said from under the giggling, struggling heap. "Wait a pesky minute! Daddy's here." Then it shimmered and became a naked woman.
"Trouble?" Jool demanded warily. For a pixie, she was unusually heavy-breasted, wide at the hips, and voluptuous enough to speed his heart even at this time of day--even with his Thaile worries.
"Just a dull old meeting. Daddy has to leave now, darlings."
The three came running to him for a hug. He knelt, casting a mild charm to keep the sand from sticking to his clothes.
"Stay home today, then," Jool said, stretching out catlike, soaking up the sunlight. Her gaze was seductive. Lately she'd begun to suspect that he was bored with her; she missed no chance to make herself available. How did women know such things? He was a sorcerer. He ought to be able to keep secrets from a mere mundane. She was only guessing about the others.
"I'd love to," he said wearily, and not without truth. "But I can't. One of the novices is being a stubborn little vixen. I recruited her, so they want me at a meeting. That's all." He nibbled and growled fiercely, but a dressed-up daddy was much less fun than a giant sea otter. The youngsters went racing back to their mother.
Jool pulled a sulky face. "Hung back, lover." She became a fury monster again as she was buried under the shrieking pack. The illusion was a minor magic he'd given her to amuse the kids. It was well within permissible limits. Major sorcery was forbidden; it would distract the archons and the Keeper.
"Best invitation I've had all day," he promised, and went striding off across the sands.
He'd been a farm boy. The College had
"Leeb?" he said. "You didn't know about him, then, when you ... I mean, when we . . ."
"Yes. But I wasn't a beginner, Mist, was I?" His blush had been fading. Now it flooded back.
"No. I don't think so. You knew more than I did, I think."
That was an astonishing admission from him. Where had all his smugness gone? Why did he suddenly have to start being so infuriatingly likable? She clenched her fists and hardened her anger.
"That was when I was sure. They stole part of my life and they stole my love! How can the Keeper do that? Where do you find that in your catechism? I want Leeb!"
For a moment Mist shuffled his feet. His fright had returned at the thought of carrying this defiance to Mearn. "What's he like, Thaile? Anything like me?"
She hoped not. "I don't know. I told you--I don't remember him at all. Only his name."
Again those pale yellow eyes widened. "You mean you're doing this because you're in love with someone you can't remember?"
"Yes!" She slammed the door on him, terrified she might start to weep. She leaned on it, shivering. "Tell that to Mistress Mearn!" she shouted. "Tell her I don't want lunch. Tell her I won't go to the Defile, tonight or any other night. Tell her I want my goodman back and I shan't eat or leave here until I get him!"
She heard a muffled wail through the door and Felt his horror. "Thaile!"
"I don't care if I starve to death! Tell her that, Mist! Tell the Keeper herself!"
Auld acquaintances:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to min'?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' auld lang syne?
— Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne
TWO
Lonesome road
1
That Thaile child was turning out to be a serious problem, the sort of flaw that could blight a man's whole career. Her antics were not Jain's fault, though, and he would have to make that very clear ... Scowling at the brilliant dawn sunshine, he strode out of his cottage and gazed over the dunes. Coarse grass rippled in the sea wind, waves rushed up on the beach, disappearing into froth and silvery sheets of water. He took a deep breath and felt better. At last a fine morning!
As he had foreseen, the children were romping on the sand with an enormous black furry animal. He strode over to them. The monster saw him first.
"Wait!" it said from under the giggling, struggling heap. "Wait a pesky minute! Daddy's here." Then it shimmered and became a naked woman.
"Trouble?" Jool demanded warily. For a pixie, she was unusually heavy-breasted, wide at the hips, and voluptuous enough to speed his heart even at this time of day--even with his Thaile worries.
"Just a dull old meeting. Daddy has to leave now, darlings."
The three came running to him for a hug. He knelt, casting a mild charm to keep the sand from sticking to his clothes.
"Stay home today, then," Jool said, stretching out catlike, soaking up the sunlight. Her gaze was seductive. Lately she'd begun to suspect that he was bored with her; she missed no chance to make herself available. How did women know such things? He was a sorcerer. He ought to be able to keep secrets from a mere mundane. She was only guessing about the others.
"I'd love to," he said wearily, and not without truth. "But I can't. One of the novices is being a stubborn little vixen. I recruited her, so they want me at a meeting. That's all." He nibbled and growled fiercely, but a dressed-up daddy was much less fun than a giant sea otter. The youngsters went racing back to their mother.
Jool pulled a sulky face. "Hung back, lover." She became a fury monster again as she was buried under the shrieking pack. The illusion was a minor magic he'd given her to amuse the kids. It was well within permissible limits. Major sorcery was forbidden; it would distract the archons and the Keeper.
"Best invitation I've had all day," he promised, and went striding off across the sands.
He'd been a farm boy. The College had
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