Weight of the Heart (Bruna Husky Book 2) by Rosa Montero

Author:Rosa Montero [Montero, Rosa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781503936461
Published: 2016-06-06T16:00:00+00:00

24

The Bureaucrat for Sport in Oscaria was about forty years old and so fat that beneath his nonexistent chin a small cascade of jowls spilled down, wobbling like jelly with every movement. The last roll of flab, which ought to have fallen onto his chest, was caught up in some muslin, which, knotted on top of his head, prevented his Labaric tattoo—the thick, heavily inked B of his caste—from being hidden. No stretch of the imagination could possibly identify him with any sporting activity.

His office was a soulless, empty, gray-walled cube. The only pieces of furniture in the room were four ugly and uncomfortable chairs arranged in a row in front of a big, heavy wooden table, behind which the Bureaucrat was spread out. After a fairly lengthy wait in the anteroom, Tin had ushered them in and urged them to occupy two of the chairs, while the Bureaucrat shuffled papers around as if he hadn’t seen them. Finally, he lifted his head with its skirt of flesh and looked at them.

“May the Sacred Principle be your Law,” he said routinely.

He panted for a few seconds before continuing. It seemed his enormous bulk caused him to suffocate if he said more than one phrase at a time, so his speech was punctuated by arduous pauses.

“Good, good. Fred Town and Reyes Mallo, coach and basketball player,” he read from a document. “From the All Worlds Friendship Association.”

“Thank you very much,” Deuil said, “esteemed Bureaucrat for Sport in Oscaria, for—”

But it seemed the huge whale hadn’t finished; he was merely taking a breather. Ignoring Deuil, he puffed on: “May this visit serve to deepen . . . the understanding between our worlds and . . . demonstrate our good . . . faith. We hope that upon your return to Ear . . . Earth, you will be ambassadors of our friendship. The . . . serf, Tin, will take care that you . . . do not get lost in our humble and beautiful world. That is . . . all.”

The Bureaucrat buried his face in the reams of papers on his desk, and Tin, who had remained standing behind them, indicated that they should get up and then herded them somewhat nervously through the door.

“What good fortune, isn’t that so? To have been received by the Bureaucrat for Sport himself! It’s a privilege,” said the serf once they were back in the anteroom. He seemed genuinely overwhelmed with emotion, much to the rep’s consternation.

“Yes, yes, it has been an unforgettable moment,” said Deuil.

The serf had a tight program organized for them, so he hurried them out of the beehivelike headquarters of the bureaucratic secretariats of Oscaria. First they took a brief tour of the city, and then they left Bruna in a building whose interior was occupied by a huge square arena of sand similar to those of traditional riding schools. There she was received by a dozen young women, all dressed in short white tunics. The albas Deuil had spoken about.

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