Faces Under Water by Tanith Lee

Author:Tanith Lee [LEE, TANITH]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: FIC000000, FIC009000, FIC009030
ISBN: 9781468306309
Publisher: Overlook
Published: 2012-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

IN THE EVENING HE WOKE, and knew where he was, and recalled what had been said. When he sat up, the room was quite steady. It was probably not the ministrations of this diabolic house, rather Shaachen’s medicine bringing on a crisis, now successfully past.

He looked about. A cup of wine stood on the chest by the bed, and an apple with a knife, (they trusted him?) Across the dim room, which was an ample one, an enamel bath had been filled by water that steamed.

They had taken his garments, and he had slept adequately without his shirt, but there in the corner, absurd on a pedestal, was a suit of clothes the like of which he had not seen for six years.

Furian ate the apple without using the knife, but he might keep the knife. It was a poor thing, but could be useful. The wine was thin with fresh water. She must have a well here, and a good one.

He went and sat in the bath and laved himself with the warm water. Nearby was an attendant razor—trust indeed.

The girl came in on a knock as he stood shaving cautiously at the unlit mirror, naked. Of course, she would have seen him in the bed. She began lighting lamps.

“Are you mine with the rest?”

“No, Signore!” She flushed to her hairline above and between the cat’s ears.

“Only she’s the whore, then.”

“She isn’t!” cried the girl. “How dare you say so! She’s been charitable to you.”

“I wonder why.”

The girl hung her head.

“When you’re ready, you’re to go to the room to the left of the corridor.”

“Am I.”

The girl bridled. She said, “There are strong men in this house. Be careful.”

“You mean I can’t leave here until I’m told I may. You mean I can’t have any of you until I pay.”

The girl picked up a shoe from beside the suit on the pedestal. She flung it at him, but a little short. For a slave, she made free. But then, she thought nothing of him.

He said, “All right. I’ll be obedient. Don’t be cruel to me. You were so charming when I was sick.”

“I was not,” she rasped. “She was.”

“Tell me why,” he said.

“Why do you think?”

Confounded, Furian stared at her. Though she was masked and he not, he could see the blush again on her forehead. It was deep.

He said, “You think she likes me.”

The girl lowered her head. She made an angry gesture. “Yes.”

“I’m flattered. But bemused. Why should she?”

“Who knows why one likes another one?” said the girl. Then, “She’s been fair to me, all my life. You don’t know her, I won’t talk to you any more.”

And she ran from the room, slamming the door.

Furian put down the razor. He walked to the small window, which he had already examined. Through the half open shutters, he looked out at the canal, but did not see it.

A new game? He thought of the delicacy of her soothing hand, the way she had drawn him in on her blue beach.

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.