Read Online The World Wreckers by Marion Zimmer Bradley - Free Book Online

It had quantities of pale hair that glinted silver gilt. It turned slowly to Regis, moving with a grace and beauty alien and unknown to humankind; and
    then Regis raised his eyes and met those of the chieri.
    The chieri had pale gray eyes, very pale gray with silvery lights deep in them, and as Regis looked into
    the non-human's eyes, he suddenly stopped thinking in terms of awe and wonder and reverence and old
    legends. He suddenly realized that this chieri was only a young creature, very confused by the strange
    sights of the city, very young, very wild and very frightened. He put out his hands with a sudden
    spontaneous sympathy and said in casta , the archaic and little used tongue of the Comyn Domains,
    "Why, you poor thing, how did you come here? I am Regis Hastur, grandson of Hastur; and I am at your service. Will you not come in out of the cold—and away from all these eyes," he added suddenly.
    "I thank you, young Hastur," the chieri said in that slow, halting speech. Regis stepped back in courtesy to allow his strange guest to pass inside. With a wave of his hand he dismissed the guards and the others.
    Danilo followed them as Regis led the chieri into one of the small reception rooms on the lowest floor, a room of white translucent stone hung with pale luminescent hangings. Regis motioned the chieri to a
    seat, but the nonhuman remained standing, seeming to misunderstand the gesture, and said in his
    hesitant, slow, archaic speech, "It has come to us in the Yellow Forest, Hastur, that you are searching for those with the old powers: to study these powers, to know more of them, whence they came, and what
    manner of folk have them."
    "Why, that's true," Regis said. He realized that the chieri was already imitating his own accent and speech and that he could understand it perfectly well. "But how did you come to know it in the Yellow Forest, Noble One?"
    "We chieri—such as we are in these days—know things, Lord of Hastur. It seemed well to us that one of our kind should come and be with you in your search, if you will have us. And since I was the youngest
    and they felt I could—adjust myself—most easily to leaving the Forest and to changing myself to live
    among mankind, I was told to come to you and do as you would have me do."
    "How far have you come, then?" asked Regis in wonder.
    "Many, many days journey, Regis Hastur. I went first to Armida, for my people knew some young folk
    from there a generation ago; but they were gone, all the Altons, and so I came here."
    Danilo stepped forward and motioned to Regis. He did not speak aloud, but linking directly with Regis
    asked, "Are you sure you can trust this nonhuman? Are you sure it's not a trap?"
    "It is not," said the chieri aloud, turning to face Danilo and smiling at him. "I have no contact with the enemies of your friend; before this day I have never had speech with a man of your people, Danilo."
    "You know my name?"
    "Forgive me—I do not know your ways—is it a rudeness to speak the name?"
    "No," said Danilo, baffled. "I just didn't know how you knew it, but you must have uncanny good telepathic power; more than I'm used to dealing with in nonhumans."
    The chieri's light gray eyes met Danilo's for a minute; then the chieri smiled and said to Regis, "You are fortunate in your friend; he loves you well and would protect you with his own life. Nevertheless,
    reassure him that I will never harm you or your kind. I could not if I would."
    "I know," Regis said. He felt suddenly warm and at ease. He had heard old tales of the chieri, of their beauty and kindliness, and although this one seemed young and frightened by the strangeness, Regis
    knew that there was no threat here.
    Dando was about to speak; then he looked from the chieri to Regis, struck at once by something strange.
    The nonhuman was taller, by about a head, and slenderer, his face narrow, the pale, narrow, six-fingered
    hands inhumanly long and graceful; yet the resemblance, like a shadow, was