(eng) Patty Jansen- Ambassador 01 by Seeing Red

Author:Seeing Red [Red, Seeing]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 14

* * *

I STARED INTO the dark, heart thudding.

The red circle of light, the attack on Sirkonen.

I expected shouting, panic elsewhere in the building. I expected Thayu to get up, or the guards to come and check on me.

None of that happened.

I strode into the hall—and almost crashed into Eirani carrying a tray with tea and bread.

“Delegate!” Eyes widened.

“Sorry, Eirani. I didn’t see you—did you . . . did you see anything outside?”

She frowned. “Outside? I was in the kitchen, Delegate. The laundry delivery came in.” She nodded at the tray. On it lay Sirkonen’s datastick.

Thank the heavens.

“You haven’t heard that something has happened in town?”

“Nothing has happened, Delegate.”

“No one saw anything?”

Her frown deepened. She set the tray on the table. “No. What were we meant to see?” That was an accusatory-we; she was annoyed.

I began, “There was a . . .” And stopped. The light was red. Coldi had no word for red. They couldn’t see it; neither could Eirani. “Never mind.”

Eirani had started offloading the contents of the tray onto the table. “Eat, Delegate, and I will see if the lady is awake.”

She left the room and I sat down at the table, forcing myself to concentrate. Never mind what had happened. I’d try to find out later. My speech was more important now.

I was halfway through the last slice of bread when Eirani rushed in again, carrying some garment over her arm. She hung it over a chair and produced a comb from her pocket. “Doing your hair, Delegate.”

She put up the collar of my shirt, and undid the clip in my hair. With a few swift strokes, she pulled it back into a ponytail, flattening the recalcitrant curls with gel. She then produced a small box and opened it on the table. Two stones glittered inside, white opals, on golden hooks. “I picked these up from the jeweller’s yesterday.”

I took the hoops out of my ears and let her put the new earrings in. When I shook my head, the stones dangled against my earlobes.

Eirani brushed the hair off my shoulders and held out the jacket.

I opened my mouth to protest—I’d boil in all those layers of clothing, but she would have none of it. “The Delegate must absolutely wear this. The first impression is important.”

No choice about it. For all her grumpiness, Eirani did have an eye for looks. I rose from the chair and studied myself in the reflection of the glass. The stones reflected the light and glittered when I moved my head. White opal, for peace.

I wondered what Eva would say if she saw me now. Who is that stranger?

I took Sirkonen’s datastick off the tray and slipped it in my pocket. At least that had been recovered. I’d have a good look at it when I came back, hopefully—I took a deep nervous breath—with good results.

“Delegate?”

Thayu came in.

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