Denner_s Wreck

He had resolved on silence, however, and silent he remained as he gestured to the floater for another drink. He noticed that his companion creature had found itself a place atop a wooden beam overhead, and he amused himself for a moment by looking at the room through its eyes. The entertainment system had given up on any attempt to coordinate its images with the independently-minded flutterbugs, so the low music was now only sound, and the view unimpeded.

“Excuse me, my lady,” the housekeeper said, slipping into a break in the conversation and fading the music still further, “but you have a call from Bre

“Bre

Immediately, Bre

“Hello, Sheila,” he said. “I'm calling to let you know that I may not be able to come to your open house this season."

“No? But why not?"

“Oh, well, it seems that Thaddeus is upset about something; I don't have the faintest idea what the hell he thinks I did this time, and the idiot won't tell me, so I couldn't apologize even if I wanted to. Whatever it is, he's shooting at me, and using some fairly serious stuff, too. I don't think it would be a good idea to leave home right now. He might slip something in somewhere, or try to pick me off while I'm travelling.” He shrugged. “I'm sorry, but it's really not my fault."

Intrigued, Rawl shifted his vision back where it belonged and brushed away his new drink.

“He's shooting at you?” Sheila asked.

“Well, yes, but…"

“He can't do that!” Lady Sunlight exclaimed.

Rawl rose and stepped into Bre

“Rawl? Well, I'll be damned, I haven't seen you lately!"

“I've been around."

“I'm sure you have. No, I don't need any help, thanks."

“Bre

Bre

Rawl thought he heard relief in Bre

Thaddeus, Rawl thought, must be making a serious attack indeed, to worry Bre

“We'll be there in an hour,” Sheila said.

Lady Sunlight started to protest, but Sheila waved her to silence, out of Bre

“I'll see you then,” Bre

“But, Sheila…” Sunlight began, obviously distressed.

“We have to go, Sunlight,” Sheila said. “If Thaddeus is causing trouble-well, you know what he's like. He's dangerous. He might really hurt someone. Besides, I told Bre

Sunlight hesitated, mouth set, and then yielded abruptly. “Oh, all right,” she said. “But I don't like that castle of his, and I don't like Thaddeus much, either."

“I don't think anybody likes Thaddeus,” Rawl remarked.

“I have the airskiff I used to bring my things from Summer House up on the next level,” Sheila said. “We'll take that.” She rose smoothly and led the way to the lifter.

Rawl followed calmly, his creature fluttering back down to his shoulder and his floater returning to visibility, while Lady Sunlight came more reluctantly, her creature in her hand.

The music faded gracefully into silence.

“Goodbye,” the housekeeper said behind them, as brightly-colored flutterbugs danced wild airborne dances in the empty lounge. “I'll keep the place warm for you."

Chapter Five

"…when they returned to their village they told their friends and families what had befallen them, and poured forth glowing praise of Isabelle's hearth and hospitality. They spoke at length of her kindness and generosity, how she had taken them in from the storm and met their every need, even before they could ask. They described the fine foods they had eaten, and the exotic beverages they had drunk. They showed the magical cloaks she had given them that were so thin that they could easily be folded up and put in one's pocket, but which would keep out even the coldest wind.

"And most of the people of the village marvelled, and remarked on how fortunate the travelers had been, and then thought no more about it.

"But a handful of greedy villagers, upon hearing these stories, resolved to see these wonders for themselves, and bring back some of these heavenly foods, and magic capes, and other prizes, that they might sell them and become rich. ‘Why should these fools have such good fortune,’ they said, ‘when clever and worthy men such as ourselves do not?'

"So they set out into the northern hills, following the tales they had heard, and at length they came to the gates of Isabelle's demesne.

"There they did not wait for an invitation, but pounded loudly upon the delicate carvings, demanding entrance. And a voice called out, ‘What do you want?'

"Their spokesman replied, ‘We have come for di

"'This is not an i

"They wasted no time, but hurried inside, boots still caked with snow and mud, coats dripping, pulling sacks from their shirts to carry off whatever they were given. They did not look at the statues, or at the paintings, or at the fountains. They did not pause to warm themselves before the fire. They ran straight to the great table.

"When all had seated themselves, golden dishes and silver platters came sailing out of the kitchens, bearing strange and wondrous foods-square fruits and golden meats and other things we mortals can't even imagine. Crystal goblets sprang up out of the table itself, brimming full of liquor as red as blood, and soft music played-but still they had not seen their hostess, nor could they see any musicians.

"The journey had made them hungry, so they fell to, and ate heartily, but however much they ate, more would appear, so that the table was always full. And they drank the red liquor, thinking it nothing but some concoction of fruit juice. But of course, it was more than that, and none of them were accustomed to a brew fit for the Powers, so they quickly became tipsy, and grew careless.

"And one man picked up his crystal goblet, and held it up to the light, and said, ‘This will bring its weight in gold, I should imagine!’ Then he popped it into a sack.

"Suddenly the lights all went out, and the shutters slammed tightly closed on every window, and the room was plunged into darkness except for a single ray of light that seemed to come from nowhere, but which shown directly onto the man who had taken the goblet.

"'What did you say?’ the voice demanded. ‘Did you say you plan to sell my tableware? Is this the way you treat your hostess? Is this the way you accept my hospitality?'

"The man shuddered and dared not reply, and then, lo and behold, with a boom and a bang and a flash that blinded all the others, a bolt of lightning struck down from the ceiling and burned the thief to black ash.