A World Too Near by Kenyon Kay

Author:Kenyon, Kay
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 2008-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

An untold secret is a fire in the mouth.

—a saying

JOHANNA STOOD BEFORE THE OPEN ARCHWAY leading to the Gond den, a place few in Ahnenhoon had seen. At her side was the stalwart Pai, aghast that her mistress would come to this place. She dabbed a perfumed scarf at her noise to dilute the stench.

All the way from Johanna’s apartments Pai had remonstrated against coming here. Johanna’s determination only fueled Pai’s suspicion that Morhab held her mistress hostage in some way. No doubt she suspected it had to do with Gao’s death three days ago, but Pai could only guess. Johanna had often longed to confide in Pai, but in the end she trusted no one.

Pai pursed her lips. “It is not suitable, mistress. Have him come to you, if he desires company.”

Company. If that is what Morhab wanted. It made Johanna ill to think it might be more.

Lurking a few steps behind them was the damnably quiet SuMing.

With the fortress in an uproar over Gao’s apparent suicide, SuMing had yet to tattle that Johanna had left her chambers that ebb-time. Perhaps the girl felt some pang of loyalty toward the woman who had saved her from a fall similar to Gao’s. Eventually SuMing might make demands in return for her silence. Damn the girl. Watching, ever watching.

“Ask the gracious lord for assistance, mistress,” Pai whispered, plucking at Johanna’s sleeve.

“I will go in.” Johanna’s tone brooked no argument, and she left her women behind as she passed through the chamber opening. She breathed deeply to submerge her fear: He could hardly hurt her or leave bruises—Lord Inweer would notice. How trivial, that day on Morhab’s sled, when all he wanted was for her to sit next to him.

We’ve gone well beyond that, now, she thought.

Johanna passed into Morhab’s chamber, thick with the clotted air of decay. The glow from the corridor quickly fell away, and she found herself in a dim, vaulted room. She paused, letting her eyes adjust to the darkened premises. Here was one thing that she and Morhab had in common; they both liked the dark. Whatever she had to do, at least there would be an obscuring cloak. Oh Titus, she thought. I have failed you. I can’t help you, my darling. You must come and wipe the Repel from the face of the Entire. Wipe us all clean. She wasn’t afraid of that end. It had been quite a while since she had been afraid of dying.

Peering into the habitat of Morhab the Gond, she saw what looked like pillars holding up the ceiling. Coming closer to one of them, she found that it was a stunted tree, broad-trunked and leafless. Here was a sparse forest appearing to spring from the floor, a floor that couldn’t nurture any real forest; it was a hard surface below a layer of debris and dust. Perhaps Lord Inweer had created a simulated native environment for his favorite engineer, just as he had for his favorite concubine.

That was well to remember: She was a whore.

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