City of Diamond, стр. 12

“I don’t need to hear literary criticism from a product of hell!” said Fischer.

“Take good criticism where you can find it,” replied Tal calmly.

Fischer was starting to change color again. Adrian reached the landing just above St. Kit’s, slowed down, and managed to tread on Tal’s boot as he crossed. Tal looked into his face and met clear brown eyes focused on his own. Human expressions were not always fully decipherable to Tal, but apparently he decided it was time to drop this topic with Brandon Fischer. He looked down at his timepiece and back to Adrian. “It’s quarter to six.”

“You see, Brandon, just another example of how well-informed he keeps me.”

“I meant that I have to take my leave. I’ve an appointment at six.”

Adrian nodded. “Someday you must tell me how you spend your spare time.” He made a dismissive gesture, and Tal turned and started down the last vertical walkway, toward the greenery this side of the river. “I’ll expect you at the reception dinner tonight,” Adrian called, knowing Tal would hear.

Adrian moved down the walkway, but Fischer put out a hand. “I think we should talk. In private, for once.”

Neither of them seemed to feel their privacy would be intruded on by the four squad members standing just on the edge of earshot. They faced the railing, backs to the security guards.

Fischer said, “Was it wise to introduce him to Amo?”

Adrian seemed faintly surprised. “They know he’s here. And if they didn’t, they’d find out soon enough. We might as well get the socially awkward part of it over.”

“I was thinking of the Book of Prophecies, which your nonhuman friend thinks so little of.”

“Oh?”

“ ‘After darkness and silence, when demons will walk in the City’? ‘Tribulation, death, sorrow’? Any of these sound familiar?”

“I do know that one.” Adrian grinned. “It ends, ‘The triumvirate shall find the Crown.’ ”

“Precious helpful that is. We don’t have a triumvirate, and neither does Opal, and the Sawyer Crown’s been gone for centuries. I’m talking about the tribulation and death part of it.”

“You’ve never been an optimistic man, Brandon.”

“ ‘Darkness and silence’—the communications blackout with Opal, that ends today. ‘Demons walking the city.’ ” He pointed to Tal’s figure down below, heading toward the arched bridge of St. Kit’s. “Mark my words, something bad is coming. And I’ll bet the Lord Cardinal knows the Book better than you or I.”

Adrian hesitated. “Have you heard any speculation from the Opal delegates as to why we named Baret System as our rendezvous?”

Fischer was taken aback. “What does that have to do with the subject? Is there any reason to believe we won’t be welcome at Baret Two? I thought it was a fairly peaceable planet.”

“Of course. I was just wondering if you’d heard anything.”

Fischer looked at what he still saw as a face too young and vulnerable. The older he got, the more Adrian appeared to be a twelve-year-old decked out in grownup’s clothing. Adrian returned the gaze with one of open innocence.

“You look the way you looked when you convinced Bryan Veritie to give you his place in the 540 tournament.”

Adrian burst out laughing, one of his rare all-the-way-through laughs that transformed his face like a halo. Below them, near the stairs, two young women of the court walked with two highly dressed spaniels whose fur appeared to be dyed green. The young lady in front wore a spangled headdress and sheer veil that swayed with her body; the young lady behind kept trying to gather her patterned skirt away from her spaniel’s footsteps. She tripped and looked around quickly to see if anyone had seen her.

She did not look up toward Adrian, who was watching with deep appreciation. He sighed happily. “You know, Brandon, when I’m married, I’m going to give up this dallying with other women. Give it up totally, I mean—a firm break. After all, I owe a certain responsibility to my wife. She’ll be leaving all her friends behind, and we wouldn’t want her to feel unwelcome.” He spoke with every evidence of sincerity.

“Of course,” Fischer agreed.

“I mean it! Never, ever again.” The light voices of the two women fluted up from below as they argued, without rancor, in the kind of practiced rhythm that belongs to old friends. Gold hair showed beneath the hat of the girl who’d tripped. “Or certainly not for a very long time,” Adrian amended.

The ladies vanished around a curve of trees. “And I’ll be very discreet if I do,” he added softly.

Busy watching the two young ladies, neither Adrian nor Fisher noticed Tal’s figure in the distance, as it veered off the pathway to disappear under St. Kit’s bridge.

“God, I’m glad it’s you,” said Spider, his shadow separating abruptly from the darkness of the archway. “I’m not dressed for court level. I keep thinking people are staring at me.

Tal shrugged. “If anybody stops you, just show the pass.”

“Some of these guardpost types aren’t above taking your pass and beating you up to kill time,” said Spider, “especially if you’re just a corporal in Inventory hanging around where you shouldn’t be.”

“Even now? Adrian will be interested in that. He’s been trying to clean up the City Guard for two years now.” Tal leaned against a damp wall. “Could we speed this along, Spider? We’re partially visible from that lookout over the river.”

Spider drew back into the shadow again. “There are two citycops on beat up there somewhere. What’ll they think if they see us?”

“I imagine they’ll think we’re having sex.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Spider disappeared farther into the darkness. “Sodomy’s a death offense!”

“They aren’t as picky about these tribal taboos on court level, Spider. I suspect they have an entirely different set of taboos. Relax…. How’s your mother?”

“Fine.” Spider did not reemerge.

“And how are my private messages to Baret Station?” Spider sighed and reached into his breeches pocket. “One positive response.” He handed over the link replies. “In case anything comes of it, you should know I had to forge the duty