[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
longer-established holders said with grins. That tour took him most of the
summer and into the cooler nights and shorter days of the autumn. Occasional
runner notes from Kasia sustained him. And each evening he faithfully
recorded his doings to be returned, often by the same runner.
He was very grateful when he reached the apex of his journey, a hill holding
right below the High Reaches border. He stayed four days, teaching the
children, who were at first very shy with him but warmed as he taught them the
ballads and sang them the humorous songs with which he had relaxed many a
Page 149
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
nervous student. On his final night Chochol, the holder, had taken him - and
a skin of the rough white Tillek wine - to see the two moons rise, and then
unburdened his mind to the harper.
"Once, twice, maybe, Harper," Chochol said in his rough voice, pitched low so
that not even the herd-beasts grazing near by could hear what he said, "I
would not worry. Anyone can come to a disagreement with his Holder. But
there have been eight lots and they arrive scared of their shadows. Wounded,
and the pretty ones have been badly handled." He paused, indicating with a nod
what he wouldn't say about their condition. "Badly handled." He emphasized
the repetition with a second sharp nod. Then he pointed down the hillside,
which was grassland with a few stunted trees. "Twice' - he held up two thick,
work-callused fingers - "the women were sure that Lord
Faroguy must be dead for such things to happen in High Reaches.
Scared my spouse, that did. But we see anything coming up here and
I tell her we're in Tillek, holding with Lord Melongel, who's a fair
Holder if ever there was one, and the time hasn't come when one
Lord'll run over what another has owned since his Blood took hold."
The phrase "run over what another has owned' sent a shudder of fear through
Robinton right down to his guts.
"So's to reassure her, we've another cot," Chochol said, waving his hand
vaguely over his shoulder, "where we could go did we see someone coming who
ought not. I don't like it, Harper, I don't like it one bit."
"Nor I, Chochol, and you may be sure I will tell Lord Melongel of your
worries."
Robinton did no composing that night, for music had gone out of his head. He
had asked Chochol if the women had mentioned names, or where they were going
in Tillek, but Chochol replied that
he didn't know because he hadn't asked. He had seen them safely to the fiver
track to the sea, and given them what they could spare of provisions.
Most nights, though, Robinton would drain glowbaskets of their last glimmer,
penning his sonata. He also wrote other music for his
Kasia, composing love songs on the long stretches between holds
- though sometimes the notes on the hide showed the roughness of his travel
and had to be corrected. These were only for Kasia, written for her to play
for herself on her harp.
He finished the sonata before he got back to Tillek Hold, before the Autumn
Gather and their espousal.
Kasia welcomed him so warmly that their reunion lasted all night long, which
delighted a travel-weary young man who had desperately missed the object of
his affections.
They spent almost as much time talking as making love. They discussed their
future at length. Now and then, he related the amusing incidents that he
hadn't written to her - since most of his letters had been intensely loverly,
as she described them. She would treasure them for ever. Of course, the wall
incident had been meat for runners all across Tillek Hold.
"I'll probably never live it down," he told her, stroking her thick hair,
rolling a tress on his finger.
"Why would you want to, Rob?" She giggled. "I think it's a marvellous comment
on your abilities."
"I had to live up to expectations," he said.
"Which, to judge by Melongel's remarks, you certainly did."
"I'm not so sure of that," he said, worried.
"I know you did," she said loyally, poking his nose gently.
He groaned. "I hope I did. Every hold seemed to have some sort of long-term
dispute that only I' - he thumbed his chest - "could settle."
"Which I'm sure you did."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I know my Rob. Who sees with clear eyes," she said, touching them
Page 150
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
one by one, which interrupted him when he was about to tell her about the
sonata, "great perception' - and she touched his temples - "and the clever
tongue to speak truth and to the point." She kissed him and that ended their
conversation for some while.
If he went about his duties at the Hold yawning and only half there, knowing
and kindly smiles absolved him.
During his verbal report to Melongel, he mentioned what
Chochol had told him. "Hill holding, well kept. The holder's named
Chochol," he said, leading up to the distressing news.
Melongel glanced up at the map and nodded as he identified the
place.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]