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

had come in; white and silver and palest blue, they flew about theroom and lit upon the books.

“Clockwork,” said Lizra. She glanced at Tanaquil. “My father likes things that aren’t real.”

Along the roof, which was paved with dragon tiles, a paintedboat was sailing, drawn by a balloon of sail wind-catching up inthe air. The boat came to the doorway, and the balloon deflatedand sank down. The Prince and his Chief Counselor stepped into the library. Today Zorander wore a tunic of beetle wings, andGasb a hat like a vulture.

“Who is this?” said the Prince. For a moment Tanaquilthought he meant his own daughter, and was strangely unsur prised. But it was Tanaquil he referred to.

“Oh, Princess Tanaquil. Of . . . Erm,” said Lizra.

“And that?”

“Her pet peeve. It can talk.”

“Is it house-trained?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Shorten the leash, please,” said Zorander to Tanaquil.

Their eyes met. His were cold, like his snows, and like the clockwork. He seemed not to like her hair, her borrowed dress. She bowed, and he looked away from her. She was glad.

“The Festival of the Blessing,” said the Prince to Lizra.

“Yes, Father?”

“This year you’ll be a credit to me. The people expect it.

Your gown is even now being prepared. Tonight you shall haveit. There are seven layers of golden lace.” Lizra winced. The Prince did not see. He stared across the library to where, on a frame, a suit of male clothing was displayed.

Tanaquil observed velvets in purple and a breastplate of goldand jewels. It would be even hotter, though perhaps not soscratchy as lace.

“Go and look at it, if you wish,” said the Prince. He was speaking to Tanaquil. Cold as snow, but also a showoff. She went across the room politely and stopped before the frame.“The city offers respect to the sea. And so the cloak is made ofthe skins of seventeen sharks,” he said. “And fringed with theteeth of twenty dolphins.” What a pity they could not bite him! Tanaquil glared at the clothes. And saw that at each shoulder, thecloak was fastened to the breastplate by a gleaming, milk-whitewhorl. Fossils—and of such size and perfection she ached to prizethem loose.

“Nice,” said the peeve. It stared where she did, intensely. “Snails.”

“No,” said Tanaquil. She pulled the peeve round and wentover to a wall of books. The peeve, superior, ignored the flutter ing of the clockwork butterflies.

Zorander stood with his daughter at a table, speaking to herin a low, horribly serious voice. She beamed and twittered at him. Each was plainly disgusted by the personality of the other. Tanaquil felt again a type of sickness—for Lizra, for herself.

Then Gasb came sidling up. He limped, perhaps from the oldbreak in his leg, but it made him seem more nauseating than ever.“Well, well. Princess Tanaquil, of Erm. How remiss. I don’trecall Erm. Where is it?”

“A town of the desert,” said Tanaquil.

“Ah. Now that reminds me, there was once a Princess Yilli of Roadsweeping. Have you heard of her?”Tanaquil was soft and slightly witless. “No, I’m ever so afraid not.” “Just as well, maybe. I’d only suggest you bear in mind, princess, that many things are tolerated, except nuisance.”

The peeve gargled vigorously.

“Talks, does it?” asked the Counselor.

“Wurrupy,” said the peeve, and chattered its fangs.

“Naughty little animal,” said Gasb. “Perhaps we should skinyou for a brown fur muff.”

“We have a saying in Erm,” said Tanaquil before she could help herself, “never kick a man who wears iron boots.”

Gasb straightened. “And who’s in the boots? You?”

“Me?” twittered Tanaquil.

“Gasb,” called the Prince. “We’ll go now and shoot birds.”

Gasb the vulture went sidling off across the room, eager for more feathers.

Lizra, pale and pouting, came to Tanaquil. She whispered: “We can go down the terrace stair to the stables on the middle roof. If we dress as grooms we can take a chariot out riding.”

“What did he tell you to do?”

“Go and pray for the good of the Festival.”

Prince Zorander and Counselor Gasb had left the room.

The two girls and the peeve remained alone in the sunlit library. The presence of the two men was everywhere still.

Lizra said, “I haven’t asked you—just tell me, do you have a mother?”

“Yes.”

“You’re lucky,” said Lizra.

“Lucky to have left her.”

“Mine left me,” said Lizra. “I could kill her for dying.”

Dressed as grooms, Lizra and Tanaquil rode a small plain pony chariot down a ramp, along the edges of the garden, and out into the city. After three or four spectacular streets, they passed into meaner thoroughfares. Tanaquil saw again the sordid huts and shacks, the gaping drains. They came to a section where the city wall was ruinous and low, and went out by an unguarded gateway. Lizra drove the chariot along a road that ran above the beach. Stunted palms grew by the road, and to the right hand the dunes ran out to the ocean. A few houses remained by the road, but they were deserted, their tiles flaked, their roofs fallen in. The city drew away. Despite the sun and the blueness of the water, there was a shadow on the morning.

Tanaquil could think of nothing to ease Lizra’s depression, or her own. They, and the peeve—now used to the chariot’s motion—stayed silent.

Lizra spoke at last.

“I’m taking you to the spot where the Sacred Beast is sup posed to have come out of the sea.” “Oh . . .” said Tanaquil, “. . . good.” “Somehow it seemed right you should see it.” Lizra flicked

the reins and the ponies went more quickly. “I’m going to ask you another question.”

“Yes?”

“I want you to tell me the truth.”

“If I can.”

“I won’t betray you,” said Lizra.

Tanaquil, who had been thinking of the unicorn, tensed andfrowned. She had had the difficult feeling from the start that she could trust Lizra, and this had made her extremely wary.

“What is the question?”

“Are you a witch?”

Tanaquil laughed. “No! Good heavens, anything but.”

“My father,” said Lizra, “told me that witches often have red hair.” “Oh, did he?” “It’s a popular belief here.”“Well I can assure you, I have about as much magical ability

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