The Gates of the World #1: The Iron Ship by K. M. McKinley

Author:K. M. McKinley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Publisher: Solaris

THEY LEFT THE Watermarket quickly, Katriona’s purchase hidden at the bottom of her clutch bag.

“I say, I say! Goodlady Katriona? Is that you? Is that Goodfellow Guis?”

Guis pushed his sister on. “Keep going,” he said.

Katriona did not heed her brother, but stopped before they got to the kerb of the road.

“Countess Mogawn!” she exclaimed.

“It is you! How delightful.” The Hag was wearing a candy-striped suit favoured by the glamour boys of Perus this year. A monocle filled her left eye socket, a matching fascinator decorated with the emblems of the lost goddess Alcmeny sat on her head.

Katriona curtsied. “An intriguing outfit,” she said.

“Isn’t it? I asked my tailor to make me the most outrageous outfit he could. He came up with this. Terrible, isn’t it? But absolutely perfect. I have a reputation to damage, after all.”

Both women laughed. Guis thought she was trying too hard to shock.

A pair of servants puffed in the countess’s wake under the burden of many bags and boxes.

“You’re lucky to catch me. I must be back to Mogawn before midnight, when the causeway will cover over for the next week or so. My coach will be here in a moment. I’ve been shopping. I don’t come to town often during the day. I’m more of a night owl myself.” She ladled implication onto her statement. Katriona blushed. “Much fun to be had in Karsa of an evening. Although, my work of late has kept me from the city. That’s the advantage of marriage, I suppose. If there is one.” She smiled. “Forgive me. It is a blessed state, but not one for me. How is old Demion? Such a gentle soul, if a little dull. I have always secretly held that he could be instructed to please a woman if given enough tuition.”

“Countess!” gasped Katriona. She was pretending outrage. She had a smile of a kind Guis had only seen once or twice before on her face.

“Oh come now, don’t tell me you are one of those old frumps? We were made to take pleasure in love, more so than men. That is why they try to deny it us. If I am regarded as shocking it is almost solely because of my embracing of this one, fundamental truth. And you, Guis. You seemed eager to come to Mogawn when we spoke at your sister’s wedding some three months ago. Have you decided not to visit? You never replied to my invitation.”

“A terrible lapse on my part, countess. I have been meaning to reply.”

“Of course,” she said, fully aware of the lie. “The life of a writer must be full of incident and drama. Where else would you find your inspiration?” Her eyes were provocative. “My invitation stands. I would dearly like to host you. I realise that there is a certain stigma attached to my company in refined circles, but I have much that you would like to see. My work is genuinely fascinating. I had heard you were something of a polymath.”

“I read a little.

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