Ellen Kushner by The Fall of the Kings

Author:The Fall of the Kings [Kings, The Fall of the]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-06-08T13:55:24+00:00

Basil looked the irascible metaphysician in the eye. “You had my word I’d try. I’m sorry, Leonard. He left me no choice. I know what I’m doing.”

Doctor Rugg threw up his hands in despair and applied himself to his brandy. The door of the tavern opened to admit a group of students and their teacher. St Cloud caught a glimpse of a red ribbon-bow in one student’s long, fair hair. Girlish, he thought disapprovingly, then realized that the student was a girl, that they were all girls—no, not so young as most of his students. Women.

The magister turned, searching for an empty table, affording Basil a clear view of a hawk-nosed, olive-skinned face and a mass of dark hair braided into a heavy crown.

“Doctor Sophia Campion,” said Doctor Rugg, amused. “Would you like an introduction?”

“No,” Basil snapped. “I would not. What’s she doing here?”

A buxom woman with brassy hair was leading the female physicians to a table that had been occupied a moment before by a group of young men. “Fraternizing,” said Rugg.

“Just as we do at the Nest. I told you she was odd.” He glanced around at St Cloud’s students, who were gaping as though they’d never in their lives seen a woman before.

“Those are not women,” he told them. “Those are surgeons. They’d sooner cut you up than kiss you. And there’s not one of them a day under twenty-five.”

“I knew that,” said Vandeleur unexpectedly. “When the Governors let women attend lectures, they stipulated they had to be of legal age.” Everyone stared at him. He shrugged. “My sister wants to be a mathematician. She’s sixteen.”

Ignoring this byplay, Basil studied Theron’s mother, trying to find his lover in her vividly foreign face. She was explaining something to one of her students, shaping the air with her hands, touching the woman’s arm, tapping a finger against the table, never still until the woman spoke, when she leaned forward to listen, all attention. Like Therein, Basil thought, and was suddenly overcome with restless desire. He drained his brandy and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Rugg asked. “We have a lot to talk about. Strategy. Plans.

Meetings with the Governors. You’ve put a match to dry tinder, Basil. You must help contain the fire.”

“Later, Leonard.” It came out more brusquely than he’d meant, but that was better than pleading. “Come to my rooms tomorrow afternoon–we’ll plan then, as much as you like.” He looked with affection at the concerned faces of the students who had witnessed his challenge. “You have my gratitude, all of you. No finer scholars and friends could exist the length and breadth of University.”

He turned to leave.

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