David Eddings - [Tamuli 02] - The Shining Ones (retail) by David Eddings

Author:David Eddings
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

‘It doesn’t really talk!’ Ehlana interrupted Sparhawk’s account of what had taken place in Delphaeus.

‘Not by itself, no,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘It spoke through Kalten – well, it did the first time, anyway.’

‘Kalten?’

‘I have no idea why. Maybe it just seizes on whoever’s handy. The language it uses is archaic and profoundly formal – thee’s and thou’s and that sort of thing. Its speech is much like Xanetia’s, and it wants me to respond in kind. Evidently, the mode of speech is important.’ He rubbed one hand across his freshly shaved cheek. ‘It’s very strange, but as soon as I began to speak – and think – in twelfth-century Elenic, something seemed to open in my mind. For the first time, I knew that I was Anakha, and I knew that Bhelliom and I are linked together in some profoundly personal way.’ He smiled wryly. ‘It seems that you’re married to two different people, love. I hope you’ll like Anakha. He seems a decent enough sort – once you get used to the way he talks.’

‘Perhaps I should just go mad,’ she said. ‘That might be easier than trying to understand what’s going on. How many other strangers do you plan to bring to my bed tonight?’

Sparhawk looked at Vanion. ‘Should I tell them about Sephrenia?’

‘You might as well,’ Vanion sighed. ‘They’ll find out about it soon enough anyway.’

Sparhawk took his wife’s hands in his and looked into her gray eyes. ‘You’re going to have to be a little careful when you talk with Sephrenia, dear,’ he told her. ‘There’s an ancient enmity between the Delphae and the Styrics, and Sephrenia grows irrational whenever she’s around them. Xanetia has problems with the Styrics as well, but she manages to keep it under control better than Sephrenia does.’

‘Doth it seem so to thee, Anakha?’ Xanetia asked. She had resumed her disguise, more for the sake of the comfort of the others than out of any real need, Sparhawk guessed. Mirtai sat not far from her with watchful eyes and with her hand resting on her sword-hilt.

‘I’m not trying to be personally offensive, Anarae,’ he apologized. ‘I’m just trying to explain the situation so that they’ll understand when you and Sephrenia try to claw each other’s eyes out.’

‘I’m sure you’ve noticed my husband’s blinding charm, Anarae,’ Ehlana smiled. ‘Sometimes he absolutely overwhelms us with it.’

Xanetia actually laughed. Then she looked at Itagne. ‘These Elenes are a complex people, are they not? I do detect great agility of thought behind this bluff manner of theirs, and subtleties I would not have expected from a people who tailor steel into garments.’

Sparhawk leaned back in his chair. ‘I haven’t really covered everything that happened, but that’s enough to let you know in a general sort of way what we encountered. We can fill in more detail tomorrow. What’s been going on here?’

‘Politics, of course.’ Ehlana shrugged.

‘Don’t you ever get tired of politics?’

‘Don’t be silly, Sparhawk. Milord Stragen, why don’t you tell him? It shocks him when I start going into all the sordid details.

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