Kinight Fantastic by Martin H Greenberg & John Helfers (eds.)

Author:Martin H Greenberg & John Helfers (eds.) [Greenberg, Martin H & Helfers, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci Fi & Fantasy
Publisher: DAW Books, Inc.
Published: 2002-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

The moon would be full in a few days. Any mortal who dares can cross the Veil then. I had a few arrangements to make before I left town. One of them was a visit to an old friend. I waited until it was dark, then put on my best coronet and my worst cloak and paid a visit to Dragontown.

The Fortunate Pearl Tavern is down at the edge of the docks, where the big bard-sung clippers that ply the Ocean Serpent dock. It’s the kind of place even Table Knights enter in twos. They knew me there, but memories are short in Dragon-town, and I carried my 357 openly as a warning against rash actions. It’s a heavy professional model, Persian ebony inlaid with silver serpents, and it’s got one hell of a big point: over 300 grams of optically-pure crystal.

First Mists of Autumn Along the Yellow River greeted me even before I got in the door.

*Come in, Artos. We’ve been waiting for you.*

I smiled at the barkeep, who didn’t smile back. I was used to that. I went around the end of the bar and started down the stairs.

I hate coming here. The stairs go on forever—I always mean to count them and never do. But First Mists of Autumn doesn’t go out. If you wanted to see him—and not many do— you went to him.

He was playing chess with Liu Hsi when I got there.

The whole room shimmered like summer lightning, in a constant flicker that hurt my eyes. It’d surprised me when the two of them had struck up a friendship—creatures of magic tend to be solitary beasts—but I suppose it was inevitable. If most people found out that Liu Hsi was the Palug Cat, they’d probably run screaming—even after four centuries, she’s still got a certain reputation in some quarters, even if she’s done her best to live it down lately. But even without Taliesin Silver-tongue’s magic collar she’s impervious to all magic but her own, and I expect First Mists of Autumn liked having someone around who didn’t have to worry about looking him in the eye.

Liu Hsi jumped up when she saw me and bounded over. Halfway there she turned from a large golden cat to a small golden woman. The transformation, as always, was interesting to watch.

“Artos!” she said happily, flinging her arms around my neck, then sniffed and made a face. “You’re in trouble.”

*He’s always in trouble. He likes it.* First Mists of Autumn said. I didn’t say anything. Dragons have a different perspective on things than mortals do.

“I’m going out of town for a while. I wanted to let you know.”

“Take me with you,” Liu Hsi said instantly.

“No,” I said, just as fast. It wasn’t that I hadn’t thought about it. The Palug Cat would be an asset in any fight, and certainly had nothing to fear from the Queen of the Wood. But she’d also be a hostage to fortune, one I didn’t dare lose. And I’d been asked to go precisely because the situation was so volatile.

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