[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

had left open. On impulse she plucked out the first of the folded materials
lying within.
It shook out in brilliant glory as she held it, the ends dripping to the
floor. Dripping because it was overlaid with a myriad of crystal drops, some
of which chimed together softly as the folds moved at her touch.
The garment was not unlike those tattered robes Kadiya had seen on several of
the Hassitti, except this was pristine in its glory. It might have been
fash¬ioned yesterday. The sleeves were long and full, gathered in by crystal
bands at the wrists. There was a complicated fastening partway down the front
where cords wove back and forth around knobby buttons of crystal.
In color it was white, yet the folds, as Kadiya turned it to examine it
closely, showed touches of other faint hues, as might be found in iridescent
interiors of shells. She held it up. Long  it had been meant for someone
taller  yet it was plainly wearable, not about to fall to pieces if she did
choose to don it.
Making up her mind, Kadiya folded it over her arm, and, after another glance
to make sure all was well with Jagun, she went into the next chamber. As in
the outside fountains she had seen, a clear stream of water issued from the
mouth of a carven fish-like
creature into a basin fully large enough to hold her body.
Kadiya laid the robe to one side, tugged at the fastening of her scale mail.
Then she caught sight of a figure to one side. Startled, she had dagger in
hand before she realized that she was gazing into the largest mirror she had
ever seen, one reaching from floor to roof. That miserable creature she faced
there was herself. From the wild mass of her tangled hair, ragged on top where
she had freed herself from the serpent vine, to her water soaked boots, she
looked worse than a polder laborer at planting time.
Quickly she discarded her swamp-stained cloth¬ing to settle into the bath.
The water was warm, even as it had been in the fountain. Kadiya recognized the
purpose of a row of boxes on a wall shelf at hand level, one of the pleasures
she had known in the Citadel after a long day swamp exploring with Ja-gun.
Here were stored squares of thick moss which, when squeezed and wrung in
water, left herb scented suds in her hands. Kadiya washed away the traces of
slime which had soaked through her cloth¬ing and darkened her skin, and then
attacked her hair, though the suds stung in those places on her scalp where
the vine had pulled.
There was a towel of woven reed waiting and she dried herself vigorously
before she lifted once more that royal robe. Clothing of state she had known
all her life, had had to wear under protest at times. But in all the treasures
of her mother's wardrobe there had never been anything as fine as this.
It was too large; she had to take up her belt, clean
it as best she could with wet moss and wipe it dry in order to gather those
crystal laden lengths close enough. The sleeves she had to roll well up, and
even though she tugged much of the rest up through her belt the skirt trained
out on the floor and threatened to trip her. Kadiya turned again to survey
Page 37
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
herself in that revealing mirror. And made a face at the reflection.
Against the clear white her face and hands looked coarse and dark. There was
nothing to be done for her ragged hair except to hope that it would grow out.
Such finery did not become her. Yet, looking down at the discarded clothing on
the floor, she could not bring herself to shed the glory of the robe and redon
her own.
In fact she did not even want the fine stuff she now wore to brush against
it. Still to leave it here in a tangle would not do. She would have to find a
way of cleaning it, of somehow sewing the tears, ridding it of all the
staining.
Kadiya drew the garments together and carried them at arm's length back to
the outer room, laying them on a mat in the corner. Surely Olla or Runna would
be able to show her how to deal with them.
Scattered mats of a soft cream-yellow were pro¬tection for her bare feet. But
the heavy belt across the fine stuff irked her and she went again to rum¬mage
in the coffer, bringing forth a scarf of what seemed to be silver, beaten
silk-soft, which she twisted into a girdle. Her dagger she transferred to
that. For too long she had lived with it close to hand to discard it now.
There was a soft murmur of sound from beyond
the slatted curtain which formed the door. Hassitti  she could pick up their
mind patterns, even though she did not try to delve into their thoughts.
"Come." Sweeping the length of the robe to one side so she could move, Kadiya
watched Olla enter bearing a tray with silver plates, and behind her Runna
carrying one of those lamps which gave forth the spicy smells.
They both ducked their long-snouted heads in her direction as they padded
across to place their burdens on the table.
Olla motioned to the table and then to Kadiya, her chittery voice like that
of a grass insect, low and somehow cheerful. Kadiya obethently took her place
(with some difficulty because of the bulk of the robe) on the mats. It was
Runna who hastened to help her spread out that entangling skirt, while Olla
uncovered two bowls and poured water into just such a goblet as those Gosel
and she had used.
Again the food was fruit and a bowl of thickened soup-like substance, but
this time they had provided her with an overlarge spoon. Kadiya found it good
and she ate heartily, smiling and nodding her thanks to the Hassitti.
There was a curious dream-like quality to all of this. Kadiya ate and drank.
The spicy smoke from the lamp made a floating wisp in the room as the dark
increased and the smaller shelf lamps did not banish growing shadows. When she
had done and the tray was borne away by the Hassitti, Kadiya went to sit
beside Jagun. He was sleeping quietly but to be this close to him brought back
reality.
The girl slipped fingers back and forth where the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]