[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
a hand on his arm.
Étienne nodded, his next bitter words spoken more gently.
There will come a time when you tire of this, and you no longer
come to me at all.
Nay, none of that. Philippe sat up and took Étienne s face
between his hands. Say instead that there will come a time when
you do not need me to come up here any longer.
58
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
There will never be such a time.
The fierceness of this declaration knocked the breath from
Philippe s lungs. It took a moment to recall how to form speech.
If the enchantment is broken, perhaps you will no longer wish to
live on a half-built tower, eh?
Étienne gripped his wrists hard. Do you know how to break
it?
I have a good sense of what will break it. The how is less
certain.
Gently, he disengaged Étienne s fingers, which threatened to
plow furrows in his skin, and took him in a close embrace. With
soft caresses, he recounted his visit with Mother Celsa. So, as
unlikely as it may sound, it seems we need to have you climax
while you are stone. Do you feel when you are stone, Tien?
No, nothing, Étienne said, short and sharp. He surged up,
pacing the stones. I feel nothing when I am stone, all my
awareness gone until I break free again. How does this help,
Philippe? Did she think to give you false hope?
I did say I had not arrived at how it might be done yet.
Étienne whirled on him with a snarl, but the angry words didn t
follow. He stopped, turned away, and then turned back again more
slowly, hand rubbing the side of his face. Perhaps& perhaps&
although the timing would take the devil s own luck.
Tien, I know you better each day, but I still can t see your
thoughts.
Pardon, of course& Étienne still paced, though, muttering to
himself.
Tien!
Hmm? Oh, yes. He returned to Philippe and crouched beside
him to take both his hands. It occurs to me that there is a time
59
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
when I am not stone, but becoming stone. When the sun rises, the
stone rises also. I turn starting at my feet. The turning takes the
space of perhaps two minutes, no more. But if I am in the midst of
ecstasy while I am turning&
You may be the cleverest man I ve ever know.
White flashed with Étienne s smile. I m more likely a
madman, but I thank you, all the same.
60
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
CHAPTER 6
ON VELVET WINGS
They agreed to wait until the following evening, to give
Philippe s leg a chance to recover. Étienne had been more
animated than Philippe had ever seen him, hands waving about in
wild gesticulation as he spoke of being able to eat again, to sleep in
a bed, even to take a good piss again.
Philippe knew all his excitement of the night before could
quickly turn to bitter despair if they were unsuccessful. Étienne
was a man of quicksilver humors, who seemed to need a steadier,
more sanguine foil. They did well together&
No. No use to tread that path again. If they could not find a way
to make it work, Étienne would sink irrevocably into despair, and
if they did, he would go home and Philippe would never set eyes
61
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
on him again. No good outcome for him, but it needed to work for
Tien s sake. To know that he was safe and happy again would be
enough.
Philippe stopped his brushstrokes, blinking at the decapitated
saint he painted. I do love him. God save me, I do.
Philippe! Father Gervais called up to him. Best to stop for
today, I think. Your inattention will soon have St. Gentian with a
verdigris beard.
With a start, Philippe saw that he had painted less that day than
he normally did in the first half an hour of work. He lowered
himself from the scaffold seat, shaking his head at his distraction.
Are you ill, my boy? Father Gervais asked. Fevered
perhaps? You have always loved your work so. It worries me to
see such malaise in you.
Perhaps a bit, Father. The leg has been troublesome. It was a
portion of truth, at least. He could not bear to lie to this elderly
priest who had been so kind to him.
Father Gervais patted his shoulder and gave him sound and
sage advice he barely heard. He nodded dutifully throughout and
promised to rest, which he would, someday soon. He raised a brow
when Father Gervais made some veiled comments about spending
his evenings with a lover. Ah, the fathers think I ve been absent
from my bed so much because I ve found a mistress.
The conclusion amused him in a bittersweet way, but all the
better if their suspicions were as far as possible from the truth.
After supper, he gathered what, after careful consideration, he
felt he might need. A little bag of salt and a vial of olive oil joined
the blanket in his bag. He thought about taking a flask of ale as
well, but discarded the thought. Étienne wouldn t drink it, so
taking it with the intent of helping him relax was a moot point.
62
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
Timing, he had said, would be everything. To that end, he
knew he would somehow need to coax Étienne into resting before
sunrise. Even coaxing Tien into sitting down could be challenging
when he was agitated, but letting him pace to exhaustion before he
had to perform with absolute precision would be disastrous.
To his utter dismay, he found Étienne rocking with his arms
wrapped about his knees. He touched one broad shoulder gently
and received a soft whimper in response. Tien? What is it, cher?
Étienne fisted both hands in his hair. I cannot, mon ange. I
cannot ask this of you.
Ask what? Tien, look at me. Talk to me like a sensible man.
How can I ask you to make love to something so monstrous?
How can you ever bear the thought?
Philippe eased down beside him and threw an arm around him.
My dear friend, you are not monstrous in any form. Your
gargoyle shape may be& different from your human one. Larger.
More imposing. With a few extra, ah, additions. But still my Tien.
Still magnificent.
But the wings and the tail&
Very handsome. And when I look into your eyes, I still see
you there.
Étienne lifted his head. You are an astounding man, Philippe
d Anjou. Any other man would have run screaming.
I very nearly did, you might recall. But failed when I fell on
my ass.
A choked sound from Étienne might have been a laugh. He
pressed Philippe s palm to his cheek. If I regain myself, my
brothers, my life, what can I give you, mon ange? Whatever you
ask for, anything within my power, it will be yours.
Say I may stay with you. Take me with you when you go. I
63 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
a hand on his arm.
Étienne nodded, his next bitter words spoken more gently.
There will come a time when you tire of this, and you no longer
come to me at all.
Nay, none of that. Philippe sat up and took Étienne s face
between his hands. Say instead that there will come a time when
you do not need me to come up here any longer.
58
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
There will never be such a time.
The fierceness of this declaration knocked the breath from
Philippe s lungs. It took a moment to recall how to form speech.
If the enchantment is broken, perhaps you will no longer wish to
live on a half-built tower, eh?
Étienne gripped his wrists hard. Do you know how to break
it?
I have a good sense of what will break it. The how is less
certain.
Gently, he disengaged Étienne s fingers, which threatened to
plow furrows in his skin, and took him in a close embrace. With
soft caresses, he recounted his visit with Mother Celsa. So, as
unlikely as it may sound, it seems we need to have you climax
while you are stone. Do you feel when you are stone, Tien?
No, nothing, Étienne said, short and sharp. He surged up,
pacing the stones. I feel nothing when I am stone, all my
awareness gone until I break free again. How does this help,
Philippe? Did she think to give you false hope?
I did say I had not arrived at how it might be done yet.
Étienne whirled on him with a snarl, but the angry words didn t
follow. He stopped, turned away, and then turned back again more
slowly, hand rubbing the side of his face. Perhaps& perhaps&
although the timing would take the devil s own luck.
Tien, I know you better each day, but I still can t see your
thoughts.
Pardon, of course& Étienne still paced, though, muttering to
himself.
Tien!
Hmm? Oh, yes. He returned to Philippe and crouched beside
him to take both his hands. It occurs to me that there is a time
59
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
when I am not stone, but becoming stone. When the sun rises, the
stone rises also. I turn starting at my feet. The turning takes the
space of perhaps two minutes, no more. But if I am in the midst of
ecstasy while I am turning&
You may be the cleverest man I ve ever know.
White flashed with Étienne s smile. I m more likely a
madman, but I thank you, all the same.
60
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
CHAPTER 6
ON VELVET WINGS
They agreed to wait until the following evening, to give
Philippe s leg a chance to recover. Étienne had been more
animated than Philippe had ever seen him, hands waving about in
wild gesticulation as he spoke of being able to eat again, to sleep in
a bed, even to take a good piss again.
Philippe knew all his excitement of the night before could
quickly turn to bitter despair if they were unsuccessful. Étienne
was a man of quicksilver humors, who seemed to need a steadier,
more sanguine foil. They did well together&
No. No use to tread that path again. If they could not find a way
to make it work, Étienne would sink irrevocably into despair, and
if they did, he would go home and Philippe would never set eyes
61
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
on him again. No good outcome for him, but it needed to work for
Tien s sake. To know that he was safe and happy again would be
enough.
Philippe stopped his brushstrokes, blinking at the decapitated
saint he painted. I do love him. God save me, I do.
Philippe! Father Gervais called up to him. Best to stop for
today, I think. Your inattention will soon have St. Gentian with a
verdigris beard.
With a start, Philippe saw that he had painted less that day than
he normally did in the first half an hour of work. He lowered
himself from the scaffold seat, shaking his head at his distraction.
Are you ill, my boy? Father Gervais asked. Fevered
perhaps? You have always loved your work so. It worries me to
see such malaise in you.
Perhaps a bit, Father. The leg has been troublesome. It was a
portion of truth, at least. He could not bear to lie to this elderly
priest who had been so kind to him.
Father Gervais patted his shoulder and gave him sound and
sage advice he barely heard. He nodded dutifully throughout and
promised to rest, which he would, someday soon. He raised a brow
when Father Gervais made some veiled comments about spending
his evenings with a lover. Ah, the fathers think I ve been absent
from my bed so much because I ve found a mistress.
The conclusion amused him in a bittersweet way, but all the
better if their suspicions were as far as possible from the truth.
After supper, he gathered what, after careful consideration, he
felt he might need. A little bag of salt and a vial of olive oil joined
the blanket in his bag. He thought about taking a flask of ale as
well, but discarded the thought. Étienne wouldn t drink it, so
taking it with the intent of helping him relax was a moot point.
62
FORTUNE S SHARP ADVERSITY
Timing, he had said, would be everything. To that end, he
knew he would somehow need to coax Étienne into resting before
sunrise. Even coaxing Tien into sitting down could be challenging
when he was agitated, but letting him pace to exhaustion before he
had to perform with absolute precision would be disastrous.
To his utter dismay, he found Étienne rocking with his arms
wrapped about his knees. He touched one broad shoulder gently
and received a soft whimper in response. Tien? What is it, cher?
Étienne fisted both hands in his hair. I cannot, mon ange. I
cannot ask this of you.
Ask what? Tien, look at me. Talk to me like a sensible man.
How can I ask you to make love to something so monstrous?
How can you ever bear the thought?
Philippe eased down beside him and threw an arm around him.
My dear friend, you are not monstrous in any form. Your
gargoyle shape may be& different from your human one. Larger.
More imposing. With a few extra, ah, additions. But still my Tien.
Still magnificent.
But the wings and the tail&
Very handsome. And when I look into your eyes, I still see
you there.
Étienne lifted his head. You are an astounding man, Philippe
d Anjou. Any other man would have run screaming.
I very nearly did, you might recall. But failed when I fell on
my ass.
A choked sound from Étienne might have been a laugh. He
pressed Philippe s palm to his cheek. If I regain myself, my
brothers, my life, what can I give you, mon ange? Whatever you
ask for, anything within my power, it will be yours.
Say I may stay with you. Take me with you when you go. I
63 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]