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.You ll be a main target. Got it, the mind-mover said. Permission to dump poisoned food on people s heads,Meki? Lord Meki seemed rather amused at the idea. With pleasure. Now Kei hopedsomething would be found, which was very wrong of him.He didn t realise he had thiscapacity for vindictiveness.He hoped he grew out of it, or that it only applied to the Prij.But he still wanted to see Senator Mekus wearing a bowl of soup.They were lead to a large room, and for a moment, Kei had a sudden painful memoryof that day when they had all been rounded up.Arman squeezed his hand. It s not thatroom, he said quietly. They don t use that for banquets. Kei gulped down the sudden nausea, grateful for Arman s words.Footmen came tomeet them, and to escort them to their seats, the Rulers near where the sovereign would sitand the other Darshianese down a long table near there.All of them but Arman. What sgoing on? Kei asked as footmen tried to usher him to a chair. Why haven t you got aseat? Ah.It seems as translator, I m a servant, and servants may not sit in front of HerSerenity at a meal. What? But a blare of horns and a beaten drum interrupted Kei s outrage, and then thesovereign and her senators swept into the room.Everyone bowed, the Darshianese a beatbehind, as the woman took her seat.Arman went to take up position behind Lord Meki.Keilooked at him. You need to sit, he hissed. Protocol, Arman said. Go and be seated. No. Lord Meki turned around. Kei, take a seat please. No.Arman isn t sitting, I m not sitting. He s not a servant.None of us are.Kei? Kei turned to Gonji.What s wrong?Arman isn t being given a seat because they think he s a servant.Right.Gonji got to his feet.A few moments later, the other clan representatives did, asdid Jera.Lord Meki looked at Kei, then at Arman, and then finally at Lord Peika.Then he got tohis feet too, and was joined by his fellow Ruler.Their actions caused a ripple of comment from the Prij, and the sovereign leanedtowards her translator to speak to him. Her Serenity wants to know why you are allstanding? Lord Meki turned and bowed. We didn t realise servants can t sit in front of HerSerenity.Since I and Lord Peika are servants of our people, we shouldn t sit either. Thetranslator spoke quickly. And I serve my clan, Kei said.Kei! You re making a fool of yourself and of me! Arman gave him one of his fiercestglares.Kei grinned back. I likewise serve my clan. And I. And I. Her Serenity turned redder and redder as each Darshianese made a similar declaration. Are you trying to turn this meal into a farce? No, your highness.We would just like a chair for our good friend and colleague,Arman.If it pleases your highness. She glared, and then snapped her fingers, and a sharp command.A footman wentscurrying off. Could you not have just asked? We thought you already knew Arman wasn t a servant, Lord Meki said politely.She frowned. He has a chair now.Sit down, please. Lord Meki bowed.Arman s face was like thunder as he watched the table being hastilyrearranged. Was any of that strictly necessary? he growled at Kei and Lord Meki, sittingdown at last and glowering at them. No.It was just fun, Kei said. You would jeopardise the peace to get me a damn chair? No.I d poke these pompous fools for that. Now Kei could sit next to Arman, which they both needed, and since he felt he hadprovoked his lover enough, he sat with perfect politeness as the first dishes were served.Itwas a quite acceptable vegetable soup, and he was about to tuck in, when Arman shook hishead.Wait until the senators taste it.You re serious.Completely.Kei looked at his plate, and felt queasy.Suddenly this wasn t fun any more.Not that itreally was at all, but he d been trying to lighten the mood.None of the senators dropped dead, perhaps unfortunately, and so the Darshianesecould eat.Arman was still slightly cross, but mostly he was just tired and rather anxious.Kei recognised some of the senators, including the odious Mekus.The Lord Commandersitting next to Her Serenity, kept glaring at Arman.Kei wanted to poke his tongue out athim, but instead squeezed Arman s leg under the table, which raised a little smile from him. Behave, Arman whispered.Kei gave him an innocent look.They were barely halfway into the soup when the sovereign began to ask Lord Mekiquestions, and Arman had to translate.It seemed the Prij had actually agreed thesubstantive part of the Darshianese demands and were quibbling over minor details of tax,import duty and legal administration in south Darshian.Kei had expected more resistance.Jera and Neris really must have made an impression [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.You ll be a main target. Got it, the mind-mover said. Permission to dump poisoned food on people s heads,Meki? Lord Meki seemed rather amused at the idea. With pleasure. Now Kei hopedsomething would be found, which was very wrong of him.He didn t realise he had thiscapacity for vindictiveness.He hoped he grew out of it, or that it only applied to the Prij.But he still wanted to see Senator Mekus wearing a bowl of soup.They were lead to a large room, and for a moment, Kei had a sudden painful memoryof that day when they had all been rounded up.Arman squeezed his hand. It s not thatroom, he said quietly. They don t use that for banquets. Kei gulped down the sudden nausea, grateful for Arman s words.Footmen came tomeet them, and to escort them to their seats, the Rulers near where the sovereign would sitand the other Darshianese down a long table near there.All of them but Arman. What sgoing on? Kei asked as footmen tried to usher him to a chair. Why haven t you got aseat? Ah.It seems as translator, I m a servant, and servants may not sit in front of HerSerenity at a meal. What? But a blare of horns and a beaten drum interrupted Kei s outrage, and then thesovereign and her senators swept into the room.Everyone bowed, the Darshianese a beatbehind, as the woman took her seat.Arman went to take up position behind Lord Meki.Keilooked at him. You need to sit, he hissed. Protocol, Arman said. Go and be seated. No. Lord Meki turned around. Kei, take a seat please. No.Arman isn t sitting, I m not sitting. He s not a servant.None of us are.Kei? Kei turned to Gonji.What s wrong?Arman isn t being given a seat because they think he s a servant.Right.Gonji got to his feet.A few moments later, the other clan representatives did, asdid Jera.Lord Meki looked at Kei, then at Arman, and then finally at Lord Peika.Then he got tohis feet too, and was joined by his fellow Ruler.Their actions caused a ripple of comment from the Prij, and the sovereign leanedtowards her translator to speak to him. Her Serenity wants to know why you are allstanding? Lord Meki turned and bowed. We didn t realise servants can t sit in front of HerSerenity.Since I and Lord Peika are servants of our people, we shouldn t sit either. Thetranslator spoke quickly. And I serve my clan, Kei said.Kei! You re making a fool of yourself and of me! Arman gave him one of his fiercestglares.Kei grinned back. I likewise serve my clan. And I. And I. Her Serenity turned redder and redder as each Darshianese made a similar declaration. Are you trying to turn this meal into a farce? No, your highness.We would just like a chair for our good friend and colleague,Arman.If it pleases your highness. She glared, and then snapped her fingers, and a sharp command.A footman wentscurrying off. Could you not have just asked? We thought you already knew Arman wasn t a servant, Lord Meki said politely.She frowned. He has a chair now.Sit down, please. Lord Meki bowed.Arman s face was like thunder as he watched the table being hastilyrearranged. Was any of that strictly necessary? he growled at Kei and Lord Meki, sittingdown at last and glowering at them. No.It was just fun, Kei said. You would jeopardise the peace to get me a damn chair? No.I d poke these pompous fools for that. Now Kei could sit next to Arman, which they both needed, and since he felt he hadprovoked his lover enough, he sat with perfect politeness as the first dishes were served.Itwas a quite acceptable vegetable soup, and he was about to tuck in, when Arman shook hishead.Wait until the senators taste it.You re serious.Completely.Kei looked at his plate, and felt queasy.Suddenly this wasn t fun any more.Not that itreally was at all, but he d been trying to lighten the mood.None of the senators dropped dead, perhaps unfortunately, and so the Darshianesecould eat.Arman was still slightly cross, but mostly he was just tired and rather anxious.Kei recognised some of the senators, including the odious Mekus.The Lord Commandersitting next to Her Serenity, kept glaring at Arman.Kei wanted to poke his tongue out athim, but instead squeezed Arman s leg under the table, which raised a little smile from him. Behave, Arman whispered.Kei gave him an innocent look.They were barely halfway into the soup when the sovereign began to ask Lord Mekiquestions, and Arman had to translate.It seemed the Prij had actually agreed thesubstantive part of the Darshianese demands and were quibbling over minor details of tax,import duty and legal administration in south Darshian.Kei had expected more resistance.Jera and Neris really must have made an impression [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]