Black Unicorn, Tanith Lee [famous ebook reader txt] 📗

The racket from the crowd was now extraordinary. Tanaquilgrasped that not only could she hear the fight, but the notes ofcheers and whistles up the street, and drawing nearer. Citizensuninvolved in battle pointed. She made out an orderly movementand the glint of lanterns on spears. Soldiers were approaching tocorrect the disorderly crowd. And beyond the soldiers came other lights, drums, the roll of wheels.

“It’s a procession,” said Tanaquil.

She went forward cautiously.

The flailing artisans and their assailants were now mixed upwith scolding soldiers in burnished mail and plumed helmets. Theriot had spilled out into the avenue. Suddenly the whole mob unravelled and flooded right across the roadway.

Tanaquil pulled herself up onto the plinth of a lamp, whilethe peeve scurried up the pole.

Artisans and crowd members were rolling on the road, soldierswere ladling out blows with spear butts, and an entire row of drum mers was falling over them with shrieks, while horses reared and chariots upended, and flowers and fires whirled through the air.

“It’s not a procession any more,” remarked Tanaquil.

She was gazing with wonder at the chaotic muddle, whichseemed unlikely ever to be sorted out, when a surprisingly intactchariot shot straight out of the mess and pulled up smartly closebeneath Tanaquil’s plinth.

The chariot was small, painted and gilded and garlanded withflowers, and drawn by two small white horses. The driver was agirl perhaps a year younger than Tanaquil. She had long ropes ofvery black hair, and a cloak of red velvet and pure gold tissue thatseemed to be embroidered with rubies.

“What,” shouted the girl in a penetrating, high, and regalvoice, “is this disgusting silliness?”

At once there was a hush. The fighting on the roadwayceased. The combatants, where able, detached themselves. Re moving masks, holding cloths to bleeding noses, they stood aboutlooking cowed.

She’s that important, then, thought Tanaquil. And staringdown at the girl, Tanaquil had the most curious feeling she had seen her before.

“Well?” said the girl, still theatrically, but more quietly, now there was silence. “What are your excuses?”“Ma’am, these rowdies just rushed out in front of us,” said astylish officer of the soldiers.

“Obviously,” said the girl. On her head was a goldwork capwith a red feather. “You,” she added to Vush. Vush got up, hismask half off and a black eye glaring above his beard. “You’re theMaster Artisan, aren’t you?”

“Yuff,” admitted Vush through a split lip.

“What was the meaning of this affray?”

An expression of despair crossed Vush’s swelling face. Hesquared his big shoulders.“We were chafed by a uniborn, your highnuff.”“A what?” “A uniborn.” “He means a unicorn, madam,” said the officer. He gave a

stagey laugh. “Really!”“Where is it?” said the girl. She looked round with genuinefascination. “Are you making this up?”“No, your highnuff. The Fabred Beaft manifufted amonguff.” Vush said in a dreadful voice, “Doom. It meanf the end.” A sigh passed over the crowd. Tanaquil saw here and there the making of signs against evil and ill fortune.

“The Sacred Beast,” said the girl, “if ever it were to return to us, would offer its loyalty to my father, Prince Zorander. We’venothing to fear. As for you, I believe you were all drunk at someartisans’ rite. You scared yourselves into seeing things and thenran out here and caused this disturbance. My father will doubtless fine your guild. Look forward to that, and stop spreading unwise rumors of unicorns.”

The artisans drooped. They had been atrociously embar rassed. Hints of doubt were murmuring between them. Had they imagined the unicorn?

Then a thin, cranky artisan stamped his foot on the road,and thrust a skinny finger at the lamp standard, the perch of Tanaquil and the peeve.

“She’s the trouble maker. She’s a witch. She made us see things,” howled Jope.

Every head turned. Every face for a mile, it felt to her, wasraised to Tanaquil’s own. Including the face of the Prince’s daugh ter below.

The Princess frowned. For a minute she might have beenpuzzled, possibly by the apparition of the peeve, hanging by onepaw and its tail from the lantern hook.

“This girl?” asked the Princess.Vush said heavily, “Fhe fneabed into our hall difguifed af a boy. Fhe profaned a ritual—”The Princess interrupted. She said directly to Tanaquil: “Whathave you got to say?”

“I’m not a witch,” said Tanaquil promptly. She stared at thegirl and caught herself back. “Of course there wasn’t a unicorn.Because I can mend things they tried to force me to join their guild. They threatened to drown me if I didn’t.”

“Oh, yes,” said the Princess. “Father will be interested.” The artisans muttered. The officer glanced at them and theystopped.

“Then,” said Tanaquil, “they went quite mad and ran outinto the street screaming about sacred beasts. I’m a stranger to this city. I’m not impressed.”

“Of course not,” said the girl. She looked at the soldiers.“Clear the road, please.”

Order came after all. The other vehicles were righting them selves, the soldiers herding artisans and citizens out of the way.As Vush was deposited at the roadside there were jibes and laughter.

The Princess said to Tanaquil, “Come down and get into mychariot. You can bring your animal.”

Tanaquil said, “I’m sure I don’t merit the honor.”

“It’s not an honor,” said the Princess. “It’s an invitation.”

Tanaquil got down from the lion, and the peeve slithered after her. They climbed into the chariot of flowers, and thePrincess flared her reins. The small white horses darted off, straight through the loiterers on the road, who tumbled aside.

A few flakes of snow, unusual in the city, spotted the air.

“By the way, I’m sorry, but Father won’t fine the artisans. It

would be useless trying to persuade him. It talks, doesn’t it?” said the Princess. “The animal.”

“I can, er, make it seem to.”

“Good. I thought you’d be all right.”

They sped out of the avenue of lions into an avenue lined bygilded, lantern-lit dolphins. Then they raced to the foot of a hilland roared up it. The peeve wrapped itself round Tanaquil’s legand clawed her. “Too fast. Want get off.”

“That’s excellent,” congratulated the Princess.

“Ow. Thank you.”

Over the top of the hill, where the road was lined bylantern-lit gilded octopuses and camels alternately,