[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
throwing off my cloak, spun weeping to face them, in the same instant drawing
my blade.
It is torture and impalement for you, Midice, I said.
No, said Tab. It is my fault. I forced myself upon her.
No, No! cried Midice. It is my fault! My fault!
Torture and impalement, I said to her. Then I regarded Tab. You have been a
good man, Tab, I gestured with my blade. Defend yourself, I said.
Tab shrugged. He did not draw his weapon. I know you can kill me, he said.
Defend yourself, I screamed to him.
Very well, said Tab, and his weapon left its sheath.
Midice flung herself on her knees between us, weeping. No! she cried.
Kill Midice!
I shall slay you slowly before her, I said, and then I shall deliver her to
the torturers.
Kill Midice! wept the girl. But let him go! Let him go!
Why have you done this to me! I cried out to her weeping. Why?
Why?
I love him, she said, weeping. I love him.
I laughed. You cannot love, I told her. You are Midice. You are small, and
petty, and selfish, and vain! You cannot love!
I do love him, she whispered. I do.
Do you not love me? I begged.
No, she whispered, tears in her eyes. No. But I have given you many
things, I wept. And have I not given you great pleasure?
Yes, she said, you have given me many things.
And have I not, I demanded, given you great pleasure!
yes, she said, you have.
Then why! I cried out.
I do not love you, she said.
You love me! I screamed at her.
No, she said, I do not love you. And I have never loved you.
I wept.
I returned my blade to its sheath.
Take her, I said to Tab. She is yours.
I love her, he said.
Take her away! I screamed. Leave my service! Leave my sight!
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Midice, said Tab, hoarsely.
She fled to him and he put one arm about her. Then they turned and left the
room, he still carrying the unsheathed sword.
I walked slowly about the room, and then I sat on the edge of the stone couch,
on the furs, and put my head in my hands.
How long I had sat thus I do not know.
I heard, after some time, a slight sound in the threshold of my quarters.
I looked up.
In the threshold stood Telima.
I looked at her.
Have you come to scrub the tiles? I asked, sternly.
She smiled. It was done earlier, she said, that I might serve late at the
feast.
Does the kichen master know you are here? I asked.
She shook her head. No, she said.
You will be beaten, I said.
I saw taht, about her left arm, she wore again the armlet of gold, which I
remembered from so long ago, that which I had taken from her to give to
Midice.
you have the armlet, I said.
Yes, she said.
How did you get it? I asked.
From Midice, she said.
You stole it, I said.
No, she said.
I met her eyes.
Midice gave it back to me, she said.
When? i asked.
More than a month ago, said Telima.
She was kind to a Kettle Slave, I said. Telima smiled, tears in her eyes.
yes, she said.
I have not see you wear it, I said.
I have kept it hidden in the straw of my mat, said Telima.
I looked on Telima. She stood in the doorway, rather timidly. She was
barefoot. She wore the brief, stained, wretched garment of a Kettle Slave.
About her throat, locked, was a simple, steel collar. But she wore on her left
arm an armlet of gold.
Why have you worn the armlet of gold? I asked.
It is al I have, she said.
Why have you come here at this time? I asked.
Midice, she said.
I cried out and put my head in my hands weeping.
Telima timidly came closer. She did care for you, she said.
I shook my head.
She cannot help it if she did not love you, whispered Telima.
Go back to the kitchens! I wept. Go back now, or I will kill you.
Telima knelt down, a few feet from me. There were tears in her eyes.
Go away, I cried. or I will kill you!
She did not move, but knelt there, with tears in her eyes. She shook her
head. no, she said, you would not. You could not. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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throwing off my cloak, spun weeping to face them, in the same instant drawing
my blade.
It is torture and impalement for you, Midice, I said.
No, said Tab. It is my fault. I forced myself upon her.
No, No! cried Midice. It is my fault! My fault!
Torture and impalement, I said to her. Then I regarded Tab. You have been a
good man, Tab, I gestured with my blade. Defend yourself, I said.
Tab shrugged. He did not draw his weapon. I know you can kill me, he said.
Defend yourself, I screamed to him.
Very well, said Tab, and his weapon left its sheath.
Midice flung herself on her knees between us, weeping. No! she cried.
Kill Midice!
I shall slay you slowly before her, I said, and then I shall deliver her to
the torturers.
Kill Midice! wept the girl. But let him go! Let him go!
Why have you done this to me! I cried out to her weeping. Why?
Why?
I love him, she said, weeping. I love him.
I laughed. You cannot love, I told her. You are Midice. You are small, and
petty, and selfish, and vain! You cannot love!
I do love him, she whispered. I do.
Do you not love me? I begged.
No, she whispered, tears in her eyes. No. But I have given you many
things, I wept. And have I not given you great pleasure?
Yes, she said, you have given me many things.
And have I not, I demanded, given you great pleasure!
yes, she said, you have.
Then why! I cried out.
I do not love you, she said.
You love me! I screamed at her.
No, she said, I do not love you. And I have never loved you.
I wept.
I returned my blade to its sheath.
Take her, I said to Tab. She is yours.
I love her, he said.
Take her away! I screamed. Leave my service! Leave my sight!
Page 137
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Midice, said Tab, hoarsely.
She fled to him and he put one arm about her. Then they turned and left the
room, he still carrying the unsheathed sword.
I walked slowly about the room, and then I sat on the edge of the stone couch,
on the furs, and put my head in my hands.
How long I had sat thus I do not know.
I heard, after some time, a slight sound in the threshold of my quarters.
I looked up.
In the threshold stood Telima.
I looked at her.
Have you come to scrub the tiles? I asked, sternly.
She smiled. It was done earlier, she said, that I might serve late at the
feast.
Does the kichen master know you are here? I asked.
She shook her head. No, she said.
You will be beaten, I said.
I saw taht, about her left arm, she wore again the armlet of gold, which I
remembered from so long ago, that which I had taken from her to give to
Midice.
you have the armlet, I said.
Yes, she said.
How did you get it? I asked.
From Midice, she said.
You stole it, I said.
No, she said.
I met her eyes.
Midice gave it back to me, she said.
When? i asked.
More than a month ago, said Telima.
She was kind to a Kettle Slave, I said. Telima smiled, tears in her eyes.
yes, she said.
I have not see you wear it, I said.
I have kept it hidden in the straw of my mat, said Telima.
I looked on Telima. She stood in the doorway, rather timidly. She was
barefoot. She wore the brief, stained, wretched garment of a Kettle Slave.
About her throat, locked, was a simple, steel collar. But she wore on her left
arm an armlet of gold.
Why have you worn the armlet of gold? I asked.
It is al I have, she said.
Why have you come here at this time? I asked.
Midice, she said.
I cried out and put my head in my hands weeping.
Telima timidly came closer. She did care for you, she said.
I shook my head.
She cannot help it if she did not love you, whispered Telima.
Go back to the kitchens! I wept. Go back now, or I will kill you.
Telima knelt down, a few feet from me. There were tears in her eyes.
Go away, I cried. or I will kill you!
She did not move, but knelt there, with tears in her eyes. She shook her
head. no, she said, you would not. You could not. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]