Страница 174 из 207
Richard shrank back. So that was what she had pla
People in white robes—missionaries, De
“Of course not, De
She gave him a jab in the stomach with her Agiel, and walked off. Dizzy, Richard put his hand across himself with a moan. De
When they were back in De
Her voice was quiet. “Go and get one bucket of hot water.”
Richard could have died with relief, knowing that he didn’t have to fill a tub. He retrieved the water, a little confused. She seemed to be angry, but wasn’t directing her anger at him. After he set the bucket on the floor, he waited with his eyes cast downward. De
“Sit down.” She went to the table by her bed and came back with a pear. She looked at it in her hand a moment, turning it around and around, rubbing it a little with her thumb, then held it out to him. “I brought this back from di
Richard looked at the pear in her hand as she held it toward him. “No, Mistress De
“I know whose it is, Richard.” Her voice was still quiet, “Do as I say.”
He took the pear, eating it all, even the seeds. De
De
“I’m sorry, Mistress De
“Be quiet,” she said gently. “I want to sleep on something hard, for my back. I will sleep on the floor. Since I will sleep on the floor, you will have to sleep in my bed, and I don’t want your blood in it.”
Richard was a little perplexed. The floor was certainly big enough for the two of them, and she had certainly gotten his blood in her bed before. It had never bothered her in the past. He decided it was not his place to question, and so didn’t.
“All right,” she said when she had finished, “get in the bed.”
He lay down while she watched him. With resignation, he picked up the Agiel from the side table and held it out to her, the pain from it hurting his arm. He wished she weren’t going to do this to him tonight.
De
He heard her lie on the floor, whispering a curse to herself. He was too exhausted to think, and was asleep in a short time.
When the peal of the bell woke him, De
“We’re not going that way,” she said.
“Yes, Mistress De
She walked awhile, down halls that stretched forever, then gave him an impatient look. “Walk next to me. We’re going for a walk. It’s something I enjoy doing occasionally. When my back hurts. It helps me.”
“I’m sorry, Mistress De
She glanced at him, then looked back to where she was going. “Well, it’s not. So we will go for a walk.”
Richard had never been this far from De
People were everywhere, most in robes of white or some other pale color. No one ever seemed in a hurry, but most seemed as if they had a place to go, although a few sat on marble benches. Richard saw few soldiers. Most people walked past De
The size of the place was astounding—the halls and passages stretched out of sight. Wide stairs led up or down to unknown parts of the great edifice. One hall had statues of naked people in proud poses. The statues were made of carved and polished stone, mostly white, some with gold veining through it, and each was twice as tall as he. Richard never saw one place that was dark, or ugly, or dirty—everything he saw was beautiful. The sound of people’s footsteps echoed through the halls like reverent whispers. Richard wondered how a place as large as this could even be conceived of, much less built. It must have taken lifetimes.
De
De
He nodded, looking about. “Very much, Mistress De
“Why do you like them?”
Richard thought a moment. “It seems they are part of my past. I can dimly recall that I was a guide. A woods guide, I think. But I don’t remember much about it, Mistress De
“Being broken makes you forget things from before,” she said quietly. “The more I train you, the more you will forget the past, except specific questions I ask you. Soon, you will remember none of it.”
“Yes, Mistress De
“It’s called the People’s Palace. It’s the seat of power in D’Hara. It is the home of Master Rahl.”
They had lunch in a different place than they usually ate. She had him sit in a chair—he didn’t know why. They went to the afternoon devotion at one of the places with water instead of sand, and after devotion, they walked some more through the vast halls, to find themselves back in familiar territory for di
After the evening devotion, in the little room in her quarters, De
“Is your back better, Mistress De
“It’s nothing I can’t tolerate.”
She walked slowly around him, watching the floor. She stopped at last in front of him, rolling the Agiel in her fingers for a time, scrutinizing it.
Her eyes didn’t come up. Her voice was hardly more than a whisper. “Tell me you think I’m ugly.”
He looked at her until her eyes finally came up. “No. That would be a lie.”
A sad smile spread on her lips. “That was a mistake, my love. You have disobeyed my direct order, and you have forgotten the appellation.”