1 - The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller

Author:Karen Miller [Miller, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-02-08T04:23:09+00:00

Durm shakes his head. T cannot. He has the Weather in his hands and he'll do with it as he wills. As the fever wills.' looming over Nix, he says, 'Break it, man. Break the magic's hold on him or it shall break us, and all to tiny pieces.'

Nix quails. T shall do my best, Sir.' Durm's lips bare his teeth in a snarling smile. Overhead, a crack of lightning sears pain through every head. 'Do better,' he advises. 'Or you'll be midwife to the end of the world.'

Drowning in music, Gar clutched the dais railing and marvelled at the glorious sound. He'd long since stopped singing, just so he could listen more perfectly. So many voices ... a harmony he'd never dreamed of. There were tears on his cheeks. The fresh salt air couldn't dry them fast enough, his eyes were over-run with emotion. Why had his father never said} 'Off to the festival,' he'd groan with a

347

smile, and ride away and long days later ride back and never once had he said.

There were tears on Asher's cheeks too. He was still singing, his hoarse baritone melding roughly with the mayor's rich tenor, the lady mayoress's true soprano and the motley choir of the other officials. In his face, a fierce exultation. This was his moment, his heritage, his future. He was a sudden stranger.

Beneath the blazing sun the crowd's united, uniting voice made magic of the air. 'Rejoice,' the fisherfolk sang, in descant and harmony, each voice a thread in the marvellous tapestry of sound. 'Prepare,' they sang, and 'Praise the bounteous ocean'; 'Strength to the fishermen,' they sang. 'Plenty to the harvest. Clear skies and calm seas.' Even the trees bent to listen, or so it seemed. And in the harbour the fish leapt to hear it. Singly at first, a rainbow flash of fin and scale. Then in pairs. In triplets. Flinging themselves boldly towards the sun.

'Behold they come!' the fisherfolk proclaimed, as they raised their hands in welcome and thanks. 'The ocean's bounty, our lives, our living!'

Slowly, slowly, the harbour began to boil.

As the king thrashes insensible upon his pillows the queen anchors her fingers to Pother Nix's arm. 'Do something! He cannot continue like this much longer!'

Princess Vane slumps in a corner, her face blotched with tears, her eyes slitted with pain. Durm sits with her, an arm about her shoulders. In his set face rages a promise of death, or worse. Nix turns away from the mage's terrible eyes, shuddering, and rests trembling fingers on Her Majesty's hand. Another second and her nails will draw his blood.

7 dare not give him more heartsease, Majesty!' he protests. 'As it is I have exceeded the proper dosage by some half again ... one drop more and it may be fatal!'

348

'Whereas these seizures are a very bromide?' Her Majesty retorts. Her face is frightening. 'What good will your caution do us if he dies in delirium?

Nix presses a hand to his sweaty forehead. They are all

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.