[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
This was a common enough thing for anyone who entered the inn to do, a
customary thing. However in the case of this individual, the pause lasted a
little longer than Jim would have expected; and, because he was watching
closely, he saw that the man was also examining the people who were in the
room.
Jim had been sitting these last few days with his right hand laid out on the
table, the ring visible upon his third finger. Its top was a seal cut into a
blood-red stone, and the stone picked up what little light there was from the
nearest window, so that it was clearly visible across the room, even in the
reduced light within.
The newcomer's eyes touched on it, moved on. Then, almost casually, he turned
and moved in Jim's direction.
He was a tall, slim man in his middle thirties, but with the skin of his face
somewhat tanned and aged. A scar several inches long puckered his left cheek.
He would have been remarkably handsome, except for the fact that his nose was
hooked like Sir Giles's; but it was nowhere near as fleshy as Giles's. In fact
all the bones of his face seemed thin and sharp. There was an air of
authorityabout him that the ordinary clothes could not disguise; and he moved
with a looseness and sureness that gave evidence of someone in excellent
physical condition. He was wide shouldered and very erect.
He reached Jim's table and, without invitation, dropped onto the bench on the
other side of it, across from Jim.
Without a word, he turned his left hand palm upward to reveal that what had
appeared merely a circlet of gold from the top, carried a stone on the palm
side with the same crest engraved in it that Jim had in his. After exposing it
to Jim's gaze for a moment, he closed his hand into a fist again, hiding it.
Page 107
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"You will be the Dragon Knight," he said in a low, clear, baritone, "from Sir
John Chandos?"
"That's right," said Jim. He had not moved. "But I'm afraid I don't know your
name, mesire."
"My name has no importance in this," said the other. "Do you have a privy
place where we can talk?"
"Certainly," said Jim. "Upstairs."
Jim had started torise , but the other shook his head sharply; and Jim sat
down again.
"Not now," the other said."This evening. I'll be back. A private room, I take
it?"
His eyes flicked toward the stairway.
Jim nodded.
"This evening, then," said the man, rising. "When there are more people
around, so that not so much attention will be paid to my coming and going.
Wait for me upstairs, then."
He turned, made his way to the door, and went out. For a moment he stood
outlined in the bright rectangle of the doorway, a dark outline without
further features. Then he was gone.
Chapter Fifteen
It was late afternoon before Brian and Giles returned. They had found and
bought the necessary horses; and were obviously overjoyed with their
purchases. They insisted on Jim coming out into the courtyard to look at them
before they were put away in the stables.
When Jim saw the beasts, he understood why they had wanted him to look. It
was not so much that they felt a responsibility toward the money he had given
them to spend, as a desire to prove to him they had returned with usable
animals.
There were six horses in the courtyard. Jim had not been in this world long
enough to become a real judge of horseflesh; but he had picked up enough to
know and recognize large differences between animals. There was no mistaking
which were the riding horses and which were to be the baggage animals. The
baggage animals were smaller, more roughly coated, and looked underfed. Of the
riding horses, two were good and one was an excellent beast, already
equipped as were the other two with saddles and bridles that Brian and Giles
had also evidently bought this day.
Unfortunately, the other two riding horses, while they did not look as if
they had been underfed or mistreated in any way, were very ordinary horses.
Not up, according to Jim's limited judgment, to the level of a gentleman's or
lady's palfrey. Rather the sort of beasts that might be given to men-at-arms
to ride. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
This was a common enough thing for anyone who entered the inn to do, a
customary thing. However in the case of this individual, the pause lasted a
little longer than Jim would have expected; and, because he was watching
closely, he saw that the man was also examining the people who were in the
room.
Jim had been sitting these last few days with his right hand laid out on the
table, the ring visible upon his third finger. Its top was a seal cut into a
blood-red stone, and the stone picked up what little light there was from the
nearest window, so that it was clearly visible across the room, even in the
reduced light within.
The newcomer's eyes touched on it, moved on. Then, almost casually, he turned
and moved in Jim's direction.
He was a tall, slim man in his middle thirties, but with the skin of his face
somewhat tanned and aged. A scar several inches long puckered his left cheek.
He would have been remarkably handsome, except for the fact that his nose was
hooked like Sir Giles's; but it was nowhere near as fleshy as Giles's. In fact
all the bones of his face seemed thin and sharp. There was an air of
authorityabout him that the ordinary clothes could not disguise; and he moved
with a looseness and sureness that gave evidence of someone in excellent
physical condition. He was wide shouldered and very erect.
He reached Jim's table and, without invitation, dropped onto the bench on the
other side of it, across from Jim.
Without a word, he turned his left hand palm upward to reveal that what had
appeared merely a circlet of gold from the top, carried a stone on the palm
side with the same crest engraved in it that Jim had in his. After exposing it
to Jim's gaze for a moment, he closed his hand into a fist again, hiding it.
Page 107
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"You will be the Dragon Knight," he said in a low, clear, baritone, "from Sir
John Chandos?"
"That's right," said Jim. He had not moved. "But I'm afraid I don't know your
name, mesire."
"My name has no importance in this," said the other. "Do you have a privy
place where we can talk?"
"Certainly," said Jim. "Upstairs."
Jim had started torise , but the other shook his head sharply; and Jim sat
down again.
"Not now," the other said."This evening. I'll be back. A private room, I take
it?"
His eyes flicked toward the stairway.
Jim nodded.
"This evening, then," said the man, rising. "When there are more people
around, so that not so much attention will be paid to my coming and going.
Wait for me upstairs, then."
He turned, made his way to the door, and went out. For a moment he stood
outlined in the bright rectangle of the doorway, a dark outline without
further features. Then he was gone.
Chapter Fifteen
It was late afternoon before Brian and Giles returned. They had found and
bought the necessary horses; and were obviously overjoyed with their
purchases. They insisted on Jim coming out into the courtyard to look at them
before they were put away in the stables.
When Jim saw the beasts, he understood why they had wanted him to look. It
was not so much that they felt a responsibility toward the money he had given
them to spend, as a desire to prove to him they had returned with usable
animals.
There were six horses in the courtyard. Jim had not been in this world long
enough to become a real judge of horseflesh; but he had picked up enough to
know and recognize large differences between animals. There was no mistaking
which were the riding horses and which were to be the baggage animals. The
baggage animals were smaller, more roughly coated, and looked underfed. Of the
riding horses, two were good and one was an excellent beast, already
equipped as were the other two with saddles and bridles that Brian and Giles
had also evidently bought this day.
Unfortunately, the other two riding horses, while they did not look as if
they had been underfed or mistreated in any way, were very ordinary horses.
Not up, according to Jim's limited judgment, to the level of a gentleman's or
lady's palfrey. Rather the sort of beasts that might be given to men-at-arms
to ride. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]