Green Wallpaper by Tanith Lee

Author:Tanith Lee [Lee, Tanith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The life of a happy man, this man had said, is a silver sky, spoiled only by a few black stars. An unhappy man’s life is like the ordinary sky all men see by night—black, with only the spreads of silver stars to mark his separated moments of joy. The strangest thing . . . opening his eyes he sees the sky of dawn beyond the window. It’s shining clear and brilliantly silver just before the rising of the sun—and a handful of little black clouds litter it, scarcely visible, like dim black stars. Then a figure moves between him and the window. “Good morning, sire,” says the young man who sits on the end of his bed. The young man’s mouth quirks with an ironic smile, amused, but it’s not a face for humor especially, more priestly and stern, although very handsome, the thick, dark hair not yellowishly powdered today, but hanging silkenly to his collar, his blue-black eyes intent and steady as those of a trained gunner—not suprising, for he had been such a gunner. For a few seconds the ex-emperor does not know him. Or rather mistakes him first for several others in turn—friends of his youth, his brothers—even an enemy he can’t name. Recognition then doesn’t always provide the instant introduction. Yet they are eye to eye. I to I. The young man is his younger self. He speaks quite tenderly. “You didn’t want any of the others I showed you, did you? You want only you. And so, he is here.”

Every one of the few left here know now the man who was their emperor is sick—to death. Even Governor Lowe is sure, and rushes to the house, and desires very imperiously and repeatedly to see the captive, for how else can the staunch and suspicious governor be certain the prisoner hasn’t escaped? The governor becomes quite certain, in fact, and takes to his heels when the prisoner bellows at him, unseen, from behind his locked door.

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